Final Word Week 6 | Supercoach EPL trades, captains, PODs

Five game-weeks down – and we’re at a point where we’ve formed some solid opinions on players that were popular at the start of the season, while getting to a rosy 5 game block for Arsenal and Manchester City, with the Gunners particularly getting through some tough early-season fixtures relatively unscathed.

On a low-scoring weekend, 90 points put the Bolywood Bhoys in the Top 9% of coaches – mostly due to the solid score of Erling Haaland, who might have had another against Arsenal as well.

Probably the best of my captaincy shouts so far this season.

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Down the board, Hartman & Petrovic scored solidly to keep our defence ticking along – while in midfield the assist for Tijani Reijnders and more heroics from Bruno Fernandes (helped by the early red card to Robert Sanchez) meant the score rose higher than some who had moved early on the pair.

While he was overlooked for Connor Bradley on the weekend against Everton – Jeremie Frimpong did manage to get through 90 minutes in Liverpool’s mid-week League Cup win over Southampton, but if he’s not starting this weekend against Palace, we’re going to have to cop the loss and move him on.

I’m of the mind that I probably should have made that move earlier, as I sit here writing this on Wednesday.

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Maxim De Cuyper didn’t play against Spurs after his early substitution versus Bournemouth the week before, when he got a little too familiar with the advertising hoardings.

He’s still clearly their number 1 option at left-back, and Fabian Hürzeler said the injury wasn’t serious when asked about it last week, so I’m hopeful he’ll have recovered for the clash with Chelsea this weekend.

Regardless, I’ll likely be lining up with 3 defenders this weekend just in case.

Brighton’s fixtures are particularly soft after their clash with the boys from Stamford Bridge this weekend, so a like-for-like play could be the move if he’s out again with Van Hecke & Lewis Dunk still very cheap.

I decided against the mooted trade of Martin Odegaard last weekend, and in notes for Arsenal’s matchday program, the Norwegian confirmed it was another knock to the same shoulder he’d injured against Leeds earlier in the year, which **should** mean a fairly quick recovery.

As mentioned, Arsenal’s run of fixtures is particularly appealing, so we’d like their creative maestro to pull through, and fortunately, with 4 other nailed on starters in midfield at the moment, I can afford to take the gamble.

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Pape Sarr was rested against Brighton after a busy opening month of the season, which, while disappointing for GW5, I don’t think will be a sign of things to come, given his strong form to start the year.

With a Break Even of 0 at the moment, a trade at this point isn’t on the cards whatsoever, but we’ll continue to keep a close eye on the Spurs rotation of their squad.

Particularly as a trade out could leave us with more space to make the Salah trade when it’s needed – although at the moment I’m leaning more toward Bruno Fernandes and Igor Thiago being the ones to make way for the star Egyptian.

Josh King is also at a point (along with Thiago) where he’s going to have to perform above himself to continue making us cash, and he’ll be on the block for me shortly.

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Gameweek 6 Trade Plans

We’re getting toward crunch time with Mohammed Salah as a non-owner,  and I think this is the week to pull the trigger.

After a big score, it’s a nice time to take Bruno Fernandes out on a high – I can’t stick with him as one of my biggest investments playing in the role he is for Ruben Amorim in a team that won’t provide as many opportunities as Salah’s team will for him.

Even with all their off-season signings, he’s their talisman.

I understand the qualms people have about his disappearance to AFCON, but that’s all the more reason to pick him up with 11 league games still to play between now and his departure to join up with Egypt for a month.

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Bringing in Salah means the end for Igor Thiago as well – Xavi Simons takes Fernandes’ midfield spot to pick up his price rise.

Depending on rotations at Spurs, either he or Sarr will probably drop out over the next month or so, but I like having both in for this little run, which should play heavily into Spurs’ hands – and I’m anticipating both to see plenty of the field in a high scoring team.

Odegaard, Frimpong, and De Cuyper are next on the chopping block, pending their injury concerns and their ability to win back their first team positions over the next couple of weeks.

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Watchlist

Myles Lewis-Skelly

With Arsenal’s injury worries beginning to stack up – the 18-year old is expected to get his first start of the season against Port Vale in the League Cup on Thursday Morning (Aus Time) – if he impresses there, there’s a road back into the first team this season.

It might not be just yet – but he’s one I’ll be keeping an eye on for the busy period over Christmas when fixture congestion starts to become a factor – particularly for the clubs playing European football like Arsenal.

At 3.5mil you’ll have a game or two to move in on him as well.

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Viktor Gyokores 

One I was keen on in pre-season and a little filthy on not picking up while he was at such a low price – instead I’ve attacked the big boys upfront and I’ll have to live with that.

Pedro has my confidence at the moment alongside Haaland & Salah, but if Arsenal can find a way out of their shell a little and give him more service, then he looks a high-return goal-scorer.

3 goals in your first 5 Premier League games is no small feat.

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Patrick Dorgu 

Another – like Lewis-Skelly I’m just monitoring – don’t jump all over me for liking the look of a Man Utd player before you’ve read my explanation why.

The guy is a workaholic – playing as a wing-back as Munoz and Robinson did as the top defenders in the competition last year (in terms of SuperCoach return) – if he can tidy up his final ball, he is in creative positions so often that he is bound to start scoring more consistently.

Amorim is not changing his system, so as long as he’s in charge, I think Dorgu is someone who could burst through and surprise us all.

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Gameweek 6 Strategy

Harry Tyrer welcome back to the captaincy! A more straightforward loop will be in effect with Everton having the Tuesday Morning kick-off this week.

Haaland against Burnley looks a recipe for another big score – he’ll take the vice-captaincy (with full expectation he’ll be the player who brings in double points).

Saliba will take the armband with Arsenal having a high chance of a clean sheet against Newcastle on Sunday Night (Aus Time), but I’ll expect Harry Tyrer to actually be holding the C by the time the game is played.

Trades: Xavi Simons & Salah IN Fernandes & Igor Thiago OUT

VC: Haaland

C: Saliba