EPL Supercoach | Niko’s team reveal + watchlist

Coming off a 56^th finish in EPL last season, and 42^nd in WC26, I’m feeling bullish for the new Premier League season ahead.

Having said that, I have no doubt the competition will be much stronger as people learn from last year’s mistakes and understand the need to be diligent with team lineups and saving trades.

Current Team

I’m currently committed to a 4-4-2 formation to start the season, and people who will be slow burns but undoubtedly end up making a lot of cash provided they get the minutes, i.e, Vuskovic, Sangare and Kluivert who could be back on penalty duties.

Become a member of the SC Playbook community by subscribing for less than $2 per week! Gain access to additional premium articles on site every week, our Discord community, prize money and plenty more. Check it out here.

Of course, this is a work in progress and new information as we approach GW1 will be vital, such as the Community Shield teams and performances, looking at you Mosquera and Foden.

One thing in the back of my mind is the potential for a slower start to the season from players who were at the World Cup, i.e. O’Reilly and Rice. 

I’ll be looking to upgrade to these players as they get more involved or the fixtures turn. 

The other is targeting players who don’t have any European football this season and should be free from mass rotation – Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle, Brentford, Fulham, Everton, Leeds, Nottingham.

Watchlist

These players have been in and out of my side throughout pre-season and are still in my thoughts:

Gabriel – Too expensive and the early fixtures without Saliba should see a price drop.

Szoboszlai – Tempting me as a Foden replacement, especially if we get confirmation that he’s on penalties.

Tarkowski – Everton usually start slowly, and the fixtures aren’t great to start either.  Upgrade target.

Embed from Getty Images

Gvardiol – Community Shield watch, but he’s signed a new contract and should be a starter.

Dorgu – Man United’s fixtures are great, and he’s a defender playing wing, but I’m not sure he’s starting.

Raya – The set and forget play.

Canvot – Should be the main beneficiary from Lacroix’s move to Chelsea, both minutes and def con.

Embed from Getty Images

Kerkez – If Frimpong is injured or a non-starter, I might need to pivot here.

Bobb – His move to Fulham should be a good thing, but I’m not convinced they’ll be any good and I’d rather watch and learn with him.

Martellini – Would be a short-term play if he’s favoured to start the season.

Elanga/Toure/Wissa/Barnes – Newcastle is in crisis, so it’s wait and see for all their assets who are generally all cheap as chips.

Maddison – Even though he returned at the end of last season, he seems to have been injured all off and pre-season somehow.  Tottenham are a watch as a whole, but I’m expecting much better things this time around.

Embed from Getty Images

Managers

A record nine clubs will begin the 2026/27 Premier League season under new permanent managers, the highest number of managerial changes before an opening weekend in the competition’s history.

This means new playing styles and new players in favour. 

We’ll have a lot to learn in the early stages, so try and pick players who look bulletproof to start the season and save on those sideways trades!