2021/2022 Wildcard thread.

The draft I did contained Trent in it. But it also had Demarai Gray, Benrahma, Adama Traore and Sissoko (there was always gonna be a 4.5 midfielder somewhere) as the other midfielders that aren't Salah, but picking value options was always going to be part of such a strategy. If one wants a front 3 of Ronaldo, Lukaku and Antonio without sacrificing Salah, something has to give somewhere and finding the real value players becomes a huge part of the strategy.

One of the things people need to remember here though, is going for these guys isn't a binding contract that you're tied to for some time. Deciding that Ronaldo isn't justifying the price you paid and spreading that value into other areas of your team is one of the easier moves you will make. Going from 2 premiums and a well balanced team, to 3 without a wildcard can be trickier.

If we see the Ronaldo we see with Juve & Portugal then you’re probably right. But that came at a massive cost to both teams, Juve down 20 goals/season as a team.

In real life I think Ole isn’t strong enough to manage Ronaldo.

In FPL terms 50% of Bruno’s goals up to the end of last season were penalties, they’re gone. Plus I heard a stat where he was the player that ended the most United possessions last season, that’s gone too, now it’s Ronaldo taking the shot. Bruno is a fire sale IMO.

Greenwood now has to share starts with Rashford, Sancho, Cavani & Pogba, plus you’re taking away a good chunk of goals from him.

Pogba is one who might prosper, the assists have to come from somewhere, so maybe it’s him. He is looking for a new contract after all.

Defence - they’re playing with 10 men so it’s an avoid there too.

How do you think Lukaku will compare to Ronaldo this season? Even without penalties I think he’s this season’s Diego Costa

Agree with this summary. If we believe Ronaldo is going to do well it’s very likely at the expense of other assets.

I think Lukaku has similar potential but we don’t really know for sure if he is going to be on penalties yet and that could be worth approx 5 goals a season.

8 for Bruno last season, 4 in the half season he played before that

Who'd be your favourite 4.5 defenders (or 4.6). Looking to go TAA and then two of them.

I don’t want to overhype it or anything, but Jed Steer has actually been quite reliable whenever called upon (clearly there’s still a reason why he hasn’t been able to make more of a career for himself).

He was the keeper when Villa went on the record breaking 11 in a row winning run that led to the playoffs and promotion (he was in goals for the playoffs too and saved a bunch of pens in the shootout against West Brom).

He is obviously not Emi but this isn’t Orjan Nyland going in goals.

On the Leeds defence I have it in my preseason notes to get Meisler, with Dallas gone from the back there should be more BP for him and Bielsa had a more pragmatic approach to defence in the second half of the season.

Am looking at removing Salah to accommodate Ronaldo. My issues are it means removing Antonio and am I going to captain Ronaldo at any stage?

Meisler -4m

TAA- Coady - Livramento - Regulion - White

Jota - Allen - Raphina - Benrahma - Torres

Lukaku - Ronaldo - DCL

with C looking like

4 - Lukaku

5 - TAA

6 - TAA

7 to 11 - Lukaku

Yeah the Spurs lads look solid and underpriced, but they've a new RB and CB signed who I imagine will be brought into the team over the next few weeks. Leeds looked more solid towards the end of last year, and their fixtures look appealing. Fixtures look great for Wolves, Leeds and Arsenal if any of them can tighten up

Current Wildcard draft

Sanchez

TAA Alonso Livramento (Williams Duffy)

Salah Torres Raphina Benrahma Gray

Ronaldo Lukaku

Basically means I need to play a 4m defender each week.

Current options being considered include:

• Smoothening out the defence a bit, Alonso/Duffy become a 5m/4.5 (like Green&Red above, Regullion and Cody)
• Get Antonio in instead of Berahma and downgrade the defence by 1.4m (losing TAA)

Ya, I was just playing around with a Lukaku & Ronaldo team. I’m thinking the better option is to go Ronaldo then get Lukaku GW7

Lukaku versus an Aston Villa team with question marks over their defense, and missing their first choice keeper could get a double digit score.

Equally Ronaldo first game back at home against a Newcastle team with their third choice keeper (although he's done quite well), could also get double digit scores. His only ever PL hattrick came against Newcastle as well.

The International break has come at an awkward time - although Ronaldo's price is frozen, the likes of Bruno and/or other big priced players aren't - so we could lose money on them, but I feel that if we hit the WC button, and then either Ronaldo/Lukaku got injured it would feel like a waste of the WC.

Is it madness doubling up on Spurs defenders given they are cheap. Also doubling up on City mids although I am counting Torres as a striker for my team.

Sanchez

Coady TAA Dier Reguilon

Torres Salah Grealish

Antonio Chris Wood Ronaldo

Subs: Martinez, Sissoko Livramento, Bissouma

Zero in the bank. Have made wholesale changes with this wildcard to bring in Ronaldo and Salah

Contemplating a WC and below seems to be the best I can come up with.

Sanchez (Steele)

Coufal, Reguilon, Christensen, Duffy (Williams)

Salah, Mount, Torres (Allan, Sissoko)

Ronaldo, Kane, Antonio

0.2 itb

Plenty of sacrifices, the big one being TAA at the back but I would be very happy with that front 6. I think Mount protects against Lukaku a little and the rest speak for themselves. Pep Roulette might get me and expectations would be low from that bench.

I had my eye on Torres since the end of last season when Pep started him striker against Leeds and he scored a hat trick. Pep made comments then that he expected to play him there going forward and City have no out and out striker now.

For 7 million, you'll live with a bit of rotation for Man City's potential striker.

Is it worth doing this for a wildcard ?

Having Kane, Ronaldo, Lukaku, Salah and Taa and then a **** load of 4.5s/4.0s

Not really serious, but it shows the lengths you have to go to get them. I've got about a million quid left after this

A great team for 2 pointers. The big boys would have to live up to their expectations. It might be more a case of having a certain number of heavy hitters and being better than others at swapping them in and out at the right times.

The Ronaldo Newcastle worry is probably out of the way after him getting suspended for the Azerbaijan game in the last minute there. The Qatar game in between is a friendly so I guess he plays that and then heads off to meet Ole.

Or maybe he doesn’t play it with it being a friendly.

Current draft. I’m tempted by Auba for the run of fixtures. Surely Arsenal will start picking up wins in that run. Lukaku for that villa game though possibly without first choice defenders is hard to ignore