Az and Sam Rate Your FPL Teams #2! 🎉

Summary

Fantasy Football Scout – FPL Tips

Episode Summary: Az and Sam Rate Your FPL Teams #2! 🎉

Date: August 7, 2026
Hosts: Az (James) & Sam Bonfield

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Overview

In this lively, early Friday morning episode, Az and Sam Bonfield are back to rate Fantasy Premier League (FPL) teams submitted by listeners ahead of the 2026/27 season. Drawing on both their expertise and their wit, the pair analyze a mix of creative and strategic drafts, sharing what works, what doesn’t, and what risks they’re willing (or unwilling) to take. Throughout, they debate FPL philosophies—should you go template or bold, when to use chips, and how to get that elusive fast start.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pre-Show Banter & Announcements (01:27–04:27)

• Personal touch: Sam reveals it's her wedding anniversary, banters about her family’s Pokémon obsession, and sets the cosy, jovial tone.
• Team submission logistics: Listeners are encouraged to submit teams for live ratings, creating an interactive, community feel.
• Draft Addiction: Sam confesses she can’t stop tinkering with her draft despite planning to draft less this year, reflecting the perennial FPL struggle.

2. Philosophies on FPL Team Building (04:46–06:38)

• Sam resists the “early Bench Boost” chip strategy, but finds herself with three Coventry players—reflecting how real-life FPL planning is often at odds with initial intentions.
• The hosts discuss the addictive nature of drafting, core picks, and how professional FPL content often sparks further tinkering.

“It’s like an addiction… I’ll be doing something else, writing about a club or whatever, and then I’ll think, ‘Ooh, that player, how could I get him in?’ And then I start tinkering again.”
— Sam (05:09)

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Listener Team Ratings & In-depth Analyses

Each submission receives a thoughtful and candid critique, with ratings and advice given for both chip strategy and player selection.

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A. Sushant’s Bold & Creative Chip-Heavy Draft (06:48–13:57)

Key features:

• Triple Arsenal defense (Raya, Calafiori, Gabriel)
• No Haaland; Triple Captain Fernandes (GW1), planned Bench Boost GW2, Wildcard GW3
• Quadruple Coventry (bench)

Insights

• Creative but risky: The bold all-in chip strategy and absence of Haaland spark debate.
• Az and Sam both like the creativity but highlight potential pitfalls (lack of flexibility, locked-in decisions).
• Player-specific notes: Both cautious on Thiago’s early-season value.

Notable quote:

“It’s the kind of team that could see you in the top thousand after two weeks… I like the creativity.”
— Az (12:07)

Rating:

• Az: 8/10 (“my highest score… for a team without Haaland” 12:48)
• Sam: 6/10 personally, but acknowledges for the strategy: 8/10

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B. Ethan’s "Big Hitters" but Bench Light Draft (14:41–19:56)

Key features:

• Includes Haaland, Pedro, Fernandes, Foden, double Arsenal in defense
• Lightweight bench; rotational pairing between Aina and Mitchell

Insights

• The rotation of cheaper defenders is questioned for fixture compatibility.
• Sangare (BRE) at 5.5 praised for upside, but lack of pre-season data raises risk.
• Hosts suggest structural tweaks, e.g., moving to Shore or a more reliable 4.5 defender.

"It's got me... What do you think of Sangare at 5.5?" — Az (17:39)
“I really, really like this pick… in my head he’s the next Elliott Anderson.” — Sam (17:39)

Rating:

• Both: 7/10 (Sam open to 7.5)

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C. Jonathan’s Popular “Bench Boost GW2” Squad (20:10–24:02)

Key features:

• 92 rating on Scout’s team tool
• Rushworth, Gross, double Coventry defense

Insights

• Reliance on both Mascherano and Calafiori starting is risky due to lack of bench cover
• Double Coventry on Bench Boost is trending in the community but hosts are wary about Hull’s potential resistance.
• Suggestions made to swap risky picks for Maguire or other safe 4.5 defenders.

“Bench boosting in Gameweek 2 against Hull is risky—people seem to think it’s the greatest idea ever but it could easily go wrong.”
— Az (24:36)

Rating:

• Az: 8/10
• Sam: 7/10 (could be improved with tweaks)

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D. Isaac’s "Template-ish" Tinker (28:35–33:15)

Key features:

• Fernandes (Spurs), Rogers, some rotational doubts

Insights

• Deep dive into Spurs’ crowded midfield (Fernandez’s role and minutes uncertain)
• Concern over relying on pre-season stats for picking midfield
• Hosts favor playing it safe, focusing on penalty takers and early starters.

“A safe pair of hands kind of team… I think there’s real value in that”
— Sam (34:18)

Rating:

• Az: 6.5/10
• Sam: 7.5/10

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E. Greg’s Polarizing All-Risk Draft (35:41–41:09)

Key features:

• No Haaland or Fernandes, many off-template picks, bench boost GW1

Insights

• Hosts are blunt: too many risks, few reliable starters, lacks the “big names” that offer safety and potential points explosions.
• Az is especially harsh but points out the potential for disaster, not just risk.
• Sam calls it "the one I hate the most," highlighting the importance of not over-complicating for chip usage.

“It could be outscored by a normal Gameweek 1 team and then you haven’t even got the bench boost… this could set you up for a complete nightmare.”
— Az (37:11)

Rating:

• Az: 0/10 (first ever zero) (41:12)
• Sam: 3/10

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F. Paul’s Team with Visual Flair (42:36–49:03)

Key features:

• Lemons in goal, no Man United attack, funky graphics
• Good structure, but misses high-upside picks

Insights

• Criticized for omitting Bruno Fernandes despite Man United’s stellar opening fixtures.
• Sam: “No Manchester United attack is the real issue—the best start to the season and there’s nobody here”.
• Az pushes for Palmer over Rogers due to reliability of starts.

Ratings:

• Az: 6/10
• Sam: 7/10 (would have gone up to 9 with a United midfielder)

“If you’re building a team without Bruno, you’d absolutely have Gabriel and you’d absolutely have Mbomo… but the Rogers pick makes no sense.”
— Sam (46:27)

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G. Hosts’ Own Teams & Reflections (51:07–58:23)

Sam’s team:

• Mostly settled on defense, except for the third striker spot, which is "rotating daily."
• Likes double Wolves defense, considers Eagle Jesus as a value (with penalty potential).

Az’s team:

• No Arsenal defense, spends his budget elsewhere
• Happy to pivot further (e.g., Foden for Semeno if needed)
• No Liverpool, counters prevailing community focus on Szoboszlai

Discussion:

• Both agree: always going to be a sacrifice somewhere in the squad.
• Emphasize finding a balance between template and creative picks; don’t ignore the basics of strong fixtures for early Gameweeks.

“Like you’re talking about not having a Man United midfielder; I’m talking about not going Arsenal defense. There’s always the way the pricing is, there’s always going to be sacrifices.”
— Az (56:28)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On creativity:
  “It’s the kind of team that could see you in the top like thousand after like two weeks.”
  — Az, about Sushant’s draft (12:07)
• On risk and safety:
  “Maybe tame is good… last year, part of both of our issues was having a bad start.”
  — Sam (34:11)
• On bold choices:
  “I would rather auto-pick than pick this team. 0 out of 10.”
  — Az, on Greg’s team (41:12)
• On Man Utd’s fixture run:
  “Two promoted teams in the first two weeks. He [Fernandes] is… almost essential.”
  — Az (46:00)
• On tinkering obsession:
  “It’s like an addiction… I just can’t help myself.”
  — Sam (05:09)
• On bench boosting with Coventry players:
  “Triple Coventry bench boosting in Gameweek 2 against Hull is risky and people seem to think it’s the greatest idea ever.”
  — Az (24:36)

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Best Practice Takeaways

• Don’t force an early chip play unless your team structure genuinely benefits from it.
• Premium assets with great early fixtures, like Bruno Fernandes, are hard to skip.
• Balance risk—template picks can keep you steady, bold ones can provide upside, but don’t go overboard.
• Always keep flexibility for early weeks—chasing value is key, don’t lock yourself out by over-planning.

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Episode Flow with Key Timestamps

• 01:27–04:27 – Hosts banter, intro, team submission logistics
• 04:46–06:38 – FPL drafting philosophies, addiction to tinkering
• 06:48–13:57 – Sushant’s chip-crazy team analysis
• 14:41–19:56 – Ethan’s “big hitters”/thin bench team
• 20:10–24:02 – Jonathan’s bench boost popular squad debate
• 28:35–33:15 – Isaac’s template tweak; Spurs midfield chat
• 35:41–41:09 – Greg’s high-risk, low-upside, much-ridiculed team
• 42:36–49:03 – Paul’s visually fun (but flawed) team and the Bruno question
• 51:07–58:23 – Hosts reveal, analyze own teams, and reflect on sacrifices
• 58:46–End – Wrap up, next episode plans

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Final Thoughts

Az and Sam’s review session is an FPL masterclass in balancing early-season optimism with realism. They encourage creativity but stress the importance of locking in key assets—especially those with nailed minutes and great fixtures. Their back-and-forth blends strategic depth with humor and warmth, making for great listening (and learning) whether you’re chasing mini-league glory or aiming for overall rank.

Key takeaway:
No plan survives contact with the deadline. Build for the early fixtures, keep flexibility, and don’t be afraid to play it safe on a few slots—especially if your gut tells you a punt might backfire.

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Want your team rated?
Email Az next week—spots are limited for the final pre-season review! Happy drafting.

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Transcript

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[Producer/Assistant]

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[James]

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[Sam Bonfield]

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[Sam Bonfield]

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[Sam Bonfield]

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[James]

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[Audience/Listener]

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[James]

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[Sponsor/Promoter]

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[James]

Hello everyone. Welcome to a very early Q&A, 9:00am on Friday 7th August. Well, I say Q A, it's more of A rating. Your team's special, just like we did last year. Got some teams in. Going to be talking through those. A little surprise. Couple of teams in there as well, which I won't. Which I won't spoil for everyone. And we've got a few spots left, so if you want your team rated and you've tuned in at 907 because we're a little bit late, which is very unlike us, we'll do a couple of live team reveals as well. If you could email them to me, that's probably the easiest way because then I can just screen grab and stick them on. Email me as fpl blackbox.com we'll grab the first four or five that come in and talk through those. But yeah, that's my little intro done. I'm joined by the lovely Sam Bonfield, who looks majestic today, I have to say. And it's a very special day in the Bonfield house, isn't it, Sam?

[Sam Bonfield]

It is. It's our wedding anniversary today, not Ours.

[James]

Not ours.

[Sam Bonfield]

No, not you. That's for another lifetime. That's another lifetime. No, Lee and I have been married for 16 years today.

[James]

Wow.

[Sam Bonfield]

Good lady told me was half her life. And I promptly felt very, very old indeed. 16 years.

[James]

Bloody hell.

[Sam Bonfield]

16 years we've been married today, which is, quite frankly, ridiculous. But, yeah, he's gone out trying to get some Pokemon cards with our oldest this morning. So when you said, could it be Friday morning? I thought, actually, yes, I'd love to spend. I haven't even seen my husband yet. I've seen you before. I've seen my husband this morning. So, you know, I've got my priorities all wrong, probably, but.

[James]

Oh, you've got them completely correct. That's all I'm saying. Yes, that's what I'm saying.

[Sam Bonfield]

You know, it's gonna. And I'm gonna have an awful lot of as Phillips in my life this weekend because not only am I getting to do this with you today, get to see you for the next few days as well.

[Producer/Assistant]

I know.

[James]

We've got a lovely day plan, haven't we? You got time out with Yells and Evie. I'm off with Lee and Max to a Pokemon card trade show, which, yeah, for some reason you didn't want to join us on.

[Sam Bonfield]

Which is the best thing about this is. I don't know if he told you this, but I had actually booked us, the four of us, a weekend away somewhere else for his birthday.

[James]

Oh, really?

[Sam Bonfield]

And then he says, sam, as. As has messaged me, and there's a Pokemon thing going on in Brian, and I really, really, really want to go. Is there. Is it all right if we do that? And I was like, so let me get this straight. You want me to cancel the thing? I've booked birthday for the four of us so that you can spend your birthday not with me and Evie, but with Max and. As in a Pokemon convention.

[James]

And he was like, yeah, yeah.

[Sam Bonfield]

So I thought, well, that works for me because that means I get to spend the day with.

[Producer/Assistant]

Yeah.

[Sam Bonfield]

So I'm doing, well, Pottery.

[James]

Painting.

[Sam Bonfield]

Pottery painting.

[James]

Oh, lovely. So what a wholesome weekend all around.

[Sam Bonfield]

We're very wholesome. I imagine there might also be some FPL content creation and probably a little bit of alcohol thrown in the mix

[James]

as well, I think. I think there probably should be, especially on Lee's birthday as well. Be rude. Rude not to. You're staying just up the roads, aren't you? You're in the same place you were last time.

[Sam Bonfield]

Yeah, yeah. Stagger home from you afterwards.

[James]

You know, well, look out if anyone's in. In the Brighton area on Sunday, look out. Look out for a couple of very pissed off broke people after me. And I probably spent all our money at the. The Brighton card show. And how's FBL planning going?

[Sam Bonfield]

Your team?

[James]

Your team. All right? Your team's set. You locked in?

[Sam Bonfield]

No, no, I'm not. You know I am. Spoiler alert for later. I stood in on final thoughts this week because Tom is away and that'll be out later on today, I think Mo said to me, how many drafts have you done? And I was like, well, I promised myself that this year was going to be different and I wasn't going to do that many drafts. Oh, it's not as really any different. I just can't help myself. I think I found that I'm just a bit. It's like an addiction. It's like I'll. I'll be doing some. And I think it's also partly because I. Obviously my whole job is fpl, so I'll be doing something else and writing about a club or doing whatever it is I'm doing. And then I'll be like, oh, that player. How could I get them in? And then I go back and I start tinkering around again. I think there's. There's like a core that have been there ever since the first draft.

[James]

I was gonna say, is it different strategies you're playing around with or is it just the players?

[Sam Bonfield]

Well, so I have. I'm firmly in the camp of I do not like the early bench boost stuff. I just don't want to do it. And then I looked at my team yesterday and realized I've got three Coventry players in there and thought, well, that's weird for somebody who doesn't want an early bench boost. Why would you have three? It's just madness. But I think one of them ended up there because I thought you'd be

[James]

laughing when whole one win, one nil.

[Sam Bonfield]

Well, the thing is that one of them is just my backup goalkeeper and obviously up until earlier on this week he was still wearing a Brighton shirt. So I didn't really notice the three commentary thing. Grimes had been there all whole time and then the Thomas position keeps cha. That position changes every day.

[James]

You know what we're wasting? We're wasting content. This is content we could be doing. When we show your team, which I had teased at the start, we will be showing our teams at the end of this stream because what would have rate my team draft be without us savagely attacking each other's drafts.

[Sam Bonfield]

I mean that feels only fair, doesn't it?

[Sponsor/Promoter]

It does.

[James]

I mean if we're doing everyone else's. We've had a couple of emails in. Thank you very much. We've had. Yeah, we've had the. We've had all. We've had four emails in.

[Sponsor/Promoter]

I'll.

[Sam Bonfield]

I'll.

[James]

I'll. We'll do all of those on this stream. We're going to start with Sushant though, who very kindly sent a super chat last week. We missed it. So I promised. Yeah, I promised.

[Sam Bonfield]

Oh yeah, we did at the end.

[James]

Yeah, I promised that I would. I would write a comment and then we didn't do that either. So we do owe Sushant a proper. We are awful sorry. Thank you for your support. This is Sushan's team and it's a bit different actually. It would have been a good one to. To have used. It's got triple Arsenal defense with Raya Calafuri and Gabrielle. So you know, that's very different to what we're seeing. Vardy oh as well. He's got Palmer Foden, Bruno Fernandez, triple captain which I haven't seen anywhere else.

[Sam Bonfield]

I've not seen that.

[James]

No, sir. Boslie, Endai, Pedro and Thiago. And then a bench that you'll like with four Coventry players on the bench with Rushworth Wright, Van Uik and Thomas Van Iwick. I. I could never. You. That sounds much more. He must be from the Netherlands, right? Uik sounds right.

[Sam Bonfield]

I could not tell you where he's from as.

[James]

So I'm guessing this is a triple captain in game week one and then a bench boost in game week two with your four Coventry players and then

[Sam Bonfield]

a wild card in three and then

[James]

probably a wild card in three. So it's a real. I would assume this is a real user chips early strategy. No Harland, that's the. Obviously the biggest emission here. But I mean the team looks. I mean team looks pretty good, doesn't it? Let's be honest.

[Sam Bonfield]

It does. Yeah. The starting 11 is decent, isn't it? For sure. I don't. The bench is. The Is interesting. You are now locked. If you want to keep that bench for a bench boosting too. You are locked. Now you can't make.

[James]

That's true. And die goes off to Saudi and you make. You're taking a hit to get rid of him.

[Sam Bonfield]

You're right. Yeah. And. And you're losing one of your extra coventries. Okay, here's my view. I don't.

[James]

So sorry. So Just before you give your view, I will say one thing. Sushant also can't make any changes now.

[Sam Bonfield]

No, that's what I mean. Yeah, he's locked.

[James]

Yeah. I was thinking from game week one to game week two. But yeah, he is now locked. If he wants to keep this team. Very good point.

[Sam Bonfield]

If he wants to keep commentary, he can't do anything.

[James]

Yeah.

[Sam Bonfield]

So, okay, so here's my view. I'm not sure about Thiago. That's where I'll start. I don't know if I see 8 million worth of value in the early weeks of the season. I think I prefer the batch of players that come in slightly cheaper, but that's fine. Maybe there's a. A route from him for him to become Harlan here. I don't really know what it is because I don't know who you'd lose in, I guess palm.

[James]

I don't think. I don't think there's a route to Harland here.

[Sam Bonfield]

It's not an easy one.

[James]

Is there's a wild card to Holland here. That's about it.

[Producer/Assistant]

Yeah.

[Sam Bonfield]

Yeah. But so, so in which case I don't think I would have gone with Thiago. I don't think I would have started the season there. I think. I think there's better options in that second forward slot if you're not going for Harlan, the triple Arsenal defense. Let's talk about that. Because to spend all this money on Gabrielle and Raya, I don't mind the Califuri pick, he's cheap. But Gabrielle and Raya, that is an awful lot of money for a team that's going to be without Saliba. And I don't know how many. I mean they're definitely keep a clean sheet. Game week one against Coventry, but they weren't. They're not so great defensively when Saliba and Gabrielle don't play together.

[James]

The thing is it's a two week pun, isn't it? Let's assume that Shoshan is. Is going to be bench boosting into and then wildcarding in three. I mean, is there many better teams? I mean they've got what, Coventry at home and Aston Villa away. But there's not a lot of teams that have a really good first two other than Man United. But I think the better play for Man United is. I think the trouble with this from my point of view is that I would have, I would have put more Man United in because if you're.

[Sam Bonfield]

Yeah, I would too if you're playing for game week one and two yeah,

[James]

you gonna only have one Man United player and then to be triple captain Fernandez it's like, well, why wouldn't you put more Man United in and then, you know, really hope they just hit loads and loads of goals over those first two games. It's a little bit. I don't know. Like why have you got Sabos line and Die? Like they're good picks if Indie stays but for the first two weeks.

[Sam Bonfield]

Well, yeah, I mean. And I've got Palace and Bulma for the first two weeks. They're not. Not the best fixtures ever in the world, are they?

[James]

They're okay. But there's teams with better fixtures.

[Sam Bonfield]

Yeah, same with Liverpool, with Newcastle and Forest. Again okay fixtures to start the season. But teams with better. I mean if. If this was my team and I was planning for that's clearly been played out here.

[James]

Did Palmer and End die to Verts and Bumo. Is that before Rushworth? Have you still got your four? Have you still got your four? Commentary okay, so there's Nimbumo and Averts in there now. So. And Die and so.

[Sam Bonfield]

I like that more.

[James]

Yeah, I like that more as well. I think that's good moves.

[Sam Bonfield]

Yeah, I like that more.

[James]

Yeah, same.

[Sam Bonfield]

I think I would have still gone for a Manchester United defender over one of those Arsenal ones. Be it the goalkeeper or be it Califuri to.

[James]

You know what?

[Sam Bonfield]

What?

[James]

I like it.

[Sam Bonfield]

Oh God. Are you happier on a first thing in the morning? Is that something we've learned? Like are you in a better mood?

[James]

I just think it's a bit different. It's the kind of team that could see you in the top like thousand after like two weeks. I like the fact Sushant's bought in Bumo in. I. I know you're using a lot of chips early, but his whole. It's not. He's still a single game week, isn't it? He's going to start and it's a good fixture for him. I like the triple Arsenal defense in the first week. I think the moves are good. I like the quadruple Coventry against Hull and gave me four. If that pays off in gaming too, you're going to look like a genius. I like it. I think it's good. I think it's a bit different to what I'm seeing. I like the creativity, the. I like the fact that Dai's gone because now you haven't got to worry about. Yeah, I like it. I'm gonna give it an 8.

[Sam Bonfield]

Holy moly.

[James]

That's my highest score in the two

[Sam Bonfield]

streams for a team without Harlan. I like it.

[James]

Bring him in. In game week three, you're only missing Bournemouth. And. Was it Bournemouth and Palace?

[Sam Bonfield]

Yeah.

[James]

I mean, he could do damage, couldn't he? But I think you've got enough here to. To cover it. I like it. I hope you stick with it, Sushant. I hope you don't bottle it towards. You know, as you know, you're always going to want to make one move, aren't you? And then if you make one move, the whole thing falls apart.

[Sam Bonfield]

Well, it does in terms of the fork.

[James]

Yeah, I like it.

[Sam Bonfield]

4 commentary is my 8 out of 10. I can't go that high. I can't go that high. But if that is your strategy, this is probably one of the best teams you could make.

[James]

Yeah, I think for the strategy. Yeah, so do I. That's what I think.

[Sam Bonfield]

So I don't. So if I was just rating it in terms of how much I like it, I'm probably about a 6 because of the Harlem thing. However, I can understand at the strategy that this is, which is triple bench wild card. You probably are about an 8 because I don't like the Thiago slot. But you can't do anything about it now because the commentary moves already happened.

[James]

Look at the influence I have, Sam. It's locked with an 8 from us, says Sushant. Jeez, I'm so sorry in advance

[Sponsor/Promoter]

or.

[Sam Bonfield]

Either that or you're getting tagged on Twitter. When, Sushant. Yeah, after game Week three.

[James]

If my role in the FPL community is a scapegoat these days, for people to feel better about their decisions, then that is a wrong.

[Sam Bonfield]

I'm like, you're gonna get all the credit.

[James]

I'm basically Batman. I'm the Dark Knight. I'm the hero no one realized they needed.

[Sam Bonfield]

You're Bane.

[James]

You're my Bane. You're the Bane to my Batman.

[Sam Bonfield]

The bane of your life.

[James]

That's probably true.

[Producer/Assistant]

Exactly.

[James]

This was from an email I had. This is from Ethan. Thank you for emailing in. This team is Raya Mascara Vardio and AA PR Fernandez, Foden Sar, Saoslai Sangare, who I'm seeing creeping into quite a few teams now. Five. Five. We saw what Cado did at the start of last season. For example, Pedro and Harland up top. And then Dubravka, Mitchell, Thomas and Thomas Asbury, I think is a non playing forward for Coventry. So no chips, I don't think planned here. Pretty lightweight bench. All the big hitters in there, though. Harlan, Pedro Fernandez, Got Sabotage and Foden got two Arsenal defenders. It looks pretty good, doesn't it?

[Sam Bonfield]

This I do like.

[James]

Yeah, it looks good. I know. Aina's the one where I'm a bit. Because I think they're in the talk to sign a new right back, aren't they? And we think Neko Williams is going to be the more attacking option. I mean he's four or five. I mean he's pretty cheap.

[Sam Bonfield]

Yeah.

[James]

You're just rotating Aina and Mitchell, aren't you? It's just a bit,

[Sam Bonfield]

which is kind of. Do they rotate nicely? Let's have a look.

[James]

Well, I mean they're not too bad. I mean, Aina, Mitchell. Then you've got Thomas to come in for game week two. So you can rotate all two of those. Right. I mean, if you get a problem with mascara or Vardy. Although there's not a lot of depth.

[Sam Bonfield]

What am I looking at? Forest and Palace? No, they don't rotate well at all in the week. So Forest game week two have got Liverpool, palace have got City.

[James]

I'd much rather have Shore.

[Sam Bonfield]

I would, I would, I would.

[James]

Over one of them.

[Sam Bonfield]

Yeah, yeah, I would. Because they're not. They're not a good rotation pair.

[James]

No, ain't.

[Sam Bonfield]

Weirdly, Aina does rotate well with Manchester United. So just swap Mitchell for. For sure. Or if you prefer to keep Mitchell then I'm using the fixer ticker, by the way, over on Scout to do this. So Crystal palace in their difficult fixtures, they rotate nicely with Fulham, Newcastle and Brentford.

[James]

Get Robinson in. Hope he's on pen to get Robinson.

[Sam Bonfield]

You could get one of the Brentford defenders. Go for Aya or Aya looks good. Collins or something. Yeah.

[James]

If A is going to start, I think he's probably like he will of the four fives.

[Sam Bonfield]

So you could go. So go. You could go with him because he rotates nicely with Mitchell. So decide which of those two 4.5s you want to keep and then swap the other one based on the rotation pairings. Because then as long as Mascara and Gavardiola playing, you're fine.

[James]

Yep. But I mean elsewhere. I mean it's. It's got me. What do you think of Sangare at 5? 5?

[Sam Bonfield]

I really like Sangari. I really, really like this pick. I do. In my head he is the next Elliot Anderson.

[James]

I've got to be honest, I don't know much about him. I just saw him come up on all my timelines. Everyone's like getting really excited about him.

[Sam Bonfield]

He's got really good defensive stats. Yeah, I think he'll register well for defensive contributions. That one irritation is that we're not seeing really a lot from Brentford in pre season, I. E. They're not actually telling us very much about what's happen in their preseason games. They're all kind of locked down and happening behind the scenes. So we're getting a result and a scorer and we hear things like Sangari makes his first minutes.

[James]

We're not of them to appeal.

[Sam Bonfield]

I know. I mean, it's absolutely dreadful really, isn't it? You would think that they would be out there saying sankari got eight defensive contributions in this game so that we could all go, oh, okay, great, thank you. Like, I would like that level of detail, please. All Premier League clubs.

[James]

Can you not send Neil to all of their, you know, their games just so he can sit and track them with his little notepad?

[Sam Bonfield]

I would love that job.

[James]

Yeah.

[Sam Bonfield]

I mean, that is basically Neil. He sits there in a little flat cap and a trench coat with a notebook.

[James]

He does.

[Sam Bonfield]

And it's one of those.

[James]

Like he's morphing into the scout logo, you know, just every day.

[Sam Bonfield]

Neil is the scout. Yeah, yeah, that is Neil. So yes, I. That is actually what we should be doing with Neil. Maybe I suggest that to him after this stream I'll go and say, Neil, please find. Find yourself off at, you know, all these different places and watch all of these games. Please watch every pre season friendly live, even if that requires you to fly to Germany or wherever they are and make sure you update us on DEFCON minutes.

[Sponsor/Promoter]

Thanks, Neil.

[Sam Bonfield]

Anyway, so there we go. I actually quite like this team though, after that little. Neil, Neil tangent. I love the midfield a lot.

[James]

It's quite punty. I mean, we don't know what Sangari is going to be like. We don't really know what SAR is going to be like under the new manager. Foden's a bit of a down. I don't really like. There's a few things that are a bit like, I'm not 100 sure on, but I do, I like it overall. I think I'll give it a 7.

[Sam Bonfield]

Yeah, I'd go with you on a 7. I might even be convinced to nudge to a 7.5.

[James]

Very nice. I think that's our first. That's the first one. Tom says you're not getting that through expenses. Oh, come on. That could be a better use.

[Sam Bonfield]

It's fine. I. I'll sign off the expenses. It's all right. I'll send the other world another one.

[James]

From emails is from Jonathan. Oh, that graphic's horrible. Very blurry. This was a very high rating on the. The Scout rating tool. Don't forget, you can send your screenshots in and get AS rating from Scout. Just head to the site, stick your screenshot in and you'll get, Yeah, a nice easy team rating. It's got 92 on the team rating, which is one of the higher ones I've seen Kingski and goal. Califuri, Shaw and Moscara, Bruno Fernandez, Sabos. Like Enzo to Fay, Harland, Pedro, Calvin, Lewin, Rushworth, Gross, Thomas and Van Uick. Thank you.

[Sam Bonfield]

We think.

[James]

We think Califiori, Moscara, if they both start, looks very good. But will they both start because Hencapi's there as well. No. And they might get concert in. Although I guess you can only really.

[Sam Bonfield]

You can only judge what you're judging right now, I think, on that, can't you? I mean, they're being linked with Romero this morning.

[James]

If they all start. I think this is a really, really strong team, like you've got.

[Sam Bonfield]

There are some risks in here, though, particularly for the early weeks.

[James]

I'd say there's only really one risk there.

[Sam Bonfield]

Kenya.

[James]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sam Bonfield]

Califuria, Mascara. I would. I think they'll both start getting week one.

[James]

You're gonna be a bit worried about them every week, though. And you haven't got. There's no bench. You've got Vanuk and Thomas.

[Sam Bonfield]

Well, you don't want both of them. You'd swap one of them for D op, wouldn't you? Because the rotations there. So you'd actually be able to have.

[James]

Yeah, because I've always got two players from commentary. A good point.

[Sam Bonfield]

Oh, you want two commentary defenders.

[James]

No.

[Sam Bonfield]

Unless you're planning to bench boosting.

[James]

Well, I'm getting. I'm. I'm guessing maybe he's thinking of taking Califiori Moscara out in game week two and playing both Coventry defenders, Potentially.

[Sam Bonfield]

I don't like the two Coventry defenders.

[James]

I don't like the two Arsenal defenders.

[Sam Bonfield]

I don't either. I'd have one of them, actually.

[James]

No, I'm looking again. It's probably a bench boost in two, isn't it? Because Rushworth.

[Sam Bonfield]

I think so. Because you've got Rushwood as well. But I don't. But in which case, I definitely wouldn't want Califuria, Moscara, I don't think, for a bench boosting too. Yeah, there's risk, there's.

[James]

Do you know what I'm gonna say it Again I like it.

[Sam Bonfield]

That's not what I thought you were gonna say.

[James]

I like it. I like you've got double Arsenal defense for Coventry. Assume they both start Shaw's annoying. Like if Shaw was Maguire I think this would be really really strong. Obviously you didn't have to lose money elsewhere. I'm not sure where you would downgrade. You could do Calvert Lewin to Wright and then Gross. No sorry Cavaloo. Yeah Cavaloon to right and then shorter Maguire and then play gross over that striker because you felt the Villa homes are decent enough fixture and gave me one and then you've got Maguire overshore and Wright versus Hull versus Calvin versus Brentford. I mean you'd probably rather have Calvin Lewin but there's probably not a huge amount in it. I like, I think it's an eight again I'm giving it an eight.

[Sam Bonfield]

An 8.

[James]

I. I'd go Boomer over over Cunha and I'd find a way to get Maguire over Shaw but other than that I think it's for a game week for a bench boost two strategy. I think it's pretty much as good as it gets.

[Sam Bonfield]

I just don't like it very much but I don't know what it is about it. I don't like. I don't because there's a lot of players in there. I do like.

[James]

There's nothing wrong with it. There's nothing wrong with it other than other than the defense maybe not starting that.

[Sam Bonfield]

I think that's my worry is it feel this. It feels risky to me.

[James]

This team, I mean triple Coventry bench boosting in game week two against Hull is risky and people seem to think it's like the greatest idea ever and

[Sam Bonfield]

it's massively gonna understand it at all.

[James]

It could easily be one all or Hull nickel win or something like that.

[Sam Bonfield]

Well I just, I think it's the you know people go wow, last season they both ended near did and I get that but equally at the same time you the. The three newly promoted clubs go into the games against each other knowing they have to win surely this year. Yeah like or at least get something out of the game. I just don't know that I think Hull are going to go into that game against Coventry and just roll over and let Coventry smash them. Which is kind of what everybody thinks is going to happen. And I just don't. I just don't see that.

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[Sam Bonfield]

But if you are, if that is your str, if you're bench boosting in two, then as it goes, this team is decent. And this team probably won't need an immediate wild card straight after.

[James]

Red Monkey doesn't like the defense in game week three. Because, I mean, Arsenal have got Chelsea, your two Coventry players have obviously got Man City away. Shaw's got everyone away.

[Sam Bonfield]

You would have to use them. You'd have. You'd have to hope that you don't need to make any transfers.

[James]

Chelsea at home isn't awful though, is it? We see. We see big games like that. That ending one. Nil, nil, nil all the time.

[Sam Bonfield]

Yeah, but you would really want to play both. More scary. Ideally, I don't think you have both. I think you just have one. I think you changed Kunya from Bombo

[James]

or maybe do California to Maguire. Then yes, even keep the 0.5 for

[Sam Bonfield]

a rainy day and swap Kunya for him. But if. No, if that's the case, and I like this much more.

[James]

You know what? You know what I'm gonna say in the bank. You know what I'm gonna say? Gotta rate what's in front of you, Sam, not what moves you.

[Sam Bonfield]

I know, I know. But this is like this is what I do as. Right. Well, as it stands right now, I'd give it a 7 if you change Califuri for Maguire and then swap shore out from one of the other 4.5. So you've only got one.

[James]

Yeah.

[Sam Bonfield]

Then it'll be okay.

[James]

Justin seems in the chat he's after getting my team ripped apart by ads. Previously I received a 2. I've added Gabrielle and Bruno. Still think Harlan's not worth it. You've got. Yeah, I mean the fact you didn't have Harland, Gabrielle or Bruno in your team.

[Sam Bonfield]

Oh, I remember that one.

[James]

I think you can see why I might have given that a two.

[Sponsor/Promoter]

You.

[James]

I think you were lucky with a two to be honest. Justin. We'll take one more.

[Sam Bonfield]

Particularly harsh last week I was.

[James]

I don't know what was wrong with me. I'm being nicer today. You are. We'll take one more from the teams that emailed in before today. This is Isaac's team. So this is Dub, Kingsty, Mascara, Vardo, Shaw, Fernandez, Rogers, Saoi Fernandez of Spurs. Uh, Calvert, Lewin, Pedro and Harland. Uh, then Mitchell doing. And Thomas on the bench. He's. He's playing silly bug, isn't he? With a bit of. Bit of benchery. Bench w. I would say. I won't say. Oh, I think I've already sworn on this stream already.

[Producer/Assistant]

Have you?

[James]

I think so. Yeah. I think so.

[Sam Bonfield]

I didn't know. I think I said piss count. I don't know. We just. Let's just say it's okay.

[James]

Demonetize. It's fine.

[Sam Bonfield]

It'll be all right.

[James]

Pretty template I guess other than the Rogers and Fernandez picks who I'm not seeing in a huge amount of teams.

[Sam Bonfield]

So I had Fernandez in my team for quite a long time and then he had some fluid on his knee and was kind of had it removed and it was fine. Apparently he's not injured. He just was. They were worried about his. The strain on his something or other. Which is why I didn't play in the last preseason friendly against Chelsea. He is back in training now with them and obviously they play again soon so we'll see if he plays. But I. My issue with the spurs midfield is that suddenly there's loads of them like from. From last year when we had barely 13 fit players full stop and we had to call on the squads. Now we've got like 13 players for every midfield position. I mean I'm exaggerating but the. The point is there like tells having a good pre season but we're being in with Savino and Rashford and Gak post that who could play in his position? James Madison is back. Will he be managed still a bit probably. You've got the Fernandez, Tonali, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvalt. All of those guys kind of middle of the pack that they got to keep happy. And then we've also got Kudasevski and Kudas back in training now. Like there's players galore suddenly like at spurs plus they can't seem to sell Mana Solomon so he's around as well. Like there's just. There's just players everywhere.

[James]

85 million though you paid for Fernandez. Surely he's going to be first choice.

[Sam Bonfield]

I think so. But my issue is where does he actually play? How high up the pitch is he playing, what kind of positions is he taking? And that is my like Sonali and Fernandez I both of them play. But you've also then got like Benton Gore wasn't away on the pre season tour for example but he's now obviously back in the fold as well. Same with Papsar. There's just players everywhere so there's. There I think will be some 60, 70 minute subs across the. That there's gonna be. I. I've just called a little bit on the spurs midfield simply because I would like Deserby. I'd like to watch a couple of De Zerbi's games and just see who goes where and the kind of positions they're taking up. So that's what's made me cool a little bit on Fernandez. And the thing with the spurs fixtures is I do think you can afford to wait a little bit if you want to. I mean obviously it's Brentford away in game week one with the things that are going on at Newcastle maybe Newcastle isn't so bad actually in. In two and then it's Forest and

[James]

Everton and it's an okay run isn't it?

[Sponsor/Promoter]

It's.

[Sam Bonfield]

It's okay.

[James]

It's all right for like a kink ski because you just stick him in and leave him but for a another spot like a Solanke or a Fernandez I'm a bit less.

[Sam Bonfield]

I think I'm a little. I'm a little bit less because even the Solanke thing like I had him in a few of my drafts and I'm a little less Bolshy there as well because again we're being linked with Gakpo but also Richarlison's there and whilst Solanke is the one that seems to start the games It's Richarlison that's been coming off the bench in pre season and scoring the goal. So it's difficult to know really six

[James]

as well for Fernandez. Like he was five' five and competing with Sangare and Chaka and players like that. But he's complete with like penalty takers like Le Fay. I mean even gross at 5 5. There's a lot of good players at 6 stack as well.

[Sam Bonfield]

Well, yeah. And you can, you know, you could like you say you could take him down, save point five and that 0.5 can be invested in upgrading some somewhere else if you want.

[James]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Sam Bonfield]

You've only got. You find point five and you've got, you know, you've got an upgrade from Rogers to Foden if you wanted it.

[James]

Like I said, I don't think it needs. There's a few little tweets the other way around. I wouldn't have Fernandez Rogers. Like if you really think he's going to start the season strongly and he's going to play, then obviously he's fine. The bench.

[Sam Bonfield]

Would you not rather start with like. So if you say 0.5 there you could go Rogers to Kunya or Embomo and start the season with double United midfield.

[James]

I mean you could do.

[Sam Bonfield]

And that for me feels better.

[James]

You could do Fernandez to Gross and do Rogers to Mbumo and then just switch over to Rogers if you see some. Something good for him.

[Sam Bonfield]

Three in four after the Arsenal game like because actually the Chelsea fixtures then from four you've got whole Brentford, Bournemouth, Everton. That's when I'll be looking for an extra Chelsea player. So I think. But starting the season with that double Manchester United midfield by sacrificing Fernandez for Gross doesn't feel like you're making a sacrifice going Fernandez to Gross. But it does feel like you're upgrading by Rogers to Embomo for the first couple.

[Sponsor/Promoter]

It's.

[James]

I mean it's fine. It's.

[Sam Bonfield]

It's.

[James]

It's solid. But it doesn't massively inspire me. Like compare it to Sushant's, you know, Brave draft that we saw right at the start. I think this is very.

[Sam Bonfield]

But this isn't a bench boost team.

[James]

No, it's just. It's just a tame team. Six and a half.

[Sam Bonfield]

But I actually quite. There's something I quite like about this because there is. It's like maybe tame is good.

[James]

Yeah.

[Sam Bonfield]

To start the season and I think that like if you remember last year, part of both of our issues last year is having bad starts.

[James]

Tell me about it.

[Sam Bonfield]

And having bad starts because you'd got. Not like I didn't have Jal Pedro to start the season and it was massive problem. And then I kept having other problems in my team and I kept having to deal with fires elsewhere which meant I never really dealt with the crux of the problem which was that I didn't have Dal Pedro and a couple of others that had kicked off at the beginning. And so going into this season, part of me thinks having a safe pair of hands kind of team. A team where not too worried about rotation. A team where you've got as many penalty takers as possible. So having gross in there as well as a is a positive from that perspective. Upgrading to embomo would give you the safe security of knowing you've got starts in the early weeks of the season. Then I think that there's real value in this team because of that. And you've got. And because you've done the Debravka Kinski thing, you have guaranteed yourself a goalkeeper rather than the Kinski Foster thing. Just in case something was to happen to Kinski. Mind this at all.

[James]

Give us a rating.

[Sam Bonfield]

Do you know it's only two players I want to change which means I think I'd give it a 7.5.

[James]

7.5. Highest rating so far.

[Sam Bonfield]

Okay, I quite like this one. Hello. What's happened here?

[James]

I'm taking them from the emails now so obviously I've got to put them in. Put them in live because I only just had them. What's happening here?

[Sam Bonfield]

What's happening here?

[James]

You sounded quite s6 then mad. Did I? A little bit. This is from Greg FPL who is in the chat and obviously a big support of the scout streams. Good to see you and thanks for joining us. This is a bench boost one team which was originally what I was planning. I've gone off that idea a little bit but this is the kind of thing that you can build. So it's for Bruggin in goal, Mascara, Gabrielle and Califuri. So it's the triple ass defense again. O'Reilly, Semeno, Mbumo, Captain Rogers, Kunyadoku and Pedro and then a bench of Kingski, Jesus, Brobbie and Van Dyke is in there for some reason. This is no Fernande, no Harland. The money is obviously spread right across the squad but like the M there's no Fernandez and no Harland And I'm looking at some of these players and I'm like why? Like for Brugan and Kingski really? Is that the best you can do with no Fernandez and no Harland? Like, where's Lemons?

[Sam Bonfield]

I'm gonna say something controversial as this is the one I hate the most.

[James]

Yeah, I don't like it either. I'm gonna be honest. O'Reilly's probably not going to start. I don't like the goal. I don't know if Docu's gonna start. I, I don't like the Kunya pit. It hasn't even got Palmer. Like you've got. No, you haven't got any Fernandez or Harland and you.

[Sam Bonfield]

Is Rogers gonna start?

[James]

I don't like this at all. I think this is like, this could be outscored by a normal game week one team and then you haven't got the bench boost and you're gonna have the wild card out of it. This could set you up for a complete nightmare of a, of a start to the season. I mean it could do really well. But I, I don't.

[Sam Bonfield]

It's going to be one of two ways, isn't it? This, this is so. This is so divisive. It's going to go one of two ways. Either it's going to be brilliant.

[James]

No Fernandez, Harland or Palmer goes off and you're finished.

[Sam Bonfield]

I thought you were going to say something else then. I. Right, if I was bench boosting game week one, what would I do with this team? I definitely would not. I'm just looking at the fixtures for one. You'd go, you'd go Lemons in goal, wouldn't you? With a backup goalkeeper of. I don't know, maybe Ruth.

[James]

Well, I think you go Raya. I think you. I mean, I know you've got a triple defense, but you. Surely you have Raya.

[Sam Bonfield]

Yeah, but you could get, you could get sure in. You could do Moscara to shore or Califur to shore, which would give you the money to go from. So you get Verbren to Le Mons. You get. You could get Kinski to.

[James]

I'm not, I'm not sure there's anything.

[Sam Bonfield]

Virgil down to Kirkez and you can get Kinski to Raya.

[James]

I'm not sure there's any point in trying to work out how we would salvage this team because I think there's like seven players here that I would get rid of or eight. Who would you keep on a. On a game on a bench? That's. That's the better way to do it. Yeah, I definitely have double whilst defense,

[Sam Bonfield]

maybe triple Moscow and Gabrielle with probably right.

[James]

Okay. Moscow, Gabriel. I definitely Haven't Bumo.

[Sam Bonfield]

Yeah.

[James]

Pedro, Bruno. Yeah, but which ones to keep out of this team? And Bumo, Pedro, Maybe Brawby on a bench boost one because it's IP switch. I still prefer Lefea though. And he's not even in this team.

[Sam Bonfield]

I don't mind Igor. Jesus though, on a bench boost.

[James]

I mean, he's.

[Sam Bonfield]

That's fine.

[James]

He's fine.

[Sam Bonfield]

That's okay. So we're saying we'd keep two, three.

[James]

Keep one of Brobby or J. Zeus, because you're gonna want Harland, aren't you?

[Sam Bonfield]

So we're gonna. We're gonna keep 5 of 15?

[James]

Yeah, I think so.

[Sam Bonfield]

We are savaging it.

[James]

Maybe Semenya, I mean, so many is a good pick. He's in my team at the moment. Yeah, maybe.

[Sam Bonfield]

I think if you were gonna. If you bench piece in game at one, you'd absolutely have Foden over Semenya. Given the comments.

[James]

The only. How nice is this? This is how horrible we are. This is from Colm. The only thing that matters is if Greg likes this team.

[Sam Bonfield]

Well, Greg shouldn't like this team because it's no as. Come on now.

[Advertiser]

It is.

[James]

It's terrible. I hate it.

[Sam Bonfield]

It's. But it's divisive. And it's either going to be winning UFPO after game. Sorry, you're going to be last one team ago.

[James]

You're like, you've got to play it safe. It's all about the safety net. Get off to a solid start.

[Sam Bonfield]

But that team was clearly not planning any chips. And I think that's the difference is that if you're not going for chips to start the season, you start safe, you learn and then you use your chips later and you hope that you. You've. You've just had a solid start. This kind of team is there to help you win right from the start. So you're up the top and then you've just got to hold it. So this team 100 is getting wild carded in two. A hundred percent. It is this.

[James]

Greg says this is a setup to not make any transfers. Oh, come on.

[Sam Bonfield]

This is. This is.

[James]

This is so bad.

[Sam Bonfield]

Someone paid Greg to come here.

[James]

Listen to Sam's words like do not. Do not start with this team. It's just, it's. It's not. It's just not good. It's not good. I'm sorry, it's not good.

[Sam Bonfield]

I didn't say it was good.

[James]

I'm just saying you're being, you're being polite.

[Producer/Assistant]

It.

[James]

I wouldn't because you're a lovely, polite young lady.

[Sam Bonfield]

That is true.

[James]

I'm not.

[Sam Bonfield]

I mean, I would not go here. It's terrible.

[James]

I would rather auto pick than pick this team. 0 out of 10. It's my first ever zero.

[Sam Bonfield]

Greg, angry ass has returned. Well, it's just, don't, you know, you

[James]

post a team like this and it does make me angry because I just. I've worry. I love Greg. He's one of our, you know, he's one of our best viewers and he's gonna put this team out and he's gonna come back in game week five and he's gonna be three million in the world.

[Sam Bonfield]

And he's gonna be worse than that. He's gonna be like, oh no, I'm

[James]

3 million in the world and I've used all my chips. How did that happen?

[Sam Bonfield]

They'll be like, because you start the

[James]

season about Fernandez or Harland and you had bloody Doku in your team. Like, what do you think was gonna happen?

[Sam Bonfield]

And Rogers and Kenya don't start game week one. I don't think docu.

[James]

Fantastic. I appreciate it. Sorry, Greg.

[Sam Bonfield]

Do you think this is Greg's actual team or do you think he's just tried to wind you up?

[James]

Well, he's worked. God.

[Sam Bonfield]

What are you gonna give it 3?

[James]

A 3? That is. That is actually very low for you.

[Sam Bonfield]

That is very low for me. I just. I can't get on board. Greg. I'm sorry. It might work.

[James]

But I mean, nice try not to making.

[Sam Bonfield]

You're definitely not making any transfers. You're definitely making transfers. You're wild carding after playing that in one.

[James]

I'm telling you now, I like this one because it's got us at the top. Look at that.

[Sam Bonfield]

What are we doing there?

[James]

This is. This is from Paul who's watching and he's obviously sent his team in and he's.

[Sam Bonfield]

It's little us.

[James]

Little us in the team. So that's.

[Sam Bonfield]

Look at us. Cute, don't we there.

[James]

This is lemons in goal with mascara Califure. A moon Oz. A red moon Oz signing Neko Williams or Nico Williams as I keep getting his name wrong. It is Nico Sabosai. Rogers Verts, Semeno, Harland and Pedro Palmer, Calvert, Lewin, Endai and Diop. Looks like a bench boost one team, but I guess it is if Palmer starts. But they've got like six goalkeepers, haven't they? And I know he's starting pre season, but we're pretty sure he's not gonna be first choice. No Fernandez again. I always see a team without Fernandez or Harland and just can't really understand why there's no Gabrielle.

[Sam Bonfield]

The bigger issue here is that there's no Manchester United attack, full stop. For those first two fixtures. It's not even like I've got no Bruno. It's, it's. I've got no Bruno and I haven't got embalmer or Cunier or someone else. Like, I could, I could maybe because I was looking at this team thinking, what is it I don't like about it? Because there's a lot of good stuff in here. And then I realized it's there's no Manchester United attack in there and they've got the best start to the season in those opening two weeks.

[James]

I've got a question for you, Sam.

[Sam Bonfield]

Yes.

[James]

Do you think Fernandez is more important for the first two weeks than Haaland?

[Sam Bonfield]

Yes.

[James]

Yeah, I agree.

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[Audience/Listener]

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[James]

I. I think there's a chance that

[Sam Bonfield]

Harlan gets rested in game week one.

[James]

Wow comes on. So you're Captain Fernandez in very tempted to. I, I can't quite believe that people are starting. You can say what you want about Fernandez over the season, whether you think he's going to be worth the money, whatever, but it's two promoted teams in the first two weeks. Like one promoted team in the first two weeks and I'd say he's pretty much near essential. Two promoted teams in the first two weeks. He is.

[Sam Bonfield]

And then it's Everton in three.

[James]

Yeah.

[Sam Bonfield]

It's not like they go then into like really difficult game. They've then got Everton and I think

[James]

the only way you you don't have Fernandez is if you make sure every other position is as strong as it can be. But you'll probably disagree. But I think Palmer over Rogers is still where I'd be looking to go. I still think Gabrielle over one of mascara or Califuri is the way to go. Like it's still. You're still sort of making sacrifices and you haven't got arguably the best player for the first two games.

[Sam Bonfield]

No, I agree with you. I think if you're going into the season without Bruno then you absolutely have Gabrielle and you would absolutely have involved. So it makes no like the Rogers pick. Rogers makes no sense to me as an early pick because I just don't know. I know that Alonzo's come out and said all the players need to be ready for game week one. Sure though. I'm sure they'll be ready. But will he actually start him in game week one given that he's not adding him for hardly any of preseason or will he bring him off the bench and give him minutes against Fulham and do the same against Brighton and maybe then he's ready to start against Arsenal in three or what have you like. I don't know. I don't know. And I don't think we can judge that Palmer you can judge. He's been there. He's not been away with England. He's had the whole of pre season with Alonso. We know that Palmer's going to start. So if you're doing a double up with Chelsea, I think it has to be Palmer and Al Pedro for the opening weeks of the season and then you can come down to Rogers when we know that for certain that Roger starts. I don't mind the double up of Verts and Sabos life but equally the opening two weeks of the season. Would you have Verts and Saborsai for Newcastle and Forest or would you have one of embomo? You'd have embommer, wouldn't you?

[James]

Yeah.

[Sam Bonfield]

Against like it. That just doesn't make any sense to me. I don't mind this though.

[James]

No, I mean it's. It's all right. It's just as if it's. If Man United score lots of Goals against two promoted teams, you're in massive trouble.

[Sam Bonfield]

All.

[James]

And I, I just, I, I think however much I like the team, why risk it? Like if they, you know, if they had like Everton, palace and Leeds or something in the first three, you might look at that and think, okay, they're sort of mid table teams, you know, maybe they might struggle a little bit. But two promoted teams in the first two, you need at least one Man United player.

[Sam Bonfield]

Like that's not the goalkeeper.

[James]

That's not the goalkeeper.

[Sam Bonfield]

The goalkeeper's fine. Have him.

[James]

Yeah, I think, I think it's like a 6 out of 10. There's picks in there that I like.

[Sam Bonfield]

Do you know what's annoying about this one is if that this team had come in and that Rogers pick was Embomo, this might have been the highest one I'd rated today.

[James]

And it's easy to do because he's doing Dieter Gross and then Rogers to Embemo.

[Sam Bonfield]

Yeah.

[James]

Six. Mino. Don't just, just don't like it that much.

[Sam Bonfield]

See, I'll give it a seven, but I would have gone a nine if there was a Manchester United midfielder in there. Nine if there was a Manchester United midfielder in there, I would have because I think the rest of it looks good.

[James]

Do you give a team 9 without Fernandez who you've just said is close

[Sam Bonfield]

to essential if there is. So if, if embalmer is in there because I think the rest of it is good. So like, like I think that's the problem is that this one put. I'm off. I think you can manage the Bruno thing if you've got enough other Manchester United players in there.

[James]

See, I don't, I don't agree with that. That's where we differ, I think. I just think you pair him with Fernandez, you don't try and risk the Fernandez.

[Sam Bonfield]

No, I agree with you, by the way. I wouldn't do it. But if, if you're building a team, if you're comfy to build a team without him, which I can't remember who this, who this is, this is whose team this is. But if you're comfortable to build a team without him, if like Paul is, then, then you would be comfortable to go with Embomo over him for the newly promoted teams in game weeks one and two. Now I wouldn't be comfy with either of those two things. I'd rather have the pairing. But what I'm saying is if you're prepared to build a team that's not got him, then I would, I mean,

[James]

you know, Coleman says no finance for me. May not only turns up against big size, he tend to start slowly. Plus he's 32 this season. I'll be on the sofa if you need me. I mean that's fine.

[Sam Bonfield]

But then Col going without any Man

[James]

United at all in I don't think many will be. I think this is quite risk a rare one unless you really think. There's no reason to think Man United are going to start slowly against two promoted teams when having a decent preseason. They've made some quite good signings I think in midfield Carrick's at the wheel. Yeah, I don't know, I don't like it. Were you giving it. Sorry, I'll give it a six.

[Sam Bonfield]

I give it a seven.

[James]

Droopy's in the chat.

[Sam Bonfield]

Oh, you, you're back.

[James]

As his hatred of teams is back. I always want to be body snatched for a minute. Yeah, it's. But thanks to Greg it's back. Don't worry. Sorry, what was your rating for this one?

[Sam Bonfield]

7.

[James]

7 7. What about this one? This is Kingston Rushworth in goal Mascara Vardio Mitchell Van Heck and Thomas Fernandez. Foden Gross of Bosai Grimes and then Pedro Harland and Igor Jesus up top.

[Sam Bonfield]

I mean I think this is an excellent.

[James]

Damn it, it's mine. Saw my trap.

[Sam Bonfield]

I was thinking, oh, this looks half decent, right?

[James]

There's a 10 out of 10. No notes.

[Sam Bonfield]

No, no, no, no, there's definitely notes. I don't, I still can't decide. I can't decide. The, the spurs double up in defense just feels all kinds of wrong. All kinds of wrong even for me as a Spurs fan. So I don't think Van Heck will stay and I, I. It's definitely missing Manchester United so Van Hechter Maguire is probably what I'll do for the opening couple of weeks of the season. I have a million in the bank already with this team so it's quite easy for me to move the Grimes pick as well. I'm not sure about Eagle J's. What do you make of Eagle Jesus?

[James]

Well, I think the penalties is key. Right?

[Sam Bonfield]

Yeah.

[James]

Because, oh, you know, I'm talking to like Mark and other Forest fans and they do seem to think he's gonna at least get a share if not be main penalty taker. Would he play alongside Wood? We don't think so but I mean there's a chance that would or at least Wood comes on and plays 70 minutes, plays 20 minutes or something and, and 18 to his minutes. So there's a bit of a minutes Risk. We're not totally sure about the penalties. I mean, he's having a very good pre season. He had a very strong end to last season as well. So. Yeah, if you're someone that buys into like form and pre season friendlies that we, you know, we always do, don't we? I mean, who was it last year? Full Krug, wasn't it? Remember Full Krug last, last year had a great preseason and he's 6 million. So I think out of the 6 millions, you're looking at Calvin Lewin and Jay Zeus. I think they're the two standout ones. I don't hate it. In fact, I quite like it. Yeah, I, I don't mind it at all. I think it's. I think it's a decent punt for if, you know, he was like 6, 5, 7. Be a bit different.

[Sam Bonfield]

No, I agree. Yeah. Yeah. Because I had. I've had various different players in this position that the job. There's. There's a number that have stayed the same, like Rushworth and Kinsky have been there since day dot. I think I'm going to start with them too. Mascara has been there since the first draft as well as has Tyreek Mitchell. Bruno's been there all the time. So Sai J Pedro and Harlan the. That third forward slot moves every day. Every day I change my mind. It's been. At one point I was thinking, right, well, if Cesco starts then I want to go with him because that's extra way into Manchester United, cheaper than going for Embomo. But we've not seen him at all in pre season, so that's ruled him out. Solanki is starting all the time, but not scoring goals and Richardson's coming off the bench and scoring. Do we think what might happen there? I just don't think I could go for either of them too. I don't like the Calvert Lewin pick because I just don't trust him. Whenever I own him, he's an absolute disaster kid. So I just don't want to go there. I had Ollie McBurney for a while because whilst I hate Manchester United in one, I don't mind him for some of the other fixtures because he'd be my third and if I went for Ollie McBurney, that would now enable the Grime slot to be a 6.5 million midfielder. Even a 7 if I do Van Heck to Shaw rather than Maguire. So then you don't have to play Ollie McBurney every week. You're only playing him from time to time. So that's where I am. I'm liking the like tinker around the edges stuff now.

[James]

I think I like it. I just don't think there's enough manu in there.

[Sam Bonfield]

No.

[James]

Like I've been saying all stream. Like I said, two point teams.

[Sam Bonfield]

I find it hard to get to the eight midfielders from here without. I have to take Eagle JZ down. I'd have to take Van Heck probably down. I'd have to probably lose Rushworth, but he's doable.

[James]

Yeah. The 11's the 11's strong though.

[Sam Bonfield]

The 11 is strong.

[James]

You know your. Do you know your rating on. On scale?

[Sam Bonfield]

84.

[James]

Yes. Dramatic reveal. Oh, this is my team. It's very, it's very different to yours. What did I say to you? There's only six the same. Something like that.

[Sam Bonfield]

Six the same. Yeah.

[James]

Kinski, Dubravka, Maguire, Aldorete, Nico, Williams, Diop and Thomas, Fernandez, Semeno, Mbumo, Enzo, Lefe and Gross. Then Harland, Pedro and Wright as my five, five sort of rotating with Gross player. So I think the one thing you'll notice here that I haven't seen pretty much in any other team that we've looked at today, all yours is I have no Arsenal, no Arsenal defenders at all.

[Advertiser]

Why?

[James]

Because you touched on it earlier.

[Sam Bonfield]

It's a labor thing.

[James]

I don't know if they're going to be. I mean Coventry at home is pretty much a guaranteed clean sheet, but then you've got like a non first choice like player like mascara in a team, which is pretty tough fixtures after that and I know we saw last year they kept clean sheets against anyone and they probably will, but I don't know.

[Sam Bonfield]

5.

[James]

5 feels like quite a lot of money for like one guaranteed clean sheet and then the rest not. I'm not quite.

[Sam Bonfield]

I don't disagree with you. That's why I've only got one.

[Audience/Listener]

One.

[Sam Bonfield]

Because I'm not sure I disagree on the clean sheets. I don't think they keep that many but I'm equally aware that as we've seen today, a lot of people are doubling up or tripling up on Arsenal and we know that, that the Arsenal defense will be popular and so if they do keep a clean sheet, I want to make sure I've at least got a bit of that covered out. And that's why I'm. It's a bit of a safety pick, to be honest. The mascara.

[Sponsor/Promoter]

Yeah.

[James]

No, I don't, I. I don't know. The thing is there's always going to be like One or two players that you sort of. You know like you're talking about you know not having a Man United midfielder. I'm talking about not going to ask defender. There's always the way the pricing is. There's always going to be prices, sacrifices.

[Sam Bonfield]

Would you? Because I. I guess it's a different conversation entirely if cons and makes the move because at 4.5 it just becomes a no brainer then doesn't it? You just go there.

[James]

A bit of a shame if he did wouldn't it? Because he's such an obvious pitch at 45 to start the season. I mean what happens when sleep is back? Obviously he's dead but. But then you'll keep for the first place he's going to be like a hundred percent owned. It's it. It kind of kills that completely. Like at least there's a bit of a decision about who you get at the moment.

[Sam Bonfield]

Yep. I actually don't mind your team. What a scout.

[James]

Rate this one up slightly higher than yours actually I think 87. Yeah 87. I like the Semeno pick. Feels a little bit luxury. I know he's a good price to 85 but I don't know what it is. Yeah he feels a little bit. A lot like quite a lot. And if I did Semenio to Foden then I could do like Diop to Mascara for example and then I've got that Arsenal defender defender covered.

[Sam Bonfield]

I like that more.

[James]

Yeah. The thing is I'm toying with a few ideas like I'm toying with my first team had no Harland. I've gone off that now completely because I think you can build a good team with Harland and Fernandez in and I was. I was wrong about that. It's just whether I've got no Liverpool either.

[Producer/Assistant]

Yeah.

[James]

I'm not really that fussed about Liverpool I'll tell you. Well supposedly the obvious one isn't he like I. I think he's, you know he's 7 million. He's very, very popular. I'm just not quite as hot on him as I am as everyone else seems to be And I quite like this midfield.

[Sam Bonfield]

I like that midfield field.

[James]

Yeah.

[Sam Bonfield]

But I would have. I would have phone novice menu.

[James]

Yeah. And then do the hostel move. Yeah. I mean that's, that's potential. Cool. Well I think that's it from us. I didn't quite rate as many as I thought we would do but the ones we did I thought we went into very good detail on so I

[Sam Bonfield]

did too and it was Mostly because you got angry and savage.

[James]

That is very true. Sorry about that, Greg. Lovely stuff. I'm not sure are we doing enough one of these next week or are we going back to Q?

[Sam Bonfield]

I think we might be. I think we might be doing one more because we don't go into. Because then the final week we'll be doing the game. We won Q A, won't we?

[James]

Yeah, I think let's do one more. Let's do one more of these. If you. If you're watching this and you haven't had your team rate, I know we've had quite a few emails, send me an email on Wednesday next week. I will try and drop some of those in to the video. You've already got more chance if you do that because don't get a huge amount of those emails. I'll make sure we do at least three of those next week or you can email them in next week. But yeah, thanks for watching. Hopefully we've helped you in some of your decisions. Greg, rip it up, start again, mate. It's all fine. Let us know what you end up with. And Sam, happy anniversary and I'll see you tomorrow.

[Sam Bonfield]

See you tomorrow.

[Audience/Listener]

Yay.

[James]

How lovely.

[Sam Bonfield]

Bye, guys. We'll see you next week.