Captaincy Choices and Final Thoughts

This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network. Hi folks, welcome to the Game Week 35 preview episode of the 159th Minute Podcast, which is brought to you by Fancy Football Scouts. I'm Mark McGuarigan, you'll find me across social media at FPL General. Although you might not find me on X much longer, my account was hacked this week on Wednesday. So well done hackers, you got me. I let my guard down and they very cleverly taking control of the FPL General Twitter account so I've appealed to X, Mosques, Minions. I don't have much faith in them to sort it. So any posts from FPL General, any DMs, any dodgy DMs are not from me. So when the time be in I forgot that I had a Twitter account for the podcast itself. So it's at fifty ninth minute pod. probably end up posting bits and pieces there. I'm on Blue Sky, I'm on Instagram. You can join the Discord. But yeah. Nightmare of a week. I'm so so careful when it comes to passwords, two factor authentication. So I'm quite annoyed at myself that They've managed to get me. But here we are. Not gonna lose any sleep over it and hopefully we'll get the account back in the near future. So on to FPL, double game week thirty-sex confirmed. We're going into gameic thirty five this weekend. then it will be a double for Manchester City and Crystal Palace the following week. Manchester City, home to Brentford, home to Palace. Palace will play home to Everton and away to Manchester City. course Crystal Palace also have Europe to juggle. So loads of questions about that later. It's a Friday deadline this week. Don't get caught out. 6 30 PM UK. I think this is the last Friday deadline of the season. And it's ninety minutes before Leeds Burnley kicks off. This episode, usual format, game week review, shout out, start, DEF CON. End of season watch list, listener questions, and I'll finish up with captaincy and transfers for the weekend. Make sure you hit subscribe or follow wherever you're listening. for future episodes and leave a five star review as well if you enjoy the show. It's patreon.com forward slash FPL General if you want to support me as a full time FPL content creator. So a look back a very quick look back on the previous game week. I had two free transfers. I I'm trying to remember who I sold. I got rid of Eka Tke, I got rid of Anthony Gordon, brought in Ollie Watkins, who blanked, that was an easy transfer. And then it was it came down to Xavi Simons versus Morgan Gibbs White. for the midfield transfer and I went for Xavi Simons and the poor guy. It's got the dreaded ACL injury, so speedy recovery to him, got it that he's gonna miss the World Cup and got it that I also didn't get any FPL points. But I'm glad in a way it's better to have that kind of transfer go against you when you're five hundred K at this stage of the season. rather than fifty K or five K. So if there's any season where I'm happy for fifty fifty to go against me, it is certainly this one. The team Harry McGuire seven pointer and it could have been so much more, so close to the clean sheet, so close to scoring. The ball I think half the ball was over the line. So it could have been an absolute mega haul for Harry McGuire. Virgil Devcon, Gabriel Elliott Pointer, Ellian Anderson, the very late goal was much welcome have a not gone for Gibbs White. So that was very nice. Playing for Embuemo again. I've definitely kept him for too long, but just had other fires to fight. An upfront Watkins, Jared Bone Ten Pointer, what a great season he's had. And Igor Thiago, another blank for him, but I didn't mind too much because it meant Harry McGuire did well. And then on the bench was the guys without fixtures, Cole Palmer, James Hill. and Nico O'Reilly. The rank went from it was a good game week actually, went up about 70k from 520 to 450. I think 434k is the highest I've been at any point. Um again, don't really care where I finish at this stage. We'll try and kick on and finish the season strongly with four green arrows. As for player shout outs, there is one big mention this week. Now it didn't go down officially on the FBL website as fifty nine minutes, it went down as fifty eight. But I have to mention him, Muhammad Salah biggest legend there's ever been in FPL. the most points scored to the F P L over the last couple of seasons. Yes, it's been a quiet one this year, but a very unfortunate way it looks like. end his Premier League career, it sounds like a hamstring injury that will probably rule him out. for the final few game weeks. So a sad end, I was tempted to get him for the final game week of the season and give him the captain's armband. at least now I'll probably stick to my rule of no Halland, no Salah all season. People are moaning at me for the idea of getting the legend that is Muhammad Sal in for one game week. And I would have done. my league, my rules and I would've broken it for the legend that is Mo. So unfortunately got the injury. And I really wish he got an extra couple of seconds and he would have joined the fifteenth Minute Club. for the season. So just a shout out to Salah. I wish him well wherever he goes next season. think we're all predicted Saudi is most likely. Yeah, we might need to play the Saudi fantasy league next season and and captain them. in in that one. So I'll be back to normal next season, no restrictions. I will have Erning Hallands, but it doesn't look like Mohammed Sale will be selectable in FPL. Notable mention as well for Brennan Johnson in the same fixture. He also got fifty minutes. So four game is to go. I mentioned the guys last week. There's five players sitting on two appearances. We want a hat trick before the campaign is over. On to player stats now from the most recent game week, as always from the Fantasy Football Scout members area. Highly recommend the website. Maybe not at the stage of the season when things are nearly over, but when the special offers come around in July and August for next season. Definitely get yourself in there. Geoffed West Ham had four chances created. Spejoporo Marie Cash both had two chances created. Cash and Poral might be unjif. you know, deferential options for the run in. They've all got something to play for. Although Astenvel are looking pretty comfortable now in the Champions League places. Alderetti at Sunderland four goal attempts. Dan Burn three goal attempts. Lucadin took four corners for Arsen Villa. Ultimate fielders, Bruno Fernandez, five chances created. It was an it was funny seeing him go through. Um he he could have shot easily, but in his mind he wants this assist record. He could have played in Buenowin, which would have been nice. But unfortunately went to Sesco instead, who scored. So I'm looking forward to Bruno breaking this record over the next couple of game weeks. And obviously that makes him a great FPL pick. Yeah, five chances created as well for John McGinn at Aston Villa. Dango had four shots in the box against Manchester United. Money. Among forwards, three chances created for the wheels man. No forward had more than three goal attempts in the game week. Now we were three fixtures down, so that obviously plays a part. And Mr. Erling Halland was not playing. Mateta had two big chances for Crystal Palace. Defensive contributions, notable mentions, Melanchovet Forests. Johim Anderson fifteen, henkape at Arsenal, fifteen. And then other defenders who people might be interested in who hit the threshold, Botman and Byrne at Newcastle, Pedro Porro, he's done a couple of times recently. Palace guys always show up, LaCroix and Canville on this occasion. Collins at Brentford, Harry McGuire, thankfully. Maveranas and De Sasi, so both West Ham centre backs and both Liverpool centre backs as well, Kunati and Virgil. As for midfielders, Casamiro's been bossing it recently, 25 DEF CON in that Brentford fixture. Uh elsewhere I said it again, Joe Garner, James Garner at Everton, and Elliot Anderson as usual. Onto a watch list now I've put together just today for the final four game weeks of the season. So again, coming from my own perspective, what I'm thinking with my last few transfers, the only chip I have left is Trible Captain. That will go on Manchester City. And most likely Cherke, who I think I'm gonna buy this week. replace Shabby Simons, Shov Shabby Simons in and Shavi Simons out, it's like the Simpson Gef where he hangs up his hat and his jacket and he just twirl and picks him up again and goes. So that is Shabby Siemens for me. So the priority will be double game week players in particular from Manchester City because I've only got O'Reilly. Cherokee will come in this week. Other players on the watch list have got Donna Rima. 'cause Martinez has got nasty fixtures to end the season, I think it's the final two games, so I could look at Donoruma for the final three game weeks. Sumenio's an option as well. Don't currently own them. And then it's We all need to figure out what to do with Crystal Palace. Crystal Palace guys. They've got a double, but one of the games is SETI. They got They don't have any easy primary games left. They're playing against teams fighting for European spots. they've got Europe themselves, so I'm I'm really not that interested in Palace. And by the time I use up a coup a couple of transfers, I probably won't have any left. palace would mean taking a hit for the double game week which I'm not overly keen on. But if I do go there, it's gonna be the usual suspects. Muno's at the back, Sar in midfield. Probably swear the strikers. I do like Matella. but again he'll probably be wrapped in cotton wool for Europe. Um other players on my watch list to finish the season who do not have a double game week. Only have Gabriel from Arsenal. So I'm looking at Raya, possibly, Saka know that he's back. Pedro Portal with Tottenham. Gibbs waited for us for obvious reasons. And then a couple of differentials. Florian Vertz, Alexander Isak, who is back and scored. Calvert Loon as well, because leads are They're on forty points. but West Ham and Tottenham are really fighting for their lives. And they're not safe yet. So Calvert Lewin, for example, could be an option because you've got Burnley Friday night this week. And then the leads pretty sure leads are top of the thicker for the final four game weeks. uh if you take out the double game week team so there's just a bit of a watch list. Probably where my transfers are gonna go. Uh during the month of May. Time for a Q<unk>A now. First one from Tacoma Toffee which came in on Blue Sky. I I I even struggled. I put out a post on Twitter for questions earlier in the week and I I struggled to even get access to them. I had to go through a different Twitter account to to even just be able to see the questions, but I did manage to get them. Yeah, so that might be my f my last post ever on that account, unfortunately. Uh Tacoma Toffee asks, Which team should we target? And the void for the run in? Pretty simple question. I think it's a pretty simple answer as well. I think you just look at the Premier League table. Which teams have something to play for? And there is a lot of teams with something to play for, more than usual, because relegation is not sorted, the title's not sorted. And there's this really interesting race for, you know, sixth and seventh. Um, does eighth place might even get a European place, maybe Conference League? There's loads of teams on forty nine, forty eight, forty seven points, so it's really, really close. So the teams you wanna target basically you wanna own players from Arsenal, Manchester City Then you look at the European race which is Brighton, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Brentford, Fulham. Everton run this race as well. don't really like Chelsea at the moment, that's the issue. Um I think most people are in the same boat. There was questions about, you know, who to replace Palmer and Joe Pedro with, for example. I've got cold Palmer, I'm not gonna sell 'em this week. certainly not a lock in my team for the rest of the season. And then you look towards the ball on the table And you can certainly buy players from Tottenham, West Ham. um Nortonham Forest and Leeds as well. So there's loads of options. That there's not that that doesn't leave too many teams. It does leave Crystal Palace that I didn't mention there. even though they have a double, I'm not in a rush to probably leave Newcastle. Wolves you swerve as well. So there's plenty of choice for us. uh during the end of the season. Question from Jack. couple of people actually asked this question. Morgan Gibbs White or Morgan Rogers? for the end of the season. Um I think I need a Captain Morgan's after the week I've had with the hack. I don't own either player. I was very close to getting Morgan Gibbs White last week. I was close to getting Rogers as well, but I didn't want to go double Villa. When I was buying. Oli Watkins. I If I was buying give me thirty five for the rest of the season. I think I still lean towards Gibbs White. He's been really, really good recently. Forest have have have been on their upward trajectory. Of course, both teams play each other tonight in the first European leg. So that's gonna be interesting. Yeah, but I do think FPL wise it's to me it's Gibbs White over Rogers. to finish the season, but it's pretty close. Question from Shu. She only has some menu for Manchester City and wants to triple up. Currently can't afford O'Reilly or Haalands, but if he takes a hit to remove some manual and get Cherky. He would then have the funds to get O'Reilly and Halland. Or do I take a leaf out of the General's playbook and ignore the Big Man? Chasing in a mini league with a triple captain to use. So I think The ideal trouble up. I think most people would agree now. It's pretty obvious. O'Reilly, Cherkey, Halland. if you're playing with Haaland this season. If you've got your triple captain chip. You wanna do it on Erning Halands in double g in the double game week. If you're like me, I'm quite qu keen on Cherokee. O'Reilly's an option there, of course, as well. But I actually don't mind this. Usually I would I would say, you know, avoid a hit like this. But if you're taking a minus four. to get to the ideal Manchester City triple up. If you really want Cherky over Samenyo. if it allows you to get Halan for a triple captain chip and O'Reilly, I think that's a bit of a no-brainer. Take the minus four. Get those three, triple Captain Harland, and you're probably coming out pretty well. off the back of that. Question from Yabs. No origin transfer needs. Should I make a crazy luxury? Manchester City double transfer. Some manual out, Mark Ehi out. Cherky and O'Reilly and I mean I like that. Two freeze. O'Reilly's better than Gay F PL wise, Cherkey's better than Smenu at the moment. If you've got no other issues. players that you want and get the better FPL assets. Question from FPL Bafana. Are there any Crystal Palace players which are worth transfering in in Gimic thirty five, for the Dublin thirty six, Bafana says the risk of rotation is very discouraging. As you can tell by now I'm not interested. I'm not that interested at all in Crystal Pass. I might end up with one maybe. Munals because I love the guy. For the next three weeks. Crystal Palace play Thursday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday Wednesday, Sunday. So they play every Sunday and they play every midweek as well. So it's six games in three weeks. And when you look at the factures in the Premier League, it's also off putting because it's tricky games. A way to born my Home to Everton. A way to set a and away to Brentford and then they finish with Arsenal on the final day. So the more I look at it, the more I'm not interested. We all one shiny double gimme players. But a lot of these palace players. Will not play both games in the double because of Europe. And one of the games is against Manchester City, which they could easily lose to Nil. I could miss certain points, but I'm pretty adamant that I'm I'm certainly not in a rush. But I'm I'm biased as well because I've only got one city player at the moment. I don't have many free transfers. I think I've only got one. So by the time I use my transfers this week and next week It needs to be a hit for palace players. Different story if you've already got your city players in place. Then of course you could take a punt or two. Palace player. Yeah. I wouldn't be expecting a huge amount, all things considered. Question from Wyatt. Actually two questions from Wyatt. The first one, after chasing him in mini league all season, I've just opened up a twenty five point lead over the past two weeks. Well done, Wyatt. What's the best strategy on a wild card to see out the last four game weeks? So We're at the stage of the season and I've been talking to a couple of people over the last couple of weeks, you know, trying to Fend off mini leagues if you're first. Imagine if today was the day your idea changed someone's life. Imagine if you could help someone pay for university, help your community build a new playground, or help a child make it to that dream competition. With GoFundMe, it's all possible. GoFundMe is the world's number one fundraising platform. Trusted by over 200 million people. Every week, ordinary people meet their goals and do extraordinary things. Your ideas matter. GoFundMe isn't just for emergencies. Want to raise money for your kids' football team? Or raise funds for a small business, a charity, or event. GoFundMe turn ideas into reality. And help adds up. Fundraisers you start for someone else raise up to five times more. So think right now. Who could use your help? Don't wait for someone else to bring change. Today, start your fundraiser in just minutes at gofundme.com. That's gofundme.com to start your fundraiser. Gofundme.com. This is a commercial message brought to you by GoFundMe. And it comes down to, you know, quite simply, you know, trying to block block off your your rival, you know, if they've got Bruno Fernandes and you don't, you obviously get Bruno Fernandes, things like that. But it even comes down to the fringe players as well. You know, if they've got a Senesse or a James Hill or a Tavernier, for example. then, you know, when they've got something to play for and they've got some decent fixtures coming up, you probably want to try block those off as well. So it's really studying what your rival currently has. Assessing what shi have. trying to second guess what they will do with those chips. You know, if they've got a wild card as well, for example, it's tricky. Uh but twenty five points It's not done and dusted by any means. with four game weeks to go. Uh but you've certainly got to study what's around you. And you know. Yeah, but of uh What's the word? Not yes. Game theory probably comes into it. You've got to try and it's like a game of risk. That good old board game we used to all play and I'm sure some of you still play. Um but yeah. this is the point in the season where you've got to know what's happening in in your mini league. And try you know, use that in your decision making. uh over the next couple of game weeks. The second question from Wyatt was which two Arsenal players to get on the wild card in addition to Gabriel? Are one of Yocre's or Saka or maybe even both worth the risk? Gabriel certainly should be on a wild card this week. He should be in every team. in every game week. I know he hasn't been as good recently, but he did quite well in the most recent game week. I still think it's boring as hell, but the best Arsenal picks along with Gabrielle are probably Raya and Declan Rice. Yo crees is the spicy one, but he's got a lot of competition. Sack is just back. So he could be very careful with his minutes. for Europe. Wouldn't be surprised if he gets reduced minutes again this weekend. The second leg coming up against Atletico next week. So yeah, it is boring, but a f you know, boring can very often be effective in FPL. I think I'd be looking at Gabriel Raya. Declin Race this week. Pretty boring, but You want points. Question from F Hill Bennell, a lead question. Should they go for Stack or Okafour? I'm pretty sure that question came in before the news that Okafor is actually a doubt for this Friday night game. As has his defensive teammate Bijol so if you if you've got Okafour or Bijal, if you're thinking about buying them, be careful with that one. So it's obviously Stack now. over all Cafour. Stack I think made an appearance made a return from injury recently. He's great for Def CON, he's great he's a great set piece taker. He's an all rounder. And could be a very good differential for the final four game weeks. Stack is uh a good budget enabler for wildcarders. And particularly probably for those who still have uh have a bench boost left to play. Question on the Discord from Uncle Conky, Triple Captain and Wildcard Left, what's the best strategy? With the city news now confirmed? If you've got Triple Captain and Wild card, I think your Wild Card that's weak played, get your four game weeks out of it and You just triple captain the Man City player and double give me 36. If you've got Haaland to Tim. If you don't Cherkey I'm I'm really excited to triple captain Cherkey. put him on the nolly step and and bench him for two games and bring Foden back in as soon as I triple captain them. But O'Reilly's very viable triple captain as well. Uh so yeah I'd be wild card in this week. I've just added this in myself as well, just you know, who are the best wildcard picks because I know a lot of people are wildcard thirty five. Um will obviously depend whether you've got a bench boost left or not as well. So th the key assets, you start with triple city. O'Reilly Cherkie Holland. Bruno Fernandez stays in. Gabriel stays in You decide what you want to do with Crystal Palace? I wouldn't triple up on Palace, you might want one or two. I think Moonles and Sar. R The best candidates. And then if you've got a bench boost left. probably want to try wildcard 35 bench with 36 just to keep them as close together as possible. Looking at the fixtures for a bench based in game week thirty six, Brighton are at home to Wolves, so that's probably where you go. Those cheap guys that people had for the last bench boost. Cadi Oglu van Heke, Pascal Gross, Danny Welbeck, these kind of players. Also in Game 36, Asten Villa are away to Burnley. I mean it looks good on paper. again Villa situation is not ideal for FPL but you could look at some cheaper guys there. And Nottenham Forest are at home to Newcastle. So again, cheap Nottenham Forest guys, Nico Williams. Alien Anderson. These players I think are all good for a base basement thirty six as well. And then finally you've got Taughton at home to Leeds. Totnum need a result. Obviously leads are are still in the mix there as well, but I think is fine for bench boost picks as well. So Pedro Poro and the like. Final question, I like this one from FPL Slippers. Who actually it's a three part question. Who's won in the Premier League? Who's getting relegated? Who's finished in sixth place? I think Manchester City are won the Premier League. I think they've got too much quality and attack. I think Arsenal lack quality and attack, as good as they are as a defensive unit. I think they've blown their chances. Who's getting relegated along with Burnley and Wolves? I'm gonna hang my hat and say West Ham. I would like it to be Tottenham just for the drama, just to get the popcorn out. 'cause I know a lot more Tottenham fans than I do West Ham fans. But I'm gonna say West Ham. They're two points clear of Tottenham at the moment. And who's getting sixth place? This is the hardest question because there's so many teams that can get sixth place. Brighton are currently one in the race and I'm gonna stick with them mainly because it's the easy answer because they're currently R in sixth place. But I think they've find form at the right time. I like the manager. I like the team. And I would like to see them get sex, although the team I would really like to get sex played They've been Superb this season. I think most of us had them down for relegation. With the manager you'll change. Keith Andrews, my fellow Irish man, has been superb. Should be in the run for manager of the year. So I would like it to be Brantford, but I'm gonna say Brighton. Next in the run in order is the captaincy for the weekends. Erling Haaland, if you have him, is a way to Everton. And a game that said I need to win. win you know keep this title chase going. So I think Erie Haland's a very easy captain choice this week. Bruno Fernandez, good alternative at home to Liverpool, chasing the Sist records. Probably where my Captain's Armband stays. Yeah, I should have mentioned as well in the Manchester City facture, if you don't have Holland or you're looking for a differential, Cherki Nico O'Reilly. And that's something I might weigh up myself. I'm probably gonna buy Cherokee. So I might be tempted to captain him against Everton and then triple captain him the week after. Yeah, but again, Bruno is is pretty reliable. Elsewhere for captains, Arthur at home to fill them, but again, how many minutes do Saka get, rescue the Captain Yockrage, you could go Gabriel, for example. Cole Palmer's at home to Naughton Forests in a three PM on defecture. to bank holiday in the UK, so we get the odd kick off time on Monday. I have 'em. don't like having 'em. I'm not gonna captain him. against the forest team that have been resurgent. Oli Watkins is at home to Tottenham, but again it's sandwiched between Europe, which is not ideal for minutes. And then you've got Calvert Lewin Friday night. If you have him, he's definitely viable. But for me it is Probably gonna come down to Haaland versus Bruno for a lot of people this week. I'm Michael Different with Cherokee. It'll be between Cherki and Bruno. For me and I'm I'll probably just I'll probably go just go Cherokee at the stage. I'm four hundred and fifty K. The little magician. Hope he does well. My boss team for the weekend, Martinez in goal. I've got O'Reilly Hill and Gabriel at the back, Ellian Anderson, Brandon Boemo stinking up the place, Bruno Fernandez currently with the armband. That's because Cherky hasn't been purchased yet. Cole Palmer and upfront Oli Watkins, Jared Bowen, Igor Tiago on the bench, the injured Shavi who will become Cherky. I'll probably bench Elliott Anderson then, although I would love to just boot Palmer to the bench, but probably can't do that. Especially when it's a Monday afternoon game that I'll probably watch. I probably should keep him in the starting eleven. Uh Harry McGuire is on the bench against Liverpool and Virgil van Dijk is also on the bench. So yeah, two point five in the bank, one transfer, Chavi to Cherkey. And maybe it's Cherky Captain time. Thank you for taking the time to listen, folks. Good luck this weekend. I will talk to you on the other side. And yeah, like I said, avoid the AFPL general Twitter account for now. And follow The fifteen eighth minute podcast Twitter account and said I probably should just use this Give up on Twitter. I don't like the platform. It's annoying because a lot of F still use Twitter. There was a bit of a movement towards Blue Sky. during the off season last year. Uh hopefully that happens again this year, 'cause I would love to move over to Blue Sky. Bring everyone with me. and say goodbye to the worst social media platform there is out there. Yeah, but obviously work ways. probably required there. Anyway, I'll keep you posted next week on what happens. Enjoy the football this weekend, folks. Think of me when Cherokee bangs if I end up giving them the armband. I'll post my final team on Patreon but I'll also post it on the I'll post on the fifteenth minute podcast account on Friday night as well. around the deadline. I'll stop Rambling now. Hit subscribe. Have a good weekend. Four game weeks to go. Have fun. Talk you soon.