GW22 Captaincy Poll

[Payet]

I really can not decide between Hazard and Alejandro. I think I'll made the final decision in the morning.

[Ruth_NZ]

I have watched Chelsea's games, do think Hazard is playing well. I just don't think he's necessarily playing any differently to how he has been when he's not been a big FPL points scorer. He is a great player of course. He will get goals and assists (cue this weekend's haul), I just don't think the role he has in Chelsea's play this season is the same as it has been.

Well, he is playing as well this season as he did in 2013/14 and 14/15 in both of which seasons he broke 200 points in FPL. Despite all the fuss about Alli and Eriksen, Hazard is still the 2nd highest-scoring midfielder this season and ahead of both Spurs players. And alone among the top 8 midfielders (on points) he is on penalties - it's just an oddity that Chelsea have only had 2 this season. All of that suggests that the points will come, it's not like last season when he was evidently unhappy and not playing well.

On the other side of the coin, Conte's Chelsea play more to the striker than they did under previous managers. He insists on Costa being in central positions and taking up scoring positions in the box. That might be said to work against Hazard. But the other side of it is that Hazard actually has less defensive responsibility in the 3-4-3 than he did in the 4-2-3-1. He almost has a free role. That will make his stats more volatile - if the game suggests he needs to pick the ball up deeper he will do so, if it is better for him to receive the ball further forward he will do that. You could get a haul at any time from Hazard basically. Or you could get a game where he does much of his work outside the box.

Personally I think of Hazard as a set-and-forget option because I'm pretty sure the FPL points will come when he is playing as well as he is. But that is something I will review again after this week. I really need him to go to town against Hull to reassure me that there's not a better way to go, at least in the short term.

[Paulista]

Conte's Chelsea play more to the striker than they did under previous managers. He insists on Costa being in central positions and taking up scoring positions in the box.

Do you think Costa is practically guaranteed to start against Hull, or do you think Conte will reward Willian for his good performance last week at Leicester?

[scarletjim]

Do you think Costa is practically guaranteed to start against Hull...

I was wondering that, but more in relation to the fans and how Conte expects / wants them to react. If Costa comes on as a sub, are sections of the Chelsea fans going to boo him? Or will more cheer him? I really don't know. And would Conte particularly want either? I'd assume not. You'd have to think that starting him would attract less attention than benching him then bringing him on, and I wonder if that will play any part in Conte's thinking. Perhaps not, perhaps he'll just think of it in pure football terms, but it's a thought...

[Ruth_NZ]

Conte's Chelsea play more to the striker than they did under previous managers. He insists on Costa being in central positions and taking up scoring positions in the box.

Do you think Costa is practically guaranteed to start against Hull, or do you think Conte will reward Willian for his good performance last week at Leicester?

Almost certain he will start. Chelsea have a very mature squad and players like JT, Fabregas and Luiz will ensure that everyone realises that winning the PL is more important than any spat. In addition, Costa is a very popular player with his team-mates. It has been dealt with in a grown-up way and I'm 95% sure he will start the game. The 5% doubt is only because none of Willian, Pedro and Eden deserve to be left out. But that's the same every week.

[Pirlo's Beard]

With the positive news on Giroud I think I'll be Hazarding with Sanchez vice.

With the positive news on Giroud I think I'll be Girouding with Sánchez vice.

[Stemania]

Ha ha, I think I've actually stat-ed and odds-ed myself into moving to Sanchez. Slight concern about Sanchez' home record vs away this season (assuming I counted correctly it's only 4 goals 3 assists at home compared to 10 goals 5 assists away) with Hazard's pattern roughly the opposite. But, gotta stick with the system over inkling.

[Finisher1]

With the positive news on Giroud I think I'll be Hazarding with Sanchez vice.

With the positive news on Giroud I think I'll be Girouding with Sánchez vice.

With the positive news on Giroud I think I'll be Hazarding with Sanchez nowhere near my team.

Wish me luck!

[Weisenwolf]

I've been nosing at my PPG stats and Sanchez is far better value than any other player I have had this season. He's close to 1 point per game per million per week. If I could get that across my entire team I would finish with a score not unadjacent to 3,500 points.

[Finisher1]

I've been nosing at my PPG stats and Sanchez is far better value than any other player I have had this season. He's close to 1 point per game per million per week. If I could get that across my entire team I would finish with a score not unadjacent to 3,500 points.

When he has been in your team he has averaged 7.71 points per game. That's not 1 point per game per million.

I realise captain points are relevant if he has scored better than a player you would have captained without him, but otherwise they are not relevant (in a retrospective comparison). If Sanchez (C) scored 28 points after doubling and your vice-captain scored 14 points, it's not as if Sanchez scored 14 points more.

[hanamilunov]

Does anybode have Kane for a captain? I dont know who to pick? costa, kane or phillips? Any thoughts?

[MoSe]

Besides, player stats are objective, captain picks are your own and should not be included in a player stats

[stuboy]

I'm worried at how little love there is for Giroud. This seems like a perfect game for him. Burnley's away form is the worst in the PL; Sanchez's record shows he has been better on the road than at home; Giroud has got a 58% shooting accuracy this season. On top of that, here are some stats from dailycannon

This season, Giroud is involved in a goal every 50 minutes (either scoring or assisting), which makes him better than both Messi and Ronaldo. He’s scored a goal in the league every 71 minutes, which makes him better than Costa, Aguero, Kane.

Not only that, he now needs way fewer shots to score those goals. He scored 7 goals from 11 shots on target this season in the league, 12 from 17 in all competitions. His goals are mostly headers, thanks to his height and aerial ability. No other player in the Premier League has scored more headers than he has since joining Arsenal.

Many Arsenal fans still insist on keeping him on the bench and subbing him on as a game changer, but Giroud has been great when he started as well. In fact, he scored in every single league match he has started since April last year.

Every. Single. One.

Is the fact Sanchez gets 1 point more per goal and potentially an extra point for a CS such a massive swing, compared to having Giroud as captain?

[Bob Newhart]

Is the fact Sanchez gets 1 point more per goal and potentially an extra point for a CS such a massive swing, compared to having Giroud as captain?

Every point counts, especially when doubled.

[nufctoon]

Oh dear, here we go again. Late captaincy switcharoo. Lukaku (C), Sánchez (VC).

[Paulista]

I think I'm settled on Costa (c), Sanchez (v).

[Scottoffee]

Not had a last minute change for a while...

On Hazard but thinking Lallana / Lukaku or maybe Ibra...

[blahblah]

Although I agree this looks prime for an Arsenal slip up, it's probably slightly too early for Arsenal to eff up. They normally effectively end their premier league challenge the same fortnight as getting dumped out of the Champions league and the FA Cup.

Excellent Post (which prompted a very late switch from Pedro to Sanchez): but what about the Bournemouth match?

(I now have someone to blame when Arse blank against my benched GK, and Pedro gets Double Points )

[Resonare]

I highly doubt Spurs will concede more than 2 goals let alone 4.

I'm thinking of nailing down the captaincy on Lukaku until they play Liverpool next, excluding the Spurs game and assuming he is fit. Form, fixtures, high goal involvement, no other competitions etc...

First week of Lukaku (c) it is then

[Tonyuppstad]

I think I'm settled on Costa (c), Sanchez (v).

+1. Great pick.

Good luck

[wonkypenguin]

I got up late and forgot to change, so ended up with Coutinho (c) & Ibra (vc). #oops

[math!]

So I forgot to hit save after changing my captain to Hazard so it's back on Sanchez

[Terry Henry]

I bottled Alonso, so Sanchez it is

[Beerfuelledman]

I'm worried at how little love there is for Giroud.

Dont- he's a bearded cnut.

[tommyk7]

Got lucky not having Hazard (whom I would have picked) and went for Firmino who scored great in the 1st fix. Sanchez (c) I'm wary because of Giroud, as mentioned.

[Paulista]

With the positive news on Giroud I think I'll be Girouding with Sánchez vice.

Weren't you tempted by Brunt again?

[Pirlo's Beard]

With the positive news on Giroud I think I'll be Girouding with Sánchez vice.

Weren't you tempted by Brunt again?

Unfortunately I was not, although basically anyone playing against Sunderland is a good pick at the moment.

[ZeroRemorse]

Well all the Sanchez captainers can now let out a nervous fart. You lucky sods.

[Hotstepper]

Diego !!!!!!

[Bolt]

Well all the Sanchez captainers can now let out a nervous fart. You lucky sods.

We have ZeroRemorse over our decision