£4.0m/£4.5m defensive gems - 2017/18

[Sutter Kane]

So I know Kenny is 4.6mn so not quite in the bracket of gems but who out of Martina, Kenny and Holgate is likely to remain in the team for the foreseeable future? I wouldn't want to get one in and then him get rotated immediately! I think I'm ruling out Jagielka on the basis that Keane may push him out??

[Stevieste]

I not go near any, as Baines and Coleman due back soon

[blahblah]

One, Coleman I think, has had a set back.

[Stemania]

I know the answer seems obvious, but is it actually certain Kenny keeps the RB position when Baines comes back, rather than Martina switching? We haven't actually seem Big Sam pick directly between the two yet.

I was pretty surprised to see him continue to favour Holgate if I'm honest, as the likes of Jagielka/Williams seemed more Big Sam-like CBs to me - perhaps that's a bit unfair on BS/Holgate.

[ctibbits]

Anyone know Stokes nailed on back 4. Looking to
wWimmer but the 45 mins last week worries me.

[hancockjr]

They've just got a new manager so no-one is "nailed".

[ZeroRemorse]

What about Luke Shaw? Mourinho seems happy with him but Young is back, are people considering him? At 4.9 I'm tempted to stick him in as my 4th def.

[Stemania]

What about Luke Shaw? Mourinho seems happy with him but Young is back, are people considering him? At 4.9 I'm tempted to stick him in as my 4th def.

Very much on my watchlist, along with Danilo.

[Blue Fire]

Mourinho compliments Shaw today: "Few left-backs in the world are better than Luke Shaw right now"

Safe to say he's not getting dropped anytime soon

[No Way Jose]

I'd wait til next GW to see if he beats out young once he has returned from suspension

[Kuchi]

Martin Kelly for CPL appears to be playing for 4.2 if you need to scrape out a bit more money.

[tarkens]

Seamus Coleman played 60 minutes for u23 yesterday so I guess Kenny will end up on the bench soon?

[Stemania]

Martin Kelly for CPL appears to be playing for 4.2 if you need to scrape out a bit more money.

Looks like his place might be under serious threat now Ward is fit again (was on the bench last game).

[Kuchi]

Ah damnit! Thanks though Ste. Trying to find that extra 0.1!

[hancockjr]

Kennedy signed on loan from Chelsea. Assume he would only be back up left back to Dummett, primarily signed as a midfielder/winger?

[Stemania]

Kennedy signed on loan from Chelsea. Assume he would only be back up left back to Dummett, primarily signed as a midfielder/winger?

I'd guess so, his versatility seemed to be the big draw. I'd be quite surprised if Rafa chucked him in at LB ahead of Dummett anyway - for all Dummett's failings going forward he's actually a reasonable defender.

But, it could facilitate a change of formation to a 343, with Kenedy LWB and Dummett LCB for the next few games or longer. We've had trouble all season getting the number 10 right in the 4411, so maybe the plan is to drop the position altogether in favour of another CB.

The danger then for Dummett (who isn't particularly suited to wingback-ing) is that he could be replaced by whoever of Lejeune/Clark isn't in the team with Lascelles. Or, of course he could just play as an slightly awkward defensive LWB with Kenedy in the more advanced left sided role.

[Ruth_NZ]

Kennedy signed on loan from Chelsea. Assume he would only be back up left back to Dummett, primarily signed as a midfielder/winger?

Kenedy isn't a LB other than under the most dire circumstances.

Really he is a wide forward but is athletic enough to play the LWB role. He has shown a bit more discipline this season (maybe the China incident made him realise that he's not a kid any more) and has performed pretty well in that position. But if he is played to best advantage he will probably be replacing Atsu or Ritchie.

He's well worth watching, very talented and has a rocket shot. If Rafa decides to play him regularly in an advanced position (and to be honest I think that's quite a big if) then he could be gold. My suspicion is that he may be in and out of the team. But a Newcastle supporter might have a better idea about that; I only know Kenedy from the Chelsea angle.

[blahblah]

And listed as a midfielder.....

[Joccki_10]

If anyone is looking for two cheap rotators, have a look at Stoke's Bauer at £4.5 and Leicester's Chilwell at £4.3. Gives you WAT, SWA, BHA, STK, BOU, wba, EVE, bha and NEW all the way up to the DGWs.

I may have to choose between them...

[Billy Bongo]

Looks like Chilwell nailed first choice

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[TheBigLewandowski]

Looks like Chilwell nailed first choice

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Think you're right , Billy

[No Way Jose]

If he's nailed he's an even better pick than Simpson for me given his crossing and attacking ability

[Finisher1]

Moreno played yesterday after his injury. Is he going to be nailed again? If so, then he looks like a real value for 4.4m. Good fixtures, good attacking threat, confirmed GW31.

[Gambit]

Moreno was garbage yesterday, like the rest of the Liverpool defence, Robertson is a much better player but I wouldn't go near that defence

[Finisher1]

I think their defence is massively underrated. The truth is they have conceded 6th least goals in the league - they are a far better defence than most of those teams that many of us consider "good value defences".

But it's good to know Moreno was garbage yesterday, so perhaps he is not nailed now?

[Gambit]

I think it's overrated, and it remains their Achilles heel.

From an FPL point of view, the pricier players - VVD / Milner are not as good as options from United/City/Chelsea, and their cheaper options are rotation risks. Both goalkeepers are complete rubbish. All best avoided.

They don't have a single defender in the top 30 points scoring defenders, defensively awful.

[Finisher1]

Their premium defenders are not worth it, but their 4.5m defenders offer excellent value whenever they play. If TAA, Robertson or Moreno had played enough minutes then I think they would be easily in top 30. Gomez isn't as attacking as the other three but he is still close to top 30 already. Besides, a 4.5m defender doesn't even have to be in top 30 and he can still offer excellent value.

It's really a question about who plays. In a long run they are surely rotation risks, but in FPL it's really important to identify even 3-5 matches juicy spells and calculate whether you can get some value out of that spell, rather than plan your whole season in advance.

People here are very big on players like Chilwell, Dummett, Kenny etc, yet Liverpool value defenders "are not worth it"? It doesn't make sense at all. Liverpool are a better defence than any team outside top six except Burnley.

[Gambit]

even that's too long a spell for the shambolic Liverpool defence I'm afraid, they've only managed back to back PL clean sheets twice this season. They are defensively awful and have massive selection question marks over all the full backs, absolutely no reason why people would want Liverpool defenders when so many good options elsewhere.

[Finisher1]

Rotation is a fair argument, so you don't think any of their cheap defenders are nailed for say next three matches?

But they are not defensively awful. They are better than any defence in the league except other top six teams and Burnley. They have most clean sheets in the league except other top six teams and Burnley.

[Gambit]

I've no idea, do you? can anybody say if Moreno or Robertson will play the next 3 PL games?

They most certainly are defensively awful, you have seen them play haven't you? And just because they have conceded less goals than some other teams doesn't make them not awful, because what you will find is that most of the PL are defensively awful, only a handful of teams know how to defend, the rest are shocking.

And it's not just how they are in the PL, did you see them v Hoffenheim and Sevilla in the CL they cannot defend.