The Triple Captains Podcast
Triple Captains is a strategy-first Fantasy Premier League (FPL) podcast built for managers who want more than noise, hype or hindsight analysis.
Hosted by Arc, Hots and Guffs, the show breaks down decision-making, sequencing and risk through a lens of data, context and lived experience — blending analytics with honest conversation about the emotional side of the game… meaning slander is never too far away.
Rather than chasing trends, Triple Captains focuses on the thinking behind the moves: chip strategy, fixture swings, squad structure, ownership dynamics and the realities that shape outcomes across a season.
This isn’t about perfect picks. It’s about understanding the game well enough to make better decisions over time.
The Triple Captains Podcast
FPL DGW33 Strategy: Free Hit, Bench Boost or Wildcard? ft. FPL Salah
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Double Gameweek 33 is one of the biggest decision points of the FPL season — and getting it right can define your rank.
In this episode of the Triple Captains Podcast, we’re joined by FPL Salah to break down how to approach DGW33, including the key chip strategies and how to optimise your squad structure.
Should you Free Hit into 11 doublers?
Bench Boost with 15?
Or trust a Wildcard setup with a mix of single and double Gameweek players?
We explore the pros and cons of each approach, while also diving into the key teams and assets for the double — including Brighton, Bournemouth, Leeds, Manchester City, Burnley and Chelsea.
FPL Salah also shares his approach to long-term success in the game, how he evaluates decisions, and his thoughts on the latest FPL changes.
🎯 In this episode:
– DGW33 strategy explained
– Free Hit vs Bench Boost vs Wildcard
– How to structure your squad for doubles
– Key players and teams to target
– FPL Salah’s decision-making approach
– GW32 team reviews
– How to compete consistently in FPL
If you’re planning for DGW33, this episode gives you the frameworks to make the right calls.
Intro & Guest Introduction
SPEAKER_05As you can see, I'm not in the UK currently. Can't lie. FPL stress, the Arsenal stress. I couldn't wait till the end of the season, so I had to do it. I got the most points this week, so it's the first time in a while. So it's nice to be in a position of hosting. As I said, I'm away. So I'm gonna delegate hosting this week. And um it's funny that you laughed last because I'm actually gonna delegate hosting to you since you came last this week. Um just to let you feel like a winner by hosting this show. And I let you do the intros. So over to you. Cheers.
SPEAKER_01Well done.
SPEAKER_05The ocean.
SPEAKER_01Oh, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't worry, man. I'll I'm I'll I'll mute you all with that.
SPEAKER_05But yeah, I didn't host the show, please, fella, before I delegate it back to myself.
SPEAKER_01Well done. Well done. You won the game week. It's been a long, long while, but you made it, you made it after, you know, some some tough weeks for you. So congratulations. But yeah, welcome viewers, welcome to episode 32 of True Captain's 32 episodes in. Crazy. And we're almost at the end now. As you can see, I'm one of your hosts. We have to write my screen at least. We have Ark. Of course, Arc is ready to get. And we have another new guest. Now you may have seen him on all your streams, giving advice on FPL Hub and other platforms. But today we have the one and only, the legend FPL Stella. How are you doing, sir? Talk to us.
SPEAKER_03I'm good, thanks. Yeah, thanks for having me on. Uh nice for introduction there, so I appreciate that. I'm good. How are you guys?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm good. I'm good. Um, you know, well, I am good. You know, pretty shit game week for me. I'll, you know, we'll go into later on. But otherwise, you know, I can't complain. Um, I guess I guess it's a good time to go around the room and kind of get everyone's feelings. Obviously, Hot has spoken already about him, you know, sitting there with the you know the fake background there. But um, Ark, does it look fake to you?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, I know it is, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, too advanced. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ark hey the end buffs, how's your week?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, not too bad. Um, yeah, frustrating week. We all we also come to what happened with T and those defensive goals. They really, really hurt where we were heading. Um, but it is what it is. Although I can see that Salah obviously had O'Reilly in his team. I didn't do the World Cup, um, so I held. Um, and we'll see what the week brings in. But um, yeah, it was it was frustrating is in the protest work too. It was an unweirdly strange week in that not many of the players that people had scored. So therefore, if he had any that did, it was quite the differential for you. And um, you know, it is what it is, and we go again as they say. But the weeks are running up, and um that that me reducing from where I am is starting to feel further and further away. But we'll see what we can do with the chip equity that's left.
SPEAKER_01And Hart Well about you. Oh me, me. Listen, I mean, I've had a worse week than you. So I you know, I mean, you talked about defensive, you know, blows. I had Gahey on my bench. Imagine how I feel. You know, so um, yeah, it was a very frustrating week in that I had the points in my team. I had Gaehee, I had Roof both on my bench. So, you know, if I played both both players, I would have had a very good week. So it was it was a really protest well you pick the right players, and then you know that's that's the that's the name of the game, right?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, protest.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but like I said, we're running out of game weeks now, they're getting they're coming thick and fast now. So at this point, I'm just trying to get as high as I possibly can. Um, obviously winning the game or even getting anywhere near that would have gone a long time ago. So now it's just about kind of getting you know a good finish. But Hot, how's your week? And obviously, you're you're currently abroad.
SPEAKER_05Um yeah, so obviously I mentioned how it started. Um, you know, it was a good time to get away so I can avoid some of the noise in Arsenal. And SPL-wise, it was a tricky week. I wasn't sure whether the wild card was the right move to do. As I said in the last episode, um I wanted to go early, which is what I thought would be my usual tactic. But I decided to wait and see the actual pictures, and then by doing so, I ended up doing it anyway. Wouldn't have saved much, only well back that went up. But he did a full anyway. Um funny enough, if I kept my old team, I probably would have got several more points because I had um again instead of Riley, but nevertheless, um the walk card's out of the way, so I'm just gonna move forward. Um yeah, just hope that this week it comes off. Calvin Lewin is still winding me up. I don't know if you know I think it was that, but um, I've had him in my team building up to game week 31, and I didn't want to get rid of him because I hope he's playing that game week, so I've been dodging Pedro, and it it was wasn't the greatest of moves, and he still isn't doing anything for me. But then he goes and scores in cup games, but um hopefully next week he can do something. Also, um finishing off, obviously I took some risks in this in this wild card, as you may have seen. I've not gone to Charles Pedro, which I'm assuming everyone will have. So that was a risk. But he did nothing in the last game, and that was at the expense of Wilbeck, who did nothing. And I also put Enzo in my team as part of my wildcard, hoping that he can deliver this game week, which I didn't think no one will do. So hopefully, not too many put him in or risk him on their three hits, and he can do something for me. But apart from that, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Well, I'm sure we'll come into the into the teams in more detail in a bit. Um, but before we do that, I think it's probably a good chance chance to kind of get to know. I mean, Abdul, FPL Salah. I mean, I I guess the first thing I want to sort of ask you is is the name. I mean, was it always FPL Salah? Was it FPL Gerard at one point? And was it FPL Matt Marnie? I mean, like, how did you learn that name?
SPEAKER_04Um, I mean, it was always FPL Salah, but um it's a funny story because you probably all assume that I'm a Liverpool fan, but I'm not. I'm I'm just a big Salah fan, and the reason for that was because when I first started doing like FPL and I made my Twitter account in the FPL Salah just joined Liverpool. So this is more of like a personal thing for me, right? Because this is the first time like a a Muslim superstar has been in the Premier League. And me grown up as a Muslim like loving football, we never had that, so even though he put like again, it'll be surprised to hear that Manchester United fan. And a lot of people get surprised when they hear that. Yeah, yeah, and and the reason so so when I made my account, it was anonymous it was supposed to be anonymous, right? I was like, I made it. Um I wasn't supposed to like, you know, ever have my actual actual identity on there. So I was kind of wrecked FPL's file because I you know I loved another player and you know he was he was um and the fact that he was a like he was he was kind of bringing a positive light onto his farm as well. Like, you know, when he used to score, he used to do the the bowing down celebration and things like that, right? So it was just something like that kind of resonated with me. And I never actually intended to become a big like you know uh like my Twitter account to grow or made to be FPL content, it just kind of happened. And then um, you know, I eventually had to like you know get you know reading article and stuff, you know, give my name and everything. So the name's always been there. So that's the kind of the the the history behind FPL Stala has uh always been there like since he came to the Premier League. That was just coincidentally when I started my crowd accounts, I just named it after him and yeah, it's kind of gone from there. And yeah, now I'm I'm kind of stuck with it to be honest.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but that's uh that's gonna be a good pub quiz kind of question. He does FPL Salah's Yeah, true question.
SPEAKER_01I mean, you must be getting ripped by your friends. I mean, having a slave. Yeah, yeah. I mean, especially especially I mean Santa's been given United beats over the years as well, hat tricks with all sorts of I mean exactly, yeah.
SPEAKER_04And uh look, um see if you call them from Scotland, right? Um I sport like always got an English team, but I I realise that it's not the same as somebody from uh London sport in Arsenal or uh or somebody who's born in Manchester, sport in Manchester United. It's like I sporting my local team as well, Dund United, but everyone sports an English team, right? Because it's the biggest kind of league in the world. So I guess I'm not that tribal type of fan, like you get down south, and you know, people might think this is like totally crazy, he's calling him PFPR style, but he sports my United, but I'm not that tribal in that sense. It's just one of those where I used to watch the most Premier League, and because Sir Alex was um Scotch and he was a My United manager, as you know, that was my team kind of growing up, um, and that was it really. So yeah, um yeah, a lot of people, as I said, uh, don't understand it, but yeah, I'm welcome to what what brought you to the game though?
SPEAKER_01I mean, obviously, seeing seeing your record, I've seen you been playing again. I mean, you are a true vet. I mean, I thought I was a vet in the game, but I've been playing from from almost like the inception of the game, pretty much. So I'm I'm I'm curious to sort of see, like, did you play like the other sort of forms of the game, like you know, the ones in the paper, or was this your first sort of like attempt at playing a fantasy game? Like, how did you get into it?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it was just it was always been FPL. Like, FPL was the first game I've ever played, and the only one I've I've played. I mean, I've dabbled in other games than that, but one of my mates just said to me that one day I'm like, oh, we've got this fantasy league, let's you know, join the league and didn't know what it was. I started playing, you know, first season is always like you don't know what's going on, and you know, and I ended up winning the league with my mates, so that just kind of got me hooked because you know what it's like when you've got like a mini league with your friends, this was the battery and you just want to win, and the competition is fierce, right? So that kind of got me hooked, and uh yeah, and back then it was like it was nowhere near as popular as it is. Now it's more of like a like a cult thing. You know, back then there was like you know, maybe a few million players and and that was it. And I just I just loved it. Like, you know, I just kind of really got me, you know, into I I guess I mean I was always into football, but got me more into it, and you just watch games like you know, random games like Burnley versus Norton Forest, whereas usually you would be interested in whatsoever. But yeah, that was it. So and then just since then I've just always played it. Um and there's been other games as well, like there's I don't know if you guys played the Sky game, which um which stopped a few years ago with the I've played it before.
SPEAKER_05I used to do the Sun Dream team as well. Yeah, and then once I started playing this, I felt like this was for proper managers, because with the sun, and I think the sky, if I remember correctly, you set your team, and then I think the sun one you could leave it, you had periods that every three months you'd make changes, and the sky one is similar, where it was an every week management.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and it was like you can change the captains like from on the Saturday to Sunday. But uh FPL the reason why FPL is so like kind of popular and the best is that it's just it appeals to everybody because once the deadline's done, that's it, you know, there's no changes and you're locked in. Whereas the other games required a bit more kind of management than that. But yeah, FPL has always been my number one game and uh still is today, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Well, I guess it's probably a good point to sort of look at your journey, right? I mean, allude to the fact that you started this game in 2000. And when I was researching you, I was I've gotta be honest, I was amazed to see your your record. I mean, I don't think you've got a ranking below, I think, 250,000 over the years, which is quite frankly pretty impressive, really, I've got to say.
SPEAKER_04Um yeah, I think I might listen as well because uh not doing too well on the land of its accepted so yeah.
FPL Salah – Background & Journey
SPEAKER_01I mean, you know, uh someone coming coming, you know, watching this right now and from me TV for the first time, um I mean what's the secret? I mean has your has your has your philosophy strategy changed over the years? Has it always been the same? Um like uh how does one become so sort of consistent in this game? I mean, I I guess we could talk more about it later on in the episode, but I'm just I'm just curious to sort of see just generally if if your approach to the game has changed over the sort of the 20 odd years you've been playing the game.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I've just said the the bottom line is I've always been obsessed with football and uh when I started playing FPL, I just got obsessed with FPL as well, like you know, it's just just due to the competitive nature and time with friends and that. So always just trying, you know, doing my best at it. But a lot of it is luck, as you all guys know, and you can play really well, you can make all the right moves. Um and I got you know, like uh some of those finishes I got, like I've got four top 1k finishes. I mean, there's a lot of luck involved in that as well. I'm not saying I didn't play well, you know. I I may have played well, but somebody can play as well as me and finish 50k or 100k and I can finish you know top 1k. So a lot of luck involved, but my my I I guess the main thing is that I'm always like kind of switched on when it comes to killer. I've I don't think I've I've missed a deadline ever, to be honest. But in the last like four or five years, I have to take a more like analytical approach. I was speaking to you about this off camera as well, right? Because when I first started playing, I I I played like the way I wanted to play, like you know, I just eye test and picking players I liked, and I wouldn't pick you know players from certain teams or whatever. And if uh I guess if a player was playing against my team, my you know, my night, I wouldn't captain them. But then when I got to the stage where I was you know doing content and you know um I guess my my account was growing and you get more in the public eye, you do get that bit of pressure where you know you want to kind of have a better finish. So you you play a bit more. For me, I started playing a lot more analytically, you know, looking at numbers and stats and expected goals. And I guess that's what's changed in the last four or five years in my play.
SPEAKER_01I always ask people um like yourself, you do well in a game, if with so many people who mean I think I was speaking to ARC offline about how many people are still engaged in the game at this point. I mean, usually you'd find that lots of people are switched off now, they've kind of like in the millions in the league, don't care anymore, don't want to do changes. But we've still got a lot of engagement in the game, even this day in the season. And I wonder now if you can win the game without having an analytical approach. Like, do you think it's possible just to win this game off fill and off eye test, or do you think you need to have that analytical eye to win? Well, I don't think you do.
How To Win FPL Outright
SPEAKER_04I think if you're gonna win FPL, you need a lot of luck. Like the the luck you've got to have to win FPL is like in pretty much like lottery odds, right? You're you're talking about millions to ones. So if if you if you want to do well season after season after season, like have a good consistent record, I think it's odds on if you take an analytical approach, you're gonna do better. But to actually win the thing, I think you can just play like play anyway, really. Um I mean I guess you've got to have a bit of coherence about your right, like you're not picking players like Haaland and Salah and the main players, but generally I don't think you have to have an analytical approach to actually win the game. Um but I do think if you want to play uh if you want to have consecutive good finishes over, say in the course of five to ten years, then I think yeah, you probably do have to go more analytical. Because even even now, right, like the the competition is getting much, much better. Like there's so much free information out there. You know all the like the big YouTubers who I think the biggest YouTuber, um Andy's got like 400,000 subscribers, and there's like three or four other ones as well who have got they've got loads, so there's so much information out there and and it's getting tougher. And I think you you you need like all kind of the all the help you can get and you know, play the best way you can. And I think honestly, I think that way I mean having that analytical approach is um is is I mean and it's and it's proven as well, like you know, with you know, the the closest kind of I guess indicator to goals is expected goals, right? That's what we've got at the moment. I mean, maybe in the future we might have something better, but at the moment, like XG starts translating really well to actual actual goals and interests.
SPEAKER_02I know you said um this year you're feeling the strain a little. How how do you feel about the changes that FPL introduced this year? Do you think that's eroded your your enjoyment of the game, let alone everybody else's?
Thoughts on FPL Changes
SPEAKER_04See, I think like first of all, I'm I'm not making an excuse for my poor rant. I uh I've just had uh as I said in previous seasons I've been lucky, and this season I've just been really unlucky. I've not really changed my approach much. But in terms of FPL, I think we've had a bit of a double whammy, right? Not only did uh were the DEF CONs introduced, the football this season has been really, like, really poor, right? It's been really defensive. And it's played into that uh you know the DEF CON thing as well. Whereas last season, if we had DEF CONs, it wouldn't have made that much of a difference than it has this season. So I think we've had a bit of a double lame there. Um I think generally if we had any other season the last five seasons and the DEF CON was introduced, it wouldn't have made that much of a difference. But I think we'd have noticing a lot more because of um how the football has been played this season. Um I mean we just seem like we the stats all over the internet about how many goals are scored, how many think sheets have been kept, and you know it's um it's not a good view. Um you know, primarily product isn't looking too great just now. So I think that's kind of played into this this whole thing. But generally, I I honestly I wasn't uh when the DEF Cons first came out, I wasn't a fan. I just thought FPL was totally fine the way it was. Um had a really simple flow structure. You know, I was just saying like once the deadline's once a deadline is gone, it's gone and you know you're locked in. I didn't think it didn't.
SPEAKER_03They're always trying something new every season, I know it's like um every season is one thing that they try to make a change with um yeah, and even even the double chips, like how was it I was a bit like okay, fair enough, I don't mind that too much, but again, it's just kind of yeah, I I think that the the the main aim of that was that just to keep the engagement going, right?
SPEAKER_04Because they know people stop after Christmas, people want uh the two sets of chips. But I can see where they're coming from, but yeah, I guess for guys like us who are like you know FPL purists, you know, we want it to kind of just want um things left over the rest, kind of thing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's a difficult one because I think uh at the moment it it looks as if 44% of the players are still engaged. Yeah but I also think the the increasing the bank of transfers has really kind of taken the wind out of a lot of cells because previously the way that you'd work, the your captain would even make more sense because if you got that right, you've only got one or two transfers within how you can change things and so on. Whereas now you've got people with the ability to build up five, so and obviously with um the gift that was AFCON, it's just made it easier for people to defend against the Wild Cup, to defend against your free hit. And those things they kind of take a toll because um what they do is they kind of they skew the data in terms of the way that you may have been looking at things previously, and however you try to apply analytics to what you're doing, it could just be sidewinded completely because you've got somebody or the next set of people around you've all got five free transfers and type thing. And so yeah, it's definitely been it's been a different season.
SPEAKER_05I've I've not had five free transfers stacked up once this season. And obviously, as you guys know, this has been my worst season ever. And listening to the last episode and to see what's going on, I think I might have to start changing my approach because I literally don't use as much. Apart from my feeling and how I play. And I've been a very aggressive player, taking minuses and stuff like that. Even though I've got a decent record, I feel like I maybe I need to actually try to because my best season, if I was using some tools, I might have become even higher, isn't it? And maybe I'm holding myself back in in that sense.
FPL Salah's GW32 Team Review
SPEAKER_01But okay, it's probably a good time to kind of get into the actual game weeks and how we performed this coming game week, just gone past. And we'll start with you, Adore. Um 58 points, um, which I think in the grand scheme of things is not the worst game week. I think it's pretty decent. Um how do you think your game week win?
SPEAKER_04Uh so for my own team, I think it went well because uh outscored my non-wildcard team. And I was really close to not either wildcard in this week or waiting until game week 35 and doing the the bench boost 36 strategy. Um but I just had too many uh too many kind of uncertainties, I think, in my team. And I was expecting the wildcard actually to be because the wildcard team on paper, like I you know, like the template wildcard team was quite weak, right? Because we had Mansity and Chelsea players who were playing each other. So I did a lot better than I expected. Uh that's mainly due to O'Reilly, you know, getting that 14 pointer. So I was over the moon with that. And um, yeah, now now it's all about that big big bench with next week. And yeah, I'm looking, um, I'm pretty happy with it to be honest.
SPEAKER_01Was you always gonna play the the world card in 32? Was that always your first fee? Or was there any kind of like lingering thought that maybe the free hit would be way to go?
SPEAKER_04No, that like yeah, I mean, I was up until about 10 minutes. I I activated the wild card about 20 minutes before the deadline. Like I was I was between the wild card 32 or you know, a three-hit 33 or even a wild card in 33, and even a wild card in 35 and a better 36. There's so many strategies that you know um that we could have we could have done really, mainly because you know Arsenal got beat from Southampton, and that meant Arsenal didn't have a double game week, so it really opened up other other chip paths. So I was I was really close to doing going down like a three-hits 33 or a wild car 33. But as things stand, it's early days, like we're not really gonna know what chip strategy has done the best until giving me 35, 36, even beyond, right? Just you know with how everything goes. But I think as things stand, like I think that's a good start, and I'm I'm happy that I did well in this week now.
SPEAKER_01You spoke earlier on about your current ranking. I mean, obviously, you're way outside where you normally are at this stage, right? You're kind of looking more inside 100,000. Realistically speaking, where do you think you can finish at this point now? I mean, are you sort of resigned to the fact that it's going to be a fairly high finish for you, or do you still have hopes of finishing still inside the top 100,000?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, um to be honest, I think I'm pretty much resigned myself to finish outside the top 100k. I think for somebody who takes it as seriously as me, you've got to be finishing inside the top 100,000. And so it's really disappointing that I think I probably won't make it because I think I'm about 80 points behind. And there's so many people who have got the chips to play, and I need a big bit of luck. So I'm gonna go for it, like, because when you're finishing for me, if I'm like finishing 200k or finishing like 600k, there's not much difference. So I'm gonna go for it like I might even do it this this week with um with this menu captain or a Palmer captain instead of Haaland. So yeah, I'm gonna go for it, but I think uh the odds look the odds say I'm a numbers guy, and the odds of me finishing top 100k are are really fun right now.
SPEAKER_01Anyone in your team that you're that you're that you were particularly happy with? I mean, obviously you spoke about O'Reilly, but I mean outside of him, is anyone that you're really sort of thinking this is a player that I'm hoping is gonna drag me through and and give me some points in the next sort of four to five game weeks?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I think the guys like they basically the guys who are low on so the Brighton guys like Brugge and Battenheck Gross, who are not going to be as highly owned as guys next to Menu and Haaland, who you know pretty much everyone has, so their points don't really meet mean much. Carver Lutz, um, I mean I was watching the My Knight game, and like the minute big chances he misses is incredible. Um I think he got some like one point six to XG. Um missed three big chances. I mean, I wasn't complaining yesterday because also it was against my team. But uh it doesn't it doesn't it's not it's not a good viewing, is it, when you've got him for the double game rate coming up. So um I'm hoping he he he does well as well. But yeah, just really players who are alone and hopefully if if I do go for the differential captain, then um that's the big one, isn't it? If your captain pops off like a differential captain, then that could really push you up the rants.
FPL Guffs GW32 Team Review
SPEAKER_01I guess my team next, isn't it? Um seems I was bottom as Hot's really pointing out. Um yeah, not a great week at all. And um 45 points was was a very, very poor game week. And like I alluded to, the points were in my team. I had on my bench, you know, both Gahee and Root, which had I played them both, then I would have been looking at some really, really big scores at this game week. So that was really frustrating to see. Um I played my wild card um at Bill um a long time ago. So I've been really trying to sort of you know etch along knowing that this period was gonna come and gonna be a tough period to kind of get through without a wildcard. Um so you know, Stubbers Lie has has done well for me in the main. Um but the last few weeks he's sort of he hasn't been doing terribly, he's been getting fours and fives, but you know, he was he's been my sort of my differential um and he hasn't quite kind of got me through. Um the frustrating one for me was Rogers. Rogers, who I've kept faith in for so, so long. I banked him and getting a test. For God's sake, now you're gonna get a test. That was that was that was really frustrating for me, personally. Um but yeah, I mean the big performers, you know, Aldorete, you know, I've held on to him for a long time. Um you know, Hot and I have have had something at it in defense for a little while. He said Nicolelli and a test. And I've had Aldoretti has been sort of not doing much for me, but it was nice sort of for him to come through for me at um this game week. And of course, the big one was Tiago, right? Because obviously, like it's still off, a lot of people that have played their wildcard have come off Tiago. Um so that was that was almost like a level up for me because uh although I didn't have you know O'Reilly, uh having Tiago just kind of sort of leveled it off a little bit. So that was that was really handy this game week. Um but yeah, it's uh it's it's a free hit time for me, I think. Um and hopefully I can get enough points in my 11 to sort of not have too much damage from people playing a bench boost. So it's gonna be a very interesting game week coming up for me. Yeah, it is what it is. We're not onto the next in terms of my ranking, it's it's it's horrific. I mean, last year I finished 20 odd thousand, um, and to be in two millions is just is is is nuts. And um I'm also interested to sort of hear your views about sort of you mentioned before about how there are lots of streamers out there now who people can get information from. And I I don't know if you find the same the same thing, but I find it really hard to make a ground now. Like years ago, if I was behind by 100 points or 150 points, I could eat up in a month or so. But it feels like this year, big game weeks have little impact. Um, and it's very difficult once you've fallen so far behind to kind of make the ground up. And I'm you know, the first half of the season, I struggled really. I've done had a really bad first half of the season, and this this second half done pretty well, but it's I've stayed up behind, it's just it's it's almost impossible to kind of make the ground up now. So I'm I'm kind of curious as to your thoughts in terms of you know, do you think that part of your ranking is also to do the fact that the game has got tougher to play and everyone is sort of the level has gone up in terms of generating across the board?
SPEAKER_04100%. Like what's happening is that like the big YouTubers and just even like the podcast guys, like they'll they're good players, right? So they're putting out good teams every week, and what a lot of people do, like obviously us four sitting here, we love FPL, like we would love to talking about it, and we do our own thing, right? Whereas people who are in the work mini leagues, like you know, two from admin, she'll just go on to a deadline stream and just copy the team there. That's what people are doing, like they're just literally copying these um these YouTubers, they're copying their moves every week, or having very similar teams, you know, without much thought, and they're doing really well. And you know, that's you know and an IPL has become more mainstream now. So so yeah, it's it's it's definitely been like that over the last three or four seasons, especially. Like, you know, the the the level has gone up. Like I mean, the the level uh in in terms of I mean like you know the the good teams um have have gone up because people are just copying now. And the people even the people who aren't copying, the information out there is good anyway. And you know, you you don't have to do much uh you don't have to do much research to like you know get information on players and who the best players are, and you know, we've got all these websites as well who give you all the all the parts, etc. So yeah, it's increased everywhere and it's it's no supplies at all that you know it's it's harder to make up them now and it's harder to get uh a good finish also.
SPEAKER_05I think this season uh predictability's been off as well, as you mentioned earlier with you know, certain games uh use Arsenal as an example that you know you'd fit against Wolves, it's a guaranteed clean seat if you've got your two arsenals at the bat, then wolves get two goals. And there's been loads of examples this season when teams are doing what you wouldn't expect, and I think that's had an impact too.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, 100%.
SPEAKER_05Strange season.
FPL Arc's GW32 Team Review
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and and the midland teams are getting better as well, like you know, in the lights of your your Bournemouth, you need your bright ends, and you know, they're not like those whipping boys anymore. And it's only really like the the promoting teams who aren't doing well, but like even like you know, Bentford, Sunderland who just got promoted, they're all actually really decent teams and we're spending money, so when the big boys come and play them, they're not. You know, they're not putting this putting them to the store like they did uh four or five seasons ago. So it was that factor as well.
SPEAKER_01Ark, you're next, my friend. How'd it go?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I can't say that I was like tremendously disappointed. Um it was a week of what-ifs and also um useful that I didn't go, I was gonna go completely against the drain bench boost, which would have worked out very, very badly for me, um, as my bench did not perform well. Um but my um going into this, um, I decided that my strategy would be that I'd um free three, um wild card 35, um sure captain 36 and bench boost at some point after that, and we'll see how that goes. Um, with regards to the the only player that I was really disappointed with this week was Pedro Andango. Um Harland is just having a moment um for a very, very long period of time. Um his team is the top performance GI wise, and um he still doesn't even look like he's gonna score. Um but because he's Haaland, obviously um you don't hear much about it. Um Bruno is Bruno, um, so that's what it is. But I brought in Padigloglu, um, and he obviously got me the clean sheet, which was cool. Um Saluda's scenario was unfortunate. Um Tiago again was another um scenario that you looked at and you thought it could have been so much more. Pickford really should have got sent off early on, and who knows what Brentford would have been able to do then, and maybe Dango didn't for me. But outside of that, um yeah, finally Verts managed to return something for me, uh, which was useful. Um but yeah, but with Semenyo, I don't um get annoyed with him or frustrated because he's one of those players that you look at his pattern at the moment, he either he scores singles, like he gives you a single return, and then he'll go off or a single return. He's he's not somebody that's giving you um double digits at the moment. Um, but you can't afford not to have him. And so, yeah, from from all that perspective, um not too upset with where it is. I was upset with the City Goals because they ensured that I ended up on a red arrow for the week. Um, but like I say, we go again. Got six weeks to go, right?
FPL Hots' GW32 Team Review
SPEAKER_01Indeed, indeed. And now, last but not least, Hot.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, um, I didn't even know if I got a red or green arrow. Um, to be honest, you know what I mean. Yeah, exactly. I'm seeing it now. Very red there. Yeah, that's why I mentioned it because I was thinking it when you mentioned the red arrow, and I was thinking I don't even know what I've got. Like um, if you guys remember, uh one for example, the Arsenal game was on, I didn't even watch the game, I was I was on the plane, so yeah, I'm looking at my old team and I'm just frustrated because I hold on to a lot of these guys, Rogers, we've got an assist, um Van Dyke, Tiago, as you said, we could have got more, so as much as 13 or whatever we've got was still a miss, but it wasn't wrong. But um, yeah, I made the decision knowing that it was a top cool, so hoping to go into the next thing we with you know the purchasers and hope it does well. In regards to the changes, I put in Riley for gay. Lost one point this day, he would have got one more point. Had so many already, so the city side wasn't it was only one point missing. Um yeah, well beck, the rest of Wellbeck didn't really pay off for the Burning game. Yo Pedro did nothing anyway. So as Andul said earlier, we'll see in the next couple of game weeks if Welbeck outscores Yel Pedro. I was hoping to get a head start from Burnley, which I didn't, so you know, uh it's been the theme of my season, like a you know, I've been pissed all season where I am now, and just gotta just I've come away not to be pissed, so I'm trying not to be. I'll just look at the next game week, and hopefully my base boost has got an amazing return, and then there'll be a smile on my face, and that's it, really. We just move forward.
How Best To Attack DGW33 ft. FPL Salah
SPEAKER_01I mean, I guess the next thing to really speak about is where we are right now, okay? Obviously, we are on slightly different strategies, the four of us. Um and I I'm kind of curious to sort of see what we all kind of are working with right now, right? So obviously, Arc, you've still got all your chips intact as it stands. Um, I don't know if you know what you're when you're gonna sort of use those chips. I'm sure you've got a sort of uh an idea. Um Abdul, right Abdul, you've obviously used two at this point, so you're slightly limited in terms of you know, you talk about trying to catch some of the guys above you who've got maybe one more chip than you, so it's gonna be tough for you to sort of to do that, but you know, um and obviously Hot and I are both using wildcards. So um let's talk about once we've now getting into the sort of meat of the show. I mean, are we all doing a bench boost? Is that the sort of the play here?
SPEAKER_05I mean I'm 100% doing a bench boost.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's doing 100%. I mean I've always carded entirely to afford this bench boost, so there's no way I'm gonna.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, no one has done it. Yeah. The only thing that's annoying me is um if Nico Riley's gonna play. Like um, I see he's yellow, but I haven't done no research about him. I just thought I'll check out on Friday. I don't know. Because the first game's obviously Arsenal, and I hope we smoke them. Um I don't know whether to just keep him because I'm gonna want him long term, and I don't want to go back to putting game up in. Um, so that's the only thing that I'm worried about. But definitely bench race.
SPEAKER_01Mark, you have any ideas of whether what you're gonna do this game, week.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I won't be bench race in our free hit. Um, to ensure that I've got 11 doubles. Um bench race will come later uh later down the line for me. Hopefully, it will be my my party trick to get me from two million to 1.5.
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SPEAKER_01How great it is. How great it is indeed. I guess this is a good point to sort of have a look at the teams at Dublin, right? And I put together a little graph sort of what I feel. I mean, I mean, maybe just sort of see your thoughts, all of you, in terms of whether or not you agree with this.
SPEAKER_02But what's your plan, by the way? You three hitting and play three.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, or you I think I think I think I've got no choice, really. I mean, um I was going to do a bench boost, but then I realised that I haven't got I haven't got the wild card to go into the bench boost. So I'm gonna be fighting against people that have got a wild card, and I'm gonna lose that game every every time. So it was nonsensical for me to sort of play the bench boost on that basis. Um so the free hit was just a logical choice, really. Um and in some ways it might have worked for me because Hawkes has mentioned O'Reilly. I think it'd be fine, but lots of people have obviously gone with O'Reilly in their team in their wildcard. And if he doesn't play, you know, I've I've got the ability to potentially maybe go with a turkey and it's a menu in a Haaland combination, for example. Whereas obviously people that have played their their wildcards already have already locked in to the to the to their certain players. So I've got a week more information on players, meaning that I can kind of maybe sort of get my my um my level on the pitch pretty good compared to obviously Abdul and Hot, who who obviously have a week less information than I have. So hopefully that works out.
SPEAKER_05If Confunders red though, I will take him out because obviously we're getting everything fair.
SPEAKER_02I think he's got the I thought initially it was a hammy, um, but it's come up as he's just got muscle injury, and also when he went off, the way that he went off and how he spoke with Pep and son, they didn't look like they're too bothered. Um so I'd imagine we'll see him. The issue is will we see him across both game weeks?
SPEAKER_01In an ideal world, I want I want him to be like on, you know, in the in the press conferences from Pep, or Pep to sort of be cryptic in his in his sort of, you know, and then Well, well, that's guaranteed, right?
SPEAKER_02He's he's cryptic.
SPEAKER_01And everyone keeps a rally and he doesn't play, and that'd be great for me. So that's what I'm saying for.
SPEAKER_04I think that's the big advantage three times this week have over Bench Booster is the O'Reilly thing because I think you guys are right. I don't think we're gonna get anything firm from Pep. I think it's just gonna be one of those that we'll see how we train and see how he is, and then we're gonna be left, you know, just taking a guest.
SPEAKER_05If he's not red, I'll probably keep him and like I said, hope that we beat City and then in the next game he comes in and does sort of does does what he needs to do to make up for it. But um, do you think you'll do the same and was it okay stuff?
SPEAKER_04The Burnley game is the money fixer, right? And that's the second game. So I I guess there's an argument to keep him if you know there's a chance he's gonna get minutes against Arsenal and then you know off the bench and then start against Burnley. But even then, I think on a bench it's it's too Spa man. Like I don't I'd probably I'd probably just move to Gaehy because we've got a Gahee there who's gonna we know we're gonna he's gonna start both games. He can score as well, and you know he's he's he's gonna be.
SPEAKER_05How many changes have you got?
SPEAKER_04That's the thing, I've only got one. I've only got one three transfer, so I'm really stuck. Like, I really want to save the transfers, but I might have to use it.
SPEAKER_05That's what I was gonna say. If you've got um three or above, it's a lot of it, it's an easier decision to maybe get rid if necessary. I've got two, so um I'm yeah. But anyway, go on.
SPEAKER_04Or maybe somebody you want, like long term as well, because I'd say I've got another level in the six as well.
SPEAKER_06Exactly.
SPEAKER_04So difficult ones. Yeah, I really could have done without that happening, to be honest.
SPEAKER_01So, yeah, so I mean, like I alluded to, you know, there's obviously six teams that are doubling this game week. Um, and I've kind of put together a sort of a rough graph, and then and I'm So you probably have opinions on terms of players who I think that you know, if you're gonna have three players in the teams, the three players probably could be attacking. And if kind of goes down the graph, you kind of get to the ones that are more like wiki picked or the winters, as we'll call it. Um I think, you know, obviously we've talked about that already. I think the top three things starting that a running it fit. Um but uh I I'm not I'm more interested to sort of see how you're gonna you guys feel about more sort of the the weaker teams, so the likes of leads, because leads have got a very good game over the next sort of. Um and over the double gaming, they've got Wolves and they've got I think it's Bournemouth, I think they've got. So they've got a very good double gaming, and I think that the Wolves game is at home as well. Um so you know, uh I've got a few questions to ask here, and this is to all of you guys really. We're at a stage of team now where it's less about where you are on a table, but maybe more about what you've got to play for. And I always feel that that you know the teams that have got things to play for are the teams to attack regard to where they are in the league. And sometimes the teams that are kind of, you know, 11th, 12, so the Light of the Brightons, and and who are kind of just cruising right now, are often not the ones that necessarily the ones to go for. So do you have a sort of I mean I'll come to you first, um Adul. Do you have a sort of philosophy right now at this stage at season when you're making picks? Because uh is that in is that in the back of your mind in terms of uh the teams wanting to play for? Um how do you kind of attest your picks? I mean, Hot has mentioned the sort of the minute form fixtures rule, which he uses to decide on who is bringing his team. Is that your philosophy or do you kind of have a a sort of a different way to sort of make choices?
SPEAKER_04No, I mean like for me, um when it comes to this page this season, it's about first of all like double game weeks, right? But with that, it's definitely you know what teams have got to play for. Um because like for example, Arsenal lose in last game week, um, that actually makes their F like you know, their picks from an FTL point a lot more attractive because it's likely the the title race is probably gonna go down to last day or the or or the last the second last game week, right? Because especially with the city playing Arsenal next game week. If Arsenal had like the title wrapped up um by game week 76 and they've got a Champions League football, then you know they're gonna rotate players for sure. And yeah, so so right now, you know, play like teams like uh Leeds, yeah, you know, Brighton, I think Brighton have got a bit to play for as well, because they're only like um six points off the Champions League spot, right? So players like that, I think right now, uh out with double game meets definitely need to target players or or or players from teams who have got something to play for. And I think everybody here, like all the teams on this list, I think maybe bar I think Bournemouth and Burlington Burnley have relegated, right? So I think but buying them and Bournemouth, I think the other four teams have got a lot to play for. And I think there'll be minimal rotation uh in the league from from the end of the season.
SPEAKER_01I mean you say that, but Bournemouth have been in great form. I think they haven't lost for a while, have they, Bournemouth? Um so they can't they've got a lot of draws in, don't they? They have, that is true, but they come into this they come into this season, obviously very good about it.
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SPEAKER_04Bournemouth are on 45 points as well, so they actually could very well make Europe. So again, I'd say it's gonna I think I think only Burnley in this list is nothing to play for, whereas Bournemouth, I think, definitely do. And I think I don't know if you guys seen as well. And only Ola said he's leaving at the end of the season.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, he's leaving the end of the season, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so they're gonna want a a strong finish for sure.
SPEAKER_05When I'm looking at this list, I'm worried about Joe Pedro. Like I said, Wellberg was gonna get the head start against Burnley and Chelsea, obviously, thanks to Arsenal, there's that fifth spot in the Champions League. And after them blocking against City, um they made it harder for themselves chasing that fifth spot. So they're going to have to get the results they want now. Um obviously I'm not gonna switch to Joe Pedro now, so I'm hoping that he can just continue how he was in the last game. But I will say one thing just looking at it. You've got Hill as an avoidance. I know they've got tough fixtures, but he's a defensive contribution beast at the moment. Yeah, and um he's he's doing better than St. in DC. So um to have him at the bottom there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, their fixtures for for 33 are that tough, to be fair. Like they've got Newcastle, Newcastle games are always transitional, right? And Bournemouth in general are like that, they're they're back and forth themselves. Um, and then they've got I think they've got Leeds as well, and they've got Leeds at home. So I don't think I don't think their fixes are particularly bad in comparison to what they've had, say, for instance, over this um I think it's just 14.
SPEAKER_05I was more comparing it to Leeds and stuff like that with the fixtures they've got. But the bottom line is I wouldn't put Hill in that section. I think he deserves a bit of a promotion up in my my humble opinion. But um that was the only noticeable thing that stood out to me.
SPEAKER_04Um I think Hill would be definitely for me in the must because since actually him and Senestia have uh started together, Hill's actually better for DEF CONs per night. And the thing with Senestia and Hill as well is that seeing the thing with DEF CONs, you don't really need to look for team cheats anymore. Because those guys are going to get DEF CONs in those two, very likely gonna get DEF Cons in both games. That's they're both starting off at four points. Um, so that's like eight points to start off in that double game week. And if they get a clean sheet, of course, you know, they can proceed goals and that, but they've got a very high floor, and you know, just having a wee side point, and that's why a lot of people don't like the DEF Cons, but you know, they're there, so you take advantage of it.
SPEAKER_01No, 100%. I think a DEF CON, you mean you mentioned it you know earlier in the show that you know he's made a big impact. And I was one of those people that when the season started, I was I questioned the impact of DEF CON, and I didn't really pay it much attention to begin with, if I'm honest, and um paid the price ultimately.
SPEAKER_05Um do you remember what I said about it?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_05When we were talking, just to make it clear now, when we were talking about how crucial DEF CON was, and everyone was talking about how much points she was getting from DEF CON, I said to you by the end of the season, the midfielders and the strikers, the points will catch that up because this is the way FPL goes. And it seems that I was right. So I'm just throwing that out there for the people that have seen the earlier episodes when I was sticking to my guns on it.
SPEAKER_01I mean, to sort of deep dive more into the sort of double game week sort of players. I mean I I I think the the points to attack are pretty clear, really. I think you've got to really be aggressive in terms of attacking city. Anyone that's taking this game seriously has definitely loaded up on City assets. And I think you already mentioned as well, Abdul, that Brighton are also another team that is is very worthwhile attacking. Um they've been quite good defensively. So I think you've got to be looking at some of their sort of defensive assets like Van Hecker, you know, Verbruggen is probably the best keeper choice, I think, out of the keepers available, um, just slightly for me. Um what's your sort of feeling with that? Do you do you think Rebrug is a keeper to sort of to go with?
SPEAKER_04I think so. I think the he's cheaper as well, he's only 4.5. And I think I prefer Brighton's fixtures to um Bournemouth and the season. And yeah, I think Van Heck, again, like the Brug and Bad Heck, they're both 4.5 million. Bad Heck has got you know good at tactic threat, and it's actually really good for Death Cons as well. So I mean he'd be he'd be an absolute welcome by team. I think for Brighton, the the issue or the yeah, the issue is with the midfielders, like who do you go for? Like, I think many people went to Matoba last game week on the wild card, but he was benched. And then you know you've got guys like Gross, uh, Gomez, Mintip, Henshawwood, and Weeford who who scored two goals out of nowhere. So it's like there's no consistent midfielder that you can that that you pick, and you know, there's there's no really good midfielders, really. And it's like a bit of a you know, a bit of a kind of shot on the dark. I think that's what you need to. I think that third bite spot is the important one. Because I I don't know if you've seen about a few people actually went triple bright in defence on on the rad cab last game again. I don't think that was a bad idea at all. And I think um even now it's it's pretty good for now for the end of the season.
SPEAKER_01Obviously, Ark, you're what someone that is very analytical around these things.
SPEAKER_02I mean, do you think I think from from a midfield point of view from them, I think the only one that you can as you know, the history of this show. I've always said that Bright Bright just the minutes risk, like no matter what you look at. Um I think Grove is probably the only midfielder that you can relatively guarantee his minutes. Um even with Matoma, he's remember, as as your graphic says, he's only scored a couple of goals or whatever. But we've got to remember he's come back from injury as well. Um even with Wellbeck, he's overperforming against his XGI. Um so he's kind of running hot. So he he looks more like he's got the capacity to regress than he has to keep moving forwards. That said, Herzler, the way that he the way that he manages Brighton, you can never guarantee who your striker's gonna be. So you would think, well, Wellbeck has had a decent run over the last five, so surely that's got to be his guy that starts. But he he's the type of manager you'll turn up and you'll see he's he's benched him. Um so the to um Abdul's point, the triple back line of um Brian, whether it be um goalkeeper and two defenders, etc., is probably probably the better play, especially the way that Brighton plays, because their fullbacks do get involved a lot, and then from set pieces, they they do a bit too. Um but yeah, I'm I'm not convinced on Wellbeck, um, although um that's where it'll come back to bite me and more left on the bottom.
SPEAKER_05I'm not Uber now he did nothing against Burling, but um I'll tell you what, if you had their right back this week, he would be laughing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah. And of course, we've got obviously you know, I'm looking at Leeds and obviously Bournemouth. Evolution before Leeds.
SPEAKER_05Like he'd better do I've been I've held you for so long, you better get them bowls so um I mean he's massively underperforming his his goal involvement.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. Um it's it's it's just weird.
SPEAKER_04But I'm I'm sure this thing's something like this is Calvin Lewin, right? Uh I'm sure this thing's something regarding Calvert Lewin, that he was actually like statistically the worst finisher in Europe. Um this was like it won't surprise me.
SPEAKER_05And honestly, like imagine captaining him this week and he surprises everyone and gets the most points.
SPEAKER_04That's what it is.
SPEAKER_05Because you're looking for a differential, Abdul. There he is.
SPEAKER_04Uh you just don't know when it's gonna come with them. This was he is the most frustrating aspect of the one.
SPEAKER_01Has there been a moment for you, Adol, like playing this game where you've kind of gone and thought, screw it, I'm gonna go bold, I'm gonna go completely against the brain, I'm gonna put my put my neck on the line, and I'm gonna go for like a like a DCL captain choice sort of game week.
SPEAKER_04Is it something that you you you've done before in the past, or have you always kind of played it tight and and and kind of yeah, so I was saying like in the early days, you know, when there was no like podcast and YouTube and it was just a few guys in many leagues, that's that's how I used to play. Like, but last seven, eight years, I've just been like you know, locked in, analytical, no risks. Not no risks at all, but like you know, just playing by the book and not taking any crazy risks like a carbon loan captain or anything like that. I mean the only time I will do that is when I've got like a target to reach. Like, for example, now I'm 650k and I want to try and get to that top 100k or best rap possible, so I normally have to take some risks. Um, but otherwise I just don't do it willy-nilly. Um I'll just you know, usually captain Salar or Haaland, like I've been in the past you know, five, six seasons. And the thing what you realize is that when you go against when you've got players like Haaland and Salah, I know Sal hasn't been great this season, but you know, if you look at back the last four or five years, more often than not, when you do go against these guys, you get punished. And it's it's you know it's very very stelden that you take that risk and it pays off. So yeah, I'm I'm not really a big risk taker unless I really need to do it.
SPEAKER_02Goff, so you sense in the common theme between the people that do work that they don't like. He's always trying to get validation.
SPEAKER_01I need someone to come to the dark side, just go come to the dark side. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04I mean I actually think I actually think yeah, this is the dark side. And the way you and if you if you're playing it like how you want to play, and you know, just eye test and that, I think that that's where I enjoy to be honest, I enjoyed it the most when I was playing like that, and I just didn't really care much about it, and it was just like you know, gut feel and stuff. Now it's just gone like a bit too uh corporate, I think.
SPEAKER_05You know what though, I will say this. I've up until this season just done it from gut feeling, etc. I was also known as hardcore hot. So I'll take minus 12s and still potentially have the highest score that game week. I've been very ruthless, and just someone pisses me off, you're out. Like Dominic Avalute would be out of my team usually, so I'm trying to have more discipline. But when this is my worst season ever, I think that I'm going to have to, especially imagine the worst season ever, and this is the first, and I and that's the season that I become a podcaster. So it's not what I needed. Um, so I think next season I'm gonna have to reflect and decide how I'm gonna approach the next season because I can't have another one like this.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I mean, I thought you spoke a bit about your sort of slightly. I mean, we had um Jonas on the show last week and he he referred to himself as a boring player. I think that's the term he used. I mean, would you say that that's how you are? I mean, what if if I was to sort of say, you know, give me a definition of of what kind of player you are, what would you say you are?
SPEAKER_04I mean, I guess some people would would see it as boring, right? But for me, I just do I just try and get the most points each week. And most of the time, you know, that is the boring move. And as kind of Ark alluded to earlier, like now we've got the five free transfers. And it makes more sense to save transfers and you're making less moves now. Like before it was you could say more than two free transfers, so at least you had to make a move every two weeks at least, right? Whereas now you can just go weeks on weeks without without making a move. And you know, having that power of four or five free transfers is a huge advantage, you know, over it's almost like having a wild card over somebody who's got like one free transfer. So yeah, I mean like just just due to that, just due to the way the game is changing, it is promoting more of a you know, you can't say a boring style of play because right now, you know, that's you know, that's I I in my opinion the best way to play the game and in terms of you know finishing well. So yeah, I think on the outside, if somebody's watching me play, like you know, every week making these moves, it probably does come across boring. I'm not the type of guy who'll take minus fours and minus eight, and Captain Carlton Loon. So yeah, I guess you can't say it's boring.
SPEAKER_05I I tell you, I'll tell you straight, I think it is best to be boring, and I'm gonna have to adopt it um to my game next season. Um because for example, when we started this podcast, um Goss beat me by one point last season, basically. Um which, as he says, I won, I won. A winner's a winner, so yes, yes, we did win. But it's by one point. I was chasing my money leagues, and if I had just said to myself, let me just cover who he's got and who some of the other people in other leagues had, it would have been a case that it would have been I would have got those points and would have won in those mini leagues. But because I was chasing a mini league that was for bigger, a bigger money pot, basically, if I'm being honest, I didn't care about the league that I was in with Gus because it was lower money. And in the end, I didn't catch that guy that I was trying to catch, and then Gus finished. I see you doing your little violin thing, but it's the first and only time you become a above me in FPL, so you take it. He no well, you needed, you needed DEF CON.
SPEAKER_01I don't want to hear I don't wanna I don't want to hear no excuses, my friend. Okay.
SPEAKER_05Well, there's no excuses. I just remember what you said at the beginning of the season for those that and I wasn't locked in at the beginning. Wait, wait, let me finish. You're only delegated as host. Let me finish. Let me take my glasses off so you know I'm serious. You said at the beginning of the season that this is the way you're gonna go moving forward. And I told you at the beginning of the season, you instead of go back to that, we've always been. So that this is my goal right now. I'm having the shittest season that I've had ever. But just making sure that you don't finish above me again, my friend. And now you can continue hosting.
SPEAKER_01Well, you know, let's all wipe a tear for hot for finishing one behind me, you know.
SPEAKER_05Well, to be honest, you beat me by one point, I take it. It's 20,000. It is what it is, pull it that consistency, my friend, right? It's your best season ever, and now you're where you are now. So it is what it is. Let's not go, let's not go blow for blow. We've got a special guest on the show. Let's stay focused. We have to have a bit of battery in there, but you let's not go to war. You don't want more with me. Come on.
SPEAKER_01Uh the question before you have to do what you um it was about kind of back to the sort of double game weeks. Like, is there like a decision like from the past you can remember? Um, that's kind of like shaped how you now play the game? Like something that went, you know, went brilliantly or went completely, you know, blew up and went badly, which has now sort of almost changed how you now view this period.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I mean, like what I've noticed over the years that it's better to use your chips uh in the double game weeks. And you know, using like the triple captain and bench goose in double game weeks in past seasons has worked out well for me. I don't have some big scores and you know totally changed my season around. So that's one thing I always do. I mean, you don't have to use your chips in double game. You can't get um you can't get a good score on a bench goose and a triple captain in a single game week, you know, and people do it all the time, but playing it in a double game week, you are increasing the odds. You know, you're giving you having two bites in the cherry. So that's the kind of one when it comes to double game weeks, that's the one thing I always try and do is use my triple captain, especially in a double game week, and use the uh the bench boost in a double double game too. But although the bench meeting isn't as important for me because I think sometimes that chip can't hinder you. You know, when you're especially setting up with a wild card uh going into a bench boost, you know, you've got to like make sure you've got a 15-man squad rather than you know having cheap bench players and pump that money into your into your starting elimin. But but yeah, I think mostly for me it's just using the double game meets, uh using the double game, the chips in the double game meets, and you know, trying to take advantage of that. Um and what you what you kind of notice as well is that not as much like it nowadays, but people still do it, but the the people just use their chips whenever. And when it comes to double game meets, like you know, the the teams are left like in like scattered basically. So that's where you can take advantage, and that's where you can like you know, if you're if you're lagging behind, you can make those games.
Single Game Week Players
SPEAKER_01I want to have a quick look at just briefly on the single game week players that you know, and and sort of ask you all, is it worth going for single game week players in a double game week if they got good fixtures? I mean, you know, for example, Pallad have Palace have West Ham, right? West Ham have obviously been playing well recently, but uh someone like Mateta has had finished seasons off strongly in the past, um, he's just scored two goals. So he's his example of someone that you know I would imagine not many people will have. He's he's pretty lowly owned it right now. Is there is there what's the sort of risk reward in terms of picking single players?
SPEAKER_05Let me go first on this one. I'm gonna go straight in. For me, if you're, for example, doing what you're doing and you're free hitting this week, you know there's gonna be bench news. And we're gonna have 11 plus doublers. So for me, if I'm a free hit and I want eleven doublers, regardless, because um I know that there's gonna be two bench fusion with those doubles, so um I think it's a bit different. But if you like myself and um Abdul, for example, I've got Bruno and I've got Gabriel. So those are my two single game players. Um I wouldn't be putting any in because of part of my wildcard was my squad for the base to follow up. So I'm not expecting to make any changes in a full fourth with eagle. So um I guess for people out here you could be considering it, but um I don't know if it's worth it. If you're gonna make transfers in in a double game week, it should be for double game week players, in my opinion. But obviously you guys might have a different opinion.
SPEAKER_04I I totally agree with everything you said there. I think if you are using a chip like a wild card or a free hit, then go for it, go for the full double. But if you're not using a chip in like I think you got you're in that position, right, where you've not got a chip to. Oh no, you're playing a free hit, right?
SPEAKER_01Free hit, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but if you if you're if you're in a position where you're not playing a free hit this week and you've got a Tiago um and you've got like a Matea, for example, it's probably not worth moving them on to like a Jal Pedro because you know you're you're using the transfer and you're probably gonna be taking hits, etc. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01Ark, do you have you if you in terms of like singles, are you kind of on the same page?
SPEAKER_02It's because of the time in in the season why I would go against it. Um so usually you know my thoughts would be that I'd actually monitor the fixture and understand where I think there could be advantages, but that would be in a single game week. The fact that it's a double game week just blows everything out of the water. As um Abdul just said, I don't even think, even if you didn't have chips at the moment and you were trying to get players in in terms of the strikers you'd likely have, you'd never move Intiago on after you just scored two for Mateta. You you just wouldn't do it kind of thing. And even with Pedro, Pedro, he's got four in his last five, but he's definitely not trending upwards at the moment. So again, it'd be a risk because you know there is going to be another double at some point where you probably want your transfers so that you can go into some of the palace um players. Gordon is a good shout on a single game week as well, as well as a bow. Um, but yeah, the strategy 100% has got to be to at least fill your first level of doubles.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I and I think I've concur with what you've all said already, um, which is why I I have currently got 11 double game players in my in my team. Um I was slightly tempted to go. I'd worry if you're free-hitting and you didn't have. Yeah. Do you know what it is? I think it's difficult to really believe in any of the strikers this season, right? I mean, Haaland for a long while was obviously the the the one that was you had to have, but he's obviously gone cold for a while now. And you just pointed to Gia Pedro, who's another one who had a hot period and now he's sort of cooled off a little bit, and hasn't got the easiest double game week coming up, right? Man United are playing pretty well right now. And they've got Brighton, and Brighton are you know are a decent team in Beach just already this season uh at the bridge. So, you know, yeah, I will go over probably with double gimmick strikers, but I'm looking at Meteta because I'm thinking, well, here's a guy who you know has scored a hack this season, and he has these games sometimes where he can blow quite hot. He has a lot of charters, uh, Mattel, he just missed a lot of charters. And there is a possibility where you can just hit the right striker who's playing one of the game we get and get hack trick, for example. And it might be enough to out outpoint some of these strikers who, quite frankly, have been pretty average uh for the for the for the season. So yeah, um it's don't you can't lose this thing.
SPEAKER_05Don't part over the thing. Do some differential fun. Think of the upside, think of the upside.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Just the word on Paulist and Mateta, uh, just because you mentioned it, is that Glassden made five changes uh last game week, right? Because obviously they've got a second leg um or they get up a conference week on Thursday. So I think going forward, if they if they get through, which they're you know favourites to do, if they get to the semi-finals, then I can see a lot of rotation in Palace kind of going forward, and that second leg of the semi-final falls in between game double game week 36. So I think Palace players are gonna be quite dodgy going forward. I think we're gonna have to watch out for them.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's a good point.
SPEAKER_04It's a good point.
SPEAKER_05I noticed this to the viewers, but now Gus saying gonna put him in, I'm told yeah.
Captain Choice: Obvious, Risky & Complete Punts
SPEAKER_01Okay, I think it's um that time when we sort of speak about captain choices, okay? Um and as you can see in the screen, I I I think these are kind of the general sort of the order of the favorable picks for this particular game week, right? Um for obvious reasons. Um do we all agree that Haaland is the is the standout number one pick? That's my third question, because he hasn't been playing well, hasn't been scoring goals. I mean, is he a better pick than uh Semenyo at this point? I mean, or or is he like still don't back against Haaland? They're playing Burnley, you've got to kind of go with him. I mean, what's what's your feeling in terms of where you stand in Haaland?
SPEAKER_04I mean, I I personally think he is like still the best pick. I know he's not he's got like one his last goal in the league came like against Phil and gave him 26. But like we we thought he's got a hat trick against Liverpool in the cut. And he's got it in him, like he couldn't just be on a on a bad streak, but he can just pop up at the hat trick. And that's the dangerous thing with Alan, because he is always gonna get those chances and he's just like you know, he's still the most lethal finisher in the league. Probably in still in one of football, to be honest, we're talking about you know clear finishing, right? But I still think that you know there is this week's scope to go against him. Um I think Samenio is a decent option. I think Palmer is what is one I'm looking at as well. If I was gonna go elsewhere against Halland this week, it probably would be on Palmer.
SPEAKER_01Can you really have trust in Palmer?
SPEAKER_04I mean, I think now he has a differential, but he's played his fitness is getting better now. He's played 90 minutes in the last three league games. So I think that's what his worry was when he came back from injury. He was getting stubbed off early.
SPEAKER_02It's also about his roots. He's on pins, he's on set pieces. And he's a minute. And he's yeah, and he's still quite simple because he does so it's um yeah, he's a good jump.
SPEAKER_04You got Defcon last game as well.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I know that I saw points went up and I was like, huh? What did he do? And I saw it as Defcon, I was shocked. But I think he's a very good differential. Um, and there's gonna be people that want to go against Harland. Obviously, every time I've gone against Harland, it hasn't worked, but now he's gone quiet, it may be a good time to do it. But I think for me personally, with that Burnley game, I'm just if I go against Harland and he gets a hat trick in that Burnley game, that can just finish off any chance of me just well, like I said, I'm not gonna get uh it's gonna be my worst season regardless, but I just wanna get as high as I can. So I think I can't go against Haaland.
SPEAKER_02Um so you maybe that will mean that Burnley he he starts off with Marmoush. That's the thing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but what I was gonna say is that with Arsenal, like with City hot on Arsenal's tail, um, I do not see Haaland getting benched in any of those games. Like I cannot see it happening. I I think I think 90 times two against Arsenal and Burnley. Uh unless they're pumping Burnley like 3 or 4-0, but then if if that happens, then he's likely got two or three goals.
SPEAKER_05Oh, but we beat City in the first game, they're gonna have to play against Burnley and take it serious. So I see him playing both game 90 minutes.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, possibly. I mean, I mean I hope Arsenal win mad. I don't want City to win another league title, so hopefully.
SPEAKER_01Um, and for you, Hotz, Calvert Lewin. I mean, do you think do you think he's he's worth a shot?
SPEAKER_05He is, if you're going for a differential, but on his form, obviously you mentioned the whole four minutes fixtures, he gets the minutes. Um his form's pants, but he's got the fixtures. Um and uh I guess eventually he's gotta go and get right, but I just don't think there's worth the risk um in my position. Like I said, I've taken too many risks, and now I'm I guess that that word boring is what I'm gonna go this week. I just think I can't see me not going against Ireland. Um you know Semeno is a good good chat as well because he he he always gets a goal or contributes. I'm sure he will do something against Burnley at least. But I can't go against Ireland this week, I just can't do it. So he's gonna be my captain.
SPEAKER_01And Arch, you I mean, outside of what you see on the screen, is there anyone that is worth thinking about? I mean, I'm I'm probably thinking like Cherky is another one who's got a very good assist record.
SPEAKER_02Cherkey's a good one, he just doesn't ever finish 90 minutes, right? Um so you you're looking at him to do something within Timmy. But uh another chat will be one of the Brighton players. So as much as I've said, probably not Wellbeck or whatever not, um, you know, you there is some upside, I would more say, in one of their defenders, um, in one of their fullbacks, but he'd be a brave person to go captaining one of their fullbacks against Obama, for instance. Um, even with Bournemouth, they've got players that you could look at and you could say, well, yeah, there might be something in there. Um so you've got DeVernia, um, you've got obviously Ryan isn't been performing recently, so he's not one that you'd necessarily go for, but Creepy Jr. is now playing all of the time. So again, if he was going for some, if he was really being wild and saying, well, you know what, I am where I am, I can't get that much worse, so I'll go for this differential and see. Um, then yeah, you could go for them. But I can't, outside of the the main ones, I can't see where you would go. I think Pedro is a good shot, he's still got quite good explosion from an ex UNE Central. And most of the time when Chelsea do something, he's involved. And we've also got to remember that Enzo will be brought back into the mix as well. Um, so that will that that will have an impact on the rest of the team in terms of the way they play. But one of the picks that you had put on the um trio um graphic that you had, Cookarella is a good shot.
SPEAKER_05I don't trust Jones in defense personally.
SPEAKER_02But yeah, but you don't buy him for for Keane Sheets. You expect him some kind of goal involvement or whatever not. Um and even against even against City, he he was quite in the mix.
SPEAKER_05I don't think he's getting as you know, but I just know Cuperella, he goes forward, so he's he's really gonna have to.
SPEAKER_04I think Cucurella's I think Cucurella's gonna be quite popular on the three hit.
SPEAKER_05This is why I went for Enzo, because I I am still I was still searching for differentials, and I I think in the free hit, people still won't go with Enzo because they're not gonna be sure if he starts the first game or not. So like I just hope that he just he's my I was I haven't got the balls to capture him, but he's my biggest differential, and it's um the stats so different when it comes out.
SPEAKER_02I think he definitely will because that that supplied teacher he's he's in trouble. His contract won't get renewed, would it? So he'll definitely slide.
Can Chelsea Be Trusted in DGW33?
SPEAKER_01Chelsea are a funny one because you know, there's two sides of the coin, isn't there? You've got, you know, I think Hot's mentioned it earlier on the show, they they are like four points behind top five at this point in time, right? They have to start picking up wins. So there's a lot, there's a lot to play for for them at this point in the season. But they haven't got the easiest double. You know, I'm looking at the games, and I'm thinking Man United have picked up, obviously, I know they lost next leagues, but in the main, they've picked up, you know, I know there's Chelsea at home, but uh that's not an easy game. And Brighton away is never easy, you know. And you know, once the sun's shining on the South Coast, you know, they start playing football and they start thinking good about themselves, that's gonna be a tough game for Chelsea. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but the the toughness of the fix is not the issue, right? Like it's FPL, so you want XVI exposure. So with Chelsea, you generally aren't gonna go for a defender unless that defender really does some attacking upside. So can is it is it possible for Pedro or Palmer to get in the mix 100%? I mean, even against Fitti, that that was the frustrating thing. Like they deserved a consolation goal. Not that I'm bitter about the 14 pointers or 50 minutes that that some of those defenders got. But um they they did make chances that and as you as you said, Gus, the their defense is is much the problem, and it always has been. I think even at the start of the season, everybody said they've got good players, but they still lack that leader at the back. And until they get that sorted out, they're always gonna be let's look at a midfielder or an attacker from them.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and they've got they've got Sanchez in goal, like no offense, but he is really judged. And as long as he's there, man, he's a he's always pulling to a mistake. And then I do agree with you, Goss. I think my United and Brighton are tough pictures, but I don't know, I I I see goals in them games, like you know, I don't see Chelsea particularly maybe winning both of them, but I think they're definitely going to score in both of them. Um I do see goals for um I'd be confident in my Palmers and Jal Pedros in that game. Maybe not as much as in defence, like you guys are saying.
SPEAKER_01So, you know, question I'd like to ask, you know, I've asked Jonas and ask the same question to you. Give us your three sort of I don't know how Hot and Ark always mocked me for saying the question.
SPEAKER_02But Oh, it's that question. I thought you were about to ask him what you need to do to win.
Final Thoughts, Strategy and Advice from FPL Salah
SPEAKER_01No, no, no. I mean, the question I'm gonna ask. The question I'd well question I'm gonna ask before I was really interested by this guy. Um if you were to give uh someone Luke's game free bit of advice about how to to play this game, you know, what would you what would you sort of you know tell that person and hot and arker pointing, oh Lee, what advice? It's not about me. You know, before you start taking this bit guys, well, I've not spoken. So it's it's it's what I view is do you need to address it to But yeah, just kind of you know, if if you know you're someone obviously has has done very well over the last sort of you know 15-20 years, um give us a free bits of advice that you know you would tell someone do to the game.
SPEAKER_04I mean I think for me I'd say first of all, um like follow the numbers. Like I'm I'd say if you want to do well in the game, like look at stats, like you know, XG numbers, and I think if you follow if you look if you take a more analytic approach, I think you'll do better. You might not have as much fun, but you'll do better, um, in my opinion. So have an analytic approach. Um I think play sensibly most of the time, like captain your your salas, your haalands, most weeks, you know, when they're the best fix, so don't take too many risks, especially at the start of the season when it comes to your captains. Um, you know, don't start going for differentials in the first 10 game weeks, play quite safe. Uh go for the best picks. And I'd generally I'd say honestly, like it's just um get advice online. Like now you could you can watch YouTube videos, you can go on websites, and I don't think there's a better help than if you if you're a new player, just go on a website, go on some YouTube videos, and you'll you'll be you'll you'll be up to date in you know in the three hours, I think. So I think you know I think I think new players now are a bit easier than it ever was. Um I think you can come to this game a new player, and in your first season you can you can be a quite decent player with the amount of information out there.
SPEAKER_01Where can people sort of see? I mean, obviously you do a lot of work for for um for hub. We see you in there um quite a bit. Um I mean do you do you sort of I mean the question do you do you are you sort of working for them solely? I mean, what's your kind of situation there?
SPEAKER_04No, so I I'm I'm more of like a freelancer, so I write articles for hub, uh finance football hub. You know, if you guys want to go on that, there's a lot of good tools and articles that that get written there, and also do videos for them and also write for the athletic as well. And just like FPL articles, like giving advice, etc. So that's kind of my main the main terrorist. And then I'm I'm always on Twitter and Instagram, just you know, kind of posting whatever I want to post. Um kind of just talking about FPL really and you know, just a lot of like-minded people and sharing ideas, etc.
SPEAKER_05It's gonna be an interesting game week. Um interesting to see who does their free hit, if anyone makes changes to their wildcards, and to see if Calvin Lewin can get the codes and well met for the guys in my team. I'm just hoping for a good game week. Um to be honest, I'm not gonna focus on my team until Friday, and I'm just gonna enjoy the rest of my holiday. And then actually, I'm like, there's a game I'm gonna be caring about tomorrow. Um obviously sporting to knock them out and progress, but apart from that, SPO-wise, I'm chilling until Friday, and then I'll and then I'll focus.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so for anyone watching, please do like and subscribe and share. Um, I didn't do my usual push-up given of the episodes I'll do at the end. Um and also, you know, people that you know don't know FPL Salam and haven't sort of seen content, please do you know follow him on the on uh all the relevant sites, Twitter and Instagram, I think you're both on. I think those are the two that you're running, aren't you? Um Adore. Um so yeah, please don't follow his content, it's it's it's very useful. Um and um I certainly look at your stuff, so um please do support all the relevant platforms. Um but yeah.
SPEAKER_04Just going back to uh the question that you said about just came to me, like what would you do advice you would give to somebody new to this game? And obviously, like if I was given to give one bit of advice, it'd be just play the game to enjoy it, because a lot of people play FPL and become too engrossed in it, and it becomes more of like a it becomes too competitive and it takes away your weekend and it ruins your weekend. Like so that would be my one bit of advice. I was saying one advice is just play to enjoy it, like forget about your rank, forget about you know, just just play to enjoy, play with inmates and make sure it's a game uh that that you enjoy, not one that kind of ruins your weekend. Um because I I kind of went through that phase, you know, when I it just kind of took over and consumed me, and I was like getting too bothered by the results from that. Um managed to kind of you know get get uh get my head started in that in that sense, but that was that was one thing I definitely say is just play to enjoy it.
SPEAKER_05I'm not gonna lie, I agree with that because this is my first like this is my first time on holiday when I haven't been looking at my phone and SPL every day. I do quite a few holidays and I'm always on my phone trying to see who's injured or any updates and what's going on. And this is the first time and I'm I'm I managed to enjoy the holidays, so I agree. Um obviously it becomes stressful managing your team, but you've got to have the bit of enjoyment in the game where it does take over.
SPEAKER_02Sorry, I don't know.
SPEAKER_05We don't end up like we're only too five defensive Carlo D.
SPEAKER_02One last question for you. Um with um with regards to the way that you play, and what stuff do you drown out? What like we all know that analytics is something that we're looking at and things like this, but what do you look at that you drown out completely that you You think no I'm not gonna yeah I'm not gonna allow that to cloud my decision making.
SPEAKER_04One thing I definitely drowned out is is the noise and on on form, right? Whereas when a when when somebody says a player's not not in form but they're putting up good stats, like that's one thing that I think is is a b a big advantage of analytics is that you'll see a player you know, putting up good XG numbers, getting in good positions, etc., but they're just not scoring five, six games. But you know it's coming. Whereas on the on the flip side, you know, a player can score five goals in five games, but he's got an XG or one, and you know the regression is coming, so you know he's not a good player to bring in. So that's one thing I think uh it's still a big advantage of if you are gonna if you are going down that kind of analytics route, is that that's the advantage you have over players who don't really look at that is people who would just see, okay, this guy scored five goals in five games and bring them in, but without looking at the you know the um the behind the scenes stuff, like you know how he's getting those and whether he's been lucky or whether he's you know he's been unlucky, etc.
SPEAKER_01Well, fellas, big game we're coming up. I wish I would say I wish you all luck, but I'll be lying. Um we'll see what happens. Um Abdul, we we all appreciate your your time um for coming on the show. Good luck for the rest of the season. Um hopefully we'll we'll touch base again. You meant that one. Hopefully, we'll touch base again in the in the future um as we sort of you know continue this journey for captains. Um but yeah, people at home. Good luck. We're out.