' IS CARDIFF CITY'S SQUAD WORTH THESE £MILLIONS? '

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' IS CARDIFF CITY'S SQUAD WORTH THESE £MILLIONS? '

Postby Forever Blue » Thu Jul 12, 2018 9:34 am

:bluebird: :bluebird: Cardiff City's Fantasy Premier League squad for 2018/19 :bluebird: :bluebird:


By Calum Grant

Thursday 12th July 2018


GOALKEEPERS

Neil Etheridge - £4.5m

The Philippine international put in a fine string of performances between the sticks for Cardiff City.

With 19 clean sheets in 45 appearances last season and buoyed with confidence after signing a new contract with the Bluebirds, Etheridge could be a steal for those who do not want to spend big money on a goalkeeper.

However, FPL favourite and new West Ham signing Lukasz Fabianski recorded over 150 points last season and at the same price as Etheridge, it may be wiser to play it safe with the former Swansea City goalkeeper.


Alex Smithies - £4.5m

Signed as competition for Etheridge, Smithies will be vying to take the No.1 shirt at Cardiff. Warnock is likely to stick with Etheridge at the beginning of the season but a few bad performances could see the highly rated ex-QPR goalie take his place.

Even if that is the case, it could feasibly be a while before Smithies is given his chance to shine, meaning it could be worth while looking elsewhere.






DEFENDERS

Sean Morrison - £5.0m

The Cardiff skipper has remarkably scored 20 goals as a centre-back since his switch from Reading in 2014.

Seven of those came last season as Cardiff clinched automatic promotion to the Premier League on the final day of the Championship.

Chelsea's Marcos Alonso is the only player in the top flight that matched Morrison's goal tally last term, with seven goals for himself.

Nicolas Otamendi and Chris Smalling were last season's highest scoring centre-backs in terms of points, with four goals a piece, and tower over Morrison's asking price by £1.5m and £1m respectively.

On the other hand, defenders earn a vast majority of their points through keeping clean sheets rather than their goal scoring abilities — which may be a downside for choosing Morrison.

For £5.0m, it is worth a punt in the early stages of the FPL season but when Trent Alexander-Arnold is also priced the same, it may be difficult to find room for the Cardiff captain.







Sol Bamba - £4.5m

Cult hero, scores goals and a guaranteed starter for Warnock's side.

Bamba has bailed Cardiff out of trouble a few times with his heroic defending since his move from Leeds and at a good price of £4.5m it may just be impossible to resist the temptation of including the Ivorian for matchday one.





Bruno Ecuele Manga - £4.5m

Again, a good defender for a decent price but Manga will also be competing for game time with the likes of Bamba and Morrison.

It is possible that Warnock will start with a back five which may give Manga extra minutes but for £4.5m, options like James Tomkins of Palace and Christopher Schindler of Huddersfield may be more attractive for the same price.




Matthew Connolly - £4.0m

The versatile defender may be worth a place on the subs bench for FPL players, unlikely to be a starter for Cardiff but for £4.0m the former Cardiff Player of Year may be useful as a placeholder in the early weeks.



Joe Bennett - £4.5m

Bennett made 37 appearances last season and is a favourite among the Cardiff manager and fans. Game time surely won't be an issue for the Englishman.

However, Bennett is a more traditional full-back and is unlikely to record the goals and assists that other full backs have shown in recent FPL seasons.

With only one goal to his name last season, an option like Charlie Daniels (£4.5m) may be more favourable as the Bournemouth man takes their penalties, set pieces and is more of a goal threat than Bennett.





Lee Peltier - £4.0m

An outside-the-box selection but Cardiff have three favourable fixtures to start their season in Bournemouth, Newcastle and Huddersfield — all of whom struggled to score goals last season. A clean sheet or two for Cardiff is not out of the question and Peltier is a cheap option at £4.0m so it may be worth the gamble.





Jazz Richards - £4.0m

Likewise with Peltier and Bennett, Richards is not a player who's likely to record many assists throughout the season.

The Welshmen will also be competing for game time and is not a guaranteed starter in Warnock's side.






MIDFIELDERS



Joe Ralls - £5.0m

With over 150 appearances for Cardiff at just 24, Ralls has been integral for Cardiff in midfield under Warnock and produced his best goal-scoring season for the Bluebirds last year with seven.

At £5.0m, he could be an astute signing as he's likely to start most games for Cardiff this season.

Ralls' goal-scoring knack is reason alone why he's worth a spot in your FPL side, of all the midfield players priced at £5.0m, none came close to matching his goal tally for 2017/18.

He's also a player who's able to find that killer pass to put a striker through on goal so expect a modest return of assists from the Cardiff midfielder too.

At £5.0m, priced in the same range as N'Golo Kanté and Nemanja Matic, Ralls may be that budget option that turns into a fantasy football gem.








Junior Hoilett - £5.5m

The Canadian has been an instant hit since arriving in Cardiff.

At 28, Hoilett is entering his peak as a footballer. He has proven Premier League experience and recorded 119 points in the 2011/12 FPL season for Blackburn.

One of Cardiff's most direct players, Hoilett gets in and among the goals, he netted 11 goals and made 11 assists in 50 appearances in all competitions last season.

Hoilett also has the advantage of being listed as midfielder, even though he operates in the Cardiff front three. This means he can earn extra points for goals and clean sheets.

At £5.5m and with Cardiff's first set of fixtures, Hoilett is definitely worth considering as a budget option if you want to allocate your spending elsewhere.






Nathaniel Mendez-Laing - £5.0m

One of Warnock's best pieces of business since becoming Bluebirds manager, Mendez-Laing was an instant hit, scoring five goals in his first month at the club following his free transfer from Rochdale.

Despite a season of good performances, Mendez-Laing failed to find his scoring boots for the remainder of the season, netting just two more goals.

Although an important player for Cardiff, Mendez-Laing's record in the final third probably doesn't warrant his inclusion in your FPL squad.

Furthermore, with Josh Murphy agreeing a move to Cardiff, the winger may be short of minutes this season and find himself on the fringes.





Callum Paterson - £5.5m

The goal scoring, Fortnite celebrating Scotsman has captured the hearts of fans since his arrival a year ago.

Initially signed as a full-back, the utility player scored ten goals and assisted his team mates on four occasions in his debut season.

At £5.5m, Paterson could be seen as a costly risk in comparison to players such as Aaron Moy and Marc Albrighton who have already proven themselves to be useful FPL squad players.






Aron Gunnarsson - £4.5m

The Iceman is one of two current Cardiff players who were with the Bluebirds in their inaugural Premier League season.

A favourite among the fans and Warnock — but may be not be a favourite among FPL managers.

Gunnarsson will most likely be swamped with defensive duties this season, which will limit the number of fantasy points for the Icelandic skipper.

For only an extra £0.5m, Ralls may be the more sensible option.




Anthony Pilkington - £4.5m

Another player who may struggle to find minutes on the pitch for Cardiff this season.

But the experienced Irish international has three seasons of experience in Britain's top tier which Warnock may find useful.

He scored on five occasions for Cardiff last season, an impressive tally for just 13 (largely substitute) appearances.

With just one year left on his contract, Cardiff may ultimately cash in on Pilkington to create funds for more acquisitions. Probably too great a risk.




Loïc Damour - £4.5m

Yet to score for Cardiff, Damour should probably be overlooked for your fantasy team. The Frenchmen suffers from being a defensive midfielder and often finds himself on the substitute bench.

He isn't one who will be picking many FPL points this season, even at the cheapest possible price of £4.5m.




Danny Ward - £4.5m

Another forward listed as a midfielder gives Ward the same advantage as Hoilett in being able to pick up a few extra points here and there.

The former Rotherham star had a bright start to his Cardiff career, but an injury sidelined him for three months of last season and limited his impact.

The versatile forward may have his positives in being able to acquire a few bonus points but expect most of his appearances to be off the bench.

Josh Murphy £5.0m

Cardiff's first signing of the summer transfer window, Murphy is a player who knows how to find the top corner of the goal as well helping his teammates put the ball in the back of the net.

Likely to feature prominently for Cardiff following his £11million pound move, the winger could be a diamond priced at just £5.0m.





FORWARDS

Kenneth Zohore - £5.0m

Just nine goals last season for Cardiff's Danish striker but Cardiff wouldn't be where they are without Zohore.

Undoubtedly a favourite of Warnock and with some kind fixtures to start the season, the centre-forward may start brightly with a goal or two.

Despite leading the line for Cardiff, Zohore is not Cardiff's main penalty taker which could result in a few missed points.

Also with the arrival of Bobby Reid , Zohore's place is up for grabs. However, as we saw when Gary Madine arrived, it could actually spur the Danish forward on.

Choosing Zohore is a gamble as is picking any striker from a newly-promoted club, however if you find yourself in the situation of only having £5.0m to spend, Zohore may be worth the risk as similar priced strikers such as Joselu (£5.0m) have not exactly set the goal scoring charts alight.

Kenneth Zohore of Cardiff City is tackled by Tommy Elphick of Reading (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)
Gary Madine - £4.5m

Rumoured to be on his way out of Cardiff just six months since his arrival, no goals in 13 appearances for Cardiff is an uninspiring tally for a FPL manager.

The former Bolton striker doesn't seem like a wise pick.





Omar Bogle - £4.5m

Returning from Peterborough after a loan spell that only saw him score one goal, Bogle will find minutes hard to come by.

Similar to Madine, the striker finds himself bottom of the pecking order in the Welsh capital and could be moving on to pastures new.





Bobby Reid - £5.5m

The new forward at the Cardiff City Stadium took the Championship by storm last season, finding the goal 19 times and playing an instrumental role in Bristol City's marvellous League Cup run last season — which saw them knock out Premier League giants Manchester United along the way.

With pace that will frighten defenders and an eye for goal, Reid will look to hit the ground running at his new club making him a possible inclusion for FPL managers looking for a bargain forward.

It is yet to be seen whether Warnock will accommodate both Zohore and Reid in his starting eleven.

It may be more beneficial to wait a few weeks to see if Reid becomes a starting forward for Cardiff.










Our top Cardiff City FLP picks

1. Sean Morrison — Could pick up points in both boxes and very affordable too.

2. Joe Ralls — A penalty-taker and able midfielder. Worth a punt at a cut price.

3. Junior Hoilett — Cardiff's most proven Premier League player, Hoilett will be at the centre of everything in attack.
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' IS CARDIFF CITY'S SQUAD WORTH THESE £MILLIONS? '

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Re: Cardiff City's Fantasy Premier League squad for 2018/19

Postby CaerphillyBluebird15 » Thu Jul 12, 2018 9:42 am

I've gone with Ralls & Morrison :ayatollah:
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Re: ' IS CARDIFF CITY'S SQUAD WORTH THESE £MILLIONS? '

Postby 2blue2handle » Thu Jul 12, 2018 12:04 pm

Ive gone for Morrison, Ralls an Zohore although I may change Ralls in the final squad.

Im planning on having Morrison as a starter with the other two on the bench
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