Taking a wild guess, anyone can say that most managers have already had their first FPL draft for the 24/25 season. Some are probably even in their 3rd or 4th draft. And if you’re one of them, congratulations, you have a whole community doing the same. That brings us to our micro study of some of the defensive assets of Newcastle United.
The Toon Army finished 7th last season and were on course for a consecutive European football run, but Manchester United‘s FA Cup win dumped that possibility. Let’s not be greedy, but that probably works for the FPL managers as there will be fewer fixtures, and fewer risks of your prized possessions getting injured. Alexander Isak is already one of the most selected players in the game with almost 56% ownership. But which assets will fetch points from the other side of the field? Let’s dive into it.
Starters v Fringe
Looking at the roster, the first necessary step is to weed out the potential starters from the fringe players. The starters list will have, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Fabian Schar, Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall, Jamal Lewis, Lloyd Kelly, and Emil Krafth. For now, we’ll keep Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles out of the equation due to their injuries.
So who’s nailed on?
The only two names sure to start are Schar and Burn. The centre-back duo will start for Newcastle at least for the initial games in the season. Lloyd Kelly can have a solid claim to that, but as of now, he has played none of the preseason games, so don’t expect him to be match-fit in the primary game weeks. If you’re looking to save money, Dan Burn is the man to go with. At £4.5m, the towering CB is 1m cheaper than his partner in the heart of the defence.
But what Schar brings is the goal threat. His customary long-range efforts every season are something to cheer for on your way to 6 points.
Burn v Schar stats
In 32 starts last season, Burn scored 97 points compared to Schar’s 123 thanks to his 4 goals and 3 assists. On the bonus count, the Swiss international also outscores Burn by 12 to 4. So extra investment on Schar is reasonable enough with the fixtures Newcastle will have. In the opening week, Newcastle will face Southampton home, followed by Bournemouth away, Tottenham home, Wolves away and Fulham away.
Livramento
Kieran Trippier would’ve been the only premium option from the Newcastle defence, but his links to Saudi Arabia take away from his allure. So, at right black Livramento is a sure choice. His £4.5m value makes him one to watch. If Trippier leaves, the number of Livramento’s starts will increase from his 12 in the previous season. Is he the most attractive prospect? Probably not.
Lewis Hall
However, the potential left-back for Newcastle this season could be Lewis Hall. The Chelsea graduate played both of the friendlies and scored from a long-range effort. Selected by only 0.7% of managers, he’s your differential from this defence. His 1.2 shots per 90 put him in the 90 percentile fullbacks in the top 5 European leagues. His 5.3 progressive pass is also in the top bracket for defenders, so he’s not a wild punt after all.
Emil Krafth
That leaves us with Emil Krafth, who played in the centre of the defence last season and is mostly an option from the bench.
Conclusion
So, with everything considered, you’d probably want to go with Fabian Schar or Lewis Hall, but just keep your eyes open for the friendlies.
