Which players do we think are due to break out (or bounce back) this season?

Yes, I have a fantasy draft coming up tomorrow, but always like to look back at specific predictions to see how on the ball we still are as a thread.

Benrahma has looked good in pre-season and is likely to get more starts this season. I think he's a decent punt.

skipp (not a fpl option tho), benrahma, buendia, olise, firpo, ait-nouri

Harvey Barnes has looked super dangerous. I just have a uncomfortable feeling he's going to get injured.

As I said earlier, Ferran Torres. Firpo at Leeds. With Fofarna out for the season, Amartey is the best 4.0 although it'll be interesting to see what happens with Shane Duffy at the same price with a CB spot going spare at Brighton.

As of today I would go:

Chelsea
United
City
Pool
Leicester
Arsenal
Spurs
Leeds
Everton
Villa
West Ham
Brighton
Newcastle
Wolves
Southampton
Burnley
Brentford
Palace
Norwich
Watford

Think Arsenal and City both have a big signing left though.
Odegaard and Kane being most likely.

So we are going to sell Kane but not make a big signing with our >100m fee?

I think it is pretty mental to put Arsenal above us even with our issues. Arsenal just look like total dogshit and they will be lucky to finish top half.

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I think Leicester, Arsenal and Spurs are basically even. You can't find a point total on Spurs this week because of Kane drama, but before that they were all between 58.5 and 61 (with Arsenal highest).

I think Arsenal adding Odegaard is a bigger improvement than Spurs swapping Kane for Lautaro.

But, there are a *lot* of reasons to be down on Arsenal right now that are very valid!

I do fully expect us to have a new signing before Brentford on Friday. The problem is it will be a backup goalie and we have basically only been linked with Ramsdale for ~35 million which I do not like at all.

It feels like Leicester has opened up a gap. They are much better managed on and off the pitch. Quietly doing smart business early and not losing any key players. They have obvious disadvantages that will make sustained over performance like this very difficult, but for now they have a good head start. They need to run okay on injuries (not off to a good start there) and not bottle in May for once.

Romero is an exciting signing for us. Gil is for the future really. Lots of talk about other deals and good things, but I’m not buying any of it because we have heard it all before. We still only have 1 striker and he is trying to leave. We have two RBs that seem inadequate. Tanguy has gone missing. Lucas has once again been one of our best players in preseason and will get yet another look. But even with all that, we have a solid core with Son/GLC/Hojbjerg/Romero/Lloris, so if a few of these other guys can make it work we could be in with a shout for 5th and maybe even 4th if one of the current top 4 blows up (totally possible and probably even somewhat likely).

All good shouts...thanks, guys.

Doesn't seem like Firpo has actually done that much in the past few years, but if there's any situation where he'd thrive, it's gotta be Leeds w/Bielsa.

Heard the possibility of Ferran playing a lot of matches as false 9 this year, which is pretty intriguing.

As for us, Onana makes so much sense. Not sure why we haven't gone after that harder. I'd certainly welcome Odegaard at this point, but considering how gutted Madrid's squad is, not going to get my hopes up too much that they'd let him go now of all times.

what mw said. If we can somehow replace Kane with Vlahovic and lauruto, id fancy us to at least finish above Lester.

Only if we sell Kane and don't replace him do I see us finishing below Arsenal.

Those guys have to hit the ground running though. Son always outperforms xG but last year he did it by 6.5.

On the other hand Vardy and Aubameyang are older and coming off down seasons.

Basically a ton of question marks in that next group. A lot of performances needed by guys who might have 0-2 solid years left.

It looks like levy's play is to get Lautaro and then consider the Kane situation.

If signing Lautaro convinces Kane to stay, then we go next season with Son - Kane - Lautaro and top 4 becomes a 5 horse race. If Kane is adamant he's leaving, then we take £120m from City and get Vlahovic.

If we don't get Lautaro, then it will probably take a huge bid from City to convince Levy to sell.

The overall point is that money is relative in this situation. £100-120m for Kane might be low, but if by taking that deal you have the chance to replace Kane with two of the best young forwards in Europe in this summer, you have to take it.

I will bet my left nut there is no world where spurs end up with both kane and lautaro

Can someone post the vigfree point totals?

that read like some fanfiction. Kane + lautaro? lautaro + vlahovic? Is it the same Levy and same Tottenham we are thinking of?

120m GBP for a 28y old Kane with bum ankles is not low.

No world?

Assuming the win based on string theory, pm for left nut posting details.

Should be easy money for you since you can get tottenham +1.5pts at evens on the market. Maybe the market don't think you will keep Kane, buy Martinez and somehow end up taking Vlahovic as depth?

Im really down on us this year, but can see Pepe having a decent season should he not get constantly benched.

We should be aming for top6 but with the current squad I dont see it. We are desperate for a striker (I still rate Laca, but he wont get a new contract) /creative midfielder.

I was sooo looking forward to offloading Xhaka and not seeing him run back for the ball to our own half and passing it sideways or a dangerous pass back to the keeper.

Also many of you suggested than the Ben White signing was legit and the guy got the runaround against our preseason NLD by Moura and Son. I dont like it at all.

Im not hopeful. If we dont get a goalscorer+midfielder we are ****ed royally. Auba forgot to play footy since he put pen to paper. Does not seem like he cares too muvh either.

I can get with all the negativity other than not liking Ben White so far. Honestly don't get it at all.

Lokonga looking good. Pretty sure he will partner Xhaka until Partey is back.

We really need a striker though (and obviously an AM). Auba looks hopeless.

What don't you get about Ben White?

this

Add me as Chelsea fan please!

Table predictions

Chelsea
City
United
Liverpool
=========
Leicester
=========
Tottenham
Villa
Arsenal
West Ham
Leeds
Newcastle
Everton
Palace
Wolves
Watford
Brighton
Norwich
=========
Southampton
Burnley
Brentford

Hassenhuitl first to get fired as Southampton continues to look woeful, Burnley also regresses into looking like a sludge pond.

Breakout:
Smith-Rowe
Barnes
Mahrez
Bamford (He's gonna keep ascending with his accommodating pieces more pegged, I predict 23 goals)

Bounce back:
Saint-Maximin (if he ever sees the pitch)
Jimenez (does it count as a bounce back when the only reason you plunged was a skull fracture)
Dele Alli (no Mourinho, unleash the baked beans)

Arsenal don't need a striker, they just can't play Auba as a winger and have Laca drop deep over and over.

One watched the highlights of the spurs game but from reddit to podcasts everyone seemed to say White was good

but seriously it seems like every year since i followed EPL theres a guy where someones like "hey now that mourinho doesnt coach this team anymore look how good they look"

in what universe this year is that somehow not dele alli.

7 goals 12 assists lock it up.