Hull City with Danny MacDonald | Correspondent Week ep. 7 | Planet FPL 2026/27

This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network. Can you just repeat that, Dan? How many incomes? At least 15-16. [Music] The fantastic sports show. Hello everybody, my name's James. Again, welcome to episode seven of Planet FPL Correspondent Week and this is our first one with one of the Promote Clubs. It is a correspondent week debut for Danny McDonald. How are you, Danny? I'm good thanks mate, how you doing? I'm not too bad, thank you mate. I've been given this podcast quite a bit of a big billing and I think it's probably going to look quite a bit different to some of the other podcasts we're doing this week because I haven't got a clue about most of this. And I think from your perspective, this is possibly going to be a lot of educated guesswork about a lot of the players and what the club might be doing in the next couple of weeks before the transfer window closes as well. Congratulations on promotion. We did a bit of your backstory on a fan view podcast after you won the playoff final against Southampton, puts a line for it, middle of the problem. But for those who haven't heard that, maybe just give the community a little bit of who you are. Yeah, in terms of self-being to a whole, God how many years now, about 20 years? I've been sporting the club since we played in the now equivalent of League 2. We were at Bufrey Park, one of the final seasons there, was when I started sporting the club and then yeah, I've been season ticket on and off based on life in terms of university and stuff that whenever I've been able to go I've gone. And yeah, season ticket currently for about four or five years in a row. It's been hectic, obviously with the ownership coming in, it's never been dull. But yeah, it's a good time. I don't know, it's been supporting the club. We've got your way in December on the weekend, it's my birthday. I can't wait. It's excitement is. It's a good place to go. Now I've been, I've been very lucky. My dad thinks hole is the best way day ever because he's only been twice. We won five, one and seven, one. I also unfortunately saw a winter one, one draw. That was a bit more scrappy without him. Five, one, seven, ones. He's not. Are we going to say a lot more of that, Danny, because people are putting two and two together with the squad as it stands at the moment plus. A lot of people keep referencing back to somebody underline data from the championship. Some of it suggests, never mind, should you have not got promoted. But maybe you should be playing League One Football this year. Go on. Give us the whole version. Well, I was looking out for the League on predictions, expectations, and they're going to do our discussion. Yeah, so going back to the pod that you referenced last year was very much a tale of two halves in terms of how we approached this season tactically. So the start of the season, it was very gung-ho. So it was sort of like, angible, if you can imagine it. We played a very open attacking style of football with the impression that we've got better attacking players than you were going to win the game. And that often worked. We won a lot of games 3-2. We had plays. It could deliver, like MacBernie, we had Gellhart coming in, plays at Crooks. They were all able to contribute, and it was a lot of fun. The reach of point though about half-way through the season, we played a game against Middlesbrough at home, and they just got any manager in Kim Helberg, and we got torn to shreds. We tried that approach. They were able to play through it quite easily. And since that point, we sort of shut up shop a bit more in games. We learned how to defend properly our penalty area. And I think the numbers still improve quite a bit in that second half of the season. So I do think there's a bit of a lag between what we were like the start of the year and what we are. So you were winning and your data was bad? It was bad. Our goals are actually again. So in games where we'd lose, we'd often get a few fun things, you know, get off days, and then the games were winning. It was quite tight. But we, to be fair, we'd usually dominate like the big chances, but we'd give a few more chances away, which were lower quality, but we'd give more of those on. So I assume that sort of accumulates the XG against from those ones. So yeah, it sort of added up to this bad picture. The Curavitch was in charge as the manager for all of that period. We've got that right. He was, yeah. He came in in the summer. So he's quite adaptable, therefore I presume it's fair to say. Well, what are we expecting now in the Premier League? Because you obviously got over the line with this more defensive structure. Those of us who watched the player final were still not emotionally recovered. It wasn't a great final in fairness. You played a backfrey. Yes. Didn't concede a goal in two semi-final games against Mirwell or in the final against Midasbrough. It worked for you. Is it, therefore, is it just obvious that it's going to be almost like funneling into a five four one off the ball here, or are we going to go back to being more adventurous? Or have you not got a choice at the moment? I think we'll touch upon it with the injury situation. I think if we had a perfect situation where all the plays were in Delights of Charlie Hughes were fit. I'd be almost certain we'd play back five just to give the full backs or the wing backs in this instance a bit more protection. In each preseason game, we've had to play back four and depending on incoming so much and that will probably what it looks like. With Yikiravich, it's important to note their last season we were under a sort of transfer embargo. We weren't able to pay any money all-own fees and we had a wage cap which basically meant the EFL had to oversee, which was like a time, that's why it's fine to come every deal we did. He didn't really get the ability to bring in his own players. We sort of had to do what we could with free agents and with loans from other clubs that didn't require a fee. He did the best he could and that's why it's sort of a minor miracle that we got promoted. To walls the end against the bigger teams who would play a back five more often than not, we did actually play the first leg of the playoffs with a back four but you sort of solidified it and then against Middlesbrough and Southampton, if you were to play that we'd always play a back five but it's very much opposition dependent and yeah, dependent on the tools and resources he's got available. The assumption would be as it stands at the majority of the league is obviously stronger than you. So the correlation would be we'd think back three slash back five. You would think. I don't know much. Okay. The owner is ambitious. Those who've been listening to other planet FPL content at the last couple of weeks will know I've kept saying to people, "I'm going to warn you about whole. I don't know what they're going to buy or if it's going to be good but they are going to buy. We will time stamp this as recording Monday afternoon because by the time this podcast goes out, choose the morning you may well have announced some new signings. It's going like that at the moment." But is that right? Are we expecting the owner to go mad? Yes. Okay. I would say so. So in terms of the window if we sort of phrase it like that, we didn't do much business in terms of spending before the start of August. There were some rumours that we were waiting for the first Premier League TV money to come in. Our own is not the most cash rich in that respect. So it does feel like things are picked at pace since then. Obviously we've got a lot of offers in at the moment and with the injury situation and the fact that our squad last year we were under an embargo. So if you're looking at the quality of the squad, we've got a lot of good championship experience in that. But when you compare it to a Coventry or an Ipswich, they've probably got a few more players who would be like, "Yeah, Premier League clubs might have taken a punt on them if it hadn't gone up in the summer. We don't have as many of those. We already had ground to make up anyway." So yeah, I do imagine we'll be seeing 15, 16 players, including the ones we've got already coming in. And the owner has referenced that in his list that you might have seen posted on Twitter. Can you just repeat that, Danny? How many incomes? At least 15, 16. I think, well, with the injury to Jack Butler and we'll touch upon who's basically out for at least half a year. Is your first choice, Danny? That's a pleasure, Drake. Thanks, you know. But he'll be, yeah, you can add another one to that. I reckon we'll end up 18, maybe, new players in total. So yeah, we're at seven currently. So I reckon at least in the first 11 or 12 coming in. It's a lot. And this is part why I'd born with this is in terms of the revealing stuff from an FPL perspective for Game Week 1. We are probably going to ultimately conclude with this with what would the team be as it stands and how many of that you think will still be in it basically for Game Week 3 after the transfer window has closed. What do you make of your your fixture list, Danny, is there anything to let us stood out to you? So I've been afraid every game looks tough. Yeah, it's great. So I think the first five, so we've got United at home, Coventry away, Villa at home, Phoenix Chelsea and Newcastle away. So I think on paper, it looks tricky big teams in there. I don't, I think there's some opportunity for a result somewhere. I think United first game at home, it's going to be a carnival sort of party atmosphere. It's 1230. we know the rules in a feel about 12 or 13 games. And everyone, it feels sort of, I know it's not free here, you don't get free in the Premier League, but it feels like one of those games where it's, you know, it's the big sort of Santa Piece occasion for us, and then we sort of get into the league season. So I don't mind this having them there, you know, it's a big occasion, let's see if the players can deliver. Coventry away, I know I've already touched from Benchvus to at some point, but it could suit us that game. I think there's pressure on Coventry and that one given their game weeks one and three, you've come picked two tougher games for them, so they probably need to get something against us and they'll have all the expectation, and we usually play better when the expectations office. So I do, you know, I think we can get something there. - When is the expectation gonna be on you, Danny? - Exactly, but I mean, that's very true, so I might work another way over throughout it, but I think against Coventry, looking at a game who were a newly promoted club, traditionally with newly promoted clubs, you say, okay, there's expectation on both sides still somewhat, you know, we've got two draws against Coventry last season, so that's where, you know, from our side. - I feel like we're on the other side of the way. - There were, from our fan base, there'd be a little bit of expectation against Coventry, but yeah, I think from the wider world, there wouldn't be any. So I think there's some opportunity there, and then Villa, you should play well away from home, I don't think. - We've got a booked mark message from our Slack community about what's gonna happen if you beat Villa. - Oh, I know, it'd be great. - Well, there in the period of transition, right, Chelsea, I'm, yeah, fearful of the game, it for, but Newcastle as well, there in transition with new managers like most of the league are, so I think against Villa and Newcastle, I think we've got a recent, we've got record at St. James's as well, haven't played there too often, but we usually do okay. So maybe there's a potential for sort of a win in one of those, hopefully, for able to get underway. I think six to nine in terms of the best run of this initial part of the season, that's the one we're looking at. We've got three home games, and then an away game at Fulham in that, and they're all, you know, if you wanna stay up, you need to win at least two hours. - Yeah, I think you're probably right, those three home games are Everton Brentford, and then it's switch before you then go to the Emirates in 10 trips to Fulhamers in seven. It does mean, it's very difficult, I think to pick up whole assets at the moment, but a lot of people are gonna wild card game week six and you walk into a four game week run now, but maybe you go, yeah, it's that 4.0 defender, or it's that attacking 5.0 midfield or something. It does feel it's a bit more like that. Maybe we'll come back and look at one or two players, might be interesting because you think maybe we'll start game week one and might provide some in terms of enablers for people. What I wanna do though, I think a bit differently to many of the other podcasts is, I'm gonna tell you the truth, Danny, I think of all the correspondant week podcasts I've ever done. I don't think I've had so little knowledge about a squad of players. And part of that is, I've not felt the desire to delve into it too much because it just feels like you're gonna make so many changes and I've kind of wasted my time a little bit. But a lot of these players are, as it stands, gonna end up starting game week one. So what I wanna do is have a run through our list of FPL assets by a position. So first and foremost, you mentioned Jack Bartland, as joined from Rangers swap with Panda, but Panda made a cock up for Rangers on Sunday, they had pissed off with him. And Bartland, after several numerous questions, where we had to tell people, no, he's not coming in as first choice. He's now injured long-term already? - Yes, it seems like he said a sort of freak accident with his arm. I don't know if he's broken it or done something, but he's out for a while. So I expect it's gonna be given a club trying bringing like a loan replacement. So you know, someone to sit on the bench because currently our third choice is Dylan Phillips. And with all respect, he's probably a mid-table league one, keeper. So we'll bring in cover there. I think that's fairly certain. But look, we brought a new keeper. - At the moment, Dylan Phillips is 4 million. At the moment, you would say that he's probably gonna be substitute game week one, if you haven't bought a goalkeeper by now. - Yep. - We're therefore very confident that Costantino Salakis is in and was bought as to be the number one anyway, right? - Yeah, by far. He's sort of a, could we see in the fan base to be able to get him? So he's, how did it make some notes on this? Because obviously we've got 70 new players. So he's 23. He's got a lot of experience. So he's played in the Champions League, Europa League. He won the conference the couple of seasons ago with an MPR cost. He's the Greek number one. And he's only 23. And also he's six foot four. So he's got a big frame about him. He, yeah, we played Frankfurt on Saturday in a friendly. And he started that game and he looked fantastic. So his distribution, one of the criticisms of Panda last year was that his distribution was not great. Whereas instantly, as soon as Salakis was getting the ball, he was playing sort of long-range passes. Some of his throwing was able to reach sort of like the halfway line and actually reach the player, which was nice. And he's, yeah, he's seen as a great, great newkeeper to have in. Also a decent penalty record as well. I think in that conference league, when he saves three penalties against Fenerbahce in one of the penalty shoots outs. So yeah, he's seen as sort of a massive upgrade on what we've got and also what we had last season. So yeah, very happy with him in. There is always one, I say always. There is normally one, at least, goalkeeper from the Premier League clubs who does very well. Robin Rose, last year. As the example came into the club, a little bit of an unknown prior, did really well for Sundan. The problem here though is, because all of your defenders are priced at 4.0. It's a bit easy. It makes it difficult to make the case to start with him when there are established keepers like Kinski for broken at the same price. But I would say that once monitoring, which is working against people going there at the start at the moment. Yeah, so that's exactly my fault process. So I've got a spot in my current draft for a 4.0 defender. And I think we'll touch upon it. I think our defenders in terms of death cons particularly will be fairly, let's say they'll perform strongly, I think, in that metric. So yeah, I'd probably air towards defenders at the moment, but he's definitely wants to keep an eye on in case, we do look solid and we're able to bring in good defensive reinforcements after the next couple of weeks. OK, and the other goalkeeper, I'm not familiar with Atal, Lottertula, who actually, if you click on his profile, I was actually in the top of the shirt. So I really should know something about him. I can't help you. I don't know. So he, yeah, he's signed as a U-flare from Spurs and he's been alone and he's currently alone at Cult Chester. So he's not in club club. So he should be flagged out. So people want like a 4.0 goalkeeper to sit on their bench who can't drop in price. You can go and get him. OK, interesting. Right. Let's move on to defenders. I'm going to go through these in order of ownership. I probably feel like the best way to do this first and foremost. So Matt target is the most owned at the moment. And I guess probably because to Premier League and FPL matches, it's probably the player that people know the most. He's on the losing side and the player will final against you for Midasburg. People be familiar with him, Newcastle, Southampton, I think Villa as well. Yes. He's joined as a left back, left-sided centre back, left wing back. All of you left. All of you left possibly. We're not sure. He's covered for Giles if we need it. So he's got a bit of Premier League experience, obviously, he's played for a lot of clubs. Giles is definitely the number one. So he's, I think, target-only featured in preseason so far against Frankfurt weekend. But Giles is to stand out number one there. But target sort of seen as the able deputy with experience to sort of support the dressing room as well. BANUS TUPLANA. Ah, listen, BANUS TUPLANA. Hokela Nontrismoessa is BANUS TUPLANA. Now, S.E.C.C. is going to be BANUS 10% more than BANUS. Okay, so the most don't even with your injury issues is possibly not starting anyway. Have I got this right? Yeah, I don't seem starting. Fine. Okay. Johnny Egan will be a name that's also familiar to people. Days at Sheffield, United. What can tell us about John? Lightly starter? So you missed a friendly on Saturday of an injury, but it was only a light knock. So I'd be surprised if he's not in the team for this weekend. We've got a friend against Nese at home. So he should be in the squad for that one. I would imagine he'll start a game at one. Even if we get a couple of the sensebacks that we're linked with, I don't see a world where he doesn't start. I'd probably come back to mind me, but I imagine he would be starting. But it's very much dependent on the amount of centrebacks we get in. So we are being linked with a couple more. I'm sure we'll touch upon Charlie Hughes in a second that we are delving into the market again. So there'll probably be enough of three centrebacks we'll probably buy. If you played a back free, would he be the centre of that? Yes. Okay. So yeah. I think a lot of people did watch the play off final. I think I'm really interested in Charlie Hughes. The player you just mentioned. Right? Ease flagged and he definitively injured. We know. Quite sure. How long for or do we know? No, so he basically the second half last year or the last couple of months he had a double hernia. So it sort of coincided with our defensive numbers worsening again towards the end of the season. He managed to come back in for the playoffs. We sort of nursed him to that point and he played the last three and then he had his operation. And since the operation has had a complication, I think it's something unrelated there, but basically it's an unknown timeframe and I'm always conscious not to be like you know, you don't get your hopes that they were coming back. It could be months to be almost and it's a big shame because he's our best defender. So that's why we're in the market looking for as many centrebacks as we are doing. Semi-adji. Lately to rotate with Egan, it might be opposition dependence. So if you're playing against a big tall centre forward, Ajay might come in instead of Egan. With United, I imagine it might be umboimo, a nurse escow could be there, but from what I've seen, I'd imagine it'll be Egan, but Ajay can you know, it might start the odd game. He's also got a really bad injury record. So it would not surprise me if he gets injured at some point in the next few weeks. He's fit at a moment now. He is, but with Ajay, he's fit for a few weeks and he's out for a few months. Is he the only fit centreback at the moment with the caveat that you think Johnny, you're going to be back for a weekend? Yes. Right. Okay. Giles, you're saying first choice left side, whether that's left back or left wing back? Yes, yes. Good potential asset in terms of what you can provide out put going forward. Definitely. We use on quite a few set pieces. We usually rotate them. It's not like a consistent set piece taker, but he is usually on corners and some free kicks. His returns are see were very good. I think he got seven, seven or eight assists and that's with the caveat that he missed a lot of the second half of the season with injury. He's yet to main outlet is the main creative outlet that we had last year. I know much and that'll probably be similar going forward, especially with a strike like with Bernie in the box. You want to get someone with Giles' sort of distribution in those positions to whip the crosses in. There's a lot of potential there for assists if we're able to get forward. Okay. Louis Coyle on the other side. He's a bit Marmite in the fan base. Currently he is set to start a coded drama who's the other right back we've got out injured for a few weeks and will likely miss skamic one. I think Coyle was always going to start, so he's the club captain. But in terms of Marmite, he's one of those figures where the fans are very much like who I'm not sure is, we could do better, for example. Whereas others are like, yeah, Coyle's great, for example. We will be looking at a right back. Apparently we were rejected from someone from AC Milan earlier a right back. You chose to go, I think you might have to Leon instead. But it does show that we're looking for one. It'll be a case where Coyle starts to season and if he let's say gets torn apart by Cunya or someone early on, it might be a case that any right back comes in fairly quickly. Okay, help me with this, my name I'm not familiar with at all. Caffel McCarthy. Yes, big potential. I think not in Forest of He's sniffing around them for a bit. Also, he'll probably go out on loan once we get the centre back covering, but he's one where it's, I think we buy it. Sorry, we bought him from a team in the Republic of Ireland league a couple of years ago and he's seen to have big potential, but probably not for this year. Paddy McNair, I am familiar with. There's a name, Manchinai, Sondaland, experienced. He's, yeah, I think he's injured or he got well, that just like, you know, you know, when they say, I like he is in the old one, McTavius or Palace Curse when he's in industrial, no, he's in industrial, it's quite nice, polite way to say, it's a bit shit basically. That big pause, Danny, told me all right, okay, fat. Yeah, I'll be surprised if he's still here. He'll be around the teams like a squad player, probably come off the bench, but if we're starting with him in game with one, then I think we're in trouble. Okay, and Matty Jacob is another player who's flagged at the moment. Yeah, he was out and loaned a bit towards last year. He's a whole sort of born and bred player, came for the academy, but I think you'll probably be let go at some point. Right. If FPL managers want to start with one of these current 4.0s, what would your choice be? Johnny Egan based on the idea you'll probably be back. So one good thing about our defence, and why it's probably important to look out for the players who sign there, is they get a lot of defensive contribution points. So last year I think I'll all send to back Zavrej over 10, and considering that's in the championship, you'd imagine that'll probably increase again in the Premier League. Charlie Hughes was nearly 20, I think, in the playoff final. I think it was, yeah. It's usual because we sit back a bit more, and like I said, we're not going to be the favourites in any of the games this year. We're going to probably be playing a bit deeper. So there's going to be a lot of clearances, that sort of thing, a lot of tackling. So I would be honestly, if you look at the end of the season, at the centre backs with the highest percentage of Defconnes, you know, percentage of games are cheap and a threshold. I'd be surprised if we weren't at the top, or a couple of them were up there, just because we'll be doing so much defensive work. Okay. There are all of your midfielders who are in at 4.5 bar, so anyone who wants to play off semi-final first leg at Millward have seen an absolutely brilliant goal from Mohamed Balloume. Lightly to remain first choice for you moving forward, and could this potentially be your talisman in the midfield? It depends because we're looking very lightly that we're going to be signing two more right wingers and two players. Right, I can't. Throwing board back to. So, yeah, basically, for context, I believe Sordead is medical, but with you two signing Leon Bailey, that's one of the ones where it might have already happened by the time this recording comes out. We're also looking at a play from Nisse called, I think it's Mohamed Ali Cho. He's a sort of young French right-winger. He was actually an Everton in his, I think, between 2015-2020, so in the youth set up, he's seen his very pace in direct. I think he scored four goals free assists in 26 games last year in Leagand. So the idea is those two will be competition for Balloume, maybe Ali Cho can play left wing as well. We are looking for a left winger there, but I'd imagine Balloume, if he does start, he'll probably get replaced on the hour. If Bailey comes in and starts, he'll probably get replaced fairly early on as well. Obviously, both for quite injury prone. So Balloume did his ACL a couple years ago and had periods out last year with a hamstring issue. Leon Bailey, I'm sure FPL managers are aware, he is fairly injury prone. So it'll be a case of managing them. So I don't see him starting. I'd probably start fairly over him, but even if he does start, he'll probably get replaced reasonably early in the second half. Okay, that doesn't sound promising then. What about the other five million? Hidimosa, Morita, that's one of your new signings, is it? It is. So he's, yeah, he came in. No, he isn't. It's brilliant. So he came in, it switched Ratchie and Frem, and the room was where he failed a medical, and then he came and signed for us instead. And now he's injured. Right, so not only did they nick Florentino, Luis, so it's, they've also give you some, okay. Yeah, but to be fair, he's a sort of player when he's fit. So hopefully in a couple of weeks, he will be fit. So maybe, you know, Coventry or Astember, he did play 50 times that season for sporting. He played in the UCL, played four games with Japan. He's, yeah, 31. He's seen a sort of like a defensive player, but he brings a lot of experience and sort of composure. So when he gets in the team, he will get in when he's fit. Hopefully it'll only be a couple of weeks. But yeah, I might, she'll be starting. Although I don't see him being amazing in terms of offensive output. We'll probably wait to see, you know, how is defensive contributions stack up? But yeah, I'm not too sure on that one at the moment. Okay, let's do the 4.5 midfielders quick fire then. So massive ownership in the moment for Regan Slayer, up to all blocking 2% owned. And you've also got, at a friendly at the weekend, the Matt Crooks played alongside him. I've got that right in midfield. Yeah, that's right. They're both 4.5 club them in together. What can you tell me about those two? Well, they're both fit, which helps. It's a label to play. Yeah, no, this was very much the midfield to, when we played midfield to, it was usually those two. When we had a free in the middle, we'd often, we had a couple of players on loan, so one of them would sort of complement them to Slater, I think, will start most games this year unless we make substantial changes in the transfer market. Matt Crooks, I'm a bit less confident on. Slater's very energetic. He's one of those sort of, I don't know if that docs in midfield, if you call it, would just run everywhere, put all the hard work in. He should have probably scored a few more than he did last year. He missed, it was sort of a running joke in the fan base. He missed so many chances and then he scored a few really nice goals, so he should have probably done a bit better on that front than he did. I imagine he'll probably do well in deathgones, but he'd probably be the 4.5 to choose. Crooks, he'll probably be a bit more of an impact player, he's great for the dressing room. He's got a lot of experiences played at like middles, throws and the MLS for a little bit. He's a big guy, I think, over six foot, but he'll probably be sort of turning. to a player where, you know, if we need a goal, bring him off the bench for a bit more height in the box and hope it learns to him. - I just got realized you've got loads more five million midfields actually. We don't go any ownership, that's what I've missed them off. I'll come back to them. It's, so I think the ownership there is correct. Anyway, Slater over Crooks. He's correct in terms of where the ownership is at. If you know, I can't remember which one he said, he's the one with the ownership at the moment of the two. So Slater is a 4.5 as, I guess he's the most likely 4.5 million midfielder in the game at the moment start game week one. - Yeah, he'll definitely start. - So he's a reasonable pick up as it stands. - Yeah, I'd say so. You know, he's gonna be a two pointer if we keep a clean sheet somehow. He'll kind of run and then he could do well with Defcon. So I haven't looked at the numbers, but from sort of the I test watching him play, he does point himself about what I bet. So I imagine he'll probably do quite well. There will be people who want a 4.5 million midfielder and only care that he plays. And maybe in some cases only care that he plays game week one because they want it as part of a bench person. They just want to leave that structure long term. So that feels safe-ish at the moment, subject ownership going mad. Right, I'll finish off from these 4.5s, we're doing quick fire. Kieran Dow, the supplier that people might know. - Yeah, hopefully if he's in the squad or in trouble at the start of the year, he isn't amazing. - He's quite highly rated when he's young. - He was, but I think he went to Rangers. He didn't do great there. He came in as a free transfer in January. And he had one decent appearance for us. It was the final day against Norwich. He came off and did a job, but he's not ready to do anything. I know he's got a couple in preseason, but I don't see him playing in the Premier League. - Okay, Oscar Zambrano injured and likely to go out on loan. He's sort of won for the future. So we had him on loan at the club a couple of seasons ago. He got suspended for a doping violation back in Columbia or Ecuador. Can't remember which one. These, yeah, Adjun, our own at Owens Murray Ball as well. So he signed him for Murray Ball and then with the viewers given him towards, essentially. And he's seen his won for the future. - Oh, sounds like a good night out. Elliot Matalzo. On his second ACL in two years. - Oh, God. - He signed for us in January 25. Played a couple of games. Looks really good to be fair. We played away at Sunderland and won that Zoday when not by the playoffs. And he completely bossed the middle, did his ACL. And then he came back against, I think it was Charles and a couple of games was in the year, last 10 minutes and did his other ACL. So he's, it's really sad stories. It's the young guy as well. And he's probably the midfielder when we signed him. It was like, yeah, he's gonna be the big sort of midfiel presence else we've been needed, but he's just had some horrific luck. - Okay, let's get more depressing. All right, let's go back to five more five million midfielders. One, I know, feels very low. 0.1% Liam Miller. - Yeah, so he, this is a chance he starts game at one, but we signed Elliot Stroud, who's a left-sided player from Sweden. He played also all the World Cup games for Sweden in the US. So I would imagine he might come in, but there's maybe 40, 50% chance he starts. He does a lot of running. He looks very, he's one of those players. He looks really good on the ball until he actually has to deliver any end product. And then when it's in a case of putting the ball into the box, I have in a shot, it's quite sporadic. So we probably need a bit more consistency there. So I probably wouldn't go with him to be honest. - Okay, fine. There were three others listed at five million, Omer, Kamara and Akintola, at any of them worth discussion. - No, well, Kamara's left to join ports for this morning. - Thanks, I feel like that. - Akintola, for context, he was left out of the 25-month squad for the second half of last year. And that's when we're in the championship under an embargo. So that's probably as much chance as he'll have. A nurse played all right in preseason. So he came in when being received here. And he actually played well. He came in during the January window. And he played really well. But then when we had Tim Walter who came in, you might remember when Riseania got sat. We brought in this absolutely crazy manager who sort of ruined everyone's confidence. And I don't think he's fully recovered from that. But he's like, "That person's name wasn't Liam Riseania. Chelsea Pat would be very shot." - I know Riseania was actually very unlucky, I think when he got sat by you. - Yeah, he had a lot of resources, but the fans weren't particularly happy. But yeah, and he looks bright. He's looked good in preseason. He might get an opportunity, depending on the state of the squad. But I wouldn't go in there. But he's probably the most slightly out of the three. - Okay. There are, we've nearly done the lot here, everyone. There were two forwards in the game. Tell me about Ennis Destan. - He's injured. He's full of confidence. - Goosey's injured, that, eh? Goosey's injured. - I'd say what, we start buying the players, you've got a valuine, be our feeder club. You begin to sound like it, Danny, just from injuries. - We are genuinely in the past two years. I've not seen a club. I'd run a par, if not worse, I suppose. - Yeah, I've not seen a club except for Spurs. Yeah, continue. - Well, I've seen the luck you've had, but we had like two years ago, we had three ACLs. And yeah, it's horrific. Yeah, he said. - I've had four in the last two years. We've had, well, technically we've had four if Matazo counts twice, because he's the next one. - And all happening games, Radhu Dragoshin, James Madison, Wilson, Audubair and Javi Sevens. - Yeah, we've had, yeah, we've all had horrific luck. It's not been great. - Probably all beyond loan at whole in January, quite possibly, Radhu Dragoshin won't season Italy. Okay, right, so 4.5 million forward, not getting minutes unavailable. Oli McBurdy. - Yes. 5.5, hero in the playoff final. I guess part hero of much of your season as well. Is he gonna stay the nine longer term in your view at the moment? - Yes, I use the Tally's man of the team. The team is set up to wall team completely. So when we talked about Giles, it's delivery. Everything is geared towards getting the ball in the box for him. Yeah, is the complete Tally's man. I don't see Tim being sort of userat. This year, I see that's injured. He's great value. So across the all competitions, our series scored 19 goals and he got seven assists. He's on penalties completely. Yeah, everything's directed towards him. It's very much the Oli McBurdy show in this squad at the moment. So if you want a complete Tally's man, then you probably won't find him more complete one than him. - Well, I feel like if we're looking at the 5.5 million forwards from the Ferrari clubs at the moment, he feels like the most sensible choice from just a position of stability. Knowing his on pens, knowing his Lardley's stairs, the number nine, et cetera. Sinek's would say we've seen him at this level and he's never really like to score Premier League goals regularly at Premier League level. But he's obviously a more experienced player now. He, when Anges first season played Chef tonight really early in the season, they were pretty bad. He gave Fander van all sorts of trouble. Like McBurdy beat him to everything in the air. Been never really like him to score. So I guess that's what the fantasy managers will want to know. If I'm going to rely on this and because his Tally's man, you should probably play it both games. He's that worthwhile at 5.5. - I think he is. So when we signed him, he was at Las Palmas, sorry, he just left them. And he's matured a lot, I think, since he was us in the Premier League. So his personal life, I believe he's got kids now. He's settled down. He was definitely a bit more of a wild child if you call it and he's young good times. He's definitely matured a lot more. This is the best football he's played in his career. And I think he's always wanted that opportunity to come back and prove himself. He's, I think he did score six goals in that second or the last season. He was then at a Premier League and he didn't play too many minutes. He's got a lot better. He was very efficient last year. His conversion rates were fantastic. And he sort of takes on that responsibility and that challenge. He sort of embraces it. So it's very much like, I want all the pressure, I want to deliver. And that's when you saw, you know, in the 95th minute, against Middlesbrough and the final, it was very much like, yeah, it was gonna be much burning. And it was very much, yeah, he's the sort of big man here. So I think he'll do better. He'll be a big physical presence for centre-backs to deal with, but also he will, you know, when he gets a chance, I do fancy him to come back. Do you think you'll start him? He's been in most of my drafts. The only issue I've got is, you know, he's that look to write, I think, to you today. It's slightly different. And a price there, Danny. A little bit. So it's about moving funds about, I still need, it's difficult for price funds. Because you go in, obviously, you want with a Cabriel or a few Premier midfielders that not Premier, but mid to Premier midfielders. And it is quite difficult. I do think it's probably likely I will have in it, yeah. - Okay. Is there anyone that's part of the club now that's not on this list of FBL players that we should cover off? - No, sorry, that's currently the club. No, I think it's very much all about who with the new son is going to be in with him there. Any good? - Okay, we'll come back onto that a second. Is there anyone we've not mentioned [BLANK_AUDIO] also injured because it's a long bloody list at the moment. There was a tweet which summed up, where is it? I don't think so. I think we've covered it all. Oh, Monofini signings felt it's growing, but that's fine. Hey, we're crossed. You can make your own straight. Right. Okay. Based on no new signings, whatever you've got right now, what would be the team going with one against Manchinai? It's a B. Sulakis and go, it'll probably be a four, three, three. He had the coil, a gyre, egan, some match, he'll be fed a gyles, a slater. I imagine Darle will be fed as a new signing here to Darle. Elliot Stroud has played in the middle before, so I don't know much and he might go in there and a front free of Balumi Miller and Matt Barney. If on Dough and Stroud, we were to get pricing up 4.5 midfielders. I'm assuming. Not too sure on Stroud. Okay. But it didn't, it's, it's, it's got like an amazing goal scoring record in Sweden from, is it left back? Yes. So he's played left wing back there. So I think he's very much just, you know, when described as a left side player, so he can play anywhere down it. I think he scored, how many did he score? He scored 10 in 28 in the Swedish league last year and I believe he was classified as a defender. So he very much sort of broke the game there. He's a big, he's six foot one, he's big, you know, athletic player. And there's every chance given the vagueness about where he starts, so he could be classified as a defender. If he comes in as a 4.0 defender, I think there's a reasonable chance he plays left wing for us. Listen, I'm a teller, FPL right now. If you price any whole defender at 4.5, you're 10 to peace. Yeah, exactly. So if he comes in as a 4.0 defender, he'll be, yeah, my 4.0 of choice definitely. Would he be, if he's a midfielder, would it be your 4.5 midfielder of choice? Yes. Overslater. Yeah, I'll tell you so. He's seen, like, the fans were already sort of drawing comparisons that he's sort of like a Swedish later, but I think he's got more end-products based on his statistics. And he has played, you know, a World Cup, you know, Sweden or a decent team. He played all the games that he's got a record of scoring goals, albeit not the Premier League. But yeah, I'd probably go with him on this later. So not there's all Swedish people are dreamed of being regained slater. Danny is, Danny is just given that comparison. Okay. Right. So just repeat that midfield for us again. On the free. Slater, dull and strailed. Yeah. And in front free. Miller, Blooming, Bernie. Oh, Miller, Miller, Blooming, Bernie. Okay. Fine. Of that 11, how many of that do you think you're really confident? We'll start game week one. So I did note down a predicted team based on who I think will come in. So I've never got one, two, three, four, five, six. So about half a team, I'd imagine. Who's the six? So Chalacus and Gole would have coil. I think Egan to start with joils as well. We'd have Slater, Darl and Bernie. That's right. So at the moment that really does fall into the line of goalkeeper, Egan, I think. I'd say Joel's straddle, guessing could maybe play that side as well. And Matt target also can. I've probably avoided that area. So Egan Slater at the moment without seeing Strauss price and where he's out. And Bernie. Yeah, I wouldn't flag his well. I did leave Strauss out of that one, but it'll be 50/50. So with you, that Ali Cho player is doing just in the case he plays left wing. But I think it'd be 50/50 to be honest. Strauss could still play that one as well. Okay. I'm going to reverse the question to what you think I'm about to ask you and say, where won't you buy? Golekeeper. Obviously, we'll need a cover one, but in terms of starting, we won't get a new keeper. Left back sorted. In terms of starting play, Bernie will start. But the issue we've got here is we need a lot of depth. So obviously when you go through a season with a transfer embargo, we're able to use loan players who've gone back and free agents to supplement the squad that we had. That was all right for like a first 11 and then the players coming in and out, we were able to sort of get over. It's almost like we need an entire new sort of layer of player to add to a depth. So in terms of where we won't be buying left back. And I think we'll probably, this will chance for bringing players for every other position, whether they start or not or are just depth going into the season. Okay. What man's tonight players, you think you're starting with? Defensive for Go Bruno. I don't think Bruno looks at his numbers. I think 12 is a bit steep. I think they'll put him in there because they needed someone to be within the realms of Harlan's prize. And I think he's probably about Ambillion over and Unbuehmo and Kunya might go with them to potentially to try and offset it just from like sort of strategic play. I did it before with Liverpool when they had Sala. I think I had a couple of airs or mid-priced midfielders that went with Harlan as well. And that worked quite well to go against it. So I'd probably go and buy my own Kunya just to be in a strategy play. You are recording with me prior to the release of episode four of Correspondent Week. You may revisit that. Okay. He's the best captain game week one. That's three phase that question. In the game, it'll be, well, I'm going to Harlan and I think he's probably the best captain. Okay. Over Bruno again, sure. Yeah. Bruno might get a penalty. We know what Bruno's like. What would you say to those who are intending to heavily play and back commentary city defensive assets for a game week two bench boost? What's the whole view on that? I see why people are saying, okay, I want to get rid of a bench boost. I personally think there is value in given it's quite cheap the price in this year. We obviously see a lot of strikers around the six range, a lot of cheap midfielders. If the value comes later on, I am tempted to hold for that. But if you want to get rid of it, then it looks like a fixture if you want to put a load of cheap defenders on the bench, then yeah, go for it. The only issue I'd say with that is you've very likely not seen Coventry Play before. That's a very bad. Probably getting battered by Arsenal on Friday. Before the Dover team, it's a case of Coventry were obviously the best team last year. They were fantastic and they distilled in score a goal against us and we were under a chance for a bug. So given the margin for improvement within the teams, I'd say it's easier for a whole as a team to bring players in and have an improvement in the squad levels and Coventry because they're already at that higher level. So I think it's risky, especially it seems like this bit for rotation, potentially, with Bobby Thomas or so in a friendly. It's, yeah, they can obviously go for it for a get rid of it early on, but I think there's every chance we could score in that one. We actually have quite a good record against Coventry as well. I think there's only one in nine against us. I think we've got a better record at the CBS and then since the start of the 2020 season as well. Do you read anything into the two new and no draws? The same two managers. I don't know if the person that was going to be different, but is there anything to read into that? Potentially. So the first game, it was the first game of the season actually last year and we asked the team I looked at the other day. It was like Jesus Christ. We didn't have a Furny just signed and we had a few youth players playing play so on at the club. Yeah, I think Coventry dominated, but we were able to get a draw there. The second game at the MKM, so it was at a time of the year, Coventry hadn't won promotion, but there were a few games away from it, so you could argue, no, this was playing a part. But we were the better team. I remember going away thinking we should have probably got a result. Yeah, those were the two games there. They're quite tight the second one. I imagine this one might be a bit more open because like I said before Coventry, we've sit in Arsenal, you know, City in Friars in one. They'll need to probably get something and we play better when we're on the countertaps. If they leave space and we've got players like Leon Bailey in a Stroud or Alicote, you decide who a quick on transition, we could potentially hurt them. That's my thing again. Danny, brilliant stuff mate. You've enlightened the FPO community onto 90% of the name Z, absolutely no clue about. Now you know who all these whole City players are until the next batch. Danny's going to be back on with us for Correspondent Week. A head of that important Game Week 4 fixture at Chelsea. It's cleared up. A lot of people at the moment are looking to captain, probably a Chelsea player, and possibly a gelpejo against ourselves in Game Week 4. We may feel completely different about that when we get there. We also may not. What Danny does a good season look like for us? - Oh, stay not. I think that's very much just a target. Obviously, if I'm actually as well, if you stay up, it's worth a lot more. And I think, you know, that it might look a bit silly or naive coming at this point, but it's probably the best season to get promoted into just because of the amount of chaos and change happening in the league. There's every chance that one of the clubs that are, potentially, between like 17 from last season, could drop off. - Might just be the team that finished 17th the last two years, Danny, you know, no, no. - I don't think so. I think you're spending up to avoid that for this year. - Well, it's not spending the last couple years, Danny. I will remind you. - You got a better manager as well. Okay, with that one. But there's, there's teams, you know, seen before like full-ones, you're born, you don't know. All you need is one bad managerly appointment for the most teams and they could be in for a lot of season. And that's what we've got to hope for. - Okay, what's the opposite? What's a bad season for a whole? - Being embarrassed, probably say. But the expectations, you know, if we go down as this widely discussed, as long as we put a good show for ourselves and I think the fans will be, you know, be fine with that. Staying up with the amazing, as long as we're not getting absolutely destroyed. - Everyone. - Is the worst season people mentioned you in the same conversation as Darby County? Is that the worst case scenario? - That'd be a bit small, but I don't think we'll get that. Like we're gonna end up having spent nearly 120, 150 million quid by the end of the window. The players were bringing in the young, the fitter, so an athletic profile that Sergei likes to play with in terms of team players. And we'll have a bit of experience there as well. So I think we'll do more for that. It's just whether we can fight, or not put enough of a challenge to stay in their division. - Danny, good stuff. I wish you the very best of luck. Great correspondent, week, debut. Is there any whole content or Twitter accounts or anything like that? You'd wanna flag as a recommendation for people whether it's a journalist or something like that? - So the local journalists, it is Baz Cooper and this Mike White, there's one of them's the BBC Journal, and one of them's the Haldane email, which is the local journalist. They're the ones who have produced all the content on that. And there's a couple of fan podcasts as well. I think that's a whole and back podcast. One that I listen to is quite good. So yeah, if you want a bit more information, probably recommend those resources. - Good stuff. Go Tigers. Thank you, Danny. - Right, next up on the final podcast, day two, a correspondent week, it's Lee Jackson, joining me for a conversation on Ashton Villa, batting the champ is there you go after there, you rope a league victory, you got a super cut final to look forward to, but a few of their key players have left. That's next up on Correspondent Week. Danny, thanks very much. Be nice to each other and once smash it like it, a sub button, see you in a bit. CUMEUS, it please, man, shout. (upbeat music) ♪ The fantastic football show ♪