GW10 BRIEFING · THE ASSISTANT MANAGER
Generated 11/3/2026, 3:21:56 PM
The Verdict
HIGH CONFIDENCE- Captain:
- Haaland
- Vice:
- Barry
- Formation:
- 3-5-2
- Transfer:
- Roll, bank the free transfer for GW11.
- Bench order:
- 1. Muharemović 2. N.Jackson 3. Thomas GK: Davies
- Confidence:
- HIGH
Captain Call
CLEARCaptain
Haaland
Vice
Barry
Nearly Barry instead: Haaland projects +0.5 ep higher this week.
The Chairman's Shortlist
Currently leading the table.
5 points clear of Maeda @ ITFC
Before You Lock It In
Still Live
- • De Cuyper starts in place of Muharemović, free points gain, no transfer cost.
- • Groß comes into the shape alongside the shape shift to 3-5-2, N.Jackson drops to the bench.
- • Barry is vice-captain at home to Coventry City with Everton strong favourites, straightforward fallback.
Check Before Deadline
- Confirm Thomas is fit or pull him from the bench order before deadline.
- Monitor team news for both Chelsea assets away at Sunderland, Rogers and Palmer share the fixture.
The Room
Dr. Rachel Okafor
Thomas is at fifty percent, the file is clear, he cannot be trusted for a meaningful contribution and the bench order must reflect that.
Arjun Sharma
Haaland projects 6.06 points, the alternative 5.53. The gap is 0.53 points. I have a chart.
Klaus Brandt
Bank is 0.9 million and squad is healthy. You do not spend the free transfer when there is no upgrade that clears the bar. This is correct husbandry.
Jimmy MacLeod
De Cuyper home to Brentford against Muharemović home to Spurs, I trust my eyes, and these are not the same fixture.
The room backed holding the transfer and keeping Haaland as captain; MacLeod pushed back on the shape change, outvoted.
Worth Watching
Jimmy MacLeod
Three positions flagged this week, I have been tracking a couple of Arsenal assets and a Brighton pair who keep cropping up in the scouting book.
£5.9m · 47.9% owned
Arsenal at home to Hull City, strong favourites at 1/7 to win, Calafiori is the premium hold in that defensive unit and the fixture does not get much kinder than this.
£7.4m · 12.4% owned
Same Hull City fixture, same clean sheet opportunity, and Rice is owned by only 12.4% of managers, a genuine differential with a flat-out easy draw at home.
£7.4m · 5.7% owned
Havertz at home to Hull City at 5.7% ownership, if Arsenal put four past them, someone has to score it, and the book says it might as well be him.
The Squad
3-4-3 · £102.2m
Behind the decision
CONFIDENCE: HIGH
Ten gameweeks in. The squad is healthy. We hold and we shift.
THE CALL
Shape changes to 3-5-2. De Cuyper starts. Muharemović drops to the bench. Free points, no spend required.
Hold all chips this week. Next up: Triple Captain in GW16. Triple Captain: hold for GW16, 7.98 projected points (Haaland) against 6.06 projected points this week (Haaland). It expires after GW19.
FORMATION
3-5-2, Luca's recommendation, sound enough. The extra midfielder improves the floor without touching the bank.
STARTING XI
Raya (Arsenal at home to Hull City, FDR 2), Arsenal strong favourites at 1/7, clean sheet probability genuinely meaningful here. Nailed.
Van Hecke (Spurs away at Leeds, FDR 3), market has this near level, no clear favourite. Decent form, holds his place.
Hill (Bournemouth away at Ipswich Town, FDR 2), Bournemouth favourites, kind fixture. Hill's attacking numbers are building quietly; xA of 0.9 this season says he contributes without the noise.
De Cuyper (Brighton at home to Brentford, FDR 3), MacLeod filed an objection about this swap: "De Cuyper home to Brentford against Muharemović home to Spurs, these are not the same fixture." He is not wrong. The projection edge is what settles it. De Cuyper comes in.
Mbeumo (Man Utd at home to Aston Villa, FDR 3), market has Man Utd as favourites at 5/4. Mbeumo has four goals this season and his underlying numbers have room to grow. Stays.
Rogers (Chelsea away at Sunderland, FDR 3), Chelsea favourites at evens in an away fixture that looks manageable. Five goals this season, though the underlying xG suggests he has been running warm.
Palmer (Chelsea away at Sunderland, FDR 3), same fixture, different ceiling. Palmer's output is beginning to line up with his numbers. Away trip to Sunderland is the kind of game Chelsea should be controlling.
Groß (Brighton at home to Brentford, FDR 3), comes into the shape with the shift to 3-5-2. Groß has six assists this season and Brighton's clean sheet probability at 36% adds a defensive floor. Luca backed him for this role.
Tavernier (Bournemouth away at Ipswich Town, FDR 2), five goals this season, Bournemouth favourites at 10/11. His output exceeds his xG of 3.7, so a quiet week is possible, but the fixture is right.
Haaland (Man City away at Nott'm Forest, FDR 2), nine goals this season, Man City strong favourites at 8/11. The armband stays on. We said the same last week and the week before. That is not repetition, that is evidence.
Barry (Everton at home to Coventry City, FDR 2), Everton strong favourites at 8/11, clean sheet probability 35%. Barry has four goals this season and Coventry arrive at the bottom end of the table. Straightforward case.
BENCH ORDER
1. Muharemović, drops following the shape change, not a fitness concern, first cover for the back three.
2. N.Jackson, drops with the shape shift to 3-5-2; first attacking cover if needed.
3. Thomas, Rachel flagged the fifty percent doubt. He is third sub for a reason. If he is ruled out before deadline, pull him entirely and reorder.
GK: Davies
CAPTAIN
Haaland (C), projects 6.06 points away at Nott'm Forest, Man City strong favourites. The armband returns to him with no serious competition this week. Arjun put the gap at 0.53 projected points over the next candidate. Not enormous, but it points one direction.
Barry (VC), Everton at home to Coventry City, strong favourites, kind FDR. Adequate cover if anything disrupts Haaland before kick-off.
WHY NOT THE OTHER MOVE?
The case for moving this week is that form and fixtures do exist to exploit. Klaus heard the argument and rejected it on structural grounds: "Bank is 0.9 million and the squad is healthy. You do not spend the free transfer when no upgrade clears the bar." He is right. Nothing in the watchlist is both affordable and a clear step up on what we already hold. Banking the transfer gives flexibility next week when the need may be clearer.