😂 Most Bizarre Contract in EPL History... 💰

Gm football fans. Route One here.

Today’s briefing is a ~5 min read:

• 📆 Throwback Tuesday: The (Short) Story Of Seth Johnson And The Most Bizarre Premier League Contract In History.

• 🎰 FPL: Stats To Make GW9 Transfers Easier.

• 🌎 Around the world in 60: Giroud officially a goal-keeper, Messi to return to Europe, and Saudi money “changes football landscape”…

🗞️ Morning Brief

🎰 Fantasy Premier League

Stats To Make GW9 Transfers Easier

Look, managers, I know we’re all recovering from a gruelling 8 gameweeks.

And while the international break gives us all a well-deserved rest, we couldn’t help but include some interesting stats.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Right?

Anyway, we ran the numbers, and here are our findings…

Forwards…

Right, I know there are two brightly coloured boxes in this graph, but try to ignore them for now.

Here are the key takeaways for you:

• Yes, Watkins looks like the best transfer on paper - he has the lowest difficulty fixtures and the best form. But, numbers are deceiving.

• He’s massively over-performing - his xPts over the 8 GWs was 36.39 and he achieved 59. This is never a good sign.

• Isak looks like the more interesting pick. His overall points (43) match his xPts (41.29) and he has a good run of games.

• Interpret Haaland and Alvarez as “bad” at your own peril…

Midfielders…

• Salah is a must. Simple as.

• Douglas Luiz looks better on paper than in reality - his NPxG (non-penalty xG) is 0.59 over the past 8 GWs. That’s a pass from us.

• If you want bang for your buck, look no further than Jenson, Neto, and Hee Chan who rank the highest for Points per £.

• Overall, to be honest, there’s not a huge difference in the top performing midfield assets…

Defenders

• Newcastle and Crystal Palace are good options with players in form and relatively low difficulty of upcoming fixtures.

• Coufal is a good differential: sure starter, good run of games, performing well for xPts.

TL/DR:

• FWDs. Isak looks good and is a better option than Watkins. Good form and good fixtures.

• MIDs. Salah is a must. Jenson, Neto and Hee Chan are interesting cheaper picks

• DEFs. Look to Palace and Newcastle. Coufal is also a good option.

🌎 Around the world in sixty seconds

• 🐐 Inter Miami: Despite shaking up the MLS, Lionel Messi may be returning to Europe on loan after Inter Miami’s play-off hopes didn’t go as planned. Without a move, Messi may face the longest break he has ever had in his club career with a long wait until the new MLS season begins next February.

• 🧤 AC Milan: The Italian side has added France striker Olivier Giroud to their official squad list of goalkeepers following his stoppage-time save in Saturday’s victory over Genoa.

• 🇸🇦 Saudi cash: Kaa-ching! That’s the sound of money - the same sound that many ex-European players are hearing with their new-found Saudi-induced wealth. In response, the European Club Association has stated the obvious yet again: Saudi football is changing the landscape. ECA vice chair Dariusz Mioduski says, “Perhaps in a way what has happened with Saudi investment into football is actually positive. It’s making a lot of people realise that football is becoming too much about money.”

📆 Throw-back Tuesday

The (Short) Story Of Seth Johnson And The Most Bizarre Premier League Contract In History

At 21, Seth Johnson tripled his wages to become the second highest-paid player in the Premier League. Yet, only a few months before, he was playing for bottom side Derby and had only 15 minutes in an England shirt.

To explain this, we’ll start in 1999, when Johnson broke the record for Premier League yellow cards with 14. He was playing for Derby at the time and became known for his combative style, securing 6 goals, 8 assists, and 40 yellow cards.

A year later, Johnson made his first and only England cap against Italy. No one understands why Johnson's selected. Not even himself. He admitted at the time, “This has come as a bit of a shock, Derby aren’t doing well and I don’t think I am playing as well as I can. I have only had four bookings this season and, although that doesn't sound great, it's good for me!"

As he stood next to footballing greats on the sideline - Cannavaro, Gattuso and Totti - the young lad from Devon wondered, “What am I doing here?”.

While he was still in shock, Johnson was subbed on in the 73rd minute. Only a few strides later did Johnson find himself in the box, six yards from goal. Having put his laces through a volley in his first touch in an England shirt, it looked written in the stars.

Gianluigi Buffon tips his effort over the bar. “It was only five or six yards out so I should have scored,” Johnson admits.

Italy won one-goal to nil.

For whatever reason, Johnson's five-yard miss signalled to the top teams in England that he was ready for the big-time.

Johnson arrived home and rumours of his departure to Leeds grew. High off his first cap for his country, he tells his agent, “I’m not settling for less than £13,000 a week.”

Little did they know, they were meeting with the worst negotiator in football history.

Then spendthrift Leeds chairman, Peter Ridsdale, sat opposite Johnson’s agent. Filling the silence of the room, his opening words shocked everyone: “Right, I’ve had a shocking week, and the best I can offer you is £30,000 a week.”

Jaws dropped. “Oh, alright then,” said Ridsdale, misreading the reaction, “£37,000”. Overnight, Johnson became the second highest paid player in the league.

But, that’s where his luck ran out. At Leeds, he battled with injury after injury, which led to him making only 59 appearances over four years. He had made enough money to buy himself a Porsche 911, but it wasn’t long until Leeds decided to release Johnson.

To put this into perspective, when Johnson had signed for Leeds they were top of the Premier League. After he left, they had finished 14th in the Championship.

“I don't do very much these days,” Johnson reflects, "I tried a bit of scouting but that wasn't for me either – there's too much writing involved. I thought you just went to the game and watched the football."

😆 MEME