EPL Supercoach | Niko's team reveal + watchlist


<p>Coming off a 56<sup>th</sup> finish in EPL last season, and 42<sup>nd</sup> in WC26, I’m feeling bullish for the new Premier League season ahead.</p>



<p>Having said that, I have no doubt the competition will be much stronger as people learn from last year&#8217;s mistakes and understand the need to be diligent with team lineups and saving trades.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Current Team</strong></h3>



<p>I’m currently committed to a 4-4-2 formation to start the season, and people who will be slow burns but undoubtedly end up making a lot of cash provided they get the minutes, i.e, Vuskovic, Sangare and Kluivert who could be back on penalty duties.</p>



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<p>Of course, this is a work in progress and new information as we approach GW1 will be vital, such as the Community Shield teams and performances, looking at you Mosquera and Foden.</p>



<p>One thing in the back of my mind is the potential for a slower start to the season from players who were at the World Cup, i.e. O’Reilly and Rice.  </p>



<p>I’ll be looking to upgrade to these players as they get more involved or the fixtures turn.  </p>



<p>The other is targeting players who don’t have any European football this season and should be free from mass rotation – Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle, Brentford, Fulham, Everton, Leeds, Nottingham.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Watchlist</strong></h3>



<p>These players have been in and out of my side throughout pre-season and are still in my thoughts:</p>



<p><strong>Gabriel</strong> – Too expensive and the early fixtures without Saliba should see a price drop.</p>



<p><strong>Szoboszlai</strong> – Tempting me as a Foden replacement, especially if we get confirmation that he’s on penalties.</p>



<p><strong>Tarkowski</strong> – Everton usually start slowly, and the fixtures aren’t great to start either.  Upgrade target.</p>



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<p><strong>Gvardiol</strong> – Community Shield watch, but he’s signed a new contract and should be a starter.</p>



<p><strong>Dorgu</strong> – Man United’s fixtures are great, and he’s a defender playing wing, but I’m not sure he’s starting.</p>



<p><strong>Raya</strong> – The set and forget play.</p>



<p><strong>Canvot</strong> – Should be the main beneficiary from Lacroix&#8217;s move to Chelsea, both minutes and def con.</p>



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<p><strong>Kerkez</strong> – If Frimpong is injured or a non-starter, I might need to pivot here.</p>



<p><strong>Bobb</strong> – His move to Fulham should be a good thing, but I’m not convinced they’ll be any good and I’d rather watch and learn with him.</p>



<p><strong>Martellini</strong> – Would be a short-term play if he’s favoured to start the season.</p>



<p><strong>Elanga/Toure/Wissa/Barnes</strong> – Newcastle is in crisis, so it’s wait and see for all their assets who are generally all cheap as chips.</p>



<p><strong>Maddison</strong> – Even though he returned at the end of last season, he seems to have been injured all off and pre-season somehow.  Tottenham are a watch as a whole, but I’m expecting much better things this time around.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Managers</strong></h3>



<p>A record <strong>nine clubs</strong> will begin the 2026/27 Premier League season under new permanent managers, the highest number of managerial changes before an opening weekend in the competition&#8217;s history.</p>



<p>This means new playing styles and new players in favour.  </p>



<p>We’ll have a lot to learn in the early stages, so try and pick players who look bulletproof to start the season and save on those sideways trades!</p>


EPL Supercoach | Niko’s team reveal + watchlist

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