When you think of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Pace? Finishing ability? One of the world's best strikers?
One thing we can guarantee you that you didn't think of was the word 'midfielder'. Well, if you choose to have him in your Fantasy Premier League team this season, that is where he will be lining out.
The Arsenal captain has been classified as a midfielder in the 20/21 edition of the competition, much to the annoyance of fantasy football players.
Seeing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang classified as a midfielder in #FPL pic.twitter.com/kDkeDQUJFT
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) August 15, 2020
Mane is a midfielder
Salah is a midfielder
Sterling is a midfielder
Rashford is a midfielder
Aubameyang is a midfielder
Martial is a forward pic.twitter.com/NNEDIRlCIJ— jw (@FantasyGaffer) August 15, 2020
Aubameyang would’ve got 237 points if listed as a midfielder last season... going to be hard to leave him out. #FPL
— 𝙁𝙋𝙇 𝙁𝙤𝙭 (@_FPLFox) August 15, 2020
Ridiculous.
Aubameyang never has, and never will be a midfielder...#WatchMoreFootball https://t.co/XXWG53CnVk— Alfie Pods Fantasy Footy (@AlfPodsFF) August 15, 2020
I think whoever’s in charge of FPL needs their heads checking. Aubameyang a midfielder 🤔😐Surely Mane and Salah should be forwards as well, comical https://t.co/rJkofgIUXj
— Mark Williams (@sharkyyyyyy) August 15, 2020
This all comes down to how FPL classifies players. Unless they play as a striker through the middle, what would normally be considered as 'forwards' are put down as midfielders.
This has annoyed people in the past. The likes of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, and Heung-Min Son have been midfielders in the game in recent seasons. Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford are other examples in this year's game.
Here's some of the players who are categorised as midfielders for the upcoming season:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
- Mo Salah
- Sadio Mane
- Marcus Rashford
- Mason Greenwood
- Christian Pulisic
- Raheem Sterling
- Heung-Min Son
- Wilfried Zaha
- Lucas Moura
- Steven Bergwijn
- Jarrod Bowen
All of this has resulted in a glut of top quality midfielders, but a relative lack of reliable forwards. After the likes of Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane, Roberto Firmino, and Anthony Martial (who is somehow more of a forward than Rashford and Greenwood apparently), there are few reliable options.
Those in midfield receive five points for a goal, in comparison to four for forwards. Midfielders also get a point for clean sheets, something we can't imagine the names mentioned above will contribute to.
What is the solution to this? Maybe categorising the above as forwards and allowing managers to pick more than four would be a start. There is also a strong argument to be made for a 'winger' or 'attacker' category featuring those who fall in between the tradition classes.
Either way, the current format seems a bit ridiculous.
