Knee Jerk- In a Day for Heroes, Bullard Steps Up…And Hits the Post

It’s almost as if the proverb “cometh the hour, cometh the man” was made for days like this. Down near the bottom, a great performance can springboard teams to safety and up at the top, can be the difference between sob stories and silverware.

Today started with a shock for us Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers, with Fergie pulling a fast one. Wayne Rooney -as it turns out- has a groin injury. Post-match, the Man United boss admitted his main front man “could be out for 2-3 weeks”, with a strain picked up in Thursday’s training session, suggesting the season may well be over for his number ten. A bitter disappointment not only for the Old Trafford faithful, but the 164,000 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers that transferred him in for this gameweek.

Thankfully for Fergie, he had the calm and composure of Ryan Giggs to help sink a battling Spurs side intent on nailing fourth spot. In Rooney’s absence, Giggs despatched two spot kicks past Heurelho Gomes as, for the second consecutive week, the old-guard came to United’s rescue. Thanks to their Welsh wizard, the champions return to the top of the Premier League with a two point advantage over Chelsea, at least until Carlo Ancelotti’s side host Stoke tomorrow.

As the battle for the drop nears culmination, Scott Parker’s return to the West Ham starting XI following a two-match suspension proved to be the difference for Gianfranco Zola’s side. Parker -with 22 Bonus Points already to his name- has easily been the club’s stand-out player this term, and proved he had the bottle for the big occasion when it mattered most. With their vital home game with fellow-strugglers Wigan stuck at two-all, up popped Parker with a 25 yard screamer to virtually seal the Hammers’ top-flight safety.

Unfortunately for Hull City fans (and 3% of FPL owners) the same can’t be said for Jimmy Bullard. The £45k a week playmaker has enjoyed his fair share of the limelight in recent months, but today, when it really mattered most, he failed miserably.

A wretched first-half display saw Bullard tamely miss the penalty that would’ve squared the Tigers’ home match with Sunderland, and in an insipid performance that apparently brought him nothing but boos from the home fans, was subsequently withdrawn at half-time. Instead of inspiring his team to victory, Bullard’s miserable afternoon merely set the tone for what was to come, with Hull (barring a mathematical miracle) now joining Portsmouth as the second team to be relegated.

Just when they needed to show spirit and the appetite for battle, what a pity for Hull that the only real fight they’ve shown this season was an altercation by the Humber Bridge in front of the Women’s Institute.