The Pre-Match Preamble – Gameweek 5
Filed under: The Preamble - Posted by: Mark
The do say that pride comes before a fall. I think I heard that again on Eastenders earlier in the week – so often a hotbed of philosophical thinking.
The phrase has me somewhat concerned as this is typed as, gazing on my Gameweek 5 collection of players, I find myself fighting back the smugness in anticipation of good things to come.
Fantasy managers can often get these Saturday morning waves of emotion. They can arrive with the same frequency of that feeling of panic when you look on your squad and fail to see where the points are coming from. The thing is, it’s so often the case that the eventual reality is far different to the morning’s expectation.
So when I look at my frontline of Carlos Tevez, Robin Van Persie and Dimitar Berbatov with some expectation – perhaps I should fight that back and prepare for the worst. On paper the trio look to have such class and pedigree that Fantasy returns seem almost guaranteed. And yet, I know, deep down, what that paper is worth and how individuals like Sir Alex Ferguson can wipe their posterior on it. Have I forgotten last weekend’s Old Trafford teamsheets already?
I can put my Saturday morning optimism down to the fact that, for once, I’ve reached a state of calm when it comes to my transfer dealings. I’ve gambled big time for the previous two Gameweeks, shedding 8 points by recruiting Michu, Leighton Baines, Jussi Jaaskalenen and Berbatov for Younes Kaboul, Gareth Bale, David De Gea and Danny Graham.
With Graham emerging as a doubt in midweek and De Gea a candidate for bench duty again, I can at least take comfort that my dealings appear to have come good – at least before a ball is kicked. Between them, Jaaskaleinen and Berbatov have risen by 0.5, while De Gea has fallen. So a 0.6 swing in squad value cost me 4 points and also gave me two certain starters. That seems like good business and a rare endorsement from me for the early transfer policy, in a volatile Fantasy Premier League market place.
I’m almost whistling a tune, then, whilst scanning the morning papers to assess their teamsheet thinking and, in keeping with my mood, I find few surprises to concern me.
The Sun perhaps offer the bravest outlook – offering full debuts to Swansea’s Pablo Hernandez and Ki Sung-Yeung, Villa’s Christian Benteke, Southampton’s Gadston Ramirez and West Brom’s Romelu Lukaku. Others are more conservative, with the Independent again closest to our thinking when it comes to predicted lineups.
All our papers see a start for Sergio Aguero up with Tevez when Arsenal arrive in Manchester, but on the red half, Ferguson’s lineup remains more difficult to anticipate. Some go with Shinji Kagawa up in support of Robin Van Persie, with Antonio Valencia and Nani operating wide – that’s certainly my thinking. However, Danny Welbeck is the missing ingredient and the likes of The Times, The Sun and the Telegraph all predict a start for the striker in an apparent 4-4-2 with Nani the main man to miss out. No doubt for the prize for “do they know something we don’t” award here, the Telegraph have no place for Valencia in their United lineup – that’s surely unlikely.
For those on injury watch, Kyle Naughton takes his place in all seven of our predicted lineups this morning – seemingly shrugging off the foot problem sustained against Lazio in the week. Meanwhile, only the Guardian give Adam Johnson a chance of making the Black Cats’ trip to West Ham – the winger is struggling with a thigh injury.
Most of our papers have the regular Swansea lineup intact, despite knocks to Ashley Williams, Jonathan De Guzman and Danny Graham. Pablo Hernandez is preferred to Wayne Routledge in the Independent, the Sun and the Daily Mail, Luke Moore also gets the nod over Graham in those last two sources.
Having spent points on shifting Graham from my squad, that particular tweak to Michael Laudrup’s teamsheet would be a welcome sight. As it is, Graham will likely start, score a brace to ruin Baines’ clean sheet and remind me again why I shouldn’t make early transfers. Like they say on Eastenders, pride before a fall.
About The Author
“Mark created the beast. He's now looking to tame it.”
Mark
Commenting is now closed for this post.
Recent Comments
-
@Pepin » -
Its a shame we can’t see the overall points scorers anymore but at 7.5m I’m pretty sure he outscored all the… »
-
2mins, assume you have to make van persie one word, so went RVP » -
I think my dream is to one day walk into a bar and meet one of the posters on this website by chance. Whenever I meet… » -
Lovely turn of phrase there, Pepin :lol: » -
I get the impression people have a very strong opinion of the console they play. Playstation or Xbox owners are always… » -
i consider under 6 points a captain fail, RVP actually failed for me 9 out of 15 times, (2 5 2 16 6 4 12 6 9 2 5 11 4 5… »
-
Print screen only takes whats on the screen not the whole page » -
I am doing this as we speak. PrintScreen, then paste image into Pain, etc and save it. » -
There has to be a way to just archive the site. »
“I love to attack and I love to go up front...It is a little more difficult than when you are playing centre-back. If you play the way that I want to play, I think my influence is better as a left-back. For the team, it is best that I play as a centre-back. I like to bring the ball out. You need to move the game quickly, and that is one of my qualities as well.”
Jan Vertonghen outlines what he feels is his best position for Andre Villas-Boas
-
Mark @FFScout_Mark
-
Paul @ffscout_paul
-
greek fan @FFScout_Greekf
-
Andy @ffscout_andy
-
G-G-Granville @FFScout_Granny
-
Akers @FFScout_Akers
-
Big Dunc @FFScout_Dunc
September 22 at 12:33 pm
DonTheSpecialOne - Ken Bates is a money grabbing prick says:
At the pub getting pumped for the games. Good luck this GW lads, Hazard captain ftw!
September 22 at 12:36 pm
Royal5 says:
GL!
September 22 at 12:33 pm
Hard Van Toulouse-Shake The Disease says:
Fletch @7.1 ,any help as to his next rise ?
September 22 at 12:34 pm
The Parmtree says:
Is Newcastle v Norwich P-P?
September 22 at 12:32 pm
kaz says:
moved to sunday
September 22 at 12:32 pm
sotothemightygreek says:
Since when?
September 22 at 12:35 pm
Locarno says:
Yep. Both teams get a point and all players get -5 pts on FPL.
September 22 at 12:35 pm
The Parmtree says:
YAY, I have no Toon or Norwich players!
September 22 at 12:33 pm
JKisthe1 - Los Colchoneros 2 - The Revenge says:
bottom 7 team?
September 22 at 12:36 pm
JKisthe1 - Los Colchoneros 2 - The Revenge says:
this would be hilarious since 1 rival has Ba (c).
If only it were true
September 22 at 12:35 pm
Steel Arm - Berba "Unstoppable, Unforgettable... Irreplaceable." says:
Run for cover parm
September 22 at 12:35 pm
kaz says:
NEW POST!
September 22 at 12:36 pm
EpicFAIL - AVFC <3 says:
Link?
September 22 at 12:35 pm
MartinUnreal says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3fTw_D3l10
Good song to chill out to before the matches
September 22 at 12:33 pm
The Parmtree says:
Nah this is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0
September 22 at 12:37 pm
Dave Whelan's Press Officer says:
bizarre
September 22 at 12:37 pm
Lateriser12 - "I am a consulting detective. The only one in the world" says:
i was just going to post this.
September 22 at 12:36 pm
Dave Whelan's Press Officer says:
Thats like the music they play when you get put on hold
September 22 at 12:37 pm
EpicFAIL - AVFC <3 says:
Just a shame it’s shite.
September 22 at 12:38 pm
colonel shoe says:
yes its the sort of music id like to have playing against a slow motion clip of bale scoring
September 22 at 12:39 pm
jimnastics says:
my god that was shite
September 22 at 12:37 pm
LOCO ABREU says:
Go Perez Cuesta!
September 22 at 12:39 pm
JKisthe1 - Los Colchoneros 2 - The Revenge says:
That Lowton goal is a bit special
September 22 at 12:43 pm
Bemba Da says:
NEW POST