The Pre-Match Preamble – Gameweek 3

After my unexpected start to the season, last weekend was always going to be like “my difficult second album”. I was never going to measure up to following the magic of my debut Gameweek, although my own “Second Coming” wasn’t helped by the fact that I consigned Winston Reid to the bench; that was akin to deciding that “Love Spreads” is little more than a second single B-side.

I made my mistakes, then, but also, there were events that I simply could not foresee. The tragic death of Nicolas Anelka’s agent that led to the West Brom’s striker’s absence, was, to stretch the analogy further, like losing John Squire to one of his ill advised Seahorses stints. I couldn’t hope to see that coming and it forced my Plan A to breaking point.

Except it wasn’t really “Plan A” in the first place. As I mentioned on last week’s ScoutCast and in comments, the opening Gameweeks of the season really weren’t as many of us planned.

The Chelsea/Villa double Gameweek proved a catalyst for major change, forcing us to reconsider our initial lineups and load up with their assets. We knew all too well that this weekend’s blank fixture would follow and, it’s only now, with a couple of Gameweeks gone by, that we can actually begin rebalancing our squads to be in line with our initial pre-season vision.

For some, that will mean using the Wildcard in the next week or so. To take advantage of what promises to be a hectic last few days of the transfer window and ride the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) price changes to earn some extra cash. For others, like, myself, it will take the form of minor tinkering.

Theo Walcott’s arrival this week for Eden Hazard edges my squad back to what it was in early August, before the double Gameweek was confirmed. With the Gunners man installed and Anelka now returned to the Hawthorns fold, suddenly I’m far happier with my lot.

Having said that, the fact that I have no City coverage guarantees an uncomfortable early kick-off as Manuel Pellegrini’s men weave patterns around a Hull City rearguard effort. I’m expecting turbulence at the start of Gameweek 3, then, but live in hope that points from the fixtures that follow will settle down and fall somewhere between my first two Gameweek tallies. Right now, I’d settle for consolidation.

I’ve such humble ambitions for this weekend because I’m already looking to Gameweek 4. It might be two weeks away but, as I mentioned in this week’s ScoutCast, I see it as a pivotal week in our Fantasy seasons. The Robin Van Persie “have” and “have nots” are given the opportunity to “win” the argument, albeit temporarily and, for me, the outcome could change my entire strategy.

While the Dutchaman is a shoo-in for the captaincy at home to Crystal Palace, Christian Benteke at home to Newcastle and Roberto Soldado, at home to Norwich, have the fixtures to reinforce the theory that Van Persie is anything but essential. The Fantasy armband will surely be distributed across all three players, the Gameweek scoring and mini-league rankings decided accordingly. The “argument” reaching fever pitch.

With wildcards played and squads settling as Chelsea assets are shed, Gameweek 4 will perhaps be the first telling weekend of the Fantasy season. For me, it will likely confirm whether I’ll persevere with Van Persie. Whether I concede that there are other options, perhaps even in the shape of Wayne Rooney, that topple the case for the Dutchman and force me to rebuild my “Plan A”. In a few weeks, I’ll have an idea whether Van Persie is my “fools gold”.