The Pre-Match Preamble – Gameweek 9

Whisper it, but I’m quietly confident ahead of today’s deadline. After desperately searching for inspiration, a clear path for my pair of free transfers was eventually illuminated before me and, having grasped it, I actually think I may have moved in the right direction.

As I’ve mentioned before in this column and in recent ScoutCasts, my wretched season has been made more painful due to my lack of genuine excuses.

With little or no injuries of significance, I can’t conceal the failings behind anything other than bad judgment calls and perhaps a smattering of bad luck. Each week I’ve known that I’ve had to make changes and use my transfers wisely, but I’ve struggled to see obvious routes to take, clear candidates to draft in.

I’m glad I held back on my trades until last night. Having deliberated for days, the moves are somewhat different from those considered shortly after another disappointing 42 Gameweek score.

I guess that’s inevitable. Just like the myth that teams are more vulnerable when they’ve just scored, Fantasy managers are perhaps at their weakest, with judgment clouded, when they’ve just had to swallow down another dose of disappointment. Having delayed my decision, I’ve at least made transfers that give me a degree of confidence, rather than riddle me with doubt that I’ve taken, at best, a sideways step.

Errant Wildcard signings – Victor Moses and Christian Eriksen – have both departed. Without earning a goal or assist from either, I’ve cast them aside in favour of the en vogue Andros Townsend and the in-form David Silva. My new boys will surely start this weekend, whereas Eriksen and Moses are far from certain, amidst Twitter chatter that has the Chelsea loanee ousted from Brendan Rodgers’ starting lineup.

While the press don’t have wind of that particular rumour, they seem far from confident on Eriksen’s start at home to Hull on Sunday. Only the Sun and the Guardian tip a recall for the Dane, with this morning’s four other predicted lineups opting for another Lewis Holtby start at the point of the Spurs midfield.

Elsewhere amongst the breakfast print, there is little to alarm Fantasy managers.

Doubts over Jack Wilshere’s ankle injury ensures that he is missing from all the projected Arsenal lineups for the early kick-off at Palace – Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey are present in five of this morning’s lineups.

The exception, once again, is the Fantasy managers friend, the Daily Mail. They go out on a limb and name Tomas Rosicky ahead of Ozil, fuelling the slight concern that Arsene Wenger may target the German for a rest this time, having sacrificed Ramsey in his initial Norwich teamsheet.

Similarly, the Mail are the only paper to predict another day of frustration for Robin van Persie owners. He’s missing from their United teamsheet, with Marouane Fellaini pushed up behind Wayne Rooney in their version of David Moyes’ attack. In defence, Jonny Evans and Phil Jones are paired in the centre in all but the Guardian squad sheet.

With Robbie Brady is present in every Hull lineup other than the Sun, the papers appear to ease us smoothly into the morning deadline, mercilessly adding little to the doubts we already harbour with just under an hour to go.

From my own perspective, I’m still left feeling confident that, having failed to average even two points per player for the last five Gameweeks, my fortunes are about to turn. At the back of my mind, however, there is one very real concern. My long, torrid relationship with Victor may not be severed cleanly: he could yet come back to haunt me.