Preamble

The Pre-Match Preamble – Gameweek 9

Rarely have fortunes shifted so dramatically between Gameweeks.

Looking at my array of injury flags in midweek, sitting alongside my previous 103-point tally, the phrase “from the sublime to the ridiculous” seemed to fit rather well.

Sergio Aguero’s snapped hamstring was like the first domino: the butterfly flapping its wings that led to complete chaos. Things just won’t be the same without the City striker.

Just when I thought I could shut down the part of my brain dedicated to deciding the destination of the FPL captaincy, he’s forced me to wake it up again and torment it with a choice from an array of hot and cold midfielders.

To compound matters, with my five-man defence reduced to the pair of loose cannons that are Kurt Zouma and Micah Richards, I’ve actually had to turn to my chips for help.

I had hoped that I could park these decisions: safe in the knowledge that double Gameweeks were incoming, I’d reserved the thinking time for those little baubles until 2016.

Instead, I’ve had to put one in play and switch my team to “All out Attack” – not as a result of a crafty strategy, but out of pure desperation. I’m not sure that’s what the FPL boffins had in mind.

This morning I’m beckoning my boys out of the dressing room with the clear remit to score more goals than Zouma and Richards concede at the other end. There’s no guarantees.

With Eden Hazard my current captain and my entire defence on the pitch alongside him, today’s encounter is going to be an interesting and confusing affair for me.

In truth, that’s in keeping with what has been a surreal international break.

We watched while players fell one by one, as fifty shades of red developed in our squads and now we collectively go forward, praying that the points hits we’ve fired out into the ether come back with profit.

All of this followed a Gameweek 8 which seemed to have restored parity.

The majority of folk on our pages had cashed in on Sanchez and Aguero and, suddenly, the Fantasy Football Scout’s community were on top of the world. A week on, we’re all tipped into turmoil by the reverberating twang of Aguero’s hamstring.

From champagne and caviar, to hits and chips.

Mark Mark created the beast. He's now looking to tame it.

2,108 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Piggs Boson
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 8 months ago

    "the reverberating twang of Aguero’s hamstring"

    Great preamble, Mark 🙂

    1. Reedy
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      I liked that. That and 'hit and chips'.

  2. Doolittle
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 8 months ago

    RIP our greatest ever manager. A devastating day, hopefully we will do him proud at Goodison.

    1. Boss Hogg
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      One of the greats.

    2. Jazz!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      RIP.

    3. Dr Dream
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      Very sad new....

    4. RoysCallerAnne
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      RIP.

      His team was great in the mid 80s. Would have had a good chance of winning the Europen Cup but chance was ruined by some Liverpool "fans"

    5. A.T
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      RIP

  3. Pariße
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 8 months ago

    Origi to become the next bandwagon.

    1. Fanta sea
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      has to score first in my opinion.

  4. Stats Don\'t Lie
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 8 months ago

    Vardy, pelle(c), mitrovic

    Let's do this.

    1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      Have ayoze myself.. Like the mitro punt

  5. Krul Runnings
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 8 months ago

    To all the people who have a pop at other people's picks. DONT. You're achieving nothing other than embarrassing yourselves.

    And for all the inevitable "LOL @ 'x' Owners" , that there will no doubt be this weekend. You are even more sad and pathetic.

    Anyway, enjoy the games guys

    1. MattysFantasyFooty
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      True I tend to not coming on this site during matches as all it is, is people saying lol @ x which is quite tedious tbh

    2. Stats Don\'t Lie
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      Also to a LOL @ 'x' ppl,

      Karma is a biatch

    3. the axolotl
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      yeah. i'm sick of getting caught up in the collateral damage kharma

    4. CABAYE4
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      The LOL @ X brigade are by far the worst part of this forum. Pathetic.

    5. Mary
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      Bemba Da needs to stop emailing fpl everything somebody elses player gets an assist. Its petty

    6. uberpwnage_23
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      A bitter Sturridge owner right here

      1. Krul Runnings
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 8 months ago

        People saying Sturridge was a terrible pick just because hes now out this weekend, are they for real?

        You were just unlucky and that's the end of it, not a bad pick at all.

        1. Jax
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          This

          1. uberpwnage_23
            • 8 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            It's the equivilent of everyone transferring aguero in before he went on international break. Naive or just plain stupid?

      2. Krul Runnings
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 8 months ago

        I have Pelle Lukaku and Vardy my friend. I'm just making a point for others.

    7. money face bandwagon
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 8 months ago

      Being offended by all the lol@?

      Relax

    8. @persecuted_by_mods
        8 years, 8 months ago

        The dumbest thing is, whenever someone makes a post like yours you'll be met with something like ''you're only saying that because so and so flopped or is injured''

        There was a ''lol at sako'' last gw and when I said it was dumb the person replied I only think it's dumb because I have Sako in my team- I've never had him

        1. @persecuted_by_mods
            8 years, 8 months ago

            For examples see the two posts directly above me.

            I don't have Sturridge, the lolling is still dumb and not funny. By all means lol if he started and misses an open goal or something

          • Krul Runnings
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 8 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Yep, in the same way I don't have Sturridge in my team, but think it's laughable how straight away people have a pop at people who do.

            Why waste the time typing something just to have a pop at someone else irritating

            1. @persecuted_by_mods
                8 years, 8 months ago

                Exactly! I'll never understand it. My posts are much more likely to have a lol at myself in them than anything else

          • Manamongst
            • 13 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Yeah...at some point people went there from years of ¨LOL @ my rival for X¨ to ¨LOL @ ´X´ owners¨...

            At the end of the day...let it go...Did I own Sako last week...sure...did I captain Aguero...of course...so F-it.

        2. MattysFantasyFooty
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          I have triple Leicester this GW so you can say I'm now a Leicester fan this gw

          1. Jax
            • 14 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            saints to win with leicester blanking

            1. Manamongst
              • 13 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              Leicester don´t blank mate. That´s why they´re super hedgy to own this season.

              Until they stop scoring goals of course...

        3. internal error
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          Robbie Savage is a *********

          1. Pasqualinho
            • 15 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Capricorn?

          2. FPL Maldini
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 9 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Football pundit?

            1. Jax
              • 14 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              woman?

          3. the axolotl
            • 12 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            stonecutter?

        4. Arsenals Number 19. Santi C…
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          Few teams with strikers costing double digits I'd say which is very rare all big hitters injured or bang out of form

        5. Del Monte
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          When is Benteke back?

          1. Jimmers
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Not soon enough

        6. The Chosen One...
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          Sturridge must have sneezed an pulled his hamstring

          1. Shifty
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            did a morning stretch in bed and snapped his hamstring, sneezed and tore the other one.

          1. Pariße
            • 9 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Great advice, there's an injury crisis going on and people were trying to fix it with Sturridge.

        7. Rolls-Royce
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          Eden Hazaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!!!!!!

          Practicing!

          1. fedolefan
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Needs some more practice. There's an 'r' missing.

            1. Reedy
              • 13 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              These posts can be quite annoying. I don't mind so much if they genuinely need the practice.

          2. Jax
            • 14 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            not starting!

        8. Every Dog Has Its Day
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 9 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          @JAZZIIHD

          Did you join me with the Monreal transfer?

        9. Shifty
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          @ Every Dog

          Ok you take a 32 point hit. We know.

          It's not a badge of honour you know? Completely unjustifiable. Pretty much did a Rickardinho.

          1. Tadic is the new Eriksen
            • 11 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            What's a Rickardinho?

            1. OPTA FPL
              • 12 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              took 500 hits for fun

              1. Tadic is the new Eriksen
                • 11 Years
                8 years, 8 months ago

                Ah okay, strange! Haha

                Yeah a -32 is pretty much the same as only making a team starting in gw2, not the best of strategies

                1. OPTA FPL
                  • 12 Years
                  8 years, 8 months ago

                  and gave up his team though

            2. Jacques The Lad
              • 9 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              "I don't know what a hollaback girl is, but I have to imagine it's a foul, disease ridden thing, that wears to much makeup to cover up the fact that it's a 47 year old fish-dog."

          2. Chenku╰☆╮
            • 9 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Not if he beats ur score by 32 😉 (agree it is a bit mental and i did-20, but can pay off on a good gw...)

          3. Every Dog Has Its Day
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 9 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            I'm proud to have big balls. Never thought I'd see the day taking a hit above -12.

            It will be justified.

            1. Every Dog Has Its Day
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 9 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              Team was boring and I wanted to have a bit of fun. This game is about having fun right?!?

              1. Jax
                • 14 Years
                8 years, 8 months ago

                -32? are you on crack?

              2. Debauchy
                • 11 Years
                8 years, 8 months ago

                Size of brain also counts , eh

            2. Shifty
              • 10 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              good luck then. i hope you brought the players we both own score well.

            3. Make United Great Again
              • 11 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              You hope so anyway

          4. RoysCallerAnne
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 14 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Each to their own. I hope he gets a 100 pointer.

        10. OPTA FPL
          • 12 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          Sanchez vs Pelle captain, show your hand?
          Sanchez here

          1. Darth_Newdar
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Pellé

          2. Slam
            • 8 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Sanchez

          3. Punty
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Mane

          4. JogaSemmedo
            • 9 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Pelle over Sanchez & KDB

          5. MattysFantasyFooty
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Sanchez here wishing it was on KDB

            1. sylvanshine
              • 8 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              Pelle , too many KDB(C)s in my mini league need a differential.

          6. Rake
            • 8 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Sanchez

        11. Jimmers
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          Really sad news about Howard Kendall. RIP

          1. SuperDunny - Used to be goo…
            • 14 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            +1 for a former Rovers player and manager 🙁

            RIP

            1. Jax
              • 14 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              this

          2. Manamongst
            • 13 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Po out a lil liquor!!

        12. zizoo10
          • 8 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          anybody placing any bets tonight?

          thoughts on this multibet:

          Spurs - Win
          Everton - Win
          West Ham - Win
          Soton-Leic over 2.5 goals

          1. DV8R
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Chelsea win and BTTS

          2. Gr3g
            • 12 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Chelsea win by 3 or more 🙂

            1. Jax
              • 14 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              doubt it.

            2. Manamongst
              • 13 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              hell to da naw.

        13. Mid-Table Obscurity
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          puncheon or ramsey for ufpl? going puncheon atm

        14. sambyy
          • 13 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          Well my Sturridge punt didn't work that well...

          1. Pasqualinho
            • 15 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            No playing subs?

            1. sambyy
              • 13 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              I do. Surman.

              1. Pasqualinho
                • 15 Years
                8 years, 8 months ago

                Not much of a silver ling there, then. Unlucky.

          2. Mata-Is-The-Juan
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Made it to the 'acceptance' stage of grief pretty quickly.

            Tough break though.

        15. bigwig
          • 13 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          c'mon Walcott (c)

          1. Manamongst
            • 13 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            hopefully Arsene doesn´t throw the Giroud Monkeywrench out there...

        16. Dušan Citizen
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          No hits this GW will be utter differential.

          1. Punty
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Pff, just a 12 point head start vs me

          2. Syd.
            • 15 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            4 points isn't really much of a differential

            1. Mata-Is-The-Juan
              • 10 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              Makes all the difference in H2Hs though.

            2. Numb
              • 9 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              That's a lot of OR places!

              1. Syd.
                • 15 Years
                8 years, 8 months ago

                Not if you bring in the right player

                This week makes sense to take a hit

          3. ACCOUNTING ON CHRIS
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Sort of, but if your playing someone tripe to avoid a hit then can get wiped quickly

          4. zizoo10
            • 8 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            i think even a -4 is somewhat a huge differential

          5. OPTA FPL
            • 12 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            but people who took hits this week will get more advanted than you ext gws, they sort out their teams

            1. OPTA FPL
              • 12 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              next

            2. Manamongst
              • 13 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              yep..people not taking hits this week are prolonging the problem to some extent...and only piles the to-do list higher for the next week. Granted some of the low priority trades you´ve put off may very well stop being priorities at all but it is putting off fo next week what most likely should have been done this week.

          6. Tadic is the new Eriksen
            • 11 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Yes! I agree so much with this, instant way of getting ahead of the game

            Got a feeling it might be one of those hotlrrible low scoring GWs where hits come at a premium too

            1. Dušan Citizen
              • 10 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              Wow, only imagine if average is about 30

          7. Manamongst
            • 13 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Yes. this. But no hits this week is probably the same as -8 unless you have a ridiculously lucky squad out there. A 1/5 of the people we think are going to play aren´t. That´s not even considering the injured.

        17. Realdeal14
          • 9 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          Anyone else (C) Hazard?

          1. Syd.
            • 15 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            7.8%

            1. Belalugozi78
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 9 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              how do you know? Or is it just the poll results?

          2. AllThePies
            • 8 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            o/

            Over Pelle too..

        18. Zombie
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 8 months ago

          So as Sturridge does it again, let's watch it again as well - https://vine.co/v/eKhZ2Oi3Azg

          1. bigwig
            • 13 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            haha

          2. Jay_
              8 years, 8 months ago

              😀

            • Chris_White
              • 12 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              lool

            • Costa in Wengerland
              • 12 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              Hahahah

          3. Lizard Lips
            • 11 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Anyone else full of regret with their changes already?

            1. Valar(Keith)
              • 14 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              Only Sturridge and Bavies owners probably

            2. DV8R
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 13 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              Kolarov to Dawson for a hit...just hope Kos is out so Im justified in my transfer

            3. Make United Great Again
              • 11 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              Nope

            4. Reedy
              • 13 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              For once no. Very tricky week to navigate, no point fretting over it.

          4. Valar(Keith)
            • 14 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            For the first time in my fpl career ive used a WC before Christmas.. Security blanket gone. time to button down the hatches and start making Friday night transfer.. been one big party with TV and early transfers uptil now 😆

            1. Shifty
              • 10 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              Good luck Valar. A good week to WC.

            2. Syd.
              • 15 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              You get another one after Christmas so best use it in a time of need

            3. Lizard Lips
              • 11 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              You only lose it if you don't use it before Xmas anyway!

              1. Valar(Keith)
                • 14 Years
                8 years, 8 months ago

                Thats just this season

          5. Syd.
            • 15 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Sturridge is worse than Darren Anderton when it comes to injuries

            1. Jax
              • 14 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              he's worse than aguero...

          6. TotalJustice
            • 9 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Need some opinions for draft team lads!!!
            Play two out of these...

            1. Sakho
            2. Verteonghen
            3. Galoway
            4. Reid

          7. Piggs Boson
            • 12 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            Sturridge trolled me like this last season, I tried to warn people.

            1. Syd.
              • 15 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              This is why I wouldn't go anywhere near him

          8. bigwig
            • 13 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            It serves Strurridge right for being such a shite dancer

          9. @ocprodigy
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 8 months ago

            When you find out you need to be in Newcastle when you have a ticket to the derby next weekend.... :'(

            1. bigwig
              • 13 Years
              8 years, 8 months ago

              at least you don't have to watch Newcastle..