[sbu_large_image] Preamble
23 January 2016 1911 comments
Mark Mark
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Sure enough, it didn’t take long for Sergio to punish my lack of faith.

I’m still not budging, though. Despite taking a good hiding during this week’s rather heated ScoutCast, I’ve got to stick to my guns. For now.

I still think there’s “another way” – that I shouldn’t feel compelled to gut my squad and shift it towards another template, just to cater for the Argentine’s undoubted talent.

I want to be able to field a three or even four-man defence I can believe in. I want to make transfers in midfield that can transform my Gameweek, not just plug a hole in my squad: another 4.5 defender acquired in the hope that he’ll shore up a cheap backline. I want to keep having choices that excite me just a little.

In fairness, the recent emergence of Charlie Daniels (4.6) and Matt Targett (3.8) have helped to facilitate those willing to sacrifice spreading funds in order to welcome Aguero.

I can see plenty of merit in this. In some ways I’m a little frustrated that these full-backs have timed their run onto the radar to coincide with Aguero’s return to prominence.

Even so, I’ve been there before – I’ve seen budget defenders come and go, briefly flirting with the possibility that you can scatter them amongst a cast of heavy hitters. They can often turn out to be “fools gold”, left to depreciate, week by week on the bench.

There’s also lots of talk of Aguero’s rise ahead of double Gameweeks. That’s fair enough, there’s little doubt that the “triple C” looks ready-made for the City striker’s bicep. There are all kinds of permutations surrounding double Gameweeks buzzing around our heads – I won’t go into them here.

However, we do know that should City overcome Everton in Wednesday’s Capital One Cup semi, Aguero will face a Gameweek 27 blank. Throw Kevin De Bruyne into that mix and suddenly you’ve got yourself two very expensive reserves. It will be interesting to see how squads adjust to that.

It seems unlikely that anyone will be selling City assets should they book that double Gameweek – but those who time their acquisitions prior to the two fixtures could avoid some damage and still gain the benefits.

It’s easy to forget that Double Gameweeks come coupled with a blank. Just as it’s easy to point out Aguero’s obvious potential for points, whilst ignoring or downplaying the compromises made to get there.

There’s no doubt that Aguero offers a degree of comfort – certain goal returns, spectacular hauls.

In contrast, I’m currently putting faith in a transient cast of mid-price midfield differentials and the theory that, eventually, investment in a strong defence and squad will balance things out.

It’s a gamble and probably a huge error but it’s definitely more “interesting”.

Perversely, I’m enjoying it while it lasts.

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

  1. Sting
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    KDB + Stanislas > Payet + Firmino ??

    1. The Hound
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Hell yeah

  2. The Hound
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Firmino (c) lets go!

    1. The Hindu Monkey
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      bring it in hound

    2. Yome
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      lol best of luck with that

  3. Ziro Becomes One
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Play Cresswell or R.Bennett ?

    1. Ziro Becomes One
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Against ManC and Liv respectively?

    2. The Hound
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Cresswell

      1. Ziro Becomes One
        • 11 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Cannot disregard the Hound. Cresswell it is.

  4. jernej93
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Bellerin worth extra money over Mertesacker? 🙂

    1. Pariße
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Yep

  5. Gimli son of Gloin
    • 13 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Lukaku (c) set.

    A bit unhappy with benching Sigurdsson.

  6. Epic Fail
    • 15 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Predictions on how many Lukaku vs Aguero questions on this page?

    1. mojoindojo
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      42

  7. phuang
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    G2G?

    Rudd
    Toby, Daniels, Fuchs
    Alli, Ozil, KDB, Payet
    Lukaku (c), Kane, Ighalo

    Subs: Butland, Mahrez, Bellerin, Ward

    1. Ravager
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      G2G. But I'm biased as this is practically my team...playing Mahrez over Alli though. Maybe I should rethink..

  8. Parm
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    No van der Vaart 😯

  9. RamaJama
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Ighalo C home against Newcastle

    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Good luck 🙂

    2. Studgie G
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      same here

  10. Fifa las vegas
    • 13 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    I saw someone a bit back meant ion using AoA, which I'm now thinking of too to give me is front 8:

    Payet, Ozil, Barkley, Mahrez, Alli
    Vardy, Lukaku(c), Kane

    The idea is that ATM I'm playing both Monreal and Azpil, and I'll probably be getting Aguero in he next week or two which will likely mean (maybe not certainly, but very likely) a new cheap 5th mid that I'll probably never really want to use AoA on anyways.

    Thoughts?

  11. Lizard Lips
    • 13 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Simpson first sub or Gosling?

    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Gosling

    2. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Simpson

    3. Pariße
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Simpson

    4. FPL_Sponge
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Gosling

  12. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Predicted Kun minutes?

    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      75

      1. Fifa las vegas
        • 13 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        65 if dominating the game

    2. Sailboats
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      64

    3. In Like Flynn.
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 15 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      17

      1. MagicMessi
        • 13 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        how about Bony injured ?

    4. Ziro Becomes One
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      59:59 after a brace and an assist

    5. MagicMessi
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      77

    6. Jazz!
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      89

    7. Pariße
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      90

  13. KingOllie
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Attack of the gravless

    1. Ha.
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Attack of the bigots

  14. tabby98
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Play 3
    Bellerin
    Walker
    Wollscheid
    Moreno
    Simpson

    1. GuillermoDickero
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      See below

    2. Bobbydhino - ⚒ Saint Slav…
      • 16 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      woll
      more
      simp

    3. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Walker, Moreno, Wolly

  15. GuillermoDickero
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Who to start?

    A) Bellerin
    B) Ward
    C) Moreno
    D) Walker
    E) Simspon

    Thinking - Moreno, Bellerin, Walker

    1. Black Panther
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I'm staring Koscielny, walker, Moreno, benching Simpson

      1. GuillermoDickero
        • 11 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        solid

  16. Takedog1
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    kane captain

  17. Ohhhhh Gary Macca!
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    2500 OR and I'm thinking about captaining Baines or Firmino :/
    Which one?

    1. Gimli son of Gloin
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Don't

      1. Ohhhhh Gary Macca!
        • 11 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Why not? I think Aguero will blank..

    2. The Hindu Monkey
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      why? with that high a rank surely captain either jun or lukaku

      firm of the two given everton just don't do clean sheets

      1. Epic Fail
        • 15 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Surely you can't argue with the logic of someone with that rank?

      2. Ohhhhh Gary Macca!
        • 11 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        I don't have Lukaku and I think Aguero will blank..

    3. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      B

    4. Burger
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Just to say I very much look forward to overtaking you this week 😀

    5. Stats Don\'t Lie
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Baines

  18. Sean.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Play Vardy or Deeney UFPL ?

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      A

    2. The Hindu Monkey
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      B

      1. Sean.
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Oh wow 🙂

  19. The Hound
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    What's the news on Arnie? Currently starting him over Stanislas.

  20. Up the tics
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Bench one
    Cresswell, Wolly, simpson

    1. Ziro Becomes One
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Wolly.

    2. Bobbydhino - ⚒ Saint Slav…
      • 16 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      cresswell

    3. In Like Flynn.
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 15 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I've benched Cresswell hoping I'm wrong and he gets a CS and assist.

  21. TheBusDriver
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Bench 1: Vardy, Mahrez and Alli.

    Please help!!

    1. The Hindu Monkey
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      ali

    2. Parm
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Mahrez

    3. Bobbydhino - ⚒ Saint Slav…
      • 16 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      mahrez

    4. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
      • 15 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Mahrez

    5. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Alli

  22. Stats Don\'t Lie
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Anyone else tempted by lukaku (c) simply due to do being over 100%? Where as owning kun is differential enough rn...

    1. Stats Don\'t Lie
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      *effective ownership

      1. Ziro Becomes One
        • 11 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Depends whether you want a big jump in rank or just a small jump.

        I am going for the big one.

    2. RubeRx
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      if you use that logic then you are making decisions based on what other people are doing

    3. The Hindu Monkey
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      this - haven't deviated from him all week - everyone else is a punt in my book

  23. Ha.
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    G2G?

    1. InBetweenDreams
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      One of the best i've seen. G2G

      1. Ha.
        • 10 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Cheers

  24. InBetweenDreams
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    I answered a few questions on page 6 now we're on page 9 🙂

    Flying through, is anybody else replying?

    1. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
      • 15 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Occasionally things are going too quickly

    2. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Yes

      1. Jafooli
        • 14 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        I mean no

  25. alfast1c
    • 15 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Is Arnautovic going to play ?

    1. InBetweenDreams
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Yes but reduced minutes i'd say going by Hughes' comments

      1. alfast1c
        • 15 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        ty

  26. Neymar JR
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Shall I sell all three of the following or keep it

    kdb for eriksen
    Lloris for de gea or hart
    Vardy for giroud

  27. edfiasco
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Hi everyone.

    How long is a piece of string?

    Thanks

    1. Bøwstring The Carp
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Yes

    2. Jazz!
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      14.2cm

    3. KingOllie
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      About tree fiddy

    4. Burger
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Lukaku

  28. FootballFanatic365
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    start mahrez ?

  29. Tommygunbud
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Am I mental in captaining Ighalo over Kun and Kane???

  30. screamer73
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    1 Payet, Ozil, Alli, KDB, Mahrez, Lukaku, Kun, Kane. who will you bench? currently on KDB

    2 play Simpson or Target?

    1. Trae44
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Simpson