[sbu_large_image] Opinion
10 September 2016 1920 comments
Mark Mark
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Spiderman (or was it Spiderm4tt?) once said – “with great power comes great responsibility”.

That definitely chimes for any Fantasy Premier League manager with a Wildcard active.

The seemingly endless possibilities in front of us is dazzling and confusing but the burden is almost too much.

The gut wrenching feeling when a Wildcard is played and is perceived as “wasted” is an emotion that lingers in memory.

When it hits, we look for anything, any crumb of comfort that will help us justify decisions in order to ensure we leap a pit of despair.

Initially, the excitement and the sheer relief granted by the opportunity to refresh our squad mask these doubts.

It’s only now, hours before committing our decisions, that the doubts creep towards us. That we remember, with dread, how it feels when a Wildcard backfires.

In previous seasons I have likened it to a supermarket dash. That analogy still rings true.

You speed through, giggling at the choice and freedom you have been granted. Only to look back when the opportunity is gone and immediately begin to wonder what has been missed, what opening has been passed up.

For me, the pressure has been intensified. I’ll be sharing the fallout from my Wildcard with a bigger audience than ever. Revealing my errors and forcing myself to justify decisions and back-peddling.

Already that’s having an impact. I’m perhaps putting too much stock in bandwagons like Raheem Sterling – afraid that I’m missing the obvious, I’m backing these players for fear I’ll be exposed.

I’ve seen posts this morning questioning those still debating Wildcard decisions.

But I’m firmly in that camp.

Such is the power of the Wildcard, no decision can ever be finalised, even at this late stage.

We give ourselves the chance to deliberate every position right to the end. It stands to reason that we will keep doing that – we will keep replaying and rebalancing player vs player scenarios until the bell tolls.

It’s a tortuous process that absorbs us but one of the key pleasures of playing this game, particularly when we can share the agony on these pages.

I’ve enjoyed reading through the deliberation over the international break. I’m still reading now, adding your opinions to my own in order to finish this process once and for all.

There’s an expectation from myself and others that I’ll overcome my mediocre start to the season and a successful Wildcard is likely key to that.

My spider senses are tingling – I’m not sure I’m up to bearing all this responsibility.

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

1,920 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. SweeSwee
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Firminho captain anyone?

    Now that Sanchez is out and Haz is away and all...

  2. Raheem's perm
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Sod it, Zaza captain!

  3. klopp4kop
    10 years, 1 month ago

    derby team news anyone?

    1. Epic Fail
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Darren Bent should start.

      1. Defcons are for Kinnear
        10 years, 1 month ago

        He's become a horse?

    2. Defcons are for Kinnear
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Give me 6 mins

    3. Bushido
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Van Persi is up front with Ibra

  4. Simon Says...
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Collins or Pieters long term?

    1. Cantonas Demons
      10 years, 1 month ago

      B but he is falling in price soon. Holebas

  5. For Fuchs Sake
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Start Souare or Kone??

    1. Andriy Shevchenko is Back
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Kone

    2. Rhodes your boat
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Souare

  6. Zombie
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Pineapple on Pizza is awesome!!!

    1. Mílanista
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Ban

      1. Zombie
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Kolarov on pizza?

        1. Mílanista
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          10 years, 1 month ago

          Cannabilse the great man? Perma-ban

          1. Zombie
            10 years, 1 month ago

            I meant *Koleslaw 🙁

            1. Mílanista
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              10 years, 1 month ago

              😀

    2. Colonel Shoe 肝池
      10 years, 1 month ago

      darn tootin

    3. George Sillett
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Criminal.

  7. Swanny18
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Collins to start? Any truth in this?
    https://twitter.com/WHUFC_News/status/774553041534066688

    1. Whazza
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Very likely

    2. internal error
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Yea

  8. TheBusDriver
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Benching Sanchez for Capoue.

    1. Whazza
      10 years, 1 month ago

      😀

    2. Andriy Shevchenko is Back
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I dare you 🙂

  9. Footballfriend
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Armband time, lukaku or Haz?

    1. flipthebuzzard
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I've gambled on Luk... Haz away is a different beast to home

  10. The Red Devil
    10 years, 1 month ago

    negredo/defoe/bony? which 1?

    1. internal error
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Defoe

    2. Lawrø
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Bony

    3. Bushido
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Bony

  11. Colonel Shoe 肝池
    10 years, 1 month ago

    is gray likely to play today?

    1. threeputt
      10 years, 1 month ago

      yes

    2. Clump
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Yes

    3. Colonel Shoe 肝池
      10 years, 1 month ago

      ta

    4. Epic Fail
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I don't see why he wouldn't.

    5. Christina.
      10 years, 1 month ago

      depends on his hearing

    6. Andriy Shevchenko is Back
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Definitely

  12. Sponge-worthy
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Anyone captaining lukaku?

    1. Whazza
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Why?

    2. Lawrø
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Tempted, good week for a risk with all the split captaincy choices

    3. flipthebuzzard
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Yep

  13. Porkchops Johnson
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Start 1:
    A) Redmond
    B) Capoue
    C) Kone

    1. Prison Mike
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Redmond

      1. Andriy Shevchenko is Back
        10 years, 1 month ago

        +1

  14. Ghost86
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Captain?

    A) ozil
    B) firmino
    C) gray

  15. Bushido
    10 years, 1 month ago

    7 minutes left

  16. Christina.
    10 years, 1 month ago

    When must we put pe nis down?

    1. Colonel Shoe 肝池
      10 years, 1 month ago

      never

    2. TheBusDriver
      10 years, 1 month ago

      It's already down.

      1. TheBusDriver
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Not anymore.

    3. Defcons are for Kinnear
      10 years, 1 month ago

      "We"?

  17. Trentminator
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Bolasie or Redmond?

    1. Le _ Professeur
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Bolasie short term ... Redmond long

      1. Trentminator
        10 years, 1 month ago

        thanks, who to play today? got lukaku

  18. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Nothing is making Zlatan miss this derby

  19. khalnayak
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Whom to Play. please suggest asap 🙂

    Redmond Capoue

    Stones Friend

    1. Le _ Professeur
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Red. - Stones

    2. Andriy Shevchenko is Back
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Redmond Friend

  20. white lightning
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Play Lamela or Valencia. Thanks.

    1. threeputt
      10 years, 1 month ago

      lamela

    2. flipthebuzzard
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Lamela

  21. flipthebuzzard
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Lukaku captain gamble made...!?

    1. Krul Runnings
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Same.

      GL US.

      1. flipthebuzzard
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Agreed!

  22. Red Star Toro
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Captain:
    A) Hazard
    B) Sanchez

    1. flipthebuzzard
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Sanchez benched. Haz.

    2. EmreCan Hustle
      10 years, 1 month ago

      A

    3. thep025
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Hazard

    4. Cantonas Demons
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Wish you could change captains like euros. Its also wreciing my head !

  23. Weeb Kakashi
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Please help

    Cech Pickford
    Valencia Williams Evans Collins Amat

    G2G?

  24. Rolls-Royce
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Now Zlatan? people on WC must be having a torrid time.

  25. Dr. Rog
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Antonio (c)

    With ball this big, it hurts to sit down

    1. Raheem's perm
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I can't decide between him and Zaza for captain this week!

  26. The Royal Robin
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Last chance, on my WC... Antonio or Lamela?

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

      A

      1. The Royal Robin
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Cheers!

  27. The Left Duke #3
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Haha the posts are so fast and furious no one has time to respond 🙂
    No one will even read this post so Sausages!!!

    1. threeputt
      10 years, 1 month ago

      & bacon

    2. Defcons are for Kinnear
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I read it

    3. Bushido
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I read it

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

      Bacon + Eggs with my sausages please 😉

      1. The Left Duke #3
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Cooking up a storm here lads. Fry up ready in 5.

  28. Jafooli
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Bingo in 5....

    1. Mílanista
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 years, 1 month ago

      4...

  29. Le _ Professeur
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Pages fill with comments in like 30 sec 🙂

  30. RamaJama
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Gibson nailed for Middlesborough?