[sbu_large_image] Opinion
29 April 2017 2051 comments
Mark Mark
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Another double Gameweek and another example of how our quest for the spectacular can backfire.

The majority of the chatter seven days ago surrounded the “potential” of strikers Benteke, Rashford and Negredo, backed by investment in Zaha in midfield.

And yet, while three of that four failed miserably, it was again a steady goalkeeper and a defender – David De Gea and Daley Blind – who provided the bigger hauls.

We saw the same just weeks earlier.

We moved mountains to invest in Sergio Aguero and Manchester City’s exciting wingers in Gameweek 27, only for Pep Guardiola’s attack to be frustrated by Stoke City, as Lee Grant and Erik Pieters top scored with 13 and 14 points.

It seems we can’t help ourselves. When a double Gameweek rumbles into view, our priority is to aim big – go for the Hail Mary.

We become dazzled by the potential for three digits and to find it; we covet a collection of attacking options which may just provide the “mother load” of returns.

Pinning the tail on that particular unicorn is a thankless task. This time it was Benteke, but with a cast of mediocre imposters, it turned out that our Gameweek 34 investment was better spent on the reliability of Manchester United’s defence.

With just seven days to go before we again plunge into a Double Gameweek scenario, I find myself wandering into the same trap.

My Wildcard line-up is currently constructed around retaining Alexis Sanchez and acquiring Eden Hazard alongside my three Spurs attackers.

I’m making changes at the back, but the idea of sacrificing an expensive attacker in order to bolster the defence hasn’t really been considered.

Sanchez and Hazard could well deliver big over their Gameweek 37 fixtures, but, arguably, it’s far easier to isolate defenders and keepers who will safely edge into double figures.

Willy Cabellero, Laurent Koscielny, Marcus Alonso, Jan Vertonghen – these are all assured assets who could and perhaps should produce 10+ hauls and, if we can possibly find a secure starter in the United and City backline, they provide additional names for that list.

I’m one of many settling on two knock-off Southampton centre-backs, alongside a cast of budget single Gameweek assets.

Fearful of missing out on a key attacker, I’m obsessed with chasing expensive targets who could well be destined to follow Negredo and Zaha down a 4-point cul-de-sac.

Double Gameweeks dangle the spectacular but often allow the steady and unfashionable to prevail.

Maybe I need to show some restraint, so in a bid to wean myself off “Hollywood moves”, I’m bringing in Martin Kelly today. Transfers don’t come more unspectacular than that.

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

  1. ⚽️ Dingo ⚽️
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Played AOA with a bench of Stephens, Maguie and Davies....... Nervous.

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      do you have yoshi?

      1. ⚽️ Dingo ⚽️
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Nope.

  2. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Went mad just before deadline and went negredo and grant to gabby and willy for a hit. Will it work?

    1. Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Yep

    2. Stats Don\'t Lie
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Yes

    3. Alnair
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Now I'm worried because these things rarely pay off and I own both 😐

      1. DA Minnion (Former great)
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Don't usually work for me either.

    4. Malcolm Tucker for England …
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      not mad. grant>willy is at worst +2

      1. DA Minnion (Former great)
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Not really cos I would have played jaku but didn't want gabby playing against him.

        1. Malcolm Tucker for England …
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          still, those dgw fixtures are tasty for him

          1. DA Minnion (Former great)
            • 13 Years
            8 years, 10 months ago

            That was the deciding factor. I've no wildcard so stocking up.

    5. Dr. Mantis Toboggan
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Negredo out, nobody in wouldn't be disastrous

  3. VS10_
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Saints fans really don't like Forster it seems: https://twitter.com/SouthamptonFC/status/858304878824873988

    1. Give The Todd Some Love
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      He's been terrible this season

      1. VS10_
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        He had that great patch of form last season, but in general English keepers like Hart and Forster really seem to be overhyped by the media.

        1. Somalion
          • 16 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          So they're no different to any other English player, then.

          1. VS10_
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 10 months ago

            🙂

        2. Give The Todd Some Love
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          Hasn't been the same since his injury imo

    2. Greenbackbøøg…
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      He's been disappointing this year

    3. Stats Don\'t Lie
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Forster has been shoddy last few, not a fan of boufal either

      1. Give The Todd Some Love
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Are you a Saints fan? I always like the look of him when he plays, obviously incredibly talented.

    4. Pariße
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Very few of them know how to pronounce their new signings 🙂

  4. Mickey Tyrion™
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Thankful to have wildcard active for this week instead of last. Feel we may end this GW with some real questions.

    1. sillyhilly69
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Thankful to have played WC so I can actually take advantage of TC and BB

  5. Geri-hatricks
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Who's keen to drop their Wildcard as soon as the game updates?

    1. greghammer95
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Meeeeeee.

      Need to check for risers first.

    2. SUPERMAN
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Yip

    3. Big_Bear
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      +1

    4. thunder_mike
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Yes!

  6. Rainer
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Sanchez starting up front? Livescore saying he is...

    1. Licious Lizard
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      .......

    2. Give The Todd Some Love
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      No Brunt is up front

    3. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Nice, Wenger is thinking again

  7. greghammer95
    • 16 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    I fancy berahino to get amongst the goals today.

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      said nobody ever

  8. JabbaWookiee
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Time to activate that wildcard!! Lots of price rises to beat before tonight...

    Let the fun commence!!

    1. HuttonDressedasLahm
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      I'm working tonight
      I need to get on it asap

  9. Hybrid.power
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Lets go Kingy! Start my week off with a bang

  10. Deano
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Just another perfect example of why you don't WC until the last moment!

    1. Alnair
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      What happened?

    2. Eddie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      You miss it?

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

        Scratch that, that's why you don't WC at the last minute.

      2. Deano
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Injuries and rotation, I'm WCing after the close off.

  11. Ange Ball
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Took out Sanchez and Negredo for King and Gabbiadini -4 rival noe 2pts ahead. Listening to people's advice on here I hope it pays off.

    Forster
    Alonso Pieters VanAaholt
    King Eriksen Alli Sane Zaha
    Kane (C) Gabbiadini

    Pickford Lukaku holgate Ayala

    1. Ange Ball
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Rival 24pts ahead

  12. supperspout
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    realised too late you can't play WC and trip captain right?

    Meaning prob Kane Triple GW 38.

    Tried with 10 mins to WC but couldnt get them in

  13. Golden Oldies
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Missed the deadline so no Wc played

    I still got WC, BB and TC chips left to play and only 3 weeks..whats the best order to play them in ye reckon?

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

      WC, BB, TC

      1. HuttonDressedasLahm
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        This
        There's often a high scoring random in 38

        Just need to find out who

    2. DaveZubie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      WC, BB, TC

    3. sillyhilly69
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      WC then flip a coin.

    4. Rover
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      WC, TC, BB

  14. WE GO FOR IT
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Pretty sure I have Holgate starting and Cedric on the bench.
    Come on Hull, get that goal!

  15. sillyhilly69
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    WC next week and then flip a coin.

  16. DaveZubie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Friend just text me, he thought it was normal 11.30 cutoff and activated his WC around 12.

    🙂

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      your friend cannot read?

    2. ⚽️ Dingo ⚽️
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      What a banana

    3. Ange Ball
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      No way

    4. Licious Lizard
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      hahahaha if that is true......

    5. sminkypinky
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Must sit pretty low in your ml.

    6. Somalion
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Ask him if he's feeling confident against City

    7. Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Hahahaha, what an idiot!

  17. drughi
    • 16 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Only got king, pickford and zaha today. Yawn

  18. Rainer
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Rival captained Gabbi, I know hope my transfer in blanks 🙂

  19. sminkypinky
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Interesting to see how many ml rivals wildcarded too!

  20. greghammer95
    • 16 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Let's go captain Tadic!

  21. Venom Snake
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    It's that time to ditch the ones falling in price and hop on those potential double rises!

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      won't be many with all the wildcards

      1. Venom Snake
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Need to hope for the best

  22. ⚽️ Dingo ⚽️
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Donald "the enabler" Love

    1. Rainer
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Price?

      1. ⚽️ Dingo ⚽️
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        £3,900,000

  23. Olee
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Played AoA with these front 8:
    King-Sanchez-Eriksen-Alli-JWP
    Kane-Benteke-Rashford

    Ofc JWP gets benched! haha

  24. Big_Bear
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Right time to work out the WC template for GW36-GW38.

    I presume I ideally want the majority of players from Soton, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Tottenham?

    1. jbenny1107
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Avoid Southampton defense. They'll get slaughtered in 36 and maybe one clean sheet in 37 at the most. Better alternatives for 37.

  25. OldSchool
    • 16 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Where is Pieters????

    1. Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      On the bench i guess

  26. Pariße
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again. Unbelievable how I got Stones on WC for the 3rd time. He's been in my every WC (pre-season, first half, second half WC) team despite him being one of the disappointments of the season. 🙂

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

      He'll come good soon.

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

        I figured if he play just one game in DGW37, he's got a good chance of a CS, so why not 🙂 He doesn't even have to play in the other 4 games, everyone else around him can do it.

    2. sillyhilly69
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      You knew he was injured though, surely?!

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

        Of course, he's a punt for the DGW and I wildcarded in this one. Could've gone with Albrighton and Stephens, but I thought him and JWP were better picks.

  27. The Wizard of Ozil
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Always nervy after playing the WC. Gulp.

    1. sminkypinky
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      I'm pretty confident i will do badly. Never done well with my wc. i'm useless.

      1. The Wizard of Ozil
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Confident!

  28. Rainer
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    8 minutes till WC time 🙂

  29. sminkypinky
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    How many players from your spanking new wc team will get injured before next gw??

  30. Jordan.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    no grant????

    1. Rainer
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Butland back = bench for Grant.

    2. sminkypinky
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Same last week