[sbu_large_image] Opinion
28 November 2017 1923 comments
Mark Mark
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There are such fine margins between success and failure, and often, while we fret over Wildcards and captaincies, it is the seemingly inconsequential decisions that cost us.

My Gameweek 13, while more than satisfactory, could well have been bordering on epic had I just considered two decisions more carefully.

Both seemed totally justified at the time.

Firstly, the swap of Kyle Naughton to welcome back Nicolas Otamendi to my dressing room seemed sound enough.

I didn’t write off Swansea’s chances of a clean sheet against Bournemouth, but having previously witnessed the Cherries win 4-0 over Huddersfield; I expected Callum Wilson and company to breach the struggling Swans. More to the point, I banked on more from Otamendi who chested the ball into the Man City net to create an unexpected nine-point swing in Naughton’s favour.

Then there was that decision to start Tammy Abraham.

I thought I’d read this situation perfectly. If the striker had any chance of figuring against the Cherries, he’d start. It made perfect sense. Why, when Abraham could not play against Chelsea in Gameweek 14, would Paul Clement use him from the bench? These were desperate times, after all.

Only Clement knows the full story. All I know is that Abraham saw six minutes of action, almost won a penalty but robbed me of a belated goal from Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

I could have been 15 points better off, in a Gameweek where my score was already considered more than a little bit handy.

These “trivial” little decisions soon add up and, eventually, I believe they can do far more damage than a badly timed Wildcard or a misplaced armband. We fret over the big dilemmas and yet it’s these frivolous little choices that undo us. Bit by bit, they unravel the careful stitches of our painstaking Gameweek research.

I’ve started writing all these “mishaps” down. I jot them on pieces of paper, fold them up and then put them in a jar. A jar of regret and agony, something to pore over when the season is done, and I’m considering what might have been.

I fear that one day my partner will find this jar.

“It’s my jar of regret”, I will explain.

She will peer inside expecting to see scribbles on how I should have taken that gap year or learned to play the guitar.

Instead, she’ll find mentions of Kyle Naughton and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

I’ll sit her down take her through the stats, but I don’t think it will help.

Thanks to Fantasy Football, she probably has her own jar with my name in it.

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

  1. Oven Glover
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 3 months ago

    Bye bye, TC! Thought I’d keep you from start to finish but can’t afford you dropping.

    1. Dr. DOOM
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      Who are you getting in?

      1. Oven Glover
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Hughes most likely.

  2. Babyangus01
    • 16 Years
    8 years, 3 months ago

    Ok lads, wildcard played...feel sick. Bit late now but is this ok?
    Foster (Elliot)
    Alonso, Ottamendi, Daniels, (Klavan, Mee)
    Hazard[c], Salah, Gross, RLC (Young)
    Morata[v], Kane, Wilson
    Is this gonna be ok long term or have I made a rickets of it?

    1. Les Bleus
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      Weak midfield IMO.

      1. Babyangus01
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Thanks, yes I woulda liked Man City coverage but feel it's a minefield. I'll just try to ignore them

    2. GOTHAM City F.C.
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      yep, bit late. Good luck!

    3. Dr. DOOM
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      Foster a bad pick imo

    4. Valar(Keith)
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      Foster and young look a bit meh.. Else real good. Good luck

      1. Babyangus01
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Thanks, I rarely post, but am on here all the time. Team felt stale, at least with the wc played I feel active again. If that makes sense

    5. the snazzy viking
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      So what team have you gone with then

      1. Babyangus01
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        I just went with the above only took 3 hours. Playing catchup in my mini league biut the standard is much higher this year. I've won it the last 4 with 20-50k positions, but I think everyone takes this more serious now

    6. Red Dagger ✪
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      Given only 2 big hitters up front the mid is weaker than I expected.

      1. Babyangus01
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Yeah, but where could I have upgraded? Maybe lose Alonso for Ramsey? But I thought Alonso might outscore im the next 5

      2. Babyangus01
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        I previously had Lukaku, Aguero, Kane, Salah. But only had Fernandinho,Gross, Choupo, Young, Salah in mid. Maybe I'm weaker now

  3. Pierce34
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 3 months ago

    Yes, no Son!

  4. Valar(Keith)
    • 16 Years
    8 years, 3 months ago

    Rlc in the hole!

  5. Dr. DOOM
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 3 months ago

    TC to Richarlison or take the drop?

  6. Sims
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 3 months ago

    Hard to sympathise with tripper /babies owners

    This has been going on for ages.

    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      Oops rf below

    2. gwitbrock
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      Always hard to sympathise with babies owners. Those damn things won't shut up when I'm trying to play flappy birds on the tube.

  7. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 3 months ago

    no son, good news for kane cappers

    1. GOTHAM City F.C.
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      this!

    2. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      I own Bavies and need no sympathy. Bottled Hazard Capt btw, went Kane

      1. La Roja
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        P*ssy

        1. The Bandit
          • 15 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          Harsh but fair

          1. La Roja
            • 14 Years
            8 years, 3 months ago

            Agreed

      2. The Bandit
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Rf to Sims above

  8. IRBOX ⚽
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 3 months ago

    No Son is good for Kane imo

    1. Walcoff life
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      Yes!

  9. The special 5
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 3 months ago

    Are the rumours true about Luk on bench?

  10. Debauchy
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 3 months ago

    great pick

    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      Thanks

  11. Les Bleus
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 3 months ago

    No Son good for Kane x3

  12. Old Wulfrunian
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 3 months ago

    Davies not start means he will probably start against Watford and Stoke.

    1. Ini
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      ..And this is the dilemma. Do you get rid now, or play the rotation game?

  13. mrwinner
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 3 months ago

    RLC come on son, give us another goal!

  14. DonTheSpecialOne
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 3 months ago

    Brilliant preamble

    1. In Like Flynn.
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      Agreed

      1. DonTheSpecialOne
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Hey Flynn!

    2. Lets jump straight into it.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      Agree

    3. Ini
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 3 months ago

      Indeed.

  15. RubberDucky
      8 years, 3 months ago

      Right so I went Rich > RLC (I even already have Zaha)

      Thinking is Eriksen > Hazard next GW

      I must be only person to get rid of Rich. But after those 3 tricky GW's I can get him back for a cost of probably 0.2

      1. TallestJohn
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Palace midfield double up

        o/

        1. RubberDucky
            8 years, 3 months ago

            You mean / more like

            \o/

      2. GreennRed
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3atSVqYa844

        SuperKev 😉

      3. In Like Flynn.
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Great preamble.
        Something had to make me smile today and this did the trick.
        Thanks Mark.

        1. Lets jump straight into it.
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          Most of fpl is about disappointments and how you deal with them ....

      4. mrwinner
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Hearing Lukaku will start on the bench....

        1. Lets jump straight into it.
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          Well he's not starting then

      5. Iceball
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Lineups?

        1. Lets jump straight into it.
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          Limmets

          (slimming biscuits

      6. CloudSky
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Son on the bench is a horror show for us Kane non cappers.

      7. Rainer
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Scott Dann is only being rested again, right?

        1. Gobigorgohome
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          Dropped

          1. Ha.
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 3 months ago

            Nah, can only conceivably be injured

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

        Tomkins again

      9. Ziro
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        https://anewpla.net/fpl/lineups/

        Brighton and Hove Albion: Ryan, Bruno, Duffy, Dunk, Suttner, Groß, Stephens, Pröpper, Knockaert, Izquierdo Mena, Murray,
        Subs: Isaiah Brown (37), Solly March (20), Ezequiel Schelotto (21), Beram Kayal (7), Connor Goldson (18), Tomer Hemed (10), Tim Krul (26)

        Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Ward, Tomkins, Sakho, Schlupp, Cabaye, Milivojevic, Zaha, Loftus-Cheek, Townsend, Benteke,
        Subs: Jason Puncheon (42), Bakary Sako (26), Patrick van Aanholt (3), Timothy Fosu-Mensah (24), Julian Speroni (1), James McArthur (18), Scott Dann (6)

        Leicester City: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell, Mahrez, Ndidi, Iborra, Albrighton, Okazaki, Vardy,
        Subs: Aleksandar Dragovic (16), Andy King (10), Daniel Amartey (18), Ben Hamer (12), Demarai Gray (7), Hamza Choudhury (38), Islam Slimani (19)

        Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Sánchez, Dier, Vertonghen, Aurier, Sissoko, Dembélé, Rose, Eriksen, Alli, Kane,
        Subs: Erik Lamela (11), Kieran Trippier (2), Juan Foyth (21), Fernando Llorente (18), Michel Vorm (13), Son Heung-Min (7), Ben Davies (33)

        1. Numb
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          Thanks Parm

        2. tm245
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          The maestro. Cheers.

          1. Ziro
            • 11 Years
            8 years, 3 months ago

            Was waiting for Fusen to post but looks like he isn't online.

        3. Oven Glover
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          Suttner is back

        4. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
          • 8 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          Nice one!

        5. Arteta
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          Legend.

        6. Clifford☯
          • 9 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          cheers!

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

        Loftus cheek in the no. 10 role or on the wing?

        1. Bleach †
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          10

        2. Runaway
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          prorably 10

      11. Revival
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Murray def going to score vs Palace

        1. Bielsa's Blue Bucket
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          he better

        2. Valar(Keith)
          • 16 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          In the hole according to their forums.. With Townsend and Zaha on the wings

      12. Ajax Hamsterdam
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Where does everyone see the teamsheets

        1. La Roja
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          Here

        2. Art Vandelay
          • 15 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          ^

        3. COLLIN QUANER
          • 9 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          Twitter

        4. Whats the Mata?
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 3 months ago

          twitter

      13. Numb
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Millivojevic starts

      14. tm245
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        I didn't even know which teams were playing which days - that no Hazard business on page 13 was a bit bracing.

      15. Ha.
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        As a Moarata (c) I’d still take a Kane hatty

      16. acidicleo
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 3 months ago

        Sorry Kane cappers...
        He is my captain too.. And I have got cap choice wrong most weeks...