[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. Geezer
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Play RLC or Ward?

    1. Gazza2000
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Ward

      1. Gazza2000
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 4 months ago

        ignore that, play RLC

    2. Art Vandelay
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      RLC

    3. Nesvy
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Ward

    4. Bored Bear
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      RLC

      1. Bored Bear
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 4 months ago

        but don't worry. Bet ward comes on anyhow this week

    5. Geezer
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Tnx all

  2. Henning
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Hmmm today i would love to have a chip that give me double points from both my c and vc.

  3. Art Vandelay
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Play Richarlison or RLC?

    Cheers

    1. Gazza2000
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Richarlison

      1. Art Vandelay
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 4 months ago

        Cheers Gaz

    2. Shrimpy
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Rich

    3. Bored Bear
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Rich. Jones Bailly out

      1. Art Vandelay
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 4 months ago

        Cheers. Good feedback.

  4. Weasel51
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Is Vardy + Carroll >>> Sane + Niasse worth a hit?

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Comes down to Vardy + 4 vs Sane, I'm probably saving FT.

    2. _nod
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      No

  5. Manani
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    best budget forward to replace vardy?

    also, silva>hazard??

    1. ILOVEBAPS
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Murray or Wilson

      1. ILOVEBAPS
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 4 months ago

        And yes

    2. Ranger Mann
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Carrol - 1 week, worth the punt

  6. Snapes on a Plane
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Play Dunk or Ward?

    1. Gazza2000
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Dunk

    2. It’s gonna Ben Mee
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Ward

    3. Bored Bear
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Dunk

  7. zakard
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    G2G ?
    Ddg
    Azpi / daniels / ward
    Salah / sane / gross / pogba
    Kane (c) / morata / C.wilson

    Eliot duffy tc rangel
    1ft 0 in bank.
    Cheers

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

    Bench Daniels, Ward or Wilson?

    1. Gazza2000
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Ward

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

    If you have triple Chelsea would you still captain Kane?

    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      I have Hazard and Morata but decided on Kane

    2. The Big Fella
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Depends on the Chelsea players you have. If I had everybody, I would captain Hazard this week

      1. pakornk
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 4 months ago

        I have Alonso, Hazard and Morata... but leaning towards Kane. Good choice?

  10. ⚽️ Omardiola ⚽️
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Morata will play ?

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

      I'm not risking that he does/ doesn't. I'm playing it safe and going Azpi (C).

  11. Lyonnais
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Cedric ---> Femenia -4?
    Don't need him this week but enables getting Hazard next week.

    Cedric needs to go anyway and Watford have nice fixtures over christmas.
    Worth the hit?

  12. IAWC ( It's a Wonderfu…
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Who is mark captaining Kane or haz. Sticked on haz reluctant to change to kaneee

    1. FDMS All Starz
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      I think hazard will be rested next game as athletico is after that during mid week

  13. Les Bleus
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Those with Morata and Kane, who are you (c)'ing?

    1. It’s gonna Ben Mee
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Haz

      1. Sims
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 4 months ago

        Oh God not this again

        1. It’s gonna Ben Mee
          • 12 Years
          8 years, 4 months ago

          Well I have both those two

        2. Pieterke30
          • 9 Years
          8 years, 4 months ago

          Who are you captaining Sim?

      2. NATSTER
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 4 months ago

        Haha .. Same here.

    2. Henning
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Kane at the moment.

    3. Lyonnais
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Kane, because of fear factor 😀

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

      I've got Morata & Kane, but I'm going with Haz as captain.

    5. Bored Bear
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Hazard.

    6. The Big Fella
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Kane. Morata VC

  14. gunner 2727
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Mark it's a dab unfortunate but saying you were robbed of a loftus cheek goal when you benched him is pretty wild to say the least! He was due and you benched him, could say you deserved what you got? In the nicest possible way!

    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Due is bollox

      1. gunner 2727
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 4 months ago

        Really? Been playing great and as close to assists and a goal as you get from a 4.5 man

    2. DeadStarComing
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      I think he's bemoaning the fact Abraham didn't start and instead just got 6 minutes.

      1. gunner 2727
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 4 months ago

        Well he did that earlier and fair play. Robbed was about RLC

        1. DeadStarComing
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 15 Years
          8 years, 4 months ago

          But that kept Loftus Cheek on the bench for him is what I mean. He would have accepted it if Abraham had started.

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

      Due doesn't even mean anything in ff. Don't belive the hype

      1. gunner 2727
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 4 months ago

        It's just watching the games, no hype. He loves RLC, but personally I just never expect and feel I deserve any points from men I bench, it's just a lucky bonus

  15. Mortiis
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Courtois
    Monreal, Smalling, Ward, Simpson
    Hazard, Sane, Richarlison, Zaha
    Morata, Kane (c)

    Elliott, Surman, Mbemba, Abraham
    0.9 itb, 1FT

    Any changes?

  16. AYLD28
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Bring in

    1. Christensen
    2. Otamendi

    1. DeadStarComing
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Otamendi

  17. Athletic Nasherbo
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Anyone know who Mark is captaining. Just interested as he’s usually decent at making the right call. Looks at the article...

    1. Sims
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Imy sure he will captain kane

  18. only2
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Anyone think dann is starting?

    1. Gianluca Busio's Hair …
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      i just sold him so...hope not (not in a mean way.)

  19. Pacer.
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Ward
    Tarkowski
    Kiko

    Which 2 and why?

    1. It’s gonna Ben Mee
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Ward and Kiko. From two different teams and Ward is better IMO

  20. DeadStarComing
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Ramsey or Gross? Money not an issue.

    1. Gianluca Busio's Hair …
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Ramsey

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

    Captain Azpi for this week only? Seems a sensible and safe pick..

    1. Debauchy
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Safe hardly sensible

  22. fish66
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Play Duffy or RLC?

  23. UnitedFan
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Play Duffy (CRY) over Mee (bou), right?

    1. zakard
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      +1

  24. Dreaming of glory
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    On a -4 but only have 2 fit defenders.
    Jones > Christensen for -8 worth it?

  25. Nightf0x
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    jesus kane hazard sane salah .... captain who ?

    1. Bruces Kebabs
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      On Salah ATM

  26. camarozz
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Why do we feel Hazard will be rested?? He's on fire and Chelsea's best player and they need to win evert game??

    I have him and doubting myself now. Also have Morata and Kane

  27. SMOOTH
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    anyone know marks captain?

  28. arndff_
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    David Silva tops the price falls table AGAIN! DAAAAAAAAAMN

  29. Pinky Blinders
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Kane has already joined an exclusive group of strikers to manager 30 Premier League goals in a space of a year: Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Rudd van Nistelrooy, Les Ferdinand and Robin van Persie. However, if the 24-year-old notches seven more goals before the new year, he will break Shearer's record of 36 in one single year (1995).

    1. Pochecinno
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Tweet this to Harry Kane

    2. Pacer.
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 4 months ago

      Tweet IMMEDIATELY!

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

      that's fitting since he has more similarities to Shearer than any of the others

  30. Gianluca Busio's Hair …
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 4 months ago

    Duffy or Mee

    cheers