[sbu_large_image] Opinion
3 March 2018 1564 comments
Mark Mark
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Distracted by the tendrils of a cold and with two toddlers to care for this morning, I make no apology for the curtailed Pre-amble, or indeed the typos that creep in.

In a week where we asked ourselves whether the season had become “dull”, I felt compelled to write more on the decision that, according to accepted thinking, is already made for us.

I should captain Mohamed Salah.

No thought is required. The numbers back it up, the logic is clear and to even entertain the idea of an alternative is an unnecessary and foolhardy risk.

But harking back to that Hot Topic, I do wonder if Salah is contributing to the malaise.

The captaincy is probably the most important decision we make. More than any single transfer, it should have the ability to make or break our Gameweek.

But Salah has not only killed the need to make a choice, he’s also reduced its impact.

I can see myself handing the Egyptian the armband for his evening clash with Newcastle, but I can’t envisage fist pumping the air in jubilation when he scores.

Instead, there might be a wry smile of relief, but how wide can it be?

My captain would have ensured that I’ve kept pace and not given up ground.

But I want my decision to be more than that, I want it to have real consequence should it prove “correct”.

Salah’s talent deserves to make him a difference maker, but he’s become anything but in Fantasy Football.

This all harks back to the floor and ceiling theory.

While this can be applied to Salah and Harry Kane, it can be extended further to our perception of our Gameweek as a whole.

Captaining Salah feels like we guarantee a high floor. Our minimum score is raised, and we protect our rank, ensuring that any drop should be minor.

By turning to an alternative, even when it is Kane with six goals in six Gameweeks, we’re risking that.

Instead, we are perhaps attempting to achieve a higher ceiling. Taking the chance that our captain can outscore Salah and help lift our Gameweek above the norm.

As Jonty pointed out in this week’s ScoutCast, the scale of that ceiling can depend on our degree of risk.

Is Kane really enough? To find a real differential do we not need to look to Sadio Mane or Eden Hazard?

There’s logic here, though that scenario really relies on both Salah and Kane failing as the majority captains, and that seems very unlikely.

That pair are extraordinary players. I suspect that the duel between them for the Golden Boot is very real, with both hell-bent on scoring as many goals as possible from here on in.

They almost deserve better than to have a million plus Fantasy managers hoping they fail. But that’s the scenario that has developed.

Captaining Salah offers me a modest prize and the inclination to cheer every Kane miss.

The reverse is not much better and ensures that I’ll spend my evening willing Salah to fail. But at least the jackpot just might be bigger.

Either way, I can’t help but wish I could just celebrate both.

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

  1. Piggs Boson
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Kiss, marry, kill?

    A. Mark
    B. Granville
    C. Jonty

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Shit. Too late.

  2. FDMS All Starz
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    This is one of those weeks where people will go " why didn't I just captain Salah?!?! "

    1. El-Kloppico
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      You misspell Kane.. Hatty incoming.

      1. El-Kloppico
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Benitez know how to make LIV life difficult.

    2. Bobby_Baggio
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Nah both will get equal points

  3. Scotch Jock
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Brrrrrrrrringo!

    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Jammy casual.....only ever appears to play deadline bingo 😉

      1. Scotch Jock
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        🙂

  4. La Roja
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Bingo and all that

    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Lol, so slow.....

  5. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Kikogo 😎

  6. Hotdogs for Tea
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Scenes

  7. Pancake
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Kane - time to separate the men from the boys

  8. Delph & Safety
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    JUst bought arnie FFS

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

    Goodluck !!

  10. L'Aeroplanino
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    PENS DOWNNNNNNNN

  11. LFC4EVER
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Sterling or martina???

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Wait until this week's game have finished.

      1. Les Bleus
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        😀

  12. PlayON
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Killian here from PlayON,

    A quick note to let you know that we have launched a £5,000 Guaranteed EPL game in our lobby for the Final Day of the season.

    We are running qualifier games for as little as £1 every day for the rest of the EPL season.

    We also have the following Guaranteed games on offer:

    AFL - A$100,000 Guaranteed
    NRL - A$25,000 Guaranteed
    NBA - $20,000 Guaranteed
    Super Rugby - A$10,000 Guaranteed
    Masters - $5,000 Guaranteed

    Check out our games lobby and qualify for the EPL £5k Guaranteed today at:

    https://playon.co/en/games-lobby

    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      😮

      Hi Killian, how are you?

      1. Jafooli
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Not now Jafooli

    2. Defcons are for Kinnear
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Hi Killian, where did you dissapear to?

    3. ᶠᶦˡᵗʰʸLucre $$$
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Killian in the name of

    4. Piggs Boson
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Ooh, I forgot about PlayON, I'll take a look. Thanks Killian.

      1. Piggs Boson
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        How do you close the widget in the top left corner? It's blocking the screen.

  13. lordkippe
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    FFS did Gross & Ogbonna > Ramsey & Baines for a - 4. Captained Mane

  14. Catastrophe
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Started Mee over Alonso and captained Salah over Kane. Eek!

    1. the dom 1
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      same here - good luck

      1. Catastrophe
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Cheers you too

  15. Old Wulfrunian
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Tosun!

  16. El-Kloppico
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Oups.. Game already closed!
    And I left the armband on Kane!! 🙁
    Wish me luck.

    1. Pancake
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      We Got this

  17. Defcons are for Kinnear
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Deeney-go

  18. HD7
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    I was a few seconds of going to Kane but stayed with Salah... hope they both score well

  19. the dom 1
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Good luck peeps...

    Salah Brace please 🙂

  20. Garlana
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Come on Kane!!!!

  21. LǝgleSs e|even
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Pancake!
    Game is Updating 1 min early.. !

  22. makaveli123
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Wow. Wasnt expecting that

    1. threeputt
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      me neither

    2. LǝgleSs e|even
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Kind of s1ht really

  23. rrcmc
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Debates over; looks like the game is updating....

  24. RubberDucky
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Went Kun > Kane and stuck the armband on Harry.

      Makes this GW more interesting.

    • FPL Virgin
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Lol @ Niasse owners.

      1. FPL Virgin
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Lol @ Everton's Twitter guy! 😆

    • Eric the King
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      No Niasse

    • King Sheep
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      1 Hour plus 90 minutes until Celtic get brutally knocked-out the Cup by Mighty Morton!!!!!!

      1. Bun Rab
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        It only good when super Cali go ballistic.

        1. King Sheep
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Morton beat Caley last week ........

    • Den
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      just switched (C) from Salah to Kane with a second to go - think he's getting a hat-trick today.

    • Viper
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Kenny not in the squad. Everton attacking line up

    • Fred54
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Leaked Everton team was way out.