The Pre-Match Preamble - Gameweek 38 Preamble
23 January 2016 1911 comments
Mark Mark
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Sure enough, it didn’t take long for Sergio to punish my lack of faith.

I’m still not budging, though. Despite taking a good hiding during this week’s rather heated ScoutCast, I’ve got to stick to my guns. For now.

I still think there’s “another way” – that I shouldn’t feel compelled to gut my squad and shift it towards another template, just to cater for the Argentine’s undoubted talent.

I want to be able to field a three or even four-man defence I can believe in. I want to make transfers in midfield that can transform my Gameweek, not just plug a hole in my squad: another 4.5 defender acquired in the hope that he’ll shore up a cheap backline. I want to keep having choices that excite me just a little.

In fairness, the recent emergence of Charlie Daniels (4.6) and Matt Targett (3.8) have helped to facilitate those willing to sacrifice spreading funds in order to welcome Aguero.

I can see plenty of merit in this. In some ways I’m a little frustrated that these full-backs have timed their run onto the radar to coincide with Aguero’s return to prominence.

Even so, I’ve been there before – I’ve seen budget defenders come and go, briefly flirting with the possibility that you can scatter them amongst a cast of heavy hitters. They can often turn out to be “fools gold”, left to depreciate, week by week on the bench.

There’s also lots of talk of Aguero’s rise ahead of double Gameweeks. That’s fair enough, there’s little doubt that the “triple C” looks ready-made for the City striker’s bicep. There are all kinds of permutations surrounding double Gameweeks buzzing around our heads – I won’t go into them here.

However, we do know that should City overcome Everton in Wednesday’s Capital One Cup semi, Aguero will face a Gameweek 27 blank. Throw Kevin De Bruyne into that mix and suddenly you’ve got yourself two very expensive reserves. It will be interesting to see how squads adjust to that.

It seems unlikely that anyone will be selling City assets should they book that double Gameweek – but those who time their acquisitions prior to the two fixtures could avoid some damage and still gain the benefits.

It’s easy to forget that Double Gameweeks come coupled with a blank. Just as it’s easy to point out Aguero’s obvious potential for points, whilst ignoring or downplaying the compromises made to get there.

There’s no doubt that Aguero offers a degree of comfort – certain goal returns, spectacular hauls.

In contrast, I’m currently putting faith in a transient cast of mid-price midfield differentials and the theory that, eventually, investment in a strong defence and squad will balance things out.

It’s a gamble and probably a huge error but it’s definitely more “interesting”.

Perversely, I’m enjoying it while it lasts.

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

  1. Adebayor
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Cannot wait for Daniels' penalties to shoot me up the rankings 🙂

    1. Ha.
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      RIP

    2. InBetweenDreams
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      You do realise that a penalty is a very rare event in football ?

    3. RubeRx
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      that was so last week

    4. Stats Don\'t Lie
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      *kuns

  2. Parm
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    This post helps no one.

    1. Ha.
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Thanks

    2. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Kun?

      1. Parm
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        10 years, 16 days ago

        t

    3. Sailboats
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      g2g

    4. KingOllie
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Not for a hit

    5. Eden Hazardous
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      It Kun help someone...

    6. InBetweenDreams
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      It helped me gain self worth - thank you.

    7. Burger
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Lukaku

  3. Fifa las vegas
    • 13 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    I saw someone a bit back talking of using AoA, which I'm now thinking of too to give me is front 8:

    Payet, Ozil, Barkley, Mahrez, Alli
    Vardy, Lukaku(c), Kane

    The idea is that ATM I'm playing both Monreal and Azpil, and I'll probably be getting Aguero in he next week or two which will likely mean (maybe not certainly, but very likely) a new cheap 5th mid that I'll probably never really want to use AoA on anyways.

    Thoughts?

    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Repost, sorry, but want opinions. Think I'm gonna just do it now, but not sure whether I'll play Azpil or Minreal now 🙂

    2. Thomas Magnum
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      May aswell if that's what you've been keen on

      1. Fifa las vegas
        • 13 Years
        10 years, 16 days ago

        Yep, have gone for it. Not gonna make a huge difference either way

    3. Give The Todd Some Love
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      I'd WC

  4. Thomas Magnum
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Should I do Arnautovic and King out?
    If so who in £11M

    1. Stats Don\'t Lie
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Antonio and mirallas

  5. KingOllie
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Eggs benedict

    1. Parm
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      hmmmm

  6. JamesFG
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Play Bellerin (CHE) or Simpson (STK)?

    1. Burger
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Lukaku

  7. adileo
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    play two : merstascker, moreno, daniels, walker ??

    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Moreno, Walker

    2. Adebayor
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Daniels walker

  8. Johoenim
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Who will be the WBA Keeper from now on? Foster or Myhill?

  9. deepseaninja
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Where can I find Doosra's ticker or is it member-restricted stuff?

    1. Jernau M Gurgeh
      • 15 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      It's basically the same ticker as on this page on the right, but with numbers.

      So ideal for the colour blind.

  10. Lecky Legs FC
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Who to Captain this GW?

    A)Kane
    B)Giroud
    C)Mahrez
    D)Ozil

    Dont have Lukaku or Aguero no FT's

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Leave it on whoever it's on.

      1. Lecky Legs FC
        • 10 Years
        10 years, 16 days ago

        Kane it is then.

  11. FDMS All Starz
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Play 2:

    Daniels, moreno, bellerin

  12. Kroos Kontrol
    • 13 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Bench Alli or Payet or KdB? MF is Payet KdB Alli Ozil Mahrez

    1. director
      • 15 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      payet not taking shots, not getting touches in pen box

  13. asif316uk
    • 15 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    quick

    Play Alli or Mahrez!

  14. tabby98
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Hennessey or schmeichel to start

    1. Ha.
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Think they'll both start

  15. Bøwstring The Carp
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    "Insert question requesting someone make my decisions for me even though I've had near to a week to do it myself"

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      😀

    2. InBetweenDreams
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      lol 🙂

    3. Bobby_Baggio
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      How do u get a clean wipe?

      1. Ha.
        • 10 Years
        10 years, 16 days ago

        Front to back

        1. Bobby_Baggio
          • 14 Years
          10 years, 16 days ago

          that dont work

    4. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      If you've had a week to do it yourself, you really have no life...

    5. Ha.
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Should I stay, or should go now?

    6. Studgie G
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      what games are those pen refs reffing?

  16. El Patron
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Which three?

    A. Evans
    B. BW Jackson
    C. Simpson
    D. Smith
    E. Ward

    1. Parm
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      ABC

    2. Zero
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      ABD

  17. Defcons are for Kinnear
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    I got distracted but I don't think I could've done it anaway

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Tell that to the judge.

  18. Ziro Becomes One
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Mignolet Flanagan Sakho Can Moreno Allen Henderson Lallana Coutinho Firmino Benteke is the strongest possible XI or no? For Liverpool? Other than the injuries that is?

  19. Tomas Brolin ate all Depays
    • 13 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Who as first sub?
    a) simpson STOKE
    b) bellerin CHELSEA
    c) moreno norwich
    d) davies crystal palace (will either play 0 or 90 mins so don't discount him based on gametime)

    1. Thomas Magnum
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      A then B

  20. Gerci
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Walker Moreno Bellerin, Zouma, Rose

    Which one to downgrade ? And then to whom?

  21. KingOllie
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Jonty is really cute.

    Move along

    1. Defcons are for Kinnear
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      😳

    2. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Shots fired...

  22. Zero
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    What was the verdict on the Butland vs Myhill debate?

  23. Defcons are for Kinnear
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Toast or cereal?

    1. Godot - Fashanu Zealand
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Both

  24. drughi
    • 16 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Alot of people bailing out on lukaku (C) right now I'd imagine. That's what aguerofobia does to you 🙂

    1. Prøphet
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      holding firm!

  25. DuckduckD
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    7.1 midfield punk for this week?

    Already have mahrez.

    1. Stats Don\'t Lie
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Mirallas

  26. Godot - Fashanu Zealand
    • 13 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    45 pts behind ML leader, do I captain:

    Aguero who she doesn't own
    Lukaku who she will most likely captain

    1. HurriKane
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Aguero if your chasing

    2. The Hindu Monkey
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      KUN

    3. Ha.
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Lukaku

    4. Godot - Fashanu Zealand
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      2 v 1 Aguero remains my captain

    5. MagicMessi
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      ML Leader is a girl !! 😀 😀

      1. Godot - Fashanu Zealand
        • 13 Years
        10 years, 16 days ago

        Yup haha, my manager at my old job. In the top 10k and she auto-completed her team at the beginning.

  27. Rolls-Royce
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Aguero (C) lets do this again! Booom!!!

  28. The Hindu Monkey
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    NOTE TO TALL - IF YOU'RE STILL THINKING ABOUT MAKING A CHANGE - DON'T

    YOU WILL 99.9% CERTAIN BE MAKING YOUR TEAM WORSE

    Move along, happy game week, don't bench Mahrez

    xx

    1. Ha.
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      Mahrez (c)

    2. MagicMessi
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      so whats the talk about Mahrez burning everyone 😀

  29. Lumberjack
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    A - Dawson
    B - Bellerin....

    1. HurriKane
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 16 days ago

      A

      1. Lumberjack
        • 10 Years
        10 years, 16 days ago

        Thanks

  30. InBetweenDreams
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 16 days ago

    Aguero (c) fam