The Pre-Match Preamble - Gameweek 38 Opinion
24 September 2016 1938 comments
Mark Mark
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I’ve got results but I think I may have just lost the dressing room.

There have been several turning points.

Firstly, my continual underestimation of Etienne Capoue’s ability has caused dissenting murmurings since week one.

I bought the guy for one job and one job only.

He’s meant to be there when I need him – springing to life to deliver me a handy two points when my big signings are in the stands.

Somewhere along the line, he’s missed a meeting or his misread the job description. Either way, he seems intent on embarrassing me with his unfeasible and unsustainable strike rate.

I’ve stuck to my guns. He’s benched again today but nobody, including me, is very happy about it.

There’s talk of changing formation – of switching to all-out-attack just so that Capoue can get minutes.

In truth, I’m tempted. At least to get an incentive to drop in on a floodlit Turf Moor on Monday night.

As it is, Burnley against Watford sounds like x-certificate stuff, made all the more chilling by the prospect that Capoue will undermine my judgement further with another sublimely taken goal.

On top of this, my transfer policy is now in question.

I’ve managed to get away with ushering Eden Hazard quietly out of the back door.

There’s hardly been a whisper about that – those opening three Gameweeks now seem forgotten.

Clearly, the lads remember how he let us down last season. I think they were thankful that I’d not fallen under his spell again.

But my other Gameweek 6 move has provoked a much bigger reaction.

There’s talk that my decision to eject Zlatan Ibrahimovic is personal. Accusations that there wasn’t room enough in the dressing room for two swollen egos.

He didn’t go quietly, either.

“Zlatan is not happy. Zlatan says that your blind faith in Aguero and your concept that Lukaku will show consistency is ridiculous. You will see that he will blank at Bournemouth. You are a fool to turn your back on Zlatan.”

Yeah. Whatever. There’s the door, don’t forget your hair bands.

I fully accept that it would be just like Zlatan to punish me.

Today’s early kick-off will be another 90 minutes of flinching and fidgeting. The forthcoming Old Trafford meetings with Stoke and Burnley also look to be terrifying prospects.

But I’m in a decision-making business and, as I’ve said before, this season is forcing me to make some big ones.

Lukaku and Sanchez had to stay. As for Aguero – he’s just Aguero and he comes tattooed with the captain’s armband.

But I admit – “Mark might have made an error.”

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

  1. S.Agueroooooo
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Start Pickford or Foster??

    1. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Pickford

    2. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Foster

    3. Clump
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Go with the fixture.

  2. Judas
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    With the news Lovren may not start this weekend, which do I do?

    A: Baines + Lovren
    B: Williams + Matip

  3. conor23
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Sterling or Firmino?
    Thanks in advance

    1. Pariße
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Firm

    2. Zlatan Time
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Firmino for me 🙂

    3. Winston.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Both

  4. Here's the manager
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Morning. Play Shaw or Evans

    1. conor23
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Shaw

    2. makaveli123
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Evans

    3. Sterling Chap
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Evans

  5. Sterling Chap
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Anybody have confidence in Ozil to delivery today?

    1. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Nah, Swapped him out for Sanchez on my WC

      1. Sterling Chap
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        Hmmm... think he's a problem in my team. Either play Capoue or take a hit

  6. French Gooner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Pick 1 to start
    A) Foster (stk)
    B) Pickford (CPL)

    1. Cecil The Lion
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      A

    2. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      A

  7. Cooper123
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Anyone?

    Gone for Boruc in goal.

    Can't upgrade him without downgrading Kelly (4.4) or Capoue.

    Stick with what I've got, or downgrade elsewhere to get a better keeper?

  8. Milner4eva
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    is maneé a doubt?

    1. GENERATION X
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      nice accent but spoiled by extra e

      1. Milner4eva
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        yep, getting used to mac keyboard lol

    2. Dreaming of glory
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      No firminho is out

      1. ZLATAN'S PONYTAIL
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        What?!

  9. Cecil The Lion
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Jakupovic to Pickford on WC?

    1. Evs
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 16 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Latter

    2. S.Agueroooooo
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Yes

    3. Cecil The Lion
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Cheers fellas

  10. Red Star Toro
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Quickie.
    A) Rashford
    B) Deeney

    1. Cecil The Lion
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      A

    2. MTPockets
        9 years, 4 months ago

        a

      • Evs
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 16 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        Rashford

      • Zlatan Time
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        My main man Rashford...

    3. George Agdgdgwngo
      • 16 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Coutinho or sterling.

      Also got Aguero and firminho

      1. Evs
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 16 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        Raheem

      2. conor23
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        Sterling

      3. Belsunz
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        Sterling

    4. Evs
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 16 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Injury doubt aside would you start...

      Holebas v bur

      Or

      Evans v stk

      Stoke seems to have more goals in them than burnley ?

      1. Gaffa914
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        HOLEBAS

      2. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        The greek.

      3. SW6
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        Holebas looked like FPL gold vs Man Utd

      4. MTPockets
          9 years, 4 months ago

          a

        • Evs
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 16 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Thanks gang 🙂

        • Clump
          • 11 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Both, this week.

        • Belsunz
          • 12 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Cholevas

      5. Snapes on a Plane
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        Hazard>Payet for a hit?
        Yay or nay?

        1. Evs
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 16 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Nay

        2. faver
          • 10 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          YAY

        3. MTPockets
            9 years, 4 months ago

            no

        4. FCSB
          • 10 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          1. McAuley (stk)
          2. Valencia (LEI)

          A. Foster (stk)
          B. Heaton (WAT)

          PS. Capoue in my midfield...

          Thanks guys!!

        5. Siggy Azalea
          • 12 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Lost at bottom

          Wildcard draft...should I 100% go with Lukaku over Costa?

          Can see Costa getting Konscielny sent off and scoring today...

          Thanks

          1. faver
            • 10 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Or get Red. But i do believe that he is main strike force!

        6. Clump
          • 11 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Capoue staring to mess with my mind.
          AOA activated for a Watford midfielder 🙁

          1. Gravless wonder
            • 14 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            I did that last week and got 10 points extra

            1. Clump
              • 11 Years
              9 years, 4 months ago

              Thanks for that!

          2. Zlatan Time
            • 9 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Need to hope he doesn't blank...

            1. Clump
              • 11 Years
              9 years, 4 months ago

              I've benched 44 of his points 🙂
              Not happening this week.

        7. NUFCAndrew
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          So I have no choice but to take a hit since Gray has been banned, so with 7.4 to spend on his replacement who should I get? Deeney?

          1. Gaffa914
            • 11 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Ye deeney or rashford

            1. NUFCAndrew
              • 9 Years
              9 years, 4 months ago

              Why Rashford? He might not start

          2. The Bandit
            • 15 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Charlie Lambert if you can't afford Rashford

          3. Milner4eva
            • 13 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            i reckon iggy will light up now

          4. Gregor
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 16 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Rash.

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

          Bailly red card today, City will run him ragged 😉

          1. Revival
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Slimani and Vardy could do some damage so

          2. makaveli123
            • 9 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Your predictions are usually right.

          3. Zlatan Time
            • 9 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Please no.

        9. Big Ronnie
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Antonio or Firmino?

          Benteke or Janssen?

          1. Mesh
            • 11 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            F
            B

          2. Gaffa914
            • 11 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Firmino and deeney

          3. The Tinkerman
            • 10 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Both

            Neither

            Maybe if Spurs had better fixtures and Janssen hadn't only scored one goal in 7 (a pen in the League Cup)... but Deeney/Ighalo look better value, maybe even Defoe.

            1. Big Ronnie
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 12 Years
              9 years, 4 months ago

              Thanks for replies. Will look at Deeney, might be able to upgrade elsewhere as well.

        10. Mesh
          • 11 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Snodgrass and Costa
          or
          Sterling and Rashford?

        11. Phillips
          • 15 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Bring in Bolasie or Snodgrass?

          Next 2 fixtures are swaying me towards Bolasie.

          1. DA Minnion (Former great)
            • 13 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            But hull have good ones cover that and snodgrass is a beast.

            1. Phillips
              • 15 Years
              9 years, 4 months ago

              This is true. It's gonna go down to the wire.

          2. Belsunz
            • 12 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Snoddy. Set pieces maestro.

          3. The Tinkerman
            • 10 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            I have Bolasie and will be switching to Snod in 2 weeks. Up to you if you can spare the transfer later or not, I personally think Bolasie is worth it short term. Great stats, good to watch.

        12. CABAYE4
          • 14 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Good read!

          This has the potential to be a GW that bites FFS back hard!

          Hazard, Ibra, Costa, Barkley etc. all being sold in their thousands ahead of reasonable fixtures for attackers. Hopefully it goes in our favour!

          1. SW6
            • 13 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            I really hope so. I seem to have the template of a couple weeks ago. big scores from Hazard, Zlatan, Coutinho would be very sweet

        13. RICKYXI
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          OMG how does this WC team look to you?

          Foster Heaton
          Stones Baines Kone Friend Amat
          Firmino Sterling Capoue Sanchez Fletcher
          Aguero Costa Deeney

        14. BenjaminFlow
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Good to go with my WC team? 0.0 ITB.

          Pickford,Jakupovic
          Walker, Baines, Evans, Holebas, Lenihan
          Sanchez, Firmino, Sterling, Antonio, Capoue
          Aguero, Lukaku, Deeney

          1. RAFA THE GAFFA
            • 9 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Good aye. Pretty much the template

          2. WE GO FOR IT
            • 10 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            gtg. Could be very similar to mine, if I opt for the same players.

          3. _Ninja_
            • 15 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Same as mine apart from Lenihan -> Amat

            1. BenjaminFlow
              • 9 Years
              9 years, 4 months ago

              I was 0.1 off for Amat but I really hope it doesn't come to a point where I'd need him.

          4. BenjaminFlow
            • 9 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Thank you for your opinions, I'll roll with this!

        15. WE GO FOR IT
          • 10 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          A few quick questions to complete my wildcard team.

          a. Smith or Friend or Holebas?
          b. Valencia or Coleman?
          c. Hazard or Sanchez?
          d. Costa or Lukaku?
          e. Deeney or Janssen?

          1. Revival
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Holebas
            Coleman
            Sanchez
            Lukaku
            Deeney

            1. _Ninja_
              • 15 Years
              9 years, 4 months ago

              Agree

          2. WE GO FOR IT
            • 10 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Thanks both

        16. FantasyFreak
          • 15 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Who should I start? Evans or Shaw?

        17. pug_chops
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Start
          1) Foster
          2) Heaton
          Also have McAuley

        18. camarozz
          • 11 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          I'm going away in an hour and the phone is banned I'm afraid. It will be my first time ever and a miracle if I can make it till 11pm without a sneaky look at fpl especially on a new WC team, But I'm gonna be strong

        19. Jafooli
          • 14 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Rooney at LB, interesting.

          1. Evs
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 16 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Yep

            Left back in the changing rooms 😉

            1. Jafooli
              • 14 Years
              9 years, 4 months ago

              😉

        20. Buck The Trent
          • 14 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          On WC

          A) Firmino (rumour benched)
          or
          B) Coutinho with cash set aside to upgrade to Firmino later

          1. Evs
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 16 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Where's this rumour come from?

            1. Zlatan Time
              • 9 Years
              9 years, 4 months ago

              This /\

          2. Belsunz
            • 12 Years
            9 years, 4 months ago

            Firmino 'rumour benched'. And so it begins...