Opinion

The Pre-Match Preamble – Gameweek 26

While my current situation is far from desperate, I was somewhat dismayed to discover that my rank had regressed to its original position in Gameweek 18.

That’s somewhat ironic as, back then, my Preamble opened its arms to a brand new and significant signing: Lady Luck.

I can’t help but look back at those words with a wry smile.

I actually acknowledged my good fortune in earning Andreas Christensen’s clean sheet at Huddersfield. Then I went on to thank the Fantasy gods for handing me circumstances that “helped me” to hold onto Alvaro Morata, avoiding a swap to Roberto Firmino.

Oh how that turned on me.

As we know now, Christensen – brought in over Phil Jones back in Gameweek 15 – has since been blighted by the worst passage of Fantasy misfortune in memory.

Meanwhile, that “stroke of luck” that allowed me to keep Morata eventually saw him struck down with a crisis of confidence. Indeed, the only goal he scored from that point on was in an unexpected appearance in the EFL Cup, which got him booked and suspended for the celebration.

That particular preamble now exists as a reminder of how quickly events can turn and how good luck can be reversed.

I’m not bleating; this will be typical in all our seasons we know that we’re often at the mercy of fine margins. But its how we acknowledge and react to our fortune that matters.

I have to look on the events that follow and acknowledge that, while I made errors, some were punished in the extreme.

I always had my doubts on Morata, but even then, I couldn’t predict his run of big misses, his suspension, or indeed Firmino’s burst of Gameweek scores which mark his most consistent and prolific of his Fantasy career. It was a dramatic swing.

Similarly, nobody could have foreseen Christensen’s illness and the 57-minute cameos that followed. Since Gameweek 18, he earned me a single clean sheet and 10 points; Jones has scored 30.

We all make mistakes over the season, but sometimes fortune can play a part in deciding the scale of those blunders.

So while I’ve made no progress since Gameweek 18, I shouldn’t lay all the blame at my own door and rip up my guiding principles and strategy.

I toyed with the idea of going back into my shell, minimising risk and ploughing a more pragmatic “dullard” path for a while. But instead, I feel I should stick to my guns and ride things out.

Back in Gameweek 18, I was attempting to highlight how we all need to respect the luck when it turns our way. Equally, we need to be aware when we’ve been the victim of misfortune and remain calm. This is the game we play.

No matter how much we use data and logic to govern our decisions and predict their outcome, there will always be elements we can’t control.

By investing time and emotion in Fantasy Football, we are at the mercy of the run of the ball, an errant refereeing decision, a flu bug or even player ego.

We have to be wary of throwing blame and abandoning trusted strategies when some of those things conspire against us.

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

1,456 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Teror
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Captain Pogba or Martial?

    1. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Martial

    2. Maddi Son
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Pogba.

      He's gonna be in his comfort zone with all the space and freedom he will get against this poverty Huddersfield side.

      1. ⚽️ Dingo ⚽️
        • 7 Years
        6 years, 1 month ago

        Poverty haha wow!

        1. Francescoli
          • 9 Years
          6 years, 1 month ago

          *povo

    3. That Was Easy!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Pogba is a player that provides enough value simply owning - I do not see him as a true captaincy option in any game despite his performance this year. Go Martial

    4. FPL Virgin
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Martial

    5. conners88
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Pogba

    6. Fpl Richie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      I like the risk reward with Tony

    7. Cok3y5murf
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Martial

  2. Fpl Richie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Quickies...
    1. Any chance of Elliott playing?
    2. Play Shaq or JLing?
    3. Capt Kun or Wilson?

    1. conners88
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      1. No
      2. Jling
      3. Kun

      1. Fpl Richie
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        6 years, 1 month ago

        Thanks - v helpful

  3. AdamJ91
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Good to go for this GW?

    Pickford
    Alonso - Jones - Otamendi
    Salah (c) - Son - Martial - Lingard (vc) - Sterling
    Kane - Wilson

    Elliot - J.Ayew - Simpson - Dunk

    Good luck to everyone this GW too.

    1. Fpl Richie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Not important - but I wouldn't vc Lingard. Pop it on Kane.

  4. dhirst
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Wilson caps? For the thrill of being different?

  5. Francescoli
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    34 more minutes of panicked decisions

  6. La vida FPL
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Firmino > Aguero (c) for a -4?

    1. MarvelouSuccess
      • 11 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      no

    2. Cok3y5murf
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      No

    3. Railwayman
      • 11 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      No

  7. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Why do all the RMTs have no Aubameyang or Mhki ?

    1. Francescoli
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Auba is unlikely to start

    2. MarvelouSuccess
      • 11 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      auba might not start and they are both adjusting to a new team

  8. Legomané
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    A. Christensen > 5.6
    B. DCL > Ayew
    C. Both > 4.9 Wilson (-4)

    (Looking at Chilwell, Daniels, Dawson, Stephens...)

    Pope
    Alonso Jones Duffy Ogbonna
    Salah Sterling Son Milivojevic
    Kane Aguero

    (*Elliot *DCL *Christensen *RLC)

    1. Francescoli
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      A Dawson

  9. ⚽️ Dingo ⚽️
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Good to go? Bench ok?

    Hennessey
    Alonso / Otamendi / Jones
    Sanchez (C) / Salah / Sterling / Walcott / Choupo-Moting
    Kane / Wilson (vc)

    Speroni / Ogbonna / Depoitre / Kenny

    0ft, £0.0itb

    1. Francescoli
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Looks good

    2. Zenith UK
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Punch on Sanchez is nice.

  10. Delhidynamo
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Who's got the inside track?

    Was Salah's mother a mudder?

    1. Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      His dad must have been tough

  11. Clifford☯
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Which transfer would you do?

    A) Quaner to Wilson (-4)
    B) Mahrez to Pogba / Martial (-4)

    Cheers.

    1. Lucky Z
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      B

  12. HD7
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    GW 26 Team - bench order and Captain?

    De Gea
    Ota Ogbona Alonso
    Sterling Shaq Salah Lindgard
    Kane Aguero(C) Wilson

    Subs: Elliot, Vert, Obiang, Mbemba

    1. Zenith UK
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Nice team. Capt seems fine.

      1. HD7
        • 7 Years
        6 years, 1 month ago

        Thanks mate

  13. Catastrophe
    • 13 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Who to captain

    A) Mo
    B) Kevin
    C) Harry
    D) Raheem

    1. Zenith UK
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Kev.

    2. conners88
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      B or D

    3. Catastrophe
      • 13 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Cheers both.

    4. Fpl Richie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      B or D

  14. FirminoIsBetterThanYou
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Lingard to any of these for an FT-
    A). Martial
    B). Pogba
    C). Bernardo Silva
    D). Walcott
    Or hold?

    1. conners88
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Hold

  15. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Hoping the Aguero(C)-KDB-Sterling trinity do the business yet again this afternoon

  16. Zenith UK
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    G2G;

    DDG
    Ota / Azpi / Alonso / Smalling
    Ramsey / Salah / KdB (c) / Lingard
    Firmino / Vardy

    1. MarvelouSuccess
      • 11 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      no kane or aguero must mean youre a casual

  17. i wanna ORD
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Play 1

    1. Gomez (Liv) vs Spurs
    2. Ogbonna (West Ham) vs Brighton

    1. Zenith UK
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Og

  18. DeadStarComing
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    I know it was a popular move last week but is Kane to Aguero still a good move this week?

    1. ⚽️ Dingo ⚽️
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      No

    2. HonestBlatter
      • 13 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Thinking the same but did DCL --> Wilson (C) instead...

  19. Michelle Davin
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Stones to Smalling?

    Yay or nay?

    1. Totalfootball
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      No
      but stones to som1 else maybe

  20. Totalfootball
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Play -

    A. Albrighton
    B. Shaqiri

    1. Totalfootball
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      any1 ?

      1. Mattski
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        6 years, 1 month ago

        Albrighton - better fixture, in my opinion.

        Quick one back to you. Bring in Stanislas (featured on Spot the Differential this week) or Albrighton?
        Have already got Wilson....

  21. Where dahoud at
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Who to captain out of this lot
    Pickford
    Alonso, vvd, jones
    Erikson, de bruyne, mane, kennedy
    Ayew, lukaku, Aubameyang

    Bench, elliot, francis, martina, cork

    1. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Auba. Seem punty. Go punty!

    2. Zenith UK
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      KDB.

    3. MarvelouSuccess
      • 11 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      needs work this team

      1. Where dahoud at
        • 6 Years
        6 years, 1 month ago

        Needs work lol you wana elaborate

  22. George James
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Last time I promise!

    Son >>

    A) Pogba
    B) Walcott
    C) Keep and Save ft

    1. Totalfootball
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Can go Pogba ,
      Save seems fine too

    2. Ha.
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      C

    3. Railwayman
      • 11 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Pogba for the next 2 games

    4. ⚽️ Dingo ⚽️
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      C

    5. gomez123
      • 10 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      i did wally!!

  23. JONALDINHO
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    A)Firmino and Ibe
    B)Pogba/Martial and Wilson
    Already own Lingard and can sell to Wally next week.
    1.Salah(C)
    2.Sterling(C)

  24. Weeb Kakashi
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    DDG
    Simpson Otamendi Dunk
    Salah Hazard (C) Sterling Bernardo Shaqiri
    Kane Firmino

    Elliot... Fernandez Bauer Andersen

    G2G??

    Will Simpson start?

  25. Ha.
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    G2G?

    DDG
    Alonso, Ota, Duffy
    Salah, Sterling (c), Walcott, Son
    Kane, Firmino, Wilson

    Speroni Mee, Masauku, RLC

  26. NachoMan
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Bench Shaq or Lingard?

    1. Lemongrab
      • 14 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Shaq

  27. Plagued by indecision
    • 13 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Tempted to captain Vardy over Salah, Firmino, Sterling, Kane... someone talk me out of it.

  28. Legomané
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Bench one?

    1. Chilwell (SWA)
    2. Milivojevic (NEW)
    3. Duffy (WHU)

  29. Dobswell55
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Genuinely can't decide between Kane and Salah for (C), losing my mind here.

    Would Sterling (C) be a shout instead?

    1. dunas_dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Same here and gone for Salah

    2. Dobswell55
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      ML Leader will (C) Aguero

    3. Lemongrab
      • 14 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Same, it's killing me!

  30. Witty Pun: Not good at this…
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    If (S)anchez doesn't save me this week, I'm in for a massive red arrow with Antichristensen and Kenny still in my team.