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. tajulariff
    • 13 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Sanchez or Aguero captain?

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

      Sanchez easy

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

        Form > Fixtures

  2. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    James Robson
    ‏Verified account @JamesRobsonMEN
    10m10 minutes ago

    No Silva or Stones today

    https://twitter.com/JamesRobsonMEN/status/959747106260094976

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

    Captain - first to 3 gets it

    A Salah
    B Kane

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

      A

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

        A

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

      A

    3. Peggi
      • 10 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      A

    4. Jairzinho
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      A

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

      Done!

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

      B

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

    Haz or Aguero cap???

  5. Optimus.
    • 13 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Stones dropped!

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

      Well I think they have

      1. Delph & Safety
        • 6 Years
        6 years, 1 month ago

        Ill?

    2. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Sedimentary, Dr Watson.

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

    Play Son or Ayew?

    Thanks

  7. Delph & Safety
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    KDB captain again?

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

      Yeah!!!

  8. ralfb
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Is anyone captaining Walcott ?

  9. Sponge-worthy
    • 11 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Play Ryan (WHU) or Foster (SOU)

    1. Tomlette Greggs
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      F

      1. Sponge-worthy
        • 11 Years
        6 years, 1 month ago

        Thanks Gus.

  10. Garfield1001
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Play Niasse (ars) or Ogbonna (bha)

    Thanks!

    1. Sponge-worthy
      • 11 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Og

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

    Recon Gundogan will start?

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

      yes

    2. mookie
      • 10 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      I think so

    3. Tomlette Greggs
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      yes

    4. Optimus.
      • 13 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      You should do a bit of recon

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

    Bench one? Cheers

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

    1. Tomlette Greggs
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      1 for me

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

    4 min to go .... Son --> McArthur, JAyew --> Auba, Stones --> Mbemba

    G2G ?

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

      No.

    2. Tomlette Greggs
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      don't.

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

    Firmino and Ibe or Martial and Wilson...Thx!(Own Lingard)

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

      Wilson (c)

    2. Big Mac 24
      • 11 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      B

    3. MOZIL
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Martial and wilson, no questions ask

  15. Jam0sh
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Just a random comment passing through

  16. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    No Navas!

  17. Big Mac 24
    • 11 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    McArthur NEW or Shakiri bou?

    Please

    1. GOTHAM City F.C.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Shaq

      1. Big Mac 24
        • 11 Years
        6 years, 1 month ago

        Oops, too late!!

        Had it on McArthur as I had him almost all season last year and kept predicting but benching his goals / he’s due this week, apparently so is Shakira though

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

    Pope or Elliot?

    1. Sihproma
      • 12 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Eliot

  19. Abusive_Sgt_Daelrhos
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Gtg?

    Pope
    Azpi,Otamendi,Maguire
    Salah,Shaqiri,Lingard,Sterling
    Wilson,Kane(C),Firmino

    Subs: Elliot,Walcott,Kiko,rangel

  20. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    If Jones isn't playing, I will rage

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

      preper to rage

    2. Peggi
      • 10 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      is there talk of him being out?

  21. mayz19
    • 11 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Lingard or Walcott to start

    1. Sihproma
      • 12 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Lingard

  22. Maddamotha
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Gut feeling saying Kane (C). And im really good at this game

  23. dhamphiir
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Richarlison to Stanislas for Ft?
    A. Yaay
    B. Naah

  24. Patch
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Let the ink dry, pens down in a few

    Good luck all, may you be as happy as I am when Aguero breaks the net

    1. 007 [RoboKlopp]
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Go Aguerooo...

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

        Ota CS guaranteed without Stones!!!

        1. Fred54
          • 9 Years
          6 years, 1 month ago

          Unfortunately not with Kompany.

  25. Fantasizer
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Lascelles or dunk?

  26. drughi
    • 14 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    WOW

  27. Jam0sh
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    That tweet 😮

    1. It’s gonna Ben Mee
      • 10 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      What tweet?

  28. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    1 MINUTE!

  29. vickyz r3d d3vil$ !!!
    • 11 Years
    6 years, 1 month ago

    Phil Jones [and Ander Herrera] were NOT pictured at the team hotel on Friday. Suggests neither will be involved against Huddersfield. #MUFC

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

    Haz or Aguero cap??? help! 🙂

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

      Hazard

    2. 007 [RoboKlopp]
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 1 month ago

      Kun for me