The Pre-Match Preamble - Gameweek 38 Preamble
1 December 2012 1337 comments
Mark Mark
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This is a troublesome morning. It’s one of those mornings for Fantasy managers when you know you’re on the edge of making a decision that could make or break the day – one that, if it falls badly, will curse the weekend and hand you the task of picking yourself up off the floor for the next Gameweek.

Leighton Baines is a doubt and it’s a situation that causing me no end of consternation. With two transfers tucked under my arm, this Gameweek should have been in hand. However, hesitancy on Wednesday night (see the ScoutCast) deprived me of my decided transfers and meant that, with Baines a doubt, I’ve now dug myself into a scouser-shaped hole.

This morning’s press fail to provide answers. If anything, they confirm the worst. Only the Guardian finds a tentative spot for Baines in their Everton lineup at City, with the The Sun and The Independent drafting in Bryan Oviedo at left-back, while the rest opt for Sylvain Distin against his former club. In short then, the press have little hope that Baines will turn up at City.

There’s an obvious replacement and, in many ways, it’s a decision that requires little consideration. Jose Enrique is set to play another game pushed up in the final third to support Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling and he faces Southampton – a fixture that offers goals for Brendan Rodgers’ side and maybe even a clean sheet. When you look at Liverpool’s fixtures compared to Everton’s there’s even a case to extend Enrique’s stay over Baines for the coming weeks. Liverpool have three home games in four and, if Enrique can maintain his advanced starting role, he should rival even Baines for attacking threat.

The trouble, of course, is that Baines is a favourite player of mine – a designated season keeper who may have disappointed in recent weeks but who has shown potential almost every match to deliver strong attacking returns. Losing him now is a tough decision when, in the back of my mind, I just know that there will likely be obstacles to getting him back in a hurry.

At least there seems to be little concern over Enrique’s credentials. All the press lineups name him safely nestled next to Suarez in the Liverpool attacking trio; Andre Wisdom makes his return in The Sun, The Guardian and The Telegraph, with Stewart Downing making way. In our other three papers, it’s “as you were” for Liverpool, with Downing retaining his start at left-back at Wisdom’s expense on the bench.

Today’s other decisions are also calmed by the press lineups – Tevez is included in all but the Daily Mail’s prediction, Theo Walcott is listed in every one of our morning papers for Arsenal.

It’s left to Baines to cast a cloud over my morning, then. To leave me facing the prospect of losing one of my darlings and approach the Gameweek with three Liverpool attackers. How did it possibly come to this?

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

  1. 1966 was a great year for E…
    • 15 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    Paddy Power enhanced special Suarez to score first at 4/1:

    http://www.paddypower.com/bet/novelty-betting/razor-twitter-special/enhanced-twitter-special?ev_oc_grp_ids=664903&AFF_ID=3409

    Max bet £10.13

    Warning - in making this bet, you are condoning racism.

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    1. Sir_Dunc
      • 14 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      I went with Fellaini to score 2 or more at 31.00

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    2. MCH
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Great price!

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    3. Breadbin
      • 15 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      What are the odds on Evra to cry today?

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      1. 1966 was a great year for E…
        • 15 Years
        13 years, 1 month ago

        Where he's from, crying means something completely different.

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  2. DVassell
    • 14 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    a) Gibbs and Garrido

    or

    b) Nastasic and Cuellar

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    1. Dial Square
      • 13 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      or c) Gibbs and Cuellar

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  3. Pork Pie Sausage Roll
    • 15 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    anyone know the theme tune for Football Focus?

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    1. faulksp
      • 16 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      The bit at the beginning .....

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      1. MCH
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        13 years, 1 month ago

        If you are going to make comments like that at least make them funny.

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        1. faulksp
          • 16 Years
          13 years, 1 month ago

          Oops sorry

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    2. MCH
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Had a quick search weird how Wiki only lists them up to like 08/09. Not watching and can't remember the tune is it possible something they commissioned?

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    3. MCH
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Found one site that said it was this.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6I7YY2Gw80

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      1. Pork Pie Sausage Roll
        • 15 Years
        13 years, 1 month ago

        Nah it's not it.

        Cheers for the effort though man! 🙂

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  4. Bun Rab
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    Ok to appease the ever whinning Mr Thompson. Abromivich is an idiot making stupid decisions. Maybe today we can score a goal..

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    1. Breadbin
      • 15 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Thompson is an idiot along with Merson. Get them off my TV.

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  5. Mílanista
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    After today my GW is over. Except for Bunn 🙄

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    1. Nopli
      • 14 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Mine too.. Surprising 😯

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    2. Lateriser 12
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Begovic and Sess 😀

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      1. Mílanista
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        13 years, 1 month ago

        Begovic is today mate.

        My Bunn will outscore your Sess 😛

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        1. Lateriser 12
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          13 years, 1 month ago

          Look again 😉

          Monday.

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          1. Mílanista
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 14 Years
            13 years, 1 month ago

            West Brom v Stoke

            3pm today

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            1. Lateriser 12
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 13 Years
              13 years, 1 month ago

              You still did not get it!

              Look. At. Team.

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    3. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Yay! I'm not the only one who has Bunn and is playing him this week too!

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    4. Hubert
      • 13 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Garrido

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  6. Lateriser 12
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    DGW team

    Begovic
    Gorkss Enrique Mert (Clyne Rafael)
    Michu Bale Sess Walcott (Sterling)
    RVP Suarez Berbatov

    Oh my.

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    1. Mílanista
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Looking good

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    2. kaz 96
      • 14 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      three sun'land here. not sure if thats a good thing or not

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      1. Hubert
        • 13 Years
        13 years, 1 month ago

        ?

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        1. Hubert
          • 13 Years
          13 years, 1 month ago

          oops sorry, misread 😀

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      2. Old Man
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        13 years, 1 month ago

        Good for next week - not so good for the following week - mun (a). Good luck in getting rid of them!!

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    3. La Roja
      • 13 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      get cuellar

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    4. Breadbin
      • 15 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Good luck losing all the extra points to hits after the DGW.

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    5. Breadbin
      • 15 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Because 1 is loads... 😉

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      1. Lateriser 12
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        13 years, 1 month ago

        😉

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      2. Breadbin
        • 15 Years
        13 years, 1 month ago

        I didn't include Gorkks. I work in Reading, the fans think he's awful and won't get back in barring injury unless McDermott is being silly.

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  7. Paolo Di Laernu - low rep r…
    • 13 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    Hey guys, any interesting news that's sprung up this morning? I slept through the deadline...

    Cheers

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    1. Mílanista
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Enrique LB

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      1. Paolo Di Laernu - low rep r…
        • 13 Years
        13 years, 1 month ago

        For real?

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        1. Mílanista
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          13 years, 1 month ago

          Yeah, Demi posted the lineup. Glad I waited for it this morning before making transfers.

          Having said that, had I not fallen asleep last night while waiting for my laptop to turn on I'd have gotten him last night before his rise. Alcohol FTW

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          1. Sir_Dunc
            • 14 Years
            13 years, 1 month ago

            lol

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    2. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 15 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      possible giroud rest

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    3. Breadbin
      • 15 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      "I slept". Pics or it didn't happen. No naked ones please.

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  8. thetinkerman
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    After a lot of soul searching, I've decided that my conscience is clear despite buying the racist for my fantasy football team, as long as I'm not happy when he does well 😀

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    1. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      I'm black (well brown actually) and I have no problem with having Suarez in my team. Captained him today too.

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      1. thetinkerman
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        13 years, 1 month ago

        This was tongue in cheek by the way 😉

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    2. Somalion
      • 15 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      +1 I feel safer with his loving racist arms wrapped around my team.

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  9. faulksp
    • 16 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    Walcott injured......what's that all about ?

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    1. Sir_Dunc
      • 14 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      don't worry. He's been training, everyone has him to start.

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  10. @FuzzyWarbles
    • 15 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    cheers to back to back ballacks (Fulham), captained taarabt! i thought about it myself but i should come out pleased one way or another if taraabt does well, i should get a green arrow, if not, i should be in line for a must win in the FFS UEFA PL!

    COYS!

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    1. Nopli
      • 14 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      BBB captained TAARABT.???? I thought i was the only one captaining a stranger 😉

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  11. garbage1
    • 15 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    Fletcher or berbs today?

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    1. Breadbin
      • 15 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Too late.

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  12. Smarty Pants
    • 16 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    LAST!

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  13. Tiki-Taka
    • 14 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    Liking the look of this come GW17:

    Begovic / Foster
    Rafael / Enrique / Nelsen / Clyne / O'Brien
    Michu / Bale / Walcott / Taarabt / Sterling
    Suarez / Defoe / RVP

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    1. Sir_Dunc
      • 14 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      I'm not sure about Enrique, Taraabt or Defoe, pretty good though.

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  14. dogtanion
    • 16 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    Will be disappointed as a gooner if Wenger "rests" Giroud...this is a great opportunity to play him and Theo up top. Need his height against their defence plus he can be rested midweek.

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  15. Sir_Dunc
    • 14 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/8298821? Interesting that Fellaini prefers playing defensive midfield. If Everton get a striker in January, which I think they will, we could yet see him drop deeper.

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    1. Somalion
      • 15 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Fellaini will prefer to play where I tell him to play.

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      1. Sir_Dunc
        • 14 Years
        13 years, 1 month ago

        If Jelavic starts firing and another striker comes in, I'd bank on him dropping deeper due to frailties in the middle.

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  16. Az
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 16 Years
    13 years, 1 month ago

    Is anyone here planning on going into theDGW without any SUN/ RDG?

    I just dont see any players I want to invest in.. so might give it a miss!

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    1. Breadbin
      • 15 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      Got AJ, regret it. Keeping for that but wouldn't get anyone in if I didn't have them.

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    2. Sir_Dunc
      • 14 Years
      13 years, 1 month ago

      me, not worth the hassle of having to remove them all straight after.

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