Gameweek 4
BarcaRONAN’s last gameweek Score – 54 // Average Score on site – 57
Highest Haul – 22 // Lowest Haul – 1 // Average Score Per Player 4.9
Accrued Score – 136
State Of Play
Well I always said if going into gameweek four I was in the top 1,099,133 of the league I’d be happy, and I’ve achieved that goal… who am I kidding. I’m on a train on way to Holyhead for the ferry to go to Dublin after a week sojurn in England and am just a bag of frustration looking at my notes; I sit nice and snugly in the mid table of the Back Of The Net Boy! League. 44th ain’t worth writing home about, but technically that’s what I am currently doing.
Vindication
Other than one of the most obvious selections ever (Rooney), nothing, not a single assist or from what I can think (offline at moment) a bonus point scored by my other 10 men. [I’ve not noticed a trend in my blog where even the vindication section is me berating myself, that’s how bad things are at barcaRONAN HQ]
D’oh
If I’d captained Rooney, his points doubled would have been more than the rest of the team put together!!!!!! I keep going back to my internal argument about the difference between a bad decision and a considered a decision that doesn’t pay off. But while I ponder these philospohpical things the league is already running away from me.
Here’s the screenshot of my team from last gameweek
Questions / Hunch / Drama / Dramatic Narrative before Sky Have Spotted it
Will Richard Dunne and Shay Given bring this gung-ho spirit into Villa team and perhaps reignite things? I am sensing they will, they are going to Goodison park, where there have been a few tasty tete-a-tetes between Everton and Aston Villa in past seasons, also baring in mind that Everton are down to two fit strikers [or is it easier for us to point out when Everton don’t have an injury problem].
The pressure is on Torres now, more than ever, Spanish media agititaing for him to be dropped from the national team and AVB has said only today that he’d have no problem dropping Torres if he ‘compromises’ the team (now unless Fernando has a photograph of Lamps and the boys up to something they shouldn’t be doing on a photocopier, I can only assume Andres is talking about the continuing goal drought); the shadow of Drogba lingering on Torre’s shoulder [clunky mixed metaphor of the week award] won’t be there this game week, due to the formers concussion keeping him out of the game. {insert laboured comedy riff about Torres getting concussion during match this week, and the physio asking him who he is and when the patient says he doesn’t know, they tell him he’s Drogba and he goes back onto pitch and scores a hat-trick gag here}
I think O’Hara will have a good game against Spurs, who’ve really not been too good to him over last 2 years. And I think the great Dane, Nicolas, who has left Arsenal to go to Sunderland, might have have roy of the rovers stuff in his boots, home debut for a struggling team against Chelsea, it’s a perfect set up for a man of such high self regard / ego.
And on a club level, if Arsenal are gonna get their shit together, this is when it has to start; 4 very winnable fixtures in next 6 games – Swansea, Blackburn, Bolton, Tottenham, Sunderland and Stoke. Now noone expects clean sheets anymore with wenger’s boys, but Arteta is looking very tempting now (and Van Persie did score 4 goals against San Marino last week)
And while everyone seems to be going mad for Chris Smalling in particular, and the Man Utd rookies in general, Bolton, Chelsea and Stoke will all be tough customers in next few games so I don’t anticipate any clean sheets at all.
Transfers/Theory/Selection
I have two free transfers this week, as I used none last gameweek, but I think I’m going to make a third as well and really try and breath a bit of life in my team, Torres will be culled from my overly expensive front three, cos to be fair Bent will always play when fit, and will generally score when he plays, and for next while I can’t see Rooney being rotated out (when champions league etc starts, it might be different). I’m going to bring Long in, he’s clearly in form, pity he’s got a knock but Roy will always stick with the same team as much as possible.
I want to get QPR player in, and after humming and hawing I’ll take SWP in over Taarabt, the latter takes the free kicks etc, but the former will be given a freer role apparently so I assume he’ll be nearer the ball too.
I’ve been mulling over Arteta v Benyaoun (both at Arsenal) v Mata (Chelsea)
I annoyingly have a lot of players playing against each other this week, ie two Man City defenders playing which means if they do well Moses, my Wigan midfielder will just score 2, but vice versa I might only get 4 points in total from Clichy and Kompany.
I’ll go with the old simple rule of picking the keeping playing at home, even though it goes against Given, I have a notion that Wolves will really stand out against Spurs this weekend, so a three wolf spine (they also play at home next week folks, if yer looking to bring any in).
My Team this week
Keeping An Eye On
The new Fulham signing has been tipped by the fantasy football podcast (I dunno if it was Granville or the other one, no doubt whoever it was will make sure we know about it if he is proven right! I’m really interested in seeing Bentder does at Sunderland, I will see how he does in next two games and decide then,
Kakuta, has joined Bolton on loan, now Man Utd, and Arsenal are two of the next three games and then Chelsea the following fixture (I can only assume he won’t eligible for that game), so if he shows some good involvement and is picked for all those games he can play, game week 7 he’ll be joining barcaRONAN.
Captain's Corner with Phergal
So the international break is over and the big names seem to have come out of it injury free. Plenty of nice captaincy friendly fixtures this week, let's take a look.
Arsenal @home to Swansea - There's a feeling among Gooners that the Arsenal season begins with this match, after a dismal few weeks marked by big name departures, a humiliating 8-2 defeat to United and some last minute transfer dealings. Morale will surely be up among the team (it couldn't get any worse) and you would expect Arsenal to come back with a vengeance here a bag and few goals against promoted Swansea. RVP is still remarkably uninjured and he's the best pick here. He's more than capable of racking up huge scores and will have some good service coming from Arteta, who himself could be a decent captain pick, but a new player at a club is always a gamble, even a Premier League veteran like Arteta. His returns the last two years from Everton have been uninspiring but maybe he'll discover some form with his new club, who knows.
Man City@ Home to Wigan. City are on a rampage and confidence is flowing. There should be plenty of goals here, but with City's "embarrassment of riches" as the press like to say, there's a lot of choice for your captaincy armband. Dzeko is on fire and full of confidence after bagging 4 against Spurs two weeks ago, he seems to have established himself as City's target man. You'd have to feel Mancini would be adverse to benching a player hitting such great form, then again you have two other world class strikers in Tevez and Aguero that are almost sinful to bench. I see Tevez or Aguero as being interchangeable to partner Dzeko, but really, who knows. A safer pick may be Silva, who doesn't seem to be under any kind of threat from Nasri, and both are expected to start. Nasri has a broken hand but apparently will start this weekend.
Man United away to Bolton - Hard to resist United at the moment. Rooney is in the form of his life and you could safely captain him every week without too much worry. Young is also on wicked form but don't expect the massive haul he got against Arsenal 2 weeks ago, he should be good for a goal and assist here though and maybe some bonii.
Gamble picks - Peter Odemwingie away to Norwich. WBA put in great performances against Chelsea and United and you feel they have to have a significant win soon. Shane Long is doubtful for the match.
