Gameweek 18 Season 2012/2013

It’s the last gameweek before Santa packs his sack, and also the first of a mega extravaganza of 4 gameweeks in 10 days…eeek – this is one of those periods when the amateurs who aren’t used to drinking every night lose ground cos they forget to catch the deadlines. This is a pretty exciting time of the year, but realistically the last blog we’ll get done this year.

… but 2013 is going to be mega, we will be unveiling news of a sponsor and we shall be moving into the world of podcasting…

And Darragh and I just want to wish you all a happy Christmas to you and yours and all those you care about, but of course we want your teams to do worse than ours.

GAMEWEEK 16 REVIEW OF NEW CORK COSMOS

Well I got 9 points better than the average, but my captaincy choice (I went bravely with RVP) got 45% of those points, so that leaves that only 2 other of my players got more than 3 points… so that makes it a simple bad week.

Got the keeper right? Only Jaaskelainen played so it’s a moot point. But he did well and got 7 points.

Got my subs decisions right? Kinda, two got 0 points, Nolan got just 2 points…but that puts him on par with most of his team mates at NCC.

Alternate Selection Point Swing – 1 point. (if Nolan had played instead of Crouch)

WHAT’S THE POINTS?

Points scored last week                       - 53 Points

Average points scored in that week      - 44 points

Points off the top                                 - 167 points, exactly the same as last week.

Position in BOTNB League                - 39th (up 8 places  J )

LAST WEEK’S TEAM

THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS

…last week’s highest scorer once again was Aidan Molloy, but he did the same in GM 15,  so it’d be kinda redundant to get him to write it again, as he did tell us in last week’s blog he is “ the shepherd and the majority of managers are the sheep.”

In second place were jointly Darragh McHenry, who happens to be the Captain here in Captains Corner… and since he did a SOMS contribution this season, I will be passing the conch this week to Sam Boland, who got 80 points last week with an aptly name team (which I'll let you see for yourself).

I was as surprised as anyone when Ronan asked me to write 'Secret of my Success'. My initial response was 'not sucking so hard': between Gameweeks 2 and 13, I scored over 45 *once*. Abandoned, randomly generated teams were outscoring me with ease. In desperation, I played my wildcard in Gameweek 4, to no avail.

Recently, I've turned it around, and I think the answer was ruthlessness. For example, a player in one of my leagues - team name Blues Brothers - this gameweek benched £25.4m of talent just because he's a Chelsea fan. There's no room for that kind of sentiment, but sure, ye already know that.

Mostly, though, I was finally ruthlessness with myself. I admitted I didn't know better than everyone else, bit the bullet, and bought Michu (48.5% ownership), Van Persie (38.3%) and Shawcross (31.9%). Differentials be damned.
Speaking of ruthlessness, sometimes it's as hard to part with an out-of-form player who previously scored you load of points as it is to part with your favourite players, but lads, Bale and Fellaini should be gone from your squads already.

However, occasionally it pays to follow Fergie's example: some players need the hairdryer, others need kid gloves. So it is with Santi Cazorla; in nine gameweeks, he scored 3 points or less, but has only once gone more than weeks without
scoring at least 6. If you can handle the frustration, he'll repay you with hauls.

In short, your guess is as good as mine. But guess right, because the cup starts this week.

HIS SCREENSHOT

TRANSFERS

I started with 1.4 million to play with

ISTEACH!

AMACH!

Like anyone who knows their shizzle Fellani was transferred out on Sunday night (who has lost .2 million in value since then) and also as I said in previous week I also got rid of Ruddy [what a maverick eh? Getting rid of a player who is injured for forseeable future)

I had to move fast and to be honest I have doubts about the decisions I took already

In their place I brought in Schwarzer at Fulham and Yaya Toure at Man City, now the latter caused me to be essentially lectured by our honourable Captain at how bad a decision it was etc etc, I expect him to play all 4 games and perhaps pick up a goal/assist and a few clean sheets. Simples.

In the former, I’m hoping Fulham will tighten up a bit, especially as he’ll be my only option on ‘boxing day’ but I fear that match will also be postponed cos of that pesky tube strike going on.

I’ve 1.1 million left in the coffers and I’m anticpating a few trades between now and when we next talk.

THIS WEEK’S SELECTION

I’ve put Schwarzer on the bench as their trip to Anfield is more likely to result in conceeding a goal that West’s Ham visit by Everton.

The only real decision was between playing Berbatov (similarly at Liverpool) or Crouch (away at Spurs); I’ve gone with the side of drama and with Crouch returning to an old club etc etc. As ever it might chance but realistically in probably won’t.

Here’s the screenshot.

MY CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN

RVP, away at Swansea, is my current choice, but I do fear of rotation. I may change tonight but I doubt it.

CAPTAIN’S CORNER

We’ve decided to do a Christmas Captain’s Corner and have it uploaded in advance of gameweek 19.

 It should be up maybe the night of Christmas day...