Gameweek 22 Season 2012/2013

So things have just gone from slightly shit to really shit at Camp Ronan in last few weeks, over the Christmas period – Oh yeah, happy new year one and all, I hope you all had a good time and all that – I have suffered the ignominy of dropping to the second page of my own league [I hope I don’t have to use the adage ‘out of my league’ at some poin

To catch up to the top 20 of my league is probably unlikely this season, so my eyes will be on the weekly and monthly prizes now. Those prizes are pints, which is possbily the reason I’ve stalled so much this season… catch-up 22?

I’ve been sick all week too (this is my first time sitting at my desk since Tuesday) and I’m just trying to play catch up – we were supposed to start podcasting this week too but that’ll be all next week. Perhaps I should postpone all my new years plans to the chinese one? With that in mind Darragh has really carried the can for this week’s blog. My notes are written in a paracetamol induced haze (Sergeant Sliothar? I thought it was hilarious at the time).

Everyone knows I should use my wildcard immediately but I’d not make optimum use of this week, so I’ve just gone with one which I’ll explain later.

REVIEW OF NEW CORK COSMOS

As 4 gameweeks have passed since last update, I don’t have much to add except nothing went my way and I just slipped away from the pack. In GM 21 I scored the exact average like, I’m living in the identikit legohouse of surburbia of fantasy football.

WHAT’S THE POINTS

Points scored last week                       - 52 Points

Average points scored in that week      - 52 points

Points off the top                                 - 248 points, a further 81 points since christmas.

Position in BOTNB League                - 62th (down 23 places   L x 23 )

LAST WEEK’S TEAM

 

TRANSFERS

1.4 million to play with

Like pretty much everyone else I’ve been drawn to Villa’s home game to Southamton, so I’ve brough in Bentenke at the expense of Peter Crouch; but if this is true [and I pray to sweet divine jeebus that it is, Peter Crouch doesn’t even pick himself at the moment - http://fantasy.premierleague.com/my-leagues/264748/standings/

THIS WEEK’S SELECTION

I’m going with Schwarzer in goal (at home to Wigan) over Jaaskelainen (away to Sunderland) so the latter gets the number 12 jersey, I’ve also dropped his team mates Collins to number 15, and Nolan to 13. Sitting in between them will be Cameron who is at home to Stoke.

I believe Sidwell will be fit (I read it, so must be true), but I wonder will I switch Brunt out and Bring in Nolan to start

Here’s the screenshot.

MY CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN

It’s gonna be one of my front three, Torres has the two games and should start both… so I’m erring towards him now even though I think I’ll be pushing him out the door next week too.

And now over to Darragh who has done all the work this week…

CAPTAIN’S CORNER

Euy, so that was intense. More football matches than diamonds on Messi’s Ballon D’Or suit prevented me from straying too far from the RVP safety net over the festivities. January appears to be much of the same as Fantasy Football meltdowns aplenty are on the horizon after the announcement of two double gameweeks in the next two….eh….. gameweeks. High levels of rotation have made statistics a bit more difficult to unravel so if in doubt, lob all your proverbial eggs into the basket of van Persie.

Elsewhere, this week offers us a bounty of Chelsea options as the face a back 4 that are about as stable as an middle eastern government in Southampton. Granted they face a stout Stoke at the Britania 4 days earlier but assuming he doesn’t get ‘Shawcrossed’, Juan Mata surely the most stable of the Blues options. Indeed, Chelsea have failed to win all 6 games he hasn’t started this year, a stat that hopefully makes him immune from susceptibility to Rafa Rotation. He created a whopping 27 assists in 2012, the second highest in Europe’s Top 5 leagues (behind Memut Ozil on 29) and looks to continue the trend in 2013, setting the joint highest total (with David Silva) for successful passes (23) in the final third of the pitch in 2013’s only gameweek thus far.

As with any Chelsea attacking option this week, anything above 2 points taken from the Stoke fixture will be viewed as a bonus. Mata is possibly the least likely to suffer from rotation as Hazard, Oscar, Lampard, Marin and Moses duke it out for the other two attacking roles. Defensive options mainly lie at the Afro-Backside duo of David Luiz and Ivanovic but perhaps neither are worthy of the armband given Stoke’s home form.

Elsewhere, It’s the gameweek of the budget forward. While RvP has hit the £14 million mark, I’ve taking the Tesco value approach and lumped together 2 budget forwards whose combined value barely surpasses that of the Dutchman. Edin Dzeko faces a crumbly Arsenal back four that has conceded 10 in their last 5 home games. Aguero’s hammy and Balotelli’s training ground handbags make the Bosnian’s chances of starting around about the highest they’ve been all season. Dzeko tends not to waste too much time either. In terms of minutes per goal attempt, he ranks behind only fellow super sub Javier Hernandez (16.8 mins per attempt) and Johnny shoot/dive/insult/bite/racial slur-a-lot Luis Saurez (13.8 mins per attempt) in the last 6 gameweeks.

I’m also taking a lazy, meandering punt on Dimital Berbatov this week. Since his goalless 7 game haul induced by his Bryan Ruiz withdrawal symptoms, Uncle Bulgaria has repaid owners with 2 goals and an assist in his last three. Wigan could have some guy named Ivan Ramis (wasn’t he in Ghostbusters?) marking him this Saturday and coupled with Ruiz’s continued return to match fitness, it could all ensure high returns for the mercurial forward this weekend.

I can’t get through another blog without going for my weekly dose of Everton man love. When he’s not head butting hatchetmen (sorry Shawcross fans, he’s getting a doing today), Fellaini offers fantasy value like few midfielders. The fact that in 25% of the games he’s started he’s maintained a level or higher average pitch position to Jelavic shows his continued importance to the Toffees attack. He dominates the Croat in almost every stat department, maintaining a higher average shot per game ratio (3.2 to 2.6), created chances (1.4 to 1.1), successful dribble (1.6 to 1.4) and percentage of goal involvement (39.3% to 26.6%). Long story short, if you’re looking for Everton attack cover, go with the fro’.

My top fantasy football captain options this week are:

1.    Juan Mata - (a) Stoke (h) Southampton

2.    Robin van Persie - (h) Liverpool

3.    Edin Dzeko - (a) Arsenal

4.    Dimital Berbatov - (h) Wigan

5.    Marouane Fellaini – (h) Swansea

Punt Option: Gaston Ramirez – (a) Aston Villa (a) Chelsea