'...Fine Margins'
This week can only be described as one of 'fine margins', a week that embodied the fact that however much football knowledge you have, however certain you may be that something will happen, nothing is a guarantee. Those of you who gamble on football know that, the option you have to cash out a bet, is actually the gift and the curse. Sometimes you cash too early, and despite you have obviously earned money, if things stay the same you could have made more, had you hung in there. If, you choose to let the bet run and then it fails, then you are left feeling like an idiot with an element of numbness, pondering on what might have been, but man, how I wish there was an equivalent to cashing out your fantasy football team during a game this week, no really, I am not even joking with you.
The early kickoff between Arsenal and Burnley on Saturday had none of my players in, as I made no transfers from last week, which means I will have two transfers next week, hopefully this will work out for me, saying that, it is actually the hope that kills you. In the 3pm kickoffs, my beloved Liverpool were in action at Southampton, a tricky game made even more complex as their European Super Cup final went to extra time and penalties against Chelsea, meaning minimal time for them to recuperate. The Saints started the game really well, but Liverpool rode the storm, and took the lead through Sadio Mane, I had contemplated putting Mane into my team, but I decided against it, but the main thing was my team winning. It would have made sense to find a way to put him in, as my opposition in the head-to-head league this week, had the Senegalese as his captain, and this meant I could have matched up. Mane, went on to assist Liverpool's second goal too, laying the ball on for Roberto Firmino to grab what turned out to be the winner. With me having two defenders from the Reds in Andy Robertson and Virgil van Dijk, I was hoping that there would not be a repeat of the Norwich game where they conceded a late goal, unfortunately Adrian had other ideas. The Spanish keeper who was the hero in the aforementioned Super Cup game last Wednesday, turned villain, as he kicked the ball straight at Danny Ings, and it went in leading to a frantic finish. Ings, almost scored again to gain Southampton a point, but luckily he missed the ball completely. Ings, as you know is in my fantasy squad, but I do not start players against Liverpool, so having his 6 points on the bench did not matter to me. Thanks Adrian, you cost me at least 8 clean sheet points between the two players, and one of them would have probably got a bonus point also, "Alisson 'where art thou?'", Robertson himself actually almost scored, but Angus Gunn made a great save at his near post...'fine margins'.
In the other 3pm games, Felipe Anderson did not recover from his thigh injury in time, so he did not feature for West Ham in their away game at Brighton, so as I had him starting, this meant I would get whatever points Joao Moutinho got for Wolves in their Monday night home game with Manchester United instead. John McGinn, almost scored on a couple of occasions as Aston Villa lost at home to Bournemouth...'fine margins'. Ben Foster could not grab a clean sheet for me, as Watford lost away at Everton, his vision was obscured as Bernard scored a low drive. Norwich, beat Newcastle 3-1 and the man who spoiled my chances of a clean sheet on the opening day of the season Teemu Pukki, scored a hat trick, I had wanted to put him in my team from the start of the season, but as Norwich played Liverpool, I did not and now look! I did not want to take Sergio Aguero or Raul Jimenez out, as I believed they would both score this week, so decided against putting him in this week too. In the evening game, Kun Aguero did indeed find the net as Manchester City drew 2-2 with Tottenham. Before Aguero's goal, City should have had a penalty as Rodri was bundled over, Aguero more than likely would have taken it, as we all saw his selfish act last week away at West Ham, when Raheem Sterling was on a hat trick and he never allowed him to take the penalty, again...'fine margins'. My return thus far from six players had been poor, in fact poor was really an understatement, I had already resigned to the fact I was going to lose my head-to-head game this week, an early setback I really did not need. Hopefully my five remaining players could accumulate enough points for me to have a respectable total.
Sunday, started badly, as Crystal Palace lost on their trip to Sheffield United 1-0, so Martin Kelly got just two points for me. In the second game, Leicester drew with Chelsea, and Youri Tielemens was not involved in their goal, so I only had a default points return from him also form him playing over an hour of the game. Gameweek 2, concluded with the aforementioned Wolves and Manchester United game, and United took an early lead, so hopes of clean sheet points from Matt Doherty were dashed. To make things worse, the Irish international was substituted at half time for Adama Traore, so he got me just one, yes one point. Traore, actually helped Wolves however, with his pace and directness, and he helped win a corner, which ended up with Moutinho finding Ruben Neves, who curled an unstoppable shot in off the bar, "yay, assist points!". Before the goal Moutinho's cross was headed against the underside of the bar by Jimenez, I and a lot of other people thought it had crossed the line, but there was no prompt from goal line technology, "rage". Once again... 'fine margins'. I mean, there is nothing more satisfying than two of your fantasy players combining for a goal, something Jimenez and Diogo Jota did a lot for me last season, but Jota has been very selfish to start the season and just looks out of sync, so I will not be looking to bring him into my team just yet.
So overall a very disappointing week, but for circumstances I will not talk about here, and at a latter date in a separate heartfelt non football-related piece I will however speak on it, fantasy football was the last thing on my mind. Mane has to come into my side, but this may involve a points deduction from the changes I will have to make as his value is so dear, so a re-shuffle will be needed.
@DubulDee
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