The numbers were still reverberating around my head from manually calculating the head-to-head table from the 2019/20 campaign. Nonetheless after a seven week break, (that seemed like three days) it was already time for the start of the new season. I put the vote out again in the FPL Whatsapp group, whether or not this season the participants wanted the entry fee for the head-to-head league to be £10 or £15. The price of £15 was picked by the majority, but as usual some of the payments were made extremely late. This meant I had to chase people up, sacrificing my Saturday morning, as now the FPL deadline is an hour and a half before a game, rather than an hour. I already did not go in for the 'Footy OnTop' radio show for family reasons, but this meant I could not even have a lay in, 'sigh'. Five men from last season decided that they were not returning this time around, so I had to find some new faces. The kitty was set at £300 now, which means the winner will be walking away with £150 this time, £50 more than last season. Second place gets £75, and then there are to be £25 prizes for third, fourth and the highest gameweek score of the season.
Since the new FPL season started, I could not tell you how many times I have changed my team. I made my initial team before the fixtures were released. Then the fixtures came out and I had to make swift changes, as some teams' start to the season did not look like games they could accumulate many points in. Added to that I had Aston Villa and Burnley players in my original side, and they did not have games as they would have been up against the Manchester clubs. However, City and United were given extended breaks due to their European exploits in the late finish to last season.
The final time I was able to make alterations on Friday night, I took Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold out of my team and replaced him with Crystal Palace's Joel Ward. I already had Andy Robertson, and Liverpool had a hard start with Chelsea and Arsenal coming up after their opening day game with Leeds. I have lifted my Spurs ban, because I actually do not really hate them to be honest, so I started the season with Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane in my side. This means the teams I will not be picking players from are Manchester United, Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea. The Chelsea one is hard as they have signed three players I am a fan of, in Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and of course Timo Werner. Werner should be in a Liverpool shirt really, but I will cry about that at another time in another article, 'damn you Coronavirus!'. With the limitations I put in place for myself, I always say passing 2100 points is the target in regards to traditional scoring. That is not a factor in head-to-head of course, as it all depends on who your opponent is that particular week. After his poor show in pre-season, I reluctantly started an FPL season without Mo Salah in my side for the first time. I never had the proper chance to rectify things before Saturday's early kick off due to the aforementioned 'chasing' I had to do when the 11th hour doubts kicked in about leaving him out.
So to the action. Every game is going to be televised in September, which is obviously a good thing, but at the same time prolongs the pain if you watch a player you own do anything detrimental to your weekly points total. Fulham and Arsenal started things off at Craven Cottage, but I had no player starting from either side as Fulham's Harrison Reed was on my bench. Good thing I did not start him as the Cottagers were clearly not craven enough and were swept aside 3-0 by the Gunners. The second game on Saturday saw Crystal Palace host Southampton. I had two Saints men in keeper Alex McCarthy and Danny Ings, and Ward obviously from Palace. Despite Southampton dominating possession, The Eagles got a 1-0 win after a tidy finish from Wilfried Zaha. Palace probed, kicked and pulled Ings to nullify him, so a game I thought would be quite productive points-wise disappointed. Vicente Guaita was in inspired form in goal for Palace, including making a great save from a second half Ings header.
In Saturday's third game: Liverpool entertained Leeds, and when I say 'entertained' I mean entertained! This opening day seven-goal thriller ended 4-3 to the Champions, but any future opposition watching were probably thinking they can give Liverpool a real game. The Reds lapped up some uncharacteristic errors, that at this rate could become characteristic, allowing Marcelo Bielsa's men to equalise not one, not two, but three times (NBA fans caught the satire there). So taking Alexander-Arnold out was a good decision as Liverpool leaked goals. Robertson got an assist, but I was left feeling stupid as Salah rolled it back to the 2017/18 season with a hat trick including two penalties. The other Salah goal was a brilliant volley that deserved a crowd. The last match was dull despite Newcastle scoring twice away at West Ham. This meant no Issa Diop clean sheet points and unfortunately nothing significant from Tomas Soucek either. Why I trusted West Ham I do not know, watch out for Newcastle, if you have not already then get one or two of their players in your fantasy team. A goal and assist for Jeff Hendrick on his Magpies debut, and a goal for another debutant Callum Wilson. After the game I realised that D-Man (Darren B), my 'Footy OnTop' co-host was my opponent, and unless I had a big contribution on Sunday I was heading for defeat.
Sunday's action began with Leicester away at West Brom. It looked for awhile like my decision of changing my captain from Harry Kane to Jamie Vardy was not such a great one. This was until after taking the lead, Leicester were then awarded two penalties and Vardy dispatched both of them. I still needed more to catch D-Man however, so I needed Kane and Son to step up against Everton. The step up that was needed though ended up being a slip up, as Everton deservedly beat Spurs 1-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. I had already conceded defeat, but I still tuned into Sheffield United and Wolves on Monday to see what the Blades' John Lundstram did. The game as a contest was over after six minutes as Wolves scored twice. Lundstram almost got an assist in the second half, but after finding John Fleck; Fleck's left footed drive crashed against the post. So a defeat to D-Man, but I was not too dismayed as he deserved it after I beat him twice last season, and the first of those wins was a heist thanks to none other than John Lundstram. 37 gameweeks to go then...
@DubulDee
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