It was the penultimate gameweek before the World Cup. My opposition this week was (Big) Sam, another member of the team from the D&D Football Factory. Both of us were really struggling this season,, so this was essentially what they call a 6-pointer. Sam finished 2nd last season, while I finished 5th, but you would never realise it as currently we were relegation fodder.
I was looking to take a 4-point hit this week, I was enduring an uncharacteristically poor season, so I thought losing four points was not going to make much difference right now. The plan was always to take Harry Kane out for Erling Haaland this week, as Tottenham were playing Liverpool, so I had kept tabs on Pep Guardiola's press conferences. Haaland had trained, but whether he would start or not was up in the air, so I was not looking to give him the captaincy, that went to Mo Salah. I was looking at Darwin Nunez too, but wanted to get in Miguel Almiron in, so this would not have been feasible unless I took an 8-point hit. In the end to my disgust, none of it mattered, as when I tired to get Haaland in as my first change on the FPL app, the server was down, 'nooo!'. My journey home from the radio station was prolonged, and I tried to make my changes just after 1.15pm on Saturday and the deadline was at 1.30pm. This has happened to numerous people I know, but never to me before. I quickly loaded up the website but that made no difference whatsoever. I was distraught, but there was really nothing that I could do. I had been informed that Haaland was going to start and that Phil Foden was going to be on the bench once again, which I would assume led to many trying to either transfer Haaland in or make him captain. Sam's only change was to get Callum Wilson in for Ivan Toney, as luckily he made his changes way before the server went into hibernation. I had already consigned myself to defeat, as the suspended Toney was still in my starting XI due to not being bale to make changes. Sam, of course captained Haaland, if he was not to be fit then Callum Wilson was his vice captain.
The action got underway at 3pm on Saturday. The team news showed that Foden was indeed not starting, but Haaland was on the bench too, 'Pep Guardiola does my damn head in'. I thought getting Foden in was a power move a few weeks ago, but he has been on the bench for three league games in-a-row, 'what a flipping waste!'. Manchester City were to go behind to Fulham through a Andreas Pereira penalty, I was only getting these points as Alexsandar Mitrovic was not in the Fulham squad. So Pereira as the first man on my bench came into play. There had also been rumours about Mitrovic being out, but I ignored them, only for them to actually come to fruition. Joao Cancelo was sent off in the incident for the penalty, which effected many, some FPL managers even captained him. Julian Alvarez levelled, before Haaland and Foden came on in the second half. Haaland headed in a Kevin De Bruyne cross, only for it to be ruled out for offside. I thought I had got off scot free, only for in injury time, De Bruyne was to go down like he had been shot, and City were awarded a penalty. Bernd Leno went the right way and got something on the spot-kick but it crept in for City to get all three points, 'damn!' This hurt, 10 points for Sam's captain, I was so close to escaping.
In the midst of all that; Morgan Gibbs-White put Nottingham Forest ahead at home to Brentford, dashing any hopes of double clean sheet points for me. I lined up David Raya and Rico Henry, but since they got a clean sheet no one expected a few gameweeks back against Chelsea, they have not been able to really produce since. The game ended 2-2 as another late goal killed me. An own goal by Matias Jorgensen (Zanka) got Forest a point. That goal subsequently lost me two points, one both for Raya and Henry, 'it's not looking good bruv'. If you were shocked at there being 4 goals at the City Ground, then a miracle took place at Molineux. I thought that Wolves and Brighton had the possibility of ending goalless, only for it to have 4 goals of its own in the first half alone. Brighton, were to win it 3-2 through a late goal from Pascal Gross. Alexis MacAllister did not return for me, meaning since his brilliance against Leicester back in early September he has not produced. At £5.4m it's probably time I found better value than MacAllister, well I was looking to get in the slightly more expensive Almiron, but hey servers had other ideas didn't they! Leandro Trossard assisted Kaoru Mitoma's header, so once again Sam was laughing. In the late Saturday kick-off; Leicester won 2-0 away at Everton. I was not sure that Danny Ward would keep another clean sheet, so I obviously left him on the bench, and it came back to bite me. Literally nothing was going my way. James Maddison was the best player on the pitch, and he assisted both the Foxes' goals. The usual caveat whenever it comes to me in FPL was present as Sam had Maddison too. If only Gareth Southgate loved him as much as we do. Sam ended Saturday ahead 32-24, he had seven men left to play on Sunday, I only had four!
Sunday saw a rare midday kick-off. Arsenal answered any questions about them making a serious title challenge with a 1-0 win at Chelsea. Luckily Gabriel Martinelli did not add to Sam's lead as Gabriel Magalhaes got the all-important goal. In the 2pm matches, I was given a reminder as to why I should have kept Jacob Ramsey. Ramsey had been out of Villa's team hence selling him, but with Unai Emery now in charge, he was picked for Emery's first game. He repaid his new boss for starting him with a goal and an assist, that sandwiched an own goal he scored too, in a 3-1 shock win over Manchester United. I was so disappointed I no longer owed him, opting to keep MacAllister over him had not worked.
Callum Wilson, was able to start for Newcastle, but he was withdrawn at half-time as a precaution, so I got off lightly. The Magpies took the lead beforehand, and it was through that man Almiron. I mean the guy is on fire, and needs to be stopped. Eddie Howe's men went on to win 4-1. I thought Kieran Trippier was coming off at half-time but he was able to continue after a scare, and assisted the 3rd goal by Joe Willock, 'damn!' Sam had doubled up on Newcastle defenders, so despite having Fabian Schar myself, the consolation goal by Southampton was welcomed. I was then to remember that Trippier got subbed just before the goal, so he therefore still got clean sheet points, and with his assist, he was to get the maximum bonus points also. This just could not get any worse could it? The 'server strikes back' was playing in all theatres, as I would have had Almiron, 'I just felt sick!'. West Ham and Crystal Palace looked all set for a 1-1 draw, then in injury time Michael Olise scored a fine goal. The match-winner was setup by Wilfried Zaha...and yes Sam had him, Zaha had already scored Palace's equaliser, so the answer to the earlier question was, 'yes, things can get worse!, I mean, what did I do to deserve this?', Zaha, was to get two more precious bonus points for Sam.
Going into the last game between Tottenham and Liverpool, I trailed 62-26, as yet another defeat seemed imminent. As I needed a Mo Salah hat-trick or at least three goal contributions to compete, I also bet on him bagging a hat-trick to spice things up. I also had Andy Robertson, but the issue was Sam had Alisson and Trent Alexander-Arnold. So, despite wanting to get out of my slump, I hoped that Liverpool kept a clean sheet, so that would mean I lost unless Salah scored 4 or 5, 'light work right?'. I was lumbered with Kane because of the wretched server, and he loves to score against Liverpool. All started well, as Mo Salah gave the Reds the lead, assisted by Darwin Nunez. Kane, then crashed the woodwork, before Salah made it 2-0. Eric Dier forgot what team he played for with a poor header, and Salah capitalised, as he floated the ball over Hugo Lloris. Salah, could have had a third at the start of the second half, but he shot tamely at Lloris. With Nunez electing to run...and then run some more rather than passing, that was to be it for Salah and Liverpool. Spurs pulled one back through Kane, and I had never felt so underwhelmed in acquiring points. The irony is the goal aided me in the head-to-head. Jurgen Klopp's men hung on for a 2-1 win. But when I did my calculations it seemed I had just fallen short, despite Kane somehow being in line for two bonus points.
When all the bonus points came in I had indeed lost by a measly point, 67-66, 'I mean come on, I could cry here'. I finally get my captain right in Salah, and I still lose. Faltering servers, naming Raya instead of Ward, Trippier being subbed, Zaha assisting late on, so many things contributed to this one point loss. Just one more gameweek remains before the World Cup, and for my health it actually cannot come quick enough. Luckily Sam is not in this week otherwise the banter would be immense during our radio show. FPL is going to kill me before old age it seems.
@DubulDee
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