After a good run of weeks, this week left me very, very disappointed. After having a stellar GW32 using my 'Free Hit' bonus, I tried to take what I thought was a calculated risk, but it did not work. I made two transfers over the limit, which cost me 8 points, but as I will go on to explain, it flopped dramatically.
This gameweek started with a Friday night game, between Southampton and Liverpool. Liverpool won the game 3-1, and just before the deadline, I made Mo Salah captain. Salah grabbed the second goal, and I thought he was going to get me bonus points, but Jordan Henderson bagged a third, and as he got an 'assist' for Salah's goal, Henderson got the most bonus points. Losing bonus points was not an issue, as an extra goal for the team I support is only a good thing. I was just happy that I had Salah as captain when he ended his goal drought, noormally I would not advocate late changes, but this one worked. The only annoying thing about this game was that all my three Liverpool players in my team all got booked, which meant I lost 3 points.
Now to Saturday, there were three games, all at 3pm, as there was no early kick off, because of the Friday night game. The transfers I made, were just a stopgap, as numerous players I own were featuring in the FA Cup Semi Finals, I tried to capitalise. As I thought Bournemouth could do something at home to Burnley, out came Joao Moutinho (Wolves) for Ryan Fraser and I took out Raul Jimenez (Wolves) for Joshua King. Burnley, duly beat Bournemouth 3-1, combined, Fraser and King only delivered me a total of 4 points, a huge fail. Crystal Palace, went to Newcastle and won 1-0, and here lay my other change, as I transferred out Sergio Aguero (Man City), for Solomon Rondon, obviously Rondon did not score, but this did not hurt me as much as the Bournemouth changes, as I of course have Crystal Palace's Aaron Wan Bissaka in my defence, and he got me clean sheet points. However, knowing Luka Milivojevic is Palace's penalty taker, and they get a lot of penalties, I contemplated putting him in, but decided to stick with Fraser, so of course...that was how Palace got their win form the penalty spot, just my luck!
Leicester's away trip to already relegated Huddersfield, at least brought me some joy. Leicester won 4-1; Jamie Vardy scored 2 and assisted, while Youri Tielemens opened up the scoring. James Maddison; another player who I toyed with the idea of bringing into the team got the other, but regardless, 25 points between Vardy and Tielemens, was more than I expected to be honest, so I cannot complain about the outcome of this match.
Sundays game between Everton and Arsenal, had no repercussions on my team, as I have not picked players from either side all season. Mondays game saw Chelsea entertain West Ham, and of course I have 2 West Ham players. I am often weary of playing a goalkeeper, and defender from the same team, but this had to be the case this week, as my other keeper was Alan McCarthy of Southampton, and they of course played Liverpool. I do not field players against the team I support, and Angus Gunn, is currently the first choice keeper at Southampton anyway, so even if I had tried to put McCarthy in goal, it would have made no difference. Chelsea won 2-0, but Fabianski made a plethora of saves, so I got a solitary bonus point, which covered the fact he lost a point for conceding 2 goals, of course though he plays midfield, is listed as a defender, and just got the one point.
Overall, if you deduct the 8 points, I only got 47 this week, and for me a competitive gameweek is one where you get at least 50, so I was not best pleased. The transfers made only gave me 6 points between 3 men, so I would have been better off only making the allocated one change, or I could have made no changes, and then I would have had 2 for gameweek 34. But, anyway as they say hindsight is a beautiful thing,
@DubulDee
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