Three matches and three defeats. And while
performances have improved week on week, I can tell the fans are getting
restless. I’m not sure how long it’s acceptable to be rooted to the foot of the
table, but thanks to the IEFSA/Fantrax fixture computer we may just find out.
Firstly, I’m not sure how I lost my match-up last week when @RotoZdroik’s biggest
threat to goal was a Lukaku missed penalty?? I had two goal scorers, as Tammy
Abraham got off the mark for Swansea, and late signing Ciaran Clark netted for
Newcastle. But lose I did, which leaves me bottom of the table with zero wins
and the lowest points scored in the two divisions of IEFSA.
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| Ciaran Clark clearly delighted to have signed with my team this week |
When times are tough you can always count
on the IEFSA/Fantrax fixture compiler to give you a little kick. This week I will
have to face @jwl_15, who would be undefeated if not for an Aaron Ramsey horror
show against Liverpool two weeks ago. What makes this worse is that his star
man is a player I let go at the end of last season!! And I’m not talking about
Jack Wilshere (though he does have him too!).
@jwl_15’s Team
That star man of course is Henrikh
Mkhitaryan. Last season he managed a total of one assist and barely a paltry
ten points per game. In only three games this season, he has five assists and
averages over 26 points per game. (anyone who points out I seem to have
replaced the Armenian with Jonjo Shelvey, -2.1 ppg, will immediately be blocked
on Twitter!) As has been mentioned, he also has Ramsey in midfield, who is
usually good for a decent haul of points, last gameweek aside. Partnering them he
has the workhorses of the Chelsea and Liverpool midfield's in N’Golo Kante and
Jordan Henderson.
 |
| How many assists can he provide this season?....or this weekend? |
Up front @jwl_15 has Southampton’s Manolo
Gabbiadini who recent got off the mark and will be looking to score again at
home to Watford on Saturday. He could also play Andre Ayew, but seeing as West
Ham don’t play Huddersfield until Monday night, @jwl_15 may not have the luxury
of waiting on the Ghanian’s fitness until then. But seeing the numbers my side
has posted so far this season, he probably could afford to! At the back it
looks like Cedric Soares, Southampton, Stephen Ward, Burnley, and Mamadou
Sakho, Crystal Palace. Between the sticks will be Swansea’s Lukasz Fabianski.
Putting him in direct opposition to two of my star players!
What I Need To Happen
Well, I’ll need both of these star players
to make the first eleven for a start! It’s Newcastle who travel to face
Fabianski and Swansea, but seeing as the Toon won 3-0 last time out without
Shelvey or Dwight Gayle, I won’t be holding my breath. As I mentioned earlier,
Ciaran Clark was a late signing who came good for me last week. He was brought
in after I gave the heave-ho to Jose Fonte after he failed to make it back into
the West Ham side. Looking around my squad, there are a few names under pressure
to perform. Joe Allen is not his usually box-to-box self and is averaging a
woeful, by his standards, nine points per game. Big signing Tom Ince has yet to
trouble the oppositions net. While Victor Lindelof has yet to even feature in a
Premier League game.
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| Abraham may have scored but are his other stats letting the side down? |
Times are getting desperate. If a heavy
defeat is suffered this week, I could be forced to abandon the whole squad that
was carefully assembled during the draft. I will need to replace them with
grafters. Players who are ready for a scrap. Who can play dirty for ninety
minutes and get you all those much-needed tackling and accurate passing points.
Tammy Abraham has 26 accurate passes in three games. 26?!? My goalkeeper has
more! If, as I presume, he’s generally around for the kick-offs, that’s a
quarter of his passes. Wholesale changes could be on the horizon if results don’t
improve. If there is no reaction this week I will have no qualms about
replacing an expensive signing with….. checks Free Agency list…… squints…..
Solly March?
Predictions
To send me general abuse for my team/signings/predictions
follow me on Twitter @GarryIrwin. Though you should really direct your ire
@THE_IEFSA who seem to find new ways to undermine my carefully thought out
plans every week. Before the international break I managed a rather poor four
from nine. Will it be any better this weekend? Let’s find out.
Here are this week’s predictions. Good Luck
Everyone.
@FuzzyWarbles over @TRKingston
@FantasyYIRMA over @TAMc10
@RotoWireAndrew over @cjradune
@jforquer11 over @BenDinnery
@jasonuk17 over @nealjthurman
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