14 Apr 2013

Gameweek 33 - Attracting Flies

Wait, what? I know I’m a bit of a headline hack but I seem to have outdone myself a bit there. Attracting Flies, yes. That’s the title of alunageorge’s (a tasteful portmanteau of Aluna Francis and George Reid) delightful new dance number that also happens to be my jam of the week (absolute tune), and incidentally as well, the title to this blog (who says bloggers don’t have privileges?). Anyway, it’s late in the season. The fantasy juggernaut is steamrollering on, bearing with it its ever attendant amalgam of fingernail-biting angst and fist-clenching joy (in increasingly unequal measure these days).

The curtains are half-drawn on (double) gameweek 33. The emphatic vim of Saturday morning has simmered down into a far off cacophony, excited visages now etched with intrinsic concern. Despite being only halfway through, the DGW has threatened to cackle into a whimpering disaster. Yesterday’s global average of 12 points undeniably echoes the same. That before the machinations of a greying Dutchman and a hirsute Spaniard Sunday afternoon went some way in saving the proverbial bacon for a few gaffers (cheers Messrs RvP, de Gea). Paolo di Canio’s emphatic celebrations would not have been mirrored by many within the LoF management ranks given (owing to the near-zero ownership levels for Sunderland assets) gaffers were left to witness helplessly as the Black Cats cruised to a barnstorming 3-0 win over an out of colour Newcastle.

In Saturday’s ties it was Arsenal who set the bar, storming to a late (late) 3-1 victory at the Emirates. Wildcard Gervinho cart hosed himself through the majority of the match, wasting two great goal scoring opportunities and thinning hairlines at will - owners of Santi Cazorla and Bacary Sagna will still be smarting over the Ivorian’s profligacy. Lukas Podolski came off the bench to seal the points following Mikel Arteta’s penalty (don’t you just love refereeing indignation when it favours your side. Up yours, Man United) and Olivier Giroud’s tap in. The rest of the day’s fixtures were of limited note, a draw here, a deflected effort, goals scored by the ‘wrong’ players – all emergent themes from Saturday evening.

ADDENDUM

As Andrew Orina always maintains re: the DGW, ‘don’t fret till it’s over’. As mentioned before, the curtains are barely half drawn. Arsenal - Everton, West Ham – Man United, Fulham – Chelsea (and Man City – Wigan for those of a non-DGW persuasion) remain. The die therefore is far from being definitively cast, leaving plenty of wiggle room for gaffers to pull fast ones (or indeed do the opposite) in their never-ending quest for fantasy league domination. As ever, I bid you all good luck (with the exception of Bensoo’s Al Shabaabian, naturally).

It’s up for grabs,

- denniskig at 17:55