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Fantasy League News: Superior
News Cups:
Bits & Bobs: Manager
of the Month League
Events Opinion:
Rogues Gallery
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Gulls feed on scraps as Stefano breaks the ton barrier
Five assists from The Gull Ables this week helped them to a 22-point week that left them just behind the leaders as Week 7 drew to a close. It was a monumental effort to pick up such a score – the highest in the entire league – and useful to hit form just before the first round of the Chalice, where Tris Harvey’s squad meet up with The Chairman. So thanks, for that My Right Hand, for drawing those particular balls out in sequence. 59pts for a low-scoring was nonetheless enough to secure Manager of the Month across the entire league for Tris Harvey. Well done, Tris.
Lee Stefano had a quiet week last week, but returned to his usual standard with a 15-pointer that dragged him over the important psychological 100-point barrier. The top two are so far ahead of the pack now that one is tempted to ask if it is all over already. Surely you jest, Mr Chairman? Not necessarily.
Hull Tigers and The Minus Touch continue to struggle at the foot of the Xtra – 29 and 34pts, respectively. When the season starts this badly you have to wonder if it isn’t time to go back to bed until next summer’s auctions.
01/10/11.
Woods out of the woods?
With defences dropping points faster than a NASA satellite, it paid to have some players at the back who are normally anonymous. Step up to the plate, then, Matt Wood, whose back line didn’t drop a single point last week, other than Cahill (who he’s since dropped). 11pts wasn’t enough to get the original Fat Bloke out of the bottom three, but it certainly helped. Goals from Chamakh, Arteta and Barton, plus a clean-sheet from Wes Brown restored some confidence over at The Minus Touch, though their manager was unavailable for comment (probably out buying doughnuts).
And Wood Jr had an even better week; 18pts for Ash Wood took QFC out of the relegation zone – just – with Assou-Ekotto getting a rare five-pointer. It was the highest score of the week in this division.
A quiet week for leaders Treading Water who had been blazing a trail nationally, in previous weeks. Just five points – three dropped – as his midfield stubbornly refused to perform.
The Gull Ables somehow managed to hang on to second place after a decent 11-pointer. Modest, you might think, except that Tris Harvey’s defence dropped NINE points as the defence went AWOL (as at most clubs). Aguero, Agbonlahor and Adebayor provided comfort and a cushion in a triple-A offensive line.
23/09/11.
Gulls more than able
Treading Water are undoubtedly the team of the moment in the league (and featuring quite prominently nationally, incidentally) with a whopping gert 81pts to date after only five weeks of competition. However, the squad to concentrate on this week were The Gull Ables who secured a massive 26-point week after Hernandez and Aguero went on the rampage to pick up 15pts between them. It was enough to shift Tris Harvey up to second place. With three of his squad chipping in with clean sheets, the sun is shining on Mr Harvey’s patch at present; I’d wondered where it had got to all summer…
Real Sociable Dad clambered up to third place after a 19-point week that promised much as Defoe and Odemwingie returned to action for Sid Flint. With Arshavin also getting on the scoresheet it was a bit of a blue moon event for the newcomers to the Xtra.
What is happening at The Minus Touch? Minus two for Matt Wood’s side and they now have a grand total of 15pts for the season. That’s three points a week on average. Okay, one of those weeks had international games, so perhaps I’m over-egging the paucity of points. Just under four points a week, then. Matt: You are woeful. And you heard it here first. Oh, well, maybe not the first time ever…
16/09/11.
Tigers claw their way up
In a week with few points for most teams, not just in this division, but across the entire league, Hull Tigers saw fit to ignite their season with a 13-pointer that lifted them up into the top three. Five points from Bent was the pick of the crop, though Mr Fogg the elder still has some ground to make up to catch the leaders, The Gull Ables. Tris Harvey’s side had a carefully collected eight-pointer that featured a goal and an assist from Agbonlahor.
Just three points from Matt Wood left The Minus Touch stranded at the foot of the table as his defence went AWOL. Wood Jr sits just above his Dad, level on points but with one assist more.
27/08/11.
Aguero ad astra
24pts was the top score in our league this week and it was The Gull Ables who laid it on thick in the first week. Aguero was the star of the show (naturally) bagging a third of Mr Harvey’s haul. If he keeps this up he will be worth 320pts alone by May. I think Tris would settle for a quarter of that tally.
Lee Stefano’s Treading Water kept hot on Tris’s heels with a 21-pointer that impressed almost as much. Four clean sheets and a brace of assists from Ashley Young made a return to the third level not just a summer dream for the forgotten man of BS15. Actually, there are a lot of forgotten men in that neck of the Wood. Trouble is whenever I try to remember who they are I find myself writing the Conference news…
19/08/11.
