Forgive me, how does the promotion work? There's 2 automatic spots, so is there some kind of playoff element as well? I fear Aguero's injury means I might struggle to keep pace without an explosive player. Fernandes has certainly done the business for Morning Glory.
No playoff. The top 2 teams are promoted. That is all that is guaranteed. But, if anyone in the other leagues drops out, that will cause a trickle down and the next team or teams based on final standings would move up until all spots are filled.
I knew he was good but Lordy...as goes Fernandes, goes UTD and Morning Glory...dare I say my “Wonderwall”[emoji848]
Woke up checked the scores, see 4 goals for Antonio, check the transfer thread, now time to congratulate Kopite on the pick up and captain choice!
Whoa and Captain too, well done, probably destroys any mathematical chance of you getting caught in Olympics, better send him a little something Checked our groups first thing too, Glorydaze's Antonio just helped his relegation battle as much as West Ham (not Capt though)
With gw35+ in the books, the last two weeks have seen Morning Glory leap frog over the dawgs to the top of the table, while Aviators has jumped to third. Morning Glory.................1659+125=1784 Blechs Dawgs.................1665+109=1774 Aviators...........................1612+143=1755 Lokomotiv Lewisham..... 1651+102=1753 (*reduced 19) Kicking & Screaming......1569+99=1668 Storming Gunners..........1522+78=1600 BunchofMuppets............1415+85=1500 Tips' Terriers...................1359+107=1466 The amount shown as added is the cumulative points gained in the last two gameweeks, and thus includes any point deductions from excess transfers during that period. A mere 31 points separate the top 4 teams, which is a small enough gap to close with a monster single game week, let alone doable with 3 gameweeks to play. So, all 4 teams are certainly in it for the title, as well as for the promotion spots. Aviators kicked it into high gear to turn the top 3 back into a top 4, with 2 strong gameweeks, while all of the teams were able to maintain above the magical 50 point/gw average. As it stands now, all 4 teams are averaging at 50 points/gw or higher for the season, and it would seem very clear that it will take something more than that to win the league as at least 2, if not all 4, are going to bust through the 1900 mark with 3 gws to go. With no teams having double games, I would guess that captaincy decisions (and points) could well end up deciding things. Morning Glory has had it easy on that front - handing the armband to Fernandes for the last 5 gameweeks. Sometimes simple decisions make for plentiful returns: 6, 30, 30, 28, 10 = 104 !!!! I have bungled my decisions each week for my dawgs. Even finally getting a return this last week, I left points on the table. Vardy 4 (not Wan-Bissaka 11*2 or Jiminez 9*2) Jiminez 4 (not Wan-Bissaka 10*2 or Son 6*2) Pogba 4 (not Vardy 13*2) Son 2 (not Pogba 10*2 or Vardy 9*2) Vardy 14 (not Son 13*2) Total = 28 !!!! Without even using the high scorer each week, had I just left it with Vardy after he returned only 2*2 and 2*2 in gw30+ and gw31+, it would have been 66.... Aviators had the armband with Alli for gw31+ and 32+ and then switched to Sterling with Alli's injury, which has worked out reasonably well: Alli 2 (gw31+), 2 (gw32+) Sterling 2 (gw33+), 20 (gw34+), 42 (gw35+) Total = 66 Lokomotiv has effectively moved the armband back and forth between Alexander-Arnold and Willian over these last 5: TAA 28 Willian 28 TAA 12 Willian 22, 4 Total = 94 Over the 5 games, Morning Glory has averaged 20.8 from the captain, Lokomotiv saw 18.8, Aviators has seen an upswing in the past couple of weeks to bring the average to 13.2, while my average is all of 5.6. That explains a lot! For gw30+, decisions are in and locked and it will be: Fernandes vs Son vs Sterling vs Willian Of course, another factor that could continue to play a role is rotation, especially with this GW36+ falling midweek and some players likely being rested or at least seeing reduced minutes over the 36+/37+ stretch. Depth and bench strength could come into play, although the 5-sub rule often sees the benched starter getting a few minutes at the end, leaving us looking at a return of only 1 point. Who can minimize those? Other potential factors -- who takes penalty points to make changes? which of the teams (and players) still have something to play for? Good luck down the stretch. With all of the craziness going on, a small bit of entertainment on the side is nice.
Quick correction/update - Lokomotiv did hand the armband to Willian for GW36+ this week, and it is the triple captain! Everyone else has played their triple already, so this is another potential factor that could swing things. Nothing much for Willian to show from the first half, but still plenty of minutes to be played..... I believe Lokomotiv is also still sitting on a bench boost, while the rest of us have played ours already, so there may be a few extra swing points for Lokomotiv as well....
Unfortunately this did not pay off! Seemed reasonable in the circumstances. TAA will probably get three assists tonight now!
Hoping to move up a spot in the standings with two weeks left, goals from Giroud, Silva, Mane and Lacazette this week are helping with this!
I'll post a gw36+ standings update after this game is over. Speaking of this last game, seeing WHU vs WAT on the screen, one of my kids just asked if this game could be part of an Abbott & Costello skit. Proud dad moment! WHU just scored again. Yes, that's what I'm asking... Yes, WHU... WHU scored? Exactly...
Gw36+ is just in the books, and gw37+ kicks off in less than 24 hours, as the games continue to come fast and furious..... Morning Glory.................1784+53=1837 Blechs Dawgs................1774+58=1832 Lokomotiv Lewisham..... 1753+44=1797 (*reduced 19) Aviators..........................1755+22-4=1773 Kicking & Screaming......1668+43=1711 Storming Gunners..........1600+72=1672 BunchofMuppets............1500+41=1541 Tips' Terriers...................1466+54=1520 We went from 4 teams with an average of 50 or more points per GW to only 2 teams. And, while we had 4 teams squeezed into a a narrow 31-point range at the end of the last gameweek, there is suddenly a 35-point gap between 2nd and 3rd and the all important promotion spots. Of course, the gap can close again just as quickly as it just opened. Less clear, however, is whether Hal's Aviators can recover from what was a very inopportune time to be awarded the wooden spoon. The league-low 22 points for the week was made even more painful by virtue of the 4 points penalty for an extra transfer. It's now likely going to require 2 very big gws to close out the season to have any chance, and even then perhaps a little bit of help, but anything and everything is always possible. Well, at least within reason. On the captaincy front, the picks landed as follows in order to highest to lowest: blechs dawgs - Son - 16 Morning Glory - Fernandes - 12 Lokomotiv - Willian - 6 (plus another 3 for triple captain) Aviators - Sterling - 2 Finally, a turn for the positive for the dawgs, although with Jiminez scoring 9, Son scoring 8, and Vardy scoring 5, the options ended up somewhat interchangeable. Tough decisions ahead for the coming weekend with Leicester facing Tottenham, and I'm still undecided on where to go. MG will certainly take the 12 from Fernandes and be pleased to sit top of the table, but the tally could have been doubled to 24 with Rashford grabbing the highlights for ManU. Lokomotiv may have been lamenting the Willian pick initially, but could have ended up much worse as Trent Alexander-Arnold ended up with a surprising 0 in what has been a spectacular fantasy (and real) season. Of course, the hot hand Antonio scored again (yes, he was who scored for WHU) but not a big enough differential to make it painful. The big whammy was seeing the triple captain yield no significant points at a point when they were looking to make the final run. Lokomotiv still holds the Bench Boost chip and will have to decide whether its played in gw37+ or gw38+..... I can picture Hal sitting in front of the television or computer shouting at Pep. Why now? Why now? Having made the big run to get back into it, it had to have been very painful to see Sterling resting on the bench for the first half, and then no returns in the second half. Worse still, Hal has to be worrying that Sterling's spot on the bench for gw36+ means he is most likely to start the FA semi this weekend. Tough decisions ahead for Aviators with the FA semis to be played this weekend and gw37+ coming on short rest, and then no break before gw38+. Interesting decisions ahead for each of us. Good luck!
Still have a chance to jump a spot or two if I can repeat the 72 pt week I just had. A Lacazette hat trick would be a nice thing...
You are having a great week! It will require another great week or a clunker from one or both at the top, or some combination of the above, but there is no question that gw38 is going to be an interesting time on Sunday....
For Championship Saturday, it looks like I need to have a net gain of 19 to tie Morning Glory or net gain of 34 to tie the blech in order to tie for promotion. Need to have another great Captain week.
Scores for GW37 captain decisions are in: Aviators --------- Sterling - 34 points blechs_dawgs - Jiminez - 10 points Lokomotiv ------ Jota - 2 points Morning Glory - Fernandes - 2 points Aviators strikes gold, while I'll gladly take any return from my captain. Lokomotiv's gamble on a big Wolves showing doesn't pay off and his vice, TAA, already has a goal and an assist, so some significant points left on the board there. Morning Glory could have found a few points elsewhere, but his vice, Aubameyang, only scored 2, so just a rough week. I'll post the revised table once today's results are final. Big decisions ahead for the final weekend..... Both Aviators and Lokomotiv are definitely still in the hunt.
GW37+ wraps, and we now look to Sunday and the GW38+ finale with a slight shake up at the top and the everything significantly tighter.... Blechs Dawgs................1832+60=1892 Morning Glory.................1837+41=1878 Aviators..........................1773+96=1869 Lokomotiv Lewisham..... 1797+47=1844 (*reduced 19) Kicking & Screaming......1711+61=1772 Storming Gunners..........1672+39=1711 BunchofMuppets............1541+65=1606 Tips' Terriers...................1520+43=1563 It looked like bonus points had been added. I then scanned for auto-subs, and tallied the totals by hand. A massive haul from Aviators now makes it look much more likely that three, if not four, teams go over the 1900 mark for the season. The scores from this week show just how easily the whole thing could shuffle on Sunday. And, a reminder that Lokomotiv has a depleted bench (but has 2 free transfers to do something about that) and a Bench Boost still to come, so the current gap of 48 from 1st to 4th is even smaller than it appears when you factor in the final chip. Will it come down to captaincy decisions? Will it come down to final transfers? Will anyone risk 4 points and take a hit for an extra transfer? Any best guesses as to which game or games this weekend will see an early goal and then proceed to go off the rails with massive fantasy scores? Do you like the marquis games at the top of the table like Leicester and Man Utd or Chelsea and Wolves, or is there now an interest for those teams in the thick of the battle for the final relegation spot and the safety spots just above it? Will the chase for the golden boot alter PK kickers or impact final passes (or selfish refusals to pass)? Assists? Final farewells? Or are these just professionals who are going to go out and do everything that they can do regardless? And, are any or all of the above impacted by the empty stadiums? Questions, questions, and more questions, and answers to come on Sunday. Enjoy the games. Good luck to all.
Morning Glory has one more point, 1879, So Aviators needs a net gain of 11 to overtake pato and a net gain of 24 to overtake blech. Oh Captain, my captain. I sure hope Pep doesn't sit some of his stars! (Ahem, my main man Sterling!)
Yes, 1 more point for Morning Glory. I'm guessing I missed Robertson's bonus point. And, certainly possible that every point ends up mattering. Hal has apparently announced his captain for gw 38+. Perhaps frustrating to see him come off early yesterday but perhaps that also ensured the start this weekend? If so, a reasonable exchange. But dangerous times to be counting on Pep. And, can we actually rule out the possibility that David Silva takes any PKs on Sunday???? I'm extremely undecided on my captain decision. I think I've ruled out Vardy or Jiminez due to matchups but still have 3 or 4 options that I'm pondering. Will Morning Glory or Lokomotiv surprise us? Oh, and what is the tiebreaker should that come into play.....?
We are only 9 hours until kickoff (8 hours until the window locks in player decisions for the last time). Unless someone comes back for an extra transfer (and 4-point penalty), it looks like the final transfers are now complete. We'll see captain and lineup decisions shortly. While past performance does not necessarily tell us much (if anything), I took a look at the scores from this season's 37 gameweeks to see what it tells us about the odds for table movement in gw38...... Dawgs vs Morning Glory: Morning Glory has beaten the dawgs by more than 13 points in 10 of the 37 gameweeks, or roughly 27% of the gameweeks. In the other 27 gameweeks, the dawgs +13 would have been a winning wager. Dawgs vs Aviators: Aviators has beaten the dawgs by the needed 23 points in only 4 of the 37 gameweeks (just under 11%). Morning Glory vs Aviators: Aviators has beaten Morning Glory by more than the needed 10 points in 12 of the 37 gameweeks, and by exactly 10 points in gw29 (so, just under 34%). Note: 3 of the 4 beat downs of the dawgs were during the weeks when Aviators also beat the point spread over Morning Glory. So, there is duplication between these calculations and they can't be added together. Out of the 37 weeks, Aviators scored well enough in 13.5 gameweeks (or 36.5%) to secure a promotion spot if those results are duplicated in gw38 (and can look at 3 gameweeks that would be good enough to grab the Sand Championship). Lokomotiv's odds look much more grim if the past 37 gameweeks are predictive. Lokomotiv needs 48 points to catch the dawgs and 35 points to catch Morning Glory (and, even if one of those happens, also needs to leapfrog Aviators who are 25 points ahead). I've given Lokomotiv 10 points to start for the Bench Boost, so needing 38, 25, and then 15. Lokomotiv hasn't beaten the dawgs in any gameweek by 38 points. The biggest margin was 37 points in gw22. Lokomotiv beat Morning Glory by more than 25 points in 6 of the 37 gameweeks (over 16%), BUT would only have leapfrogged Aviators in 1 of those 6. That was gw22, when Lokomotiv put up 85 points. If Lokomotiv can repeat that score in gw38, then anything is possible, but these are long odds indeed.
Congrats to Morning Glory and his 80 points which place him first in the Sand League and earns promotion to VSR. Congrats to Blechs Dawgs for using his bench to hold off Aviators 50 point week. Even though overtaken by Morning Glory, blech holds on to the second promotion spot for the VSR leagues. In order to get into VSR this coming season, Aviators will have to rely on someone in Small Rocks or VSR not continuing to play in the All Rocks leagues for the 20-21 season.
Definitely a crazy finish. Morning Glory.................1878+80=1959 Blechs Dawgs................1892+34=1926 Aviators..........................1869+50=1919 Lokomotiv Lewisham..... 1844+20=1864 (*includes 19 point deduction) Kicking & Screaming......1772+61=1883 Storming Gunners..........1711+39=1750 BunchofMuppets............1584+55=1639 Tips' Terriers...................1587+50=1637 Morning Glory finished the Restart-Run with a solid performances with a brace from Aubameyang, and solo goals from Grealish, captain Bruno, and Ings, plus assists from Robertson, Walker-Pieters, and Aubameyang. 14 and 11 point performances from Mount and Alonso were left on the bench, as the early goals left little doubt that MG would have one of the top spots. If we go back to mid-June when the restart began, MG sat in fourth, 118 points off the top of the table. A whopping tally of 590 points in the 9 weeks of restart (65+/game) to secure the title. Congrats. The dawgs and Aviators went down to the wire. All my tests came back fine, but I had spent most of the Saturday night / Sunday morning in the ER due to some severe stomach pains, so I ended up missing most of it. And, thankfully so. I had agonized over the final captain pick, but none of my prime contenders did anything anyway. Reconstructing it after the fact, as the games approached the final 10 minutes, I was looking at whether late cameos from Saka and/or Trossard would keep Pogba and Wan-Bissaka from coming off the bench, while obviously a final tally from Captain Sterling could have put things away for Aviators. As it turned out, Aviators lost points in the final minutes when the Grealish goal broke the Fabianski clean sheet but a final goal or two never came. When the games ended, I believe that we were tied at 1917. When bonus points were added, Aviators had inched ahead to 1919. And, then auto-subs of 9 points pushed the dawgs to 1926. Can't say that I read the games right, but having the deep bench ended up making the difference. Aviators scored 508 during the 9 games of the restart (a healthy 56+/game), while the dawgs managed only 439 (just 48+/game) during the same time period. Congrats again to MG on the fantastic finish (and the quick fingers in the race for Bruno), and to Aviators and Lokomotiv for their continued involvement throughout the season that added to the exciting finish. Hopefully see everyone again next season.