It has been a difficult start to the fantasy football season for UTCIAD. Late submission of the team and administrative problems conspired to result in no points being scored in Week 1. After this weekend’s results however the team now has 516points.
Newcastle’s Andy Carroll was the highest overall point scorer after bagging a hat-trick against Aston Villa. Carroll’s 157points was in stark contrast to that of Brad Friedel’s -26points. Hardly surprising after the Villa keeper conceded six at the hands of the newly promoted Toon.
Another top points winner this weekend was Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale after scoring two vastly contrasting, but equally points worthy, goals at Stoke City. Unfortunately despite having 128point Bale on their book’s, UTCIAD’s manager saw fit to leave Bale on the bench in favour of Stoke’s Abdoulaye Faye.
This decision, made on the basis of Stoke’s traditional form at home and a shaky midweek European performance from Spurs, was one of two costly mistakes made by the manager; the other being the inclusion Friedel.
Joe Hart, winner of 52points in Manchester City’s three nil win over Liverpool, was benched, along with Bale, in favour of the Villa stopper. These decisions combined to cost UTCIAD 182points.
Good results for Arsenal and Chelsea, though, saved the weekend for UTCIAD. Andrey Arshavin’s converted penalty earned him the place of the team’s top scorer for the week, whilst the team’s Chelsea trio all had scores over 50points.
Goalkeeper: Friedel -26pt. Defence: Evra 42pt, Distin 37pt, Faye 24pt, A. Cole 61pt. Midfield: Malouda 56pt, Arshavin 75pt, Ireland 47pt, Valencia 49pt. Strikers: Drogba 56pt, D. Bent 39pt.
Overall Season Top Three: Carroll 209pt, Bale 198pt, Drogba 182pt.
