Strikers Keepers, Losers Weepers Not the Match of the Day – Matchday 19

The international break, a chance to reflect, ponder one’s FPL decisions and prepare yourself for the final push for glory or shame. Whilst some are considering their Gameweek 31 Wildcards, others are wallowing in the green arrows from their recent chip splurge and the remaining few are just sharing pictures of what they had for tea on social media.

Yet before we know it, FPL and the Community Tournament will be back, ready to pack more of a wallop than a Will Smith slap.

THE RESULTS ARE IN …

First, let’s take a trip down memory lane and review the last set of results from Matchday 19.

Krul Intentions 5-0 Defoe King Unbelievables

Suvansh and his Krul lot have made their intentions clear with a third victory in a row, with 20 goals in the progress, this week leaving the opposing captain Pirlo’s Pen in disbelief at the way his team was royally dismantled.

Riddermorten scored a hat-trick, TheOverthinker kept a clean sheet and then the squad jumped in with a couple of goals of their own, the good Lord a notable high scorer with 74 points.

Bachmann and Robben 2 – 1 The Nameless Ones

This was a “must-win” for the FPL’s very own justice league if Bachman and Robben were to make it to the superhero stages of the competition, win they did with a kapow and a wham.

Despite Captain Fantastic himself Tets McGree conceding to FPL Rockstar he managed to assemble the rest of his masked marvels to a couple of squad goals, which saw them edge victory.

Kudos must be given to ImBobbyLove who scored an impressive 80 points for the Nameless Ones in a goalkeeping masterclass, but he could do nothing to save them from defeat here.

No Fuchs Given 0 – 7 Lloris the Hounds

How the mighty have fallen! Once the unstoppable force in the tournament, Mihir’s menagerie of managers have become very stoppable over recent weeks. One suspects they may be saving themselves for the knockout stages but for now at least they suffered another savaging at the hands (or claws) or the Hounds.

Shahbaaz_ghani scored two goals and then the rest of the dogs feasted on the scraps to make it seven nil. The No Fuchs Given spreadsheet may need a reboot.

The Hairy Henry 0 – 3 Toxic Seaman

I love it when a plan comes together! My seafaring sensations sealed qualification for the Champions League stage with style as we gave the Hairy Ones more than a close shave. 

Darren Wiles proved a human wall in goal, FPL Matthew was unlucky not to get a goal despite a fine performance up front, but it was the squad performance that saw us home with FPL Potnoodle, Hibbo, Tomac and Chaballer all scoring well.

Joccki_10 was late for training again but with another top performance, this looks like an internal discipline issue I am going to have to stomach for now.

Hanging by a Fred 0 – 1 Fantastic Mr Fox

The league leaders may have lost but due to results elsewhere are guaranteed Champions League community tournament football this season, but can they cling onto top spot and win the league title?

This was a close match with only a squad goal separating the teams here as the cunning Foxes crept into the Fred’s hen house and stole away victory – they could even afford to bench their top scorer lee-s-89.

Son of a Gunn 0 – 5 Ayew Lonesome Tonight

This was big victory for the tournament crooners with only a win being enough to keep them in the race for qualification, whilst the Gunns seem to have shot their load in a humbling defeat.

The Gunn’s star striker Pep_Talk peppered the opposing goal with shots, but Haydn Owens made save after save to stop him, both managers scored in the 70s it what proved a H2H of high quality.

Yet, it was the squad performance that saw the Narcos and his Lonesome band through with LosBlancos and Gaga_Over_Gazzaniga hitting some notable high notes.

Shot to the Harte and Yorke to Blame 9 – 0 Free Britney’s Areola

This was a criminal performance from the Britneys, and the changing room must have been toxic after Darth_Krid’s circus suffered a crazy defeat.

It was rock and roll FPL from the Shots, Taiga scored a memorable hat-trick, sertalpbihal was able to keep a clean sheet, despite a fine performance from Gnu, and then the crowd were left chanting gimme more as the Shot squad goals flooded in.

Footstock Alumni 2 – 1 Flying without Ings

Sreethe1 and his low flyers were condemned to the Europa Ropey League of shame as they suffered another unlucky loss here. Umberto’s double was enough to see the Lagdon82’s network to a win despite a comeback raid from the Flying squad.

Shearer’s Bunch of Flowers 0 – 5 Hwang King in a Wood

Danelius was left in horticultural hell as the cheeky forest dwellers bashed away to leave FPL_Panda with a happy ending.

It was a stalemate in the H2Hs but then the woodland wonders of Clean Sheet Wipeout, Benighted and stevebird1982 scored heavily in the squad contest to leave Shearer’s lot deflowered.

Jimmy Floyd Hamsterbaink 2 – 2 The Rooney Tunes

A draw is just about enough to the keep the Tunes in the running for qualification but they will need to do better in the H2Hs if they are to make it to the knockout stages.

Captain Toblerone52 put himself as striker for the Hamsters and his two goals was enough to secure a point as the Tunes squad scored a double in return, Kryten and DD doing particularly well to nibble back the rodent’s lead.

Catch me if U Kane 3 – 3 Hey MaccaReina!

A scintillating contest here between two teams hovering around the qualification places. Unsurprisingly, TedTalksFPL made himself striker yet again, I do wonder whether he knows other members of his squad can be put in the goal-scoring spot?

It was a managerial masterclass from opposing skipper KIRAFPL who put a free-scoring BrendanBone as striker, who thanked him with a hat-trick and then kept a clean sheet himself as the selected keeper with a dominant performance.

Thankfully, for the MaccaReiners the squad turned in a masterclass to allow them to dance their way to a draw with nirsc’s 80 points a real star turn.

Carroll’s Christmas Island 1 – 5 Too Krul for Siu

Too Krul continued their dazzling run of form with a third win in a row, this time inspired by five, yes five goals, from Ariyadas as their super striker! They could afford to concede a squad goal to the Islanders who had the highest scoring manager of the week FPLMaD, he free hit his way to 84 points.

The full results can be found here:

SKLW – Live scores & League tables – Google Sheets

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

As just mentioned, FPLMaD was in contention with a huge score this week, as was ImBobbyLove for a fine game in between the sticks for the Nameless Ones and nirsc, who helped save the blushes of HeyMaccaReina!

Yet, for me, there can only be one winner and that is Ariyadas with his 5 star, 5 goal performance upfront for Too Krul for Siu.

Taking a peek now at the individual race for goalkeeping and goal-scoring glory we can see the TedTalks is top of the striker charts, mainly as he won’t let anyone else go up front, but he is closely followed by rligudfootiemanager and Az, who you may have heard is having a good season.

In the battle for the golden glove FPL Richie is top of the shot stopper class but there are a six behind him including footballchatbox, pete richards, bigmanbakar, Pedersen, Camzy and namanbhardwaj who are just a save away from taking that no.1 spot.

HOW IT STANDS

It’s getting to the squeaky bum time for the tournament with just four games remaining in the league stage with the top 16 qualifying for the Champions League tournament. Remember the overall winners receive a trophy to parade around their living room so lots at stake.

Hanging by a Fred, Toxic Seaman and Son of a Gunn have qualified and will now battle it out for the League trophy but elsewhere there are only five points separating nine teams in the qualification zone.

Ayew Lonesome Tonight, Bachmann and Robben plus The Rooney Tunes are the most in need of points to stay in the qualifying race but unfortunately Flying without Ings are already condemned to the Europa Ropey League of Shame.

The full table is as follows:

COMING UP NEXT

Some tasty fixtures in the next round of matches, it’s Linn’s Nameless Ones versus Az and the Krul Intentions with Romeo and Juliet type overtones, the Free Britney movement take on the league leaders Hanging by a Fred forcing me to reluctantly to cheer on Darth_Krid, but the big question is whether TedTalks will make himself striker again against Shearer’s bunch of Flowers?

That’s all from me now, enjoy the break as the end game of the Community Tournament is just about to begin….