A bit like Rory McIlroy, Neil Kelly claimed an even more coveted number one spot at the top of the J-League after what was another mental Premier League weekend.
First of all, let me get the apologies out of the way. Neither my top dollar or captain recommendations (David Silva and Sergio Aguero respectively) from last week’s insider saw a minute of football over the weekend and if it is any consolation, my own team – with no captain, no vice-captain, two red cards and a missed penalty from Demba Ba – endured the Fantasy Football weekend from hell.
With that unpleasantness out of the way, let’s apportion credit where it is due and it is due in quite a number of places after the weekend. Top man was Manchester United’s Ashley Young, who delivered two goals, an assist and 18 points in a game in which his side were completely dominated and yet ended up on the right side of a 3-1 scoreline.
It was a similar story at Anfield, where Robin van Persie gave a remarkably economical performance, scoring two goals for a 13-point return having only touched the ball three times in the box. The lesson to be learned from the cases of Young and RVP and indeed from what has been a mad season overall, is not to rest players or avoid giving them the captaincy when they face the big guns. The way it’s been this campaign, they’re more likely to step up to the plate than disappear completely.
Elsewhere, Fulham were the big winners after their trouncing of a hopeless Wolves side at Craven Cottage. Pavel Pogrebnyak – what a signing he’s been by the way – struck a hat-trick and three bonus points for a 17-point haul, while Clint Dempsey – many people’s choice as captain – delivered the goods with two goals and two bonus points for 15 points altogether.
Another magnificent January signing, Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson, netted a brace for 15 points, the same total as West Brom’s Gareth McAuley, who struck the winner against Chelsea and ultimately sealed the fate of Andre Villas-Boas in the process.
Champion J-League
There was plenty of moving and shaking at the top of the J-League over the weekend, with Neil Kelly’s The Wet Bandits and Matt Light’s Mamelodi Sundowns both overtaking Conor Sheehy’s A Great Bunch’a Lads at the top.
Neil was lucky that his vice-captaincy fell to Robin van Persie in the absence of David Silva and although Matt, like my good self, was caught out by having Sergio Aguero as captain and Silva as vice, having Clint Dempsey, Van Persie and Steven Caulker in his side more than made up for it.
Conor Sheehy is still well in touch of the top two, who he trails by ten and 14 points respectively, while there’s still plenty of time for the other top five residents, Eoin Groarke’s Sure Now and Joe Culloty’s Stopfeedingtheyak, to make a decisive move before the season’s out.
Champion J-League Top 5:
1. The Wet Bandits – Neil Kelly: 1,623 points
2. Mamelodi Sundowns – Matt Light: 1,619 points
3. A Great Bunch’a Lads – Conor Sheehy: 1,609 points
4. Sure Now – Eoin Groarke: 1,597 points
5. Stopfeedingtheyak – Joe Culloty: 1,594 points
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