I’m waiting for a device that is entirely operated by voice/thought control to be invented and made widely available, so I can complete my blog in the car on the way to work, when I am holding my newborn son or playing top trumps with my 6 year old son.  Anyway…

So, last week was a GOOD week!  I know I’m not positive very often, but this week was better than average… although the points did not come from the source that I was expecting them!  I decided to get Lukaku in and took the in form Kane out due to 2 x double game week for Everton.  As I had already got Coutinho in for Alli, I took a 4 point hit but then Lukaku is quality, and, although he hadn’t scored in his last 2 games (prior to last gameweek), I fancied him to grab at least 1 goal against 2 out of form teams in Watford and Palace.  It also seemed sensible to make him my Captain for the week… but he drew a blank… although against Palace I was actually glad (all over) that he did, because that meant both Hennessey and Delaney kept their 2nd clean sheet on the bounce!  The fact that it was 0-0 as well was good news as I also had Seamus Coleman, so my GK and 3 man defence chalked up a fantastic 40 points!  So, for Gameweek 33, Crouchy’s Robot’s accumulated a very respectable 87 points:

There was an element of fortune involved in some of those points, as I had started with Coutinho in the starting XI and Ozil on the bench… but Klopp was my saviour, resting him for their Europa league tie against Dortmund last night (which certainly paid off!).  However, I did make a bit of a schoolboy error in leaving Toby ‘Dream Team’ Alderweireld on the bench (15 points) and keeping in Caesar Azpilicueta (1 point)… I wasn’t sure about Spurs keeping a clean sheet against Man U with Rashford & Martial in good form, and thought Chelsea were more likely to shut out Swansea, but I was wrong!  Speaking of Swansea, it was annoying to see Sigurdsson scoring AGAIN after my ‘Big Gamble’ in subbing him out for Aaron Lennon (7 points in 3 games v 18 points in 2 for the Icelander) – I’m almost tempted to get him back in again!  Hindsight is a wonderful thing…

So for Gameweek 34, my team looks like this… but is subject to change:

I’ve been saying about Andros Townsend for a few weeks now, so I thought I’d better put my money where my mouth is – particularly as Newcastle are one of the few teams (Liverpool & Arsenal are the others) to have a double week this week and a game next week.  I’ve taken Lennon out who, according tot he website, is carrying a knock which made that an easy decision.  Aguero is my current thinking for Captain, but Coutinho may get the nod, although Ozil is also a good bet.  With Lukaku doubtful, I may get young Rashford in from Man Utd as it’s double game week for them, including Villa so there’s potential for some good points there… although as it stands, I only have 9 players with a game next week, so I need to think about that one as well!  Origi is looking good, and maybe D Studge but you can never guarantee who’s going to start, particularly on a double gameweek.  I think Sturridge will get the nod at the weekend, and I think I can just about afford him – but Rashford is in form and cheap as chips.

It’s been a funny old season really, everyone can get form players in as the cheaper ones have turned out to be the stars, so it’s almost not worth worrying if you have a few million in the bank… but it does burn a hole in my pocket, which can then lead to ‘removing Sigurdsson’ like decision making!

I may blog again before the games start tomorrow, should time allow, but if anyone has a prototype of that device I mentioned, please drop me a line!

All the best for the week #Fantasypremierscout

In short, the answer to that question is ‘no’!  I watched the Man U v Everton game, although I was focussing more on Lennon and what he was doing as oppose the rest of the game and, although Lennon was decent, he didn’t get any more than 2 points!  He did look lively, and made some good runs which would have become great runs, had Everton’s final ball been a little better.  Another reason the gamble was a full on failure was because the man who Lennon replaced, Gylfi Sigurdsson, scored a goal in Swansea’s 2-2 draw with Stoke and weighed in with 7 points…

… however, it’s not all doom and gloom!  My keeper choice paid dividends with Courtois keeping a (expected) clean sheet against Villa, Azpilicueta notched 11 points with an assist and for the first time in a long time, my captain choice paid off!!  Thank you Dimitri Payet – 9 points x 2 = 18!!  Kane, again the vice, was outscored (by 1) and my decision was justified!  Aguero tried his best to stich me up and make me pay for not selecting him as skipper, but again, he fell short! (get it – Aguero is short, he fell short… ok, forget it).  So below is Crouchys Robots from last week, who scored a not too bad 64 points!

The only real disappointment I had was that Damian Delaney was on my bench, and he scored a goal so got 7 points – but he was never in my thoughts ahead of Cresswell and Alderweireld so I can’t feel gutted about it.

This week, I have made another BIG GAMBLE!!¬  Keep an eye out for the next blog tomorrow when all will be revealed!

In other news Euro 2016 stickers are out… anyone collecting!?  I’ve got some swapsies if so, and plan to spend the Summer blogging about the Euros due to the lack of Fantasy Premier action – it’s all go here!!

All the best for the week! #fantasypremierscout

I WAS in the luxurious position of having 2 free transfers this gameweek, but I’ve had to use 1 of these to replace the unfortunate Jack Butland – and I’ve gone for Courtois of Chelsea, who are pretty much odds on for a clean sheet against Aston Villa this week.  The one hope of a goal that Villa have is the returning Adama Traore, who has been blighted by injuries most of the season, but looked very exciting in the games he has featured in – but I still fancy Chelsea… and will have Azpilicueta and Courtois in my starting line-up, anticipating at least 12 points from the pair!

So… onto my ‘BIG TIME GAMBLE’ this week… on paper, it doesn’t sound like much of a gamble.  My new signing is in form (5.0 as at now), scoring 4 goals in his last 6 games, he’s an experienced Premier League player who has played for England.  Personally though, I don’t really rate him, and if Everton weren’t playing twice next week and the week after, I probably wouldn’t be picking him but I have made the decision and pressed ‘confirm transfer’ to get rid of Gylfi Sigurdsson and transfer in AARON LENNON!  Let’s see how it plays out, but I need something to set me apart from other teams, and as only 0.9% of teams have selected him hopefully he’ll have a good few weeks and retrieve the points I’ve lost from my bad Captain choice!  Which leads me nicely onto this weeks decision…

… after much procrastination, I have decided that Sergio Aguero can no longer be relied on to lead Crouchy’s Robots!  With the return of Kevin De Bruyne and Samir Nasri to the Man City squad this week Aguero may have a bit more to feed off, but without Yaya Toure, Raheem Sterling, Vincent Kompany, and away at a Bournemouth team who are now safe, I fancy the Cherries to get a draw or even a win, and maybe Aguero to grab a goal – but not enough to earn the captaincy.

I really WANT to give it to Harry Kane, after a 27 point haul in the last 2 weeks as my vice-captain, he has more than earned his stripes, but I just can’t call it against Liverpool! Again, Kane is probably good for a goal, but this isn’t enough to earn the captaincy this week.  So, I’m going to give it to Dimitri Payet, who has been in inspired form recently for club and country!  With West Ham pushing for a Champions League spot (who would’ve thought that before the start of the season?!) against a Crystal Palace team struggling to form, I fancy him for at least a goal – and hopefully an assist of two as well.  So here’s how Crouchy’s Robot’s are lining up this week:

I might regret Alli on the bench… after his international heroics last week, he’s going to be buzzing but Lennon is my gamble, Payet is my skipper, and I can’t drop Mahrez so it’s Alli or Ozil… Alli outplayed him on the international stage last week, but I fancy Arsenal at home to Watford, so Alli sits this week out.

My ones to watch this week are Andros Townsend away at Norwich, and young Bertrand Traore of Chelsea.  With Costa suspended, Chelsea are limited on attacking options.  Traore is down as a midfielder, although can play as a striker and is very good value at £5.4m as well.  Apparently Chelsea can still make Europe, and in a season where Leicester & Spurs are favourites for the title and West Ham, Southampton & Stoke are all pushing for a top 4 finish – it’s fair to say that anything can happen!

All the best for the week. #fantasypremierscout