The Gameweek 37+ Preview

Written by Niall Hawthorne.

Dig deep.

The finishing line is in sight.

All the hours of worry, stress and confusion are about to end. Null and void has been nulled and voided. The season that none of us will ever forget is circling the drain.

It’s time to throw caution to the wind, to diem your carpe and sprint for the glory.

Or log in for the first time since last August and wonder why the hell you captained Grant Hanley.

Whatever.

GW37+ Defender: Enda Stevens, Sheffield United

The 2020 version of 2001’s Ipswich Town are almost done, but not quite (Yes kids, this kind of thing has happened before! In fact, Ipswich finished FIFTH!). Sitting in 8th position in the Premier League, dreams of Champions League nights at Bramall Lane have to be put on the backburner for another season, however there’s no doubting they’ll be throwing everything at finishing as high as possible and maybe grab a Europa League spot.

The Blades face a home fixture against a frankly disgracefully disinterested Everton side. They’re so lethargic that Carlo Ancelotti’s eyebrow now raises only 24% its usual height. The Toffees have scored a single goal away from home since the restart, and that was against Norwich, who I could score against (if presented with a tap-in and all eleven of the Canaries players had been incapacitated).

Clean sheet and maybe a cheeky attacking return for good measure for Enda Stevens.

GW37+ Midfielder: Junior Stanislas, Bournemouth

The man. The myth. The legend.

Hardcore FPL players will know all about Junior Stanislas, and that most hated of terms; ‘Potential’.

He has it all in his locker, and sometimes he brings it out onto the pitch with him, when he’s not in the treatment room for the 5,487th time in four seasons. He’s fit now though and has two goals and an assist in recent weeks, as Bournemouth finally realise that relegation is a real probability, and show the kind of gumption that might have been handy a few months ago.

A South Coast derby against Southampton is next on the agenda, and this is last chance saloon for Eddie Howe’s men.

Time for Junior to play Senior Hurling.

GW37+ Forward: Neal Maupay, Brighton and Hove Albion

You know those football quizzes you do on-line when they ask you to name the players who scored 10+ goals in the 2003/4 season, and when you get to the end you’re gobsmacked with names that had completely escaped your mind. You marvel at how Jason Euell and Paul Dickov had 10 and 11 goals respectively, and wonder where they are now.

That’s what you’ll be thinking in 2037 when Neal Maupay is one of the answers.

Ten goals this season is a superb return for the Frenchman and I fancy him to add to it when he faces a Newcastle side that have sneakily slunk onto the deckchairs like an uber-efficient German holidaymaker at 5.30am.

GW37+ Captain: Anthony Martial, Manchester United

A quite outrageous six goals and four assists since the restart, and a home fixture against David Moyes’ not so happy Hammers.

United need the points, West Ham might not need the points (I’m writing this before they play Watford tonight), and I’m tipping a second Frenchman this week.

Toot De La Smorg!

GW37+ Outsider: Daniel Castelo Podence, Wolverhampton Wanderers

Young, quick, nimble, tricky and cheap.

Enough about my Bebo profile when I was single and dating, this fella has an ownership of precisely ZERO, and is starting games (AND ASSISTING) for Wolves.

What’s not to like?

The Gameweek 37+ Preview

Written by Niall Hawthorne.