What to do with Salah.

We're midway through GW9 and I have a return from Salah. However, I watched the game and it didn't fill me with confidence. (The goal itself was beautiful though.)

The problem wasn't so much Salah, though he looked uninspired in the first half, it was more that Liverpool looked very average and Salah just wasn't getting the service. They just didn't seem to be playing in a way that utilised him. So it looked like more of a Liverpool problem than a Salah problem.

Watching the game also increased doubts over Van Dijk, (who I also own), though he did once again get defcon bonus. He didn't look imperious, and Liverpool didn't look tight defensively in general.

If I was going purely on eye test I wouldn't own either of these players. However ..it's Liverpool. It's Salah. And the fixtures are great. Leaving me with a bit of a conundrum.

I'm not sure what I'll do, but I feel it could be a big decision in regard how my season goes.

I captained Salah..

Bad week. I got a little too cocky, and went for the differential play. Things didn't work out.

I'm disappointed, but at least I can console myself with the fact that it wasn't a truly terrible idea. I put 2-0 to Man City on the Super6, so I was thinking the damage Haaland would do wouldn't be too punishing - which I was half-right about. I was also expecting goals in the Liverpool game. (I put 4-2 to Liverpool for that one - wrong result, but not a million miles away from the xG.) So it was brave, and only a tad foolish in hindsight.

52 points (avg. 56)

Also, I should be grateful really, as although it was a bad week it could've been a lot worse, as originally I was planning to roll my transfers. Which would've meant keeping Romero and Evanilson - both of whom didn't play. I brought in Calvert-Lewin and Gabriel. So it was a twelve point swing. I'd have really dropped in rank had I not done that.

Going forward I'm not really sure what the plan is ..other than switching the captaincy back to Haaland, which I've already done. Though the away tie to Aston Villa is looking a little less favourable now.

I still like the idea of brining in Declan Rice, though I'd need to free up some cash to do that, and I've only got the one transfer. So things will have to stay as is for the coming week.

The question mark over Salah is getting bigger, but I don't want to kneejerk. He remains a very big differential potentially. Had I captained Haaland I'd probably be feeling fairly happy with my team. The way these things psychologically frame your perceptions is fascinating really. I knew it was a gamble. I knew it came with a high degree of risk. Yet still there's an emotional aftermath that makes you feel down about the entire team, even though it was literally just the captaincy move that swung things for the most part.

Overall Rank: 436,894