Marc Jobling: Gameweek 9 Team Reveal

Each Gameweek brings an FPL community team reveal. As a result, that person gives insight into their transfers, captaincy and future plans.

Ahead of Gameweek 8, it’s the turn of Marc Jobling to tell us what is happening to his team.

Hi Marc and thanks for the team reveal. How did Gameweek 8 go?

The only reason I’ve not yet deleted my team – and I truly mean it – is because of these weekly reveals.

It’s not just about having my worst-ever season that keeps sinking further and further – this time 25 points and a big drop to 2.17 million – it goes beyond that.

Obviously captain Erling Haaland failed to have a shot at leaky Wolves and Luis Diaz was benched. Bukayo Saka didn’t play while his Arsenal colleagues David Raya and Gabriel conceded twice. Dominic Solanke somehow blanked in a 4-1 win but Son Heung-min caused damage – don’t get me started on Rico Lewis or Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Big regrets from the Gameweek 6 Wildcard include picking the Everton forward over Chris Wood, jumping on Diaz purely out of ownership fear and doubling up on the Gunners’ backline.

What does your defence look like?

Fielding both Raya and Gabriel versus Liverpool will be bad news but the goalkeeper is stuck there and the Brazilian is always capable of heading home a set-piece.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Vitalli Mykolenko’s clean sheet remained stuck on my bench, so that was fun. I bench him over Gabriel because I think Fulham will score this time but who knows, maybe the left-back will score himself and continue the pain.

Such is the frustration and lack of trust in Man City’s defence, I think this will be the final time I start Lewis. At home to Southampton, you kind of have to. Surely this is the eventual clean sheet, right?

Meanwhile, what about your midfield and attack?

The only ones doing a good job are Morgan Rogers and Bryan Mbeumo. Surrounding that is various levels of distrust – Solanke, for example, is already in my head as the next Darwin Nunez and a bad decision. I hope he reverses that because no one deserves such a comparison.

Calvert-Lewin is there purely for the fixtures but he was for the last three Gameweeks and those led nowhere. He’ll soon become a Brighton or Wolves forward.

I was shocked to see Saka actually miss the Bournemouth trip, as there seems to be an eternal cycle of him having a knock, Arteta giving nothing away and the winger starting. This time, his boss said optimistic things and it was the one time he was absent!

Therefore, to see Arteta sound uncertain about his Liverpool prospects actually gives me confidence he’ll start. It’s such a big game and the Spaniard’s mind games are immature.

So what are your transfer plans for Gameweek 9 and beyond?

The main question was whether to continue playing FPL or start enjoying the only life we all get. I chose the former.

Perhaps it was foolishness that using two free transfers to secure Cole Palmer would finally turn the tide for this team. But it already feels too late.

Anyway, I downgraded Trent Alexander-Arnold to Nathan Collins because of both their teams’ fixture swings, plus the money allowing Diaz to become the Chelsea star.

I have another transfer left to potentially go on Saka but want to roll it. Upcoming sales will be Calvert-Lewin, Lewis and possibly Antoine Semenyo, should Alejandro Garnacho become too tough to resist.

Finally, what about captaincy?

A lot will use their Triple Captain chip on Haaland and I understand why. Fewer Double Gameweeks this year, meaning putting it on the league’s best forward at home to arguably its worst side makes plenty of sense.

But I just don’t want to, not with so many recent letdowns from the Norwegian.