Previously on Fantrax Does FM with Mark Flay…
Football may have stopped in the real world, but not here at Fantrax; we’re striving to give you your football fix with a little bit of help from Football Manager 20. Our second series kicked off on Thursday with a look at @markflay‘s league and the opening 10 games of the season (check it out here if you missed it), then yesterday we had part 2 which delved into Gameweeks 11-16. Now it’s the finale. Let’s see who wins the second-ever Fantrax Football Manager Championship…
Gameweek 17
Huge loss for Corona as they go down 2-1 away at Maxiiiibaby and lose top spot. Doucoure’s sending off was eventually capitalized on by Duda; will the dropped point prove crucial? The Rovers made no mistake in their game with a quick-fire double by Wijnaldum and Rashford helping them take over at the top. The loss for WWI6T and the draw for Brüno’s surely ends both of their title aspirations, whilst My Team Is Poop defeated The Vardy Boys in the game between 4th and 3rd. In the least surprising result of the gameweek, UpMeChavvvvi lost again; you know you have goalkeeping issues if Joelinton is grabbing a brace against you.
Gameweek 18
The Rovers were now the team being chased and they responded by the getting the win thanks to a Wijnaldum double. Corona’s poor form continued as they could only manage a point at home to My Team Is Poop; they had now failed to win in 7 and the title looked to be slipping away. Elsewhere, Auba and Deeney took no pity on UpMeChavvvvi as they inflicted another heavy defeat on the soon-to-be wooden spoon winners, whilst Yankees continued their quest to be best of the rest, with a 3-1 win over Inter. Defeat for The Vardy Boys looked to have ended their hopes of glory.
Gameweek 19
With 1st (Ramadan) and 3rd (My Team Is Poop) playing out an entertaining 2-2 draw, Coronavirus was unable to capitalize, instead having to settle for a draw with bottom side UpMeChavvvvi. It halted Chavvvvi’s 6-game losing streak and dented the ambitions of Corona, who must have seen this as a guaranteed 3 points. Inter put 4 past Brüno’s, with Sane grabbing 2 – imagine if he had been fit all season for them. The entertainment can usually be found in games with The Vardy Boys, and this week was no different as they lost a thriller to Maxiiiibaby, whilst finally, a second-half Greenwood goal was enough to see Cozza’s past Yankees.
Gameweek 20
We still have a title race on our hands people! Maxiiiibaby held the league leaders to a draw though perhaps they should’ve won, leading as they did by two goals to nil heading into the second half. This time Corona did indeed capitalize, winning for the first time in 9 games against The Vardy Boys who had now lost 4 on the bounce themselves. Best of the Rest drew 0-0 for the third successive week; My Team Is Poop being the victims of a bore-fest this time. Cozza’s made it 5 unbeaten with an expected win over UpMeChavvvvi; they remain 11th but will be hoping to move up a spot and avoid what must now be considered the de facto wooden spoon, given the caveats surrounding UpMeChavvvvi. Finally, WWI6T’s season continued to peter out with a close defeat at the hands of Inter.
Gameweek 21
This was the big one. The Super Sunday to end all Super Sundays. Penultimate game of the season. 2nd versus 1st. 2 points the difference. A win for the Rovers would see them lift the Fantrax Football Manager Championship for the first time in their history. It did not disappoint. Zaha got Corona off to a flier, but within minutes Salah and Rashford had turned thing around for the Rovers. On 11 minutes Giroud – doubted by yours truly earlier in the season, but who has come good to put the team on the brink of glory – was forced off with an injury. His replacement, Ighalo, had an average game and Corona equalized on half-time, before grabbing a season-defining win with 20 minutes to go through Doucoure. The stats suggest it was a little harsh, but with one game to go, the title is in Corona’s hands (insert joke about having to wash them for 20 seconds here).
Elsewhere, some other matches occurred.
Gameweek 22
It all comes down to this. The final game of the season. Victory for Corona against Best of the Rest would give them the title. The Rovers will be hoping for a slip-up, as well as a win against The Vardy Boys. The de facto wooden spoon (we’re ignoring UpMeChavvvvi) was still up for grabs between Maxiiiibaby and Cozza’s. The rest were playing for pride.
The Rovers certainly did their bit. An emphatic 4-0 thrashing of The Vardy Boys gave them the 3 points and also ensured that they ended the season as the league’s top scorers. Unfortunately for them, Best of the Rest could not do them a favor. Yes, that’s right. Your Fantrax Football Manager Champions – a league introduced because coronavirus has ended all of sport globally – is Coronavirus XI. Seeing captain Jonjo Shelvey lift the trophy will go down in history.
At the other end of the table, another Auba goal (his 12th of the season) gave Maxiiiibaby victory over Inter, which ensured Cozza’s finished 11th. Convincing wins for Brüno’s Squad and WWI6T meant that they ended the season on a high, whilst Aguero’s late goal for My Team Is Poop ensured that he claimed the golden boot award for top goal scorer.
The Final Table
So that’s your lot for series 2 of Fantrax Does Football Manager. Hopefully this has settled some arguments in Mark Flay’s league…though realistically it’s probably created more!
A Round-Up of the Teams
Coronavirus XI
Ramadan Rovers
My Team Is Poop
Brüno’s Squad
We’ve Won It 6 Times
The Vardy Boys
Best of the Rest
Maxiiiibaby
InterYaNan
Yankee Clippers
Cozza’s Clarrrrs
UpMeChavvvvi
Follow me on Twitter for all the latest: @the_innergeek
Fantrax was one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites of 2019, and we’re not letting our foot off the pedal now! With multi-team trades, designated commissioner/league managers, and drag/drop easy click methods, Fantrax is sure to excite the serious fantasy sports fan – sign up now for a free year at Fantrax.com.