Before diving into price changes, captaincy dilemmas and the annual hunt for this season’s £4.0m bargain, it’s worth reflecting on the summer we’ve just endured.
The biggest World Cup in history. Forty-eight nations. Three host countries. Sixteen cities. Four times better(?!). One tournament that somehow became equal parts football festival, diplomatic summit, corporate roadshow and reality television.
The football was, at times, magnificent. The European crowds teaching Americans about culture, even more so
Elsewhere…
104 matches x four quarters x 2 breaks = 208 hydration breaks = 624 minutes, or 10 hours 24 minutes of adverts. Sorry, hydration
Gianni Infantino was never far from the cameras, the infamous Peace Prize a sign of things to come.
Then came the Balogun affair. Donald interfering where Donald shouldn’t interfere. Then saying the quiet bit out loud.
Meanwhile, Argentina reminded the world that football’s Dark Arts remain alive and well. Unsurprisingly they are amongst the nations that have come out in support of Infantino seeking to sell of FIFA’s family jewels to one of Trump’s relatives.
Some of it was very, very good
Rising above it all were Spain. Surely every neutral’s favourite in the Final - not only England fans bitter at Tuchel out-Southgating Southgate with 11 behind the ball.
With only one goal conceded all tournament the deserved winners; and Rodri reminding us all why a City defence looks so much stronger when he is in front of them. Oh, how they need to keep him away from Barca’s clutches.
Which brings us back to the Premier League and Fantasy Football. Never has there been a season with so many teams under new management, which makes that Game Week 1 Bench Boost even more fraught than usual.
And so the doors swing open once more.
The tables are wiped. The pumps are primed. A faint scent of chalkboard marker, stale ale and misplaced optimism hangs in the air.
Welcome back to The Rounded Keeper.
Here, there are no presidential interventions.
No emergency appeals.
No strategic investment vehicles.
No diplomatic incidents.
Just a group of pub regulars making catastrophically bad Fantasy Football decisions entirely of their own free will.
Here’s to another season.
To green arrows and glorious overreactions.
To transfer hits we’ll immediately regret.
To that one inexplicable benching that ruins an otherwise perfect Gameweek.
And to remembering that, for all football’s politics, pageantry and power struggles, the best version of the game is still the one discussed over a pint with friends.
Now then…
Who’s getting the first round in?
SP
