End of Year Fantasy 2: The Showponies

Panda
Place: 4th
Goals: 5
Assists: 0
Bonus Points: 8
Total Points: 56
Points Per Game: 5.09
Fantasy Alike: Have said it earlier, but it must be Malouda: both came on strong with lots of goals early on, incredible season, huge smiles, love the game, team and fan favourite. And theres also a bit of the mysteriousness of the French team about the elusive Panda: no-showing the final game of the season - the points from which would have put him in the top 3 (perhaps there was some player-manager behind the scenes shenanigans kept out of the press), showing up late, sometimes with a case of beers. He even developed a trademark goal - curled in from the right hand side of the box, and of course that celebration - running behind the goal pointing at the ball in the back of the net. Great season - fully deserving of the Stallion of the season award - and no doubt IF he was at the prizegiving last night he would have won the boatrace of all the players of the season. I sure wouldn't bet against him, in anything really ...

Picked this Malouda photograph due to its similarity to this one. Which brings us to the next showpony

 Robin
Place: 5th
Goals: 3
Assists: 1
Bonus Points: 6
Total Points: 52
Points Per Game: 4
Fantasy Alike: Theo Walcott (or Andre the Giant).  The wildcard, enigmatic talent - pacy, capable of freakily good things, but a feast of famine type of Fantasy prospect. Robin's season fantasy consisted almost exclusively of 2 point showings punctuated by a few big hauls with goals and bonus point galore.  A really good season - especially in the final part when we played with 3 up front, offering a wide role Robin made his own. The lack of defensive work brought by this position really helped Robin's fantasy points - the one game he was forced back to help out, he drew a penalty. So yep, stay up front.  Like Walcott, Robin scored some great goals, but had some shocking misses and wayward passes - didn't a coach of Walcotts once say that he is great until he starts having too much time and has to think about it. Now I'm not saying you are a stupid player Robin, but these Fantasy-alikes don't lie ...

Next: The Quiet(ish) Achievers