With Sky Sports Fantasy Football in full swing, which manager have you been impersonating?
Peter Fraser thinks of Cat Deeley as Fantasy Football gathers pace
Scolari, Benitez, Ferguson and Wenger; all Premier League managerial heavyweights but the above bosses are being impersonated in Sky Sports Fantasy Football as the season gathers pace and pressure mounts.
In a professional sense of course, recent thoughts have turned to former Stars in their Eyes hostess Cat Deeley. With mudslinging soap opera to match Ferguson versus Wenger or Benitez against Mourinho emerging, it appears it is a trend for unique managerial characteristics and battles from real life to be replicated in the land of Fantasy.
When your colleague arrives on a Monday morning claiming to have, 'not seen it' when questioned on
that fruitful offside goal, these similarities seem far more accurate than any bloke with a gold medallion, glued on chest hair and dubious Welsh accent gyrating around a stage to 'It's Not Unusual'.
With that in mind
skysports.com feels its readers must be experiencing the familiarities. Does your mood drop when you catch a glimpse of Wigan's Steve Bruce in your reflection? Like Everton boss David Moyes, did you select Joleon Lescott expecting more of last season's heroics, only to be left scratching your head? With which past or present Premier League manager do you share the most in common?
Starting at the top of the chain of command, and in the words of Miss Deeley, the football desk is...
Editor
Head honcho Chris Harvey is enjoying a strong campaign to match Liverpool's Rafa Benitez. A recent stealthy claim from Mr Harvey suggested he was shocked to find his team flying high after a lack of transfers. Sounds like a trademark, loaded, Benitez quote to the trained ear. Both, sporting similarly stylish goatees, appear to enjoy playing with their cards close to their chest and could be tips for this season's title.
Senior Reporters
Football news editor Peter O'Rourke is Aston Villa chief Martin O'Neill. The duo have made impressive starts and the Sky employee is threatening the top honour. O'Rourke, like O'Neill, is maintaining dignity by avoiding arguments and is a shrewd operator in the transfer market.
There is only one candidate for Teessider Graeme Bailey, and that is Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate. Languishing in the lower regions of the table, Bailey maintains a faith in Boro players who will, apparently, supply the backbone of the England team at World Cup 2014.
Rob Parrish resembles former Chelsea chief Jose Mourinho. A place in the top four results in a deserved Marmite (you either love it or you hate it) smugness. It remains to be seen if 'Special One' Parrish will arrive for work sporting a Savile Row trench coat as temperatures plunge.
Reporters
Lewis Rutledge can be compared to ex-Stamford Bridge supremo Claudio Ranieri. Both mild mannered, but capable of hilarious one-liners, and favour teams full of foreigners, who start seasons well before tinkermania results in a fall from the pace.
James Pearson and Peter Reid possess similarities. The pair talk the talk but, like the latter's final days at Leeds, the former is struggling to produce results when it matters. The rest of us are left wondering when Pearson will follow current Thailand tactician Reid's lead and move to Bangkok.
Yours truly is the under-fire occupant of the Bolton hot-seat, Gary Megson. The boo-boys have been on the back of both individuals as teams - one ravaged by injuries I would like to point out - struggle. Others might also draw hair colour comparisons, but there is a drastic difference between auburn and ginger when it comes to barnets.
James Dall resembles his beloved Arsene Wenger. In months gone by, flowery fantasy football previews have lacked backbone and, as with Arsenal, Dall and his charges suffered a disappointing start to 2008/09 and could be seen to favour aesthetics over an end product.
Chris Burton's hopes will be high for a mention of Nottingham Forest legend Brian Clough, but there is no doubt that 'Geordie Messiah' Kevin Keegan is the man in the mirror. Goals are never in short supply for Burton's free-scoring entertainers and it will be interesting to see if he hangs around when the going gets tough.
Pundits
Last but by no means least, it would be rude not to mention the two remaining members of the desk. Football editor Mark Buckingham and chief sub-editor Alex Dunn have opted not to venture into management in this season's competition, but witty wisecracks are never far away. We have our very own Andy Gray and Jamie Redknapp.
After 11 rounds in Fantasy Football, which manager do you compare to?
