#FPL OCD – Gameweek 1: Cliffdiving

by @JohnOC1991

3 months of planning. The team set, just look at it. Seriously, take a step back, and admire. I could have spent those 3 months really kicking on in work, making big money and advancing my career, but those worries dissipate when you look at this team. The beauty is blinding. Azpilicueta, Mertesacker, Ozil, Hazard, Sterling, Mane, Rooney, Benteke. It’s littered with big names, with proven FPL assets. 100m to spend, and look what you’ve made. This is it, the ascent to 1^st place starts here. Swansea at home, West Ham at home, Spurs at home, West Brom at home, Stoke away. This team cannot fail.

33 points. 1.3 million rank. That is what 3 months of planning gets. 1.3 million. 1.3 million. Those 3 months come crumbling down, the hours seemingly wasted. Hazard blank, Ozil blank, Sterling 1 CS point, Mane blank, Benteke blank. Azpilicueta and Rooney (C) the only points scorers in the whole team. Why do I bother? A wonderful opening weekend of football ruined. It had all looked so promising on Saturday morning.

The glimmer of light is that, in the Fantasy Football community, this has been the story for most. We must take some crumbs of comfort from the fact that thousands of very good FPL players have scored in the 20s and 30s. This is not one of those truly dreaded weeks when you are left flailing in the 20s when the average is touching 60, this was just a freak. An anomaly. We have to tell ourselves that. The big hitters, bar Yaya Toure, did not score too well, if it all. Come on guys, we will claw it back. The cream always rises.

I tell myself this, I rationalise it, yet…yet…that doubt, that blasted doubt, is still there. You can’t dismiss it after a 30 odd week. That temptation to overhaul your team, to start afresh. We must not throw the baby out with the bath water. I still may save a transfer this week, though one potential move is rapidly moving to the forefront of my mind. It is a risky one, but it is one that I had in mind pre-GW1. Hazard to Sanchez. Hazard was sluggish, he was off the pace, and Sanchez, though not fully fit, was very, very dangerous in his cameo. Sure, Arsenal were chasing the game, but we know what he can do.

Ditching Hazard will never be easy, but my head is telling me that this is the time to do it. Away to Man City, inevitably a defensive set-up; will they get more than a chance or two? It is a huge risk; Sanchez may not start, and Hazard is, well, Hazard, but it is a risk that I am more and more willing to take. My other consideration is taking a hit for Aguero, but I believe I will leave Aguero for GW3 or 4. That is a move I could live to strongly regret.

Take a deep breath everyone. You picked your GW1 team for a reason, a good GW1 team is not suddenly a bad team a week later. In fact, maybe best to just forget the Friday deadline completely…

Don’t do anything stupid. It will all be ok.

John went to University, finished his degree, and got a good job in the City of London. He is now in the process of throwing it all away in favour of FPL, a game with no notable rewards for success. He firmly believes this to be the correct decision.

Follow John on Twitter and read more on his blog here Go and Get the Guitar