#FPL OCD – Gameweek 2: Freefall

by @JohnOC1991

Give John a follow on twitter at @JohnOC1991

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Has there ever been anything like it? I mean, one gameweek was imaginable. It was a freak, an anomaly, the cream will rise. That’s what I wrote last week. These players; Ayew, Mahrez, Gomis – they will, bar the odd exception, be flashes in the pan. The big hitters, the proven assets, will pull it out of the bag.

WHY I OUGHTAAA!!!!

I was wrong, and now, we are left at a crossroads. As early as GW2, we could be in a season-defining quandary. Many have already committed, the wildcards have been triggered, the door on this miserable opening slammed shut. A necessary, clever reaction to early mistakes, or the pushing of a panic button? Some will believe that we must act quickly, we must not let our obduracy override sense, we must jump on these firing cheap players. Others will try to be pragmatic, will refuse to lose their cool, assuring themselves that form is temporary, class is permanent. Hazard, Rooney, Ivanovic – these proven players will come good. At this embryonic stage, these are the camps into which we are split.

Experienced FPL players may find that the lessons of the past provide no clarity. There are copious examples of options petering out after a blistering spell, and they will not want to jump on bandwagons that are blindly heading towards a cliff edge. Conversely, they will recall instances like Ramsey and Yaya Toure in 2012/13, and Kane last season. There were many who did not believe their form could be maintained, and stuck to their guns as the pack raced ahead of them. So they beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. We must not fail to see the wood for the trees; stubbornness can be fatal in this game

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Personally, I am trying to find a balance. I have not hit the wildcard button, but I will not be entirely obstinate. I believe that my team can be salvaged with a couple of hits, spread over this week and the next. This week, I have pulled the trigger on Sterling and Rooney to Mahrez and Aguero. I tried to weigh up the true potential of the form players, and looking at the statistics, I could see no reason that Mahrez will not continue to make a mockery of his price tag. Aguero, of course, needs no justification, and despite a plum fixture, Rooney has offered absolutely nothing, and no longer looks capable of playing the lone striker role effectively. It is a risk, but Aguero is impossible to ignore. I do believe that Sterling will pick up points over the coming weeks, but with City’s dream run of fixtures on the horizon, I must assess which of their assets I want. I cannot look past Silva, Aguero, and a defender, thus Sterling has to make way in preparation.

Onwards we go, into the unknown, hoping to creep away from the abyss. Those who have captained Kompany, those who have played their chips, they will fall away. They must. When they do, we must be ready, we cannot give in at this early stage. I hope that no drastic change is needed, I have to keep faith in my ability and believe that things will turn around.

Great FPL players, much better than me, are currently languishing at 2.5-3m after season upon season of top 1-5k finishes. I have not yet rage wildcarded, nor done a Mourinho. My medical team still sit beside me, I have not thrown them under the bus, nor have I viciously attacked other managers in my mini-league. My “specialist in failure” speech may come out if I face another bad week.

It cannot last, it just cannot. If it does?

Well, maybe our collective work output will improve. Every cloud…

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