#FPL OCD – Gameweek 6: Crack open the champagne, break out the cigars, pass me that caviar…

by @JohnOC1991

Give John a follow on twitter at @JohnOC1991

It happened. Crack open the champagne, break out the cigars, pass me that caviar – I had a good week. Good by this season’s standards that is – in any normal year 58 points would be merely decent – but in this oddest of seasons, it becomes my top score, leapfrogging the 57 points I accrued in gameweek 3. It has taken me to 389k, a position from which I can seriously start my season.

It by no means all went to plan; Kolarov sits in my defence with an unexpected 0, Silva’s warmup injury meant that Huth came in, he and Nyom managing 3 points between them, Sanchez continued his inexplicable barren run with 2 points, and Benteke, in a week with so much promise, went off injured at half time. However, the positives finally outweigh these complaints.

While Aguero (C) only managed an assist, a captaincy return is not to be sniffed at this season, and I was terrifyingly close to sticking the armband on Benteke. Butland, Francis, Mane and Wilson all managed 7-9 points, and Mahrez, true to form, hit another double digit score, remarkably his 5^th in 6 weeks. The only time the Algerian has dropped below 10 points was against away to Bournemouth, when he only played 45 minutes. Although over a short space of time, those are numbers befitting peak-Suarez, Bale and Van Persie, not a player that started the game at 5.5m. Just as with Kane last season, we must start to ignore the price tag and see Mahrez as a genuine captaincy option.

There are issues in my team, but rolling over a FT is a huge help. I have already pulled the trigger on my first move, a Benteke to Martial switch done on Sunday evening. Knee-jerk? Perhaps, but Benteke had taken a knock, Martial was rising, and he has a plum fixture up next, for which I will likely give him the armband. His subsequent run is tricky, but 8m for an in-form Man Utd striker is difficult to ignore. For my other FT, I have options. Huth, Ruddy and Mertesacker are all options, and Chelsea and West Brom look ripe for defensive investment. I think Mertesacker to a West Brom defender will be my second switch.

Into the top 500k and with my team looking healthy, my aims for the season, at this early stage, must remain the same. I still have my first wildcard and all of my chips in hand, and I am hoping that will prove to be a big advantage. My meltdown has passed, and chinks of light are shining that little bit more brightly. Last week I extolled the virtues of a calmer FPL manager, one who appreciates the other things in life. Suddenly, with a climb in rank, the priorities switch again…

Written by @JohnOC1991

(ED…I give this new found calmness 1 gameweek…max…)

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