The Pre-Match Preamble – Gameweek 21

I may have found the secret to success for the remainder of the season: I’m going to quit attempting to manage my squad and concentrate on a five-a-side team.

I made the decision last week. I abandoned any ambitions of trying to tinker with my attacking players and instead decided to give my defence my undivided attention.

Against all better judgment, I spent a transfer in goal, giving myself the option of rotating the inspired Jack Butland. I spent the other drafting in Hector Bellerin – a player I’ve long coveted.

The moves reaped immediate dividends. Butland was breached but Wayne Hennessey partnered with the Arsenal full-back to return me 14 points – the difference between a good Gameweek and one that edged into the top 100k.

I’ve tried and failed to juggle my fourth and fifth midfielders but don’t have confidence in the ability to predict returns. The fickle nature of this season can find you out – a move for Theo Walcott, Ross Barkley or Marko Arnautovic could easily backfire and, when it does, it hurts.

I’ve kept faith with Andre Ayew and Sadio Mane this long; players that have proven they can get goals. The pair enjoy back-to-back home fixtures from Gameweek 21 so I’ll make the decision between them at that point. In the meantime, one of them will play and I’ll accept it if they go on returning two points.

It’s undoubtedly supremely frustrating when a fourth midfielder continually blanks and yet, when we look on our defence and see two or more two-point returns, it’s somehow more acceptable.

Attacking players are more costly and therefore it smarts when they let you down. With prices changing rapidly in these positions, there’s an immediate clamour to replace them quickly and right the wrong; that’s often led to me chasing and missing points.

In contrast, we look at clean sheets as being more difficult to predict and therefore dismiss two-point returns as inevitable minor mishaps. When they come attached to price tags of 5.0 or less, they become almost palatable.

We can sometimes go for weeks accepting the failings our defence, focusing our energies purely where we believe we can make the most difference when by the same token, it’s also where we can do the most damage.

This Fantasy Football manager is changing that way of thinking.

For the time being, I’ll excuse Mane and Ayew knowing that an explosive haul could be imminent. Instead, I’ll be far less forgiving of my two-point defenders.

I’ll spend my energies and transfers attempting to manage the rotation of my keepers with my chosen back three, attempting to give me the optimum setup to minimise the two-point returns.

The pressure is off my attacking players. I’ll send them over the line and let them express themselves – it’s my job to ensure that I’ve set my defence up to compensate when Mane or Ayew blank.

This way I can only get frustrated and angry with myself. That can only be a good thing for me and those around me, right?