It is probably fair to say that many Fantasy Premier League managers are currently at critical overload levels. When the prices came out, teams were made, templates were formed and it all seemed relatively straight forward.
But a few weeks on and the situation has become murkier by the day. Pre-season has thrown up a number of intriguing possibilities, new players have been added to the game, and we are all being bombarded by many a so called guru, giving their opinions on formations, personnel and tactics.
Twitter, the forums and other social media are filled with anxious managers, desperate to find the best mix between players and formation, all trying to juggle their 100 million budget to cover every eventuality.
The result of this manic attempt to find the ultimate team is more confusion, uncertainty and mental clutter, which results in ever more outlandish attempts being made.
We see ever stranger formations and setups, top heavy, bottom heavy, Five at the back etc. What seemed a simple game suddenly becomes overly complex and unsolvable.
It’s enough to make even a mild mannered manager like Arsene Wenger scream.
False solutions
The solution to all this mental clutter is not to artificially reduce options. I saw one manager who was only picking players with a surname starting with the letter L. Perhaps the desire to escape the anguish and stress of information overload was so great that his mind created this artificial solution, just for peace of mind.
This is the danger, that the brain can become so overloaded that it will seek an easy way out; all plans are thrown in the bin and a last minute team is picked just to remove the stress.
How often have you planned for something for weeks, and then at the last moment knee jerked in previously overlooked players simply to ease brain ache?
The best solution
Left unchecked the information overload will continue to escalate. What is needed is a step back to de-clutter your brain.
The reality is until the charity shield has been played and initial lineups become clearer there is little point stressing over players to include. Better to just sit back, relax and take a few days break. This is the time to re charge the batteries, and let all the information from the last few weeks subconsciously settle down.
Four of Five days with no tinkering, think you can do it? Now is the time to try.
Go back to basics
Once this Sunday’s Community Shield is over, then is the time to build that squad with a fresh mind and a clear plan. After a few days off it is very likely that it will all seem much easier. Those crazy plans to spend 30m on defence will be but a distant memory.
For myself that means wheeling out a tried and tested template and just fill in the blanks with proven, decent Fantasy assets that have good fixtures and no negatives hanging over them.
No sicknotes, card magnets or marginal players. No trying to overly scrimp on the money at the expense of bringing in players likely to only start one or two matches. I did this myself last season, and it did not turn out well.
No player is essential, if a player does not fit into the template then pick another, do not bend the structure out of shape or change formation simply because of an irrational fear over not owning a player. The cure is worse than the disease.
This team below was built around this tried and proven balanced 3-4-3 structure by those following my FPL Transfer Hub blog, in which the players were slotted in via polls. If a player did not fit the structure he was ignored.
The team is currently being left and is in its de-clutter stage until after the Community Shield when it will be revisited, with some picks possibly replaced.
The final process will be easy and straight forward as we will be approaching the final votes with a clear head, and armed with up to date information. With a clear framework to work around, the process will be smooth and easy.
Pre-season may have shown that Liverpool’s Sadio Mane is a better pick than Spurs midfielder Dele Alli. To make that change is easy in this structure. We should know if Cedric will start by then. If fatigue from his international exertions this summer means he misses out then his team mate Maya Yoshida can slot in.
See how having a clear structure will make the process easy. No need to overclutter the brain trying to find square pegs for round holes. Plug and play is the key.
Conclusion
If you are feeling overwhelmed by the seemingly endless choices and permutations then take a chill pill and have the next Five days off. Return refreshed and revitalised with a clear plan, and a fearless heart.
If that fails just copy the above team. But if you take a step back and de-clutter there should be no need for copying, it will all seem much easier after a few days break.
