I think I’ve got a plan. A new strategy on which to pin my hopes of a recovery.
Having been prompted to throw eight points into the ether by injuries to David Silva and Michu prior to Gameweek 11, I sit here this morning pretty content with my lot. Admittedly a 44-point score and an early Fantasy Football Scout Cup exit were hardly the outcomes I was looking for but at least I feel my team is on its way to being repaired and competing again.
Much as it pains me to say it, Granville was right when he said that the improvements were coming to slowly. I was behind the curve and, without Luis Suarez in my lineup, I’m still lagging. However, now I can see a germ of a plan, a new strategic nugget.
While I’ve used the roll-over transfer quite liberally in the past, I’m now looking to utilise the ruling to make three-step changes every other Gameweek. While these will come packaged with a four-point hit, the short-term prospects of gaining back those points with profit seem far greater when making three transfers in one swoop. The bitter pill of a transfer hit seems easier to swallow when you can pin your hopes on three players to honey it.
Crucially, those three transfers need to set me up completely for the Gameweek that follows on – allowing me to sit on my hands, as I am this morning, happy that my starting XI is strong, with a bench available to absorb any unforeseen injuries or selection issues.
Suarez for the trip to Hull will come next – and, by wrapping him up in two additional transfers, I don’t have to fret too much on further price rises, knowing that I have several value options available that will enable me to free up the funds. Having three transfers offers greater flexibility – the option to liberate funds over a pair of deals, not just one.
Despite three seasons playing with the rollover transfers, it’s perhaps surprising that this tactic has just dawned on me as a viable approach. It highlights that perhaps I’ve never been without a wildcard and starring at a squad so in need of surgery. It also shows the merits of this game we play – that, even when you feel you’ve seen it all and found the strategy that works, you can be served circumstances that prompt a rethink.
Finally, of course, this all goes to show that Granville might just know what he’s talking about. Let’s not dwell on that.
