“FPL is a marathon, not a sprint.” It’s an adverb lots of FPL managers are familiar with, and one I personally like to conjure up whenever I’ve managed to put another hard-earned mini-league victory in my back pocket. Especially during the past few seasons – full of uncertainty and last minute changes – loads of managers have seen it pay off to play the game that way, as I did too. However, the sudden introduction of an extra Free Hit chip seems to diminish the advantages and points potential of those who think long-term.
On the one hand, there are the managers who were able to – perhaps by taking one or two points hits – field a full eleven in the past gameweeks 17 and 18. They could have chosen to play their one Free Hit chip either in a potential future Double Gameweek 22 (for which they otherwise would have needed to carefully plan and change their team structures if they wanted to get in loads of players with two fixtures) or in a future blank gameweek with FA Cup games (ditto, but to get in players with just one fixture). They can now use a Free Hit for both, neutralizing the aforementioned disadvantages of only having one such chip.
On the other hand, there are those who gazed upon their shambolic teams and chose to play their Free Hit chips in gameweek 17 or 18. Those managers knew they wouldn’t need it for a possible Double Gameweek 22, because they’d already have a lot of players in their teams with two fixtures. However, they would not have had a Free Hit to cover a future blank gameweek due to FA Cup games. What transfer headaches, ravaged team structures and future early Wildcards they now have been spared by this second Free Hit chip.
Managers who chose to field eight, seven or perhaps even fewer players in Gameweek 18, however, had probably calculated to take it on the chin on the short term and to profit from their decision later on in the season. More than a few of those had only just played their first wildcards and didn’t want to overturn all of their carefully calculated moves – myself being one of them. They chose not to alter their team structures nor to make opportunistic transfers, instead keeping their players as well as their cool, knowing they would reap the benefits of already having lots of players in their teams with two fixtures in a future double Gameweek. They could then play their free hit chip in a future blank Gameweek.
Either way, these managers would have benefited from both instances to recover from their recent setbacks, while others wouldn’t have been able to do so – at least not without a certain cost. They could have done so without having had to alter the structure of their teams, which would later on leave room for flexibility and even luxury transfers that others would not be able to profit from as much. In other words: their careful planning might have given them an advantage, that necessary edge, to turn their season into a successful one in the long run. By introducing the second free hit chip, that potential seems to have vanished.
Perhaps I’m speaking out of turn. These are uncertain times, and the second Free Hit chip may well prove to be advantageous to those who didn’t panic during the past few weeks. However, at the moment it feels like managers who think more than a few gameweeks ahead are being hard done by. There does not seem to be an obvious opportunity left to recover the points they have willingly lost, nor does it look like they will fully profit from keeping their team structures and plans intact. Being a marathon manager myself, I now feel that the future potential I and many others have banked on has been taken away, and that sprint managers are being doubly rewarded for their playing styles.
That being said, it will surely make for some exciting scenes during the coming weeks and months, with lots of triple digit scores to show for it. So however this second Free Hit chip pans out, I do fully intend to enjoy the rest of the season as much as possible, and I hope all of you do as well. In the long run, we might even have more fun.
Stay safe and happy holidays to everyone.
Aaron
2 years, 3 months agoWhen the news first came out, I certainly felt hard done as well. The more I think about it though, the more I'm fine with it - even if I don't use my extra FH this week (as I probably will), there no doubt will be more Gameweeks over this Winter period where that extra FH will be very appreciated without having to sacrifice the fun / potential that comes with using FH during the blank double period. Happy just to see how this season plays out and what strategies pop up from it!
Happy Holidays and thank you Opperkaker!