In our latest community article, FPL_Runpharm asks why we Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers are drawn back to our ‘ex’, time and again.
THE FPL ‘EX’ CYCLE
“Studies on real-life relationships suggest that around 40–50% of couples eventually get back together after a breakup, and among those who break up multiple times, the chances of reconciliation are even higher.”
‘The FPL Ex Cycle’ always starts the same way. You trust someone, you buy them. You hold them longer than you should. Then one day, after the missed penalty, the 59th-minute sub, the red card, the blank against Burnley at home, you snap. You sell. You rage-post. Just like that one Taylor Swift song: “We are never, ever, ever, ever getting back together.. Like, ever”. I am NEVER buying this fraud again. And for a while, it feels great. Until… it doesn’t.
Exhibit A: Morgan Rogers (£7.6m). At the start of the season, many of us loaded up on double Aston Villa through Ollie Watkins (£8.8m) and Rogers. Lovely fixtures and big expectations. Then, Villa looked slow, flat, and demotivated. They couldn’t score. They couldn’t win. Their xG was the worst in the league, more like a team fighting to avoid relegation.
So what did we do? We broke up. Rogers was “a selfish one-season wonder.” People swore off Villa attackers for the rest of the season. Some even said, “for the rest of my FPL life.” Fast forward to Rogers bagging four goals and an assist in six Gameweeks. Suddenly, the narrative changes. Despite Villa not being some free-scoring away monster, and despite those goals being unsustainable low-xG screamers, people are rushing back. (Remember Miguel Almiron? The difference is that Rogers is actually a better player.)
Exhibit B: Phil Foden (£8.7m). Two seasons ago, Foden was the guy, providing goals and assists galore en route to being named the Player of the Year. Everyone owned him. Then came last season: unfit at the start of 2024/25, injured a lot, and out of form. People held on far too long, like a relationship that died months ago but no one wants to admit it. Eventually, the narrative changes to “one-season wonder” and “never again.”
We’ve seen that cycle again this season. From Gameweek 13, Foden looks like an ex who just got a supermodel makeover. Everyone forgives and forgets, and jumps back on the bandwagon like the past never happened. Another run of blanks, and he’s the most-sold player of Gameweek 22.
And the list goes on. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m), once crowned the worst FPL scam of all time, now reborn as the best budget striker. Future exes, like Joao Pedro (£7.1m), will be waiting their turn.
So now we get to the serious part: why do we keep begging our ex to come back?
1. Emotional Decisions
Rage sells are emotional. They come from anger, disappointment, and heartbreak. But emotions don’t last forever. Research shows most people feel significantly better about a break-up after roughly 11 weeks. And when the hate is gone… the door opens again.
2. Selective Memory
Negative experiences fade faster than positive ones. I experienced it myself as a runner: excruciating pain after an ultramarathon and I could barely walk for weeks. I swore never again, and signed up again months later. Your brain protects you by softening painful memories. Calvert-Lewin blanking for half a season? Painful… but distant. It doesn’t seem to be as painful now.
3. “They’ve Changed”
We love believing in redemption. Foden cleared his mental fog, and Calvert-Lewin fits his new team and new system. Deep down, you know they might still be the same, but this belief makes the rebuy feel justified.
4. Forced Reconciliation
Sometimes, it’s not love – it’s necessity. Your current partner dumped you, or went off for a long vacation. The recent injury to Bruno Fernandes (£9.1m), for example, freed up funds and a midfield slot. Your ex isn’t ideal… but at least they’re available.
5. Recency Bias
Your brain prioritises what just happened. Calvert-Lewin blanked for almost half a season? Ignore that. Seven goals in six games? That means everything. Recency bias turns short-term spikes into long-term hope.
6. Familiar Pain
Our brains prefer predictable discomfort over uncertain outcomes. You know how Anthony Gordon (£7.5m) hurts you; you don’t know how Rayan Cherki (£6.8m) might. So you choose the pain you understand.
7. Framed as “Growth”
“I’m more mature now. More objective. I’ve evolved as an FPL manager, learning to ignore past emotional attachments.”
That’s what you tell yourself. But are you really?
Breakups are never quiet. People delete memories on social media, throw away gifts and get rid of matching tattoos. They announce to the world they’re done. In FPL terms? Rants on X and content creators swearing this player never works for them. Sometimes we say things that burn all the bridges, with no turning back. Then we quietly rebuy that player we swore not to touch again, hoping no one notices and no one screenshots the old post.
Narratives change all the time. A player being bad right now doesn’t mean he’s bad forever, just like Sarah not being the right fit today doesn’t mean they won’t be next year. That’s why “never again” is such a dangerous phrase in FPL (and in life); it locks future decisions to past emotions. Today’s fraud has a habit of becoming tomorrow’s essential, and the things you swear in rage tend to age badly. It usually comes back to bite you.
Disclaimer: This article does not encourage changing girlfriends, boyfriends, or spouses in real life.
