Most Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers will be playing for mini-league glory or a landmark rank as we enter the season run-in.
For a handful of Fantasy bosses, however, there is the carrot of finishing ahead of every single other FPL manager in the world.
There are few of us who will ever be in with a shout of clinching an FPL crown but there are nine Fantasy bosses who are in either our Fantasy Football Scout or Fantasy Football Scout Members mini-leagues who are in the top 50 as things stand, with two in the top three.
One of the managers currently in the podium places is Håkon Mangersnes, who sits third in the world and only four points off top spot.
Håkon, a three-year Member of Fantasy Football Scout, even briefly reached the summit halfway through Gameweek 29.
Here he answers some of our questions in an interview you can read below.
Scout: For the legions of us who will never be world no.1 at any point in our lives, what did it feel like to be top of the pile when you were temporary leader in Gameweek 29? Is the overriding emotion excitement/satisfaction/fear/disbelief/anything else?
Håkon: It was obviously a great feeling, a combination of disbelief and pure joy. Having played the game for a number of years I almost considered it impossible to get to number one as so many things have to go right in order for it to happen. I did not really think it could happen that Gameweek either as there was quite a gap to top spot going into Gameweek 29, so I was surprised more than anything else, but when I finally let it sink in it felt amazing. Even though it was just for a few days it truly was the peak of my FPL career so far, and it might not ever happen again, so I tried to enjoy the moment as much as I could!
Scout: It sounds like a strange question but would you, with still eight Gameweeks to go, be happy if you ended up with a top ten place? Or is it first or bust now that you are in this position?
Håkon: Of course, I want to try and win it now, as I doubt I’ll ever be in this position again. I still think it’s rather unrealistic to actually do it, though, as there are a lot of managers with similar teams/chips that are in a great position to win it as well, but I gather I’ve got as good a chance as anyone – so I’m going for it! Before the season I would have bitten the hand of anyone who had offered me a top 1,000 position, let alone top 100 or top 10, so I’ll consider the season a success almost no matter what happens. That said, I think I’ll be a little disappointed if I don’t win, having been so close…
Scout: Has reaching the summit changed your approach/outlook to FPL? Are you looking more at your nearest rivals, for instance?
Håkon: I’ve looked a bit at the teams around me, and it’s funny to see how similar the squads are. Most of the players that have done well for me and brought me to where I am are in almost every other team around me as well. I don’t think I’ll pay much attention to that going forwards, though, and I don’t think my mindset has changed a lot. I still think the smart play is to just keep trying to bring in the players that do well. Perhaps I’ll look more at my rivals in the last few Gameweeks if I’m still in a position to win, but for now, I think it’s best not to overthink it and keep trying to target players with good fixtures/form etc.
Scout: Talk us through a normal week of managing your FPL team – do you follow a usual routine in terms of research/transfers etc?
Håkon: I scroll through Twitter a lot during the week, which is important to get news on injuries and Covid, but I also find it valuable to see which moves other managers are planning. I use social media both to confirm that my planned transfers are somewhat sound and to see if someone is moving for players I’ve not yet considered myself. If I have the time, I try to listen to some podcasts as well. My go-to is the Norwegian podcast, Fantasyrådet, but I also like Hallo Fantasy which is another Norwegian pod and FPL General’s The 59th Minute. When I’ve got an idea of what I want to do, I’ll usually discuss my planned moves with a friend before locking in the transfers. When the deadline passes, I’ll set up my ‘bus team’ before I try to enjoy the weekend and watch as many games as I can.
Scout: Are there any tools on the Fantasy Football Scout site that you use on a regular basis and find particularly helpful? How long have you been a Member?
Håkon: I’ve been a Member for three years I think, and I mainly use the stats that are accessible on the site. I have a few stats tables that I use sometimes when I’m struggling to decide between players to bring in. Occasionally I’ll read an article or two, but this year I haven’t really had too much time to spend on FPL as I’ve been rather busy. I also like the Season Ticker and the captaincy poll – I don’t really like to go against the top choice when it comes to captaincy. In previous seasons, I would watch the Scoutcast as well as the team news videos after press conferences, and I really enjoy the Meet the Manager series – it’s nice to see how others approach the game.
Scout: Have you done anything different this season to what you have done in the past?
Håkon: This might sound a bit odd, but I’ve spent far less time on the game this year than in previous seasons. This is partly because it’s been a busy year outside FPL, but also because of how Covid has impacted the last couple of seasons. Previously, I would spend a lot of time planning for the long run, whereas this season, the schedule has been changing a lot due to postponements, which has made short-term planning more pressing. I still try to make moves that are good for the long term, though, as I think that makes it easier to deal with injuries etc, but I don’t spend as much time tinkering during the week wondering what moves to make when games can be postponed at any time. This has forced me to be more patient when it comes to making transfers as well. Usually, I wait until Friday night/Saturday morning, and I try not to look too much a sites predicting price rises (unless I have to, of course: sometimes I’ll make sure I don’t get priced out of the moves I want to make). In previous seasons, I’ve been quite concerned about team value, and I would often make transfers early in the week to catch prise rises. Now I value information more. I also think that delaying the decision on whom to bring in helps me make the right choice; paying too much attention to price rises might sometimes force you to make a decision when you’ve not had enough time to think it through. Now I’m rather calm about team value and I think that if you bring in the right players, your team value will take care of itself.
Scout: You still have all one chip left remaining for the run-in (the Free Hit). When do you plan to play it and how will you tackle the last eight Gameweeks without further chips?
Håkon: I plan to use my Free Hit in one of the coming Double Gameweeks, but I haven’t decided which one yet. I think the rest of the season should be more or less straightforward to navigate with free transfers, unless any new, unforeseen Blank Gameweeks should occur.
Scout: Your hits have totalled -40 this season. Are you usually this aggressive with transfers or is this season a bit of a one-off given the raft of postponements, blanks/doubles etc?
Håkon: I tend to be quite aggressive with transfers – even more so in previous seasons. This is actually one of my more conservative seasons when it comes to taking hits. I do try to refrain from taking too many hits, though, as it’s always prone to backfire, and the only certainty with a hit is the minus four points. Looking back at previous seasons I do see some correlation between my rank and the number of hits I’ve taken. I still think that hits are fine in many cases, though, and as you point out I’ve taken quite a few already – and probably will take some more before the season is over. In my opinion, hits can often be justified when faced with multiple injuries/suspensions or in blanks/doubles where it’s more likely you’ll gain back the points.
Scout: Despite forwards generally flopping in 2021/22, you’ve used 4-5-1/5-4-1 on just six occasions – and a 3-4-3/4-3-3 on 15 occasions. Do you still retain faith in forwards and prefer a more attacking set-up?
Håkon: I’ve found it useful to have a solid team of 15 players for most of the season, and there’s always been a lack of forwards in the £4.5m-tier that actually get minutes consistently. Hence, I’ve had to spend more on forwards, and when they cost more I find it a bit harder to put them on the bench – I guess that’s why I’ve ended up playing with three forwards for most of the season. I don’t really expect much from my current strikers apart from Harry Kane, and having played my Bench Boost I think I might turn one of them into a non-playing one for the run-in.
Scout: You’ve had only one Everton player in your team all season, and that was Dominic Calvert-Lewin back in Gameweek 3-4. Do any of their players appeal to you for their run of doubles, starting with GW31?
Håkon: I thought their late win against Newcastle might ignite them a bit and they obviously have something to play for, which is important to keep in mind when entering the closing stages of the season. I was a bit put-off by their defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup the following game, however, but I do think we might see something different from Everton going forwards. If I go there, the players I’m considering are Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anthony Gordon and perhaps Richarlison. Calvert-Lewin would be my preferred choice but ideally, I’d like to see him start some games first.
Scout: You currently don’t have any Manchester City players in your side – is that a situation that will change in the next few weeks or will they have to wait for their double later in the season?
Håkon: Yes, I definitely want some Man City players back – they still have a lot to play for in the league and when they do I think it’s difficult to look past them (rotation risks or not). I had Joao Cancelo and Kevin De Bruyne before my Wildcard in Gameweek 28, when I got rid of both of them to be able to fit in Kane and to prepare for Double Gameweek 29 and Blank Gameweek 30. I think both are great picks and I’m looking to get one or maybe both of them back at some point. I’m not sure exactly when I’ll go for them, as I’ve got some fires to put out in my team at the moment. Man City also face Liverpool soon, so I might put it off for a few weeks.
Scout: With no Bench Boost to play, will you be retaining a solid squad of 15 rather than pouring money into your starting XI, with one eye on rotation around the Champions League/Europa League/FA Cup and the rise in Covid cases?
Håkon: I’m very happy that I got to play my Bench Boost in Double Gameweek 29 as I think it is the hardest chip to get right with all the planning that goes into it and all the compromises you might have to make in the weeks prior to and following the Gameweek you play it. Now that the Bench Boost is out of the way I am looking to put more money into my starting XI. For most of the season I’ve had a very solid squad, which has been useful with all the rotation and postponements, but it seems like things have settled down a bit now, so I think it’s okay to have at least one non-playing asset on the bench. I think putting as much money as possible into the starting XI is the best counter to those who still have their Bench Boost available.
Scout: Who do you think might be a breakout FPL asset in the run-in?
Håkon: If Everton can turn things around I think Dominic Calvert-Lewin could be a great option. The same goes for Harvey Barnes and James Maddison at Leicester, but I don’t think I trust them yet, and they might not have much to play for in the run-in. I also think Nick Pope could be a solid pick given Burnley’s amount of fixtures – but it’s not really an exciting pick, is it? I might have to go there myself, however, as both my keepers (Aaron Ramsdale and Martin Dubravka) are flagged at the moment.
Scout: Is your fantastic overall rank now common knowledge amongst your family and friends?
Håkon: Yes, most of the people I interact with on a daily basis have found out one way or another. It’s been great – their reactions tend to mirror my own, disbelief and excitement. Even those who’ve never played the game seem to find it somewhat impressive. Of course, to those I explain that the game is all skill, no luck. I’ll let them in on the luck part if I start falling down the rankings…
Our thanks again to Håkon, to who we wish the best of luck for the final eight Gameweeks.
