How I won the FPL 2012/13

[spiderm4tt]

Thanks roadrunner

I didn't know or read about last years winner for some reason, but yes us managers at the top had our good weeks and not so good weeks like everybody else, and it was usually the safer option that got me progress.

My feeling each GW was to have 'damage limitation' picks where possible. For example, if my less risky pick, mainly my captain pick, didn't come off then I wouldn't lose out too much as I felt the majority of the top managers around me would do the same pick, which they did most weeks. It was only the odd one or two managers that probably had 'risky picks' now and then, so it didn't hurt me too much if this came off for them. I just tred to keep it simple and play the percentages each week.

The hardest part about my season was sticking to my whole plan week in, week out, in the face of great temptation and tinkering to try something different. So glad I didn't do this!

You are a stronger man than most of us!

Ha thanks Erez!

I wonder if we can add 'Tinkering' as an official eighth sin...

Yes maybe! I shall therefore continue to stay away from it!

[Maverick Supersonic]

Great read, sure you will relish the challenge of defending your title

Can't wait for next season, bound to be plenty of transfer activity before the season starts and already looks like there will be a good few unknown quantities.

Plently to ponder already with the fixture announcements and United's tough start.

[spiderm4tt]

Thanks Yes I'm looking forward to the challenge of defending my title....I really want to win it again!

Yes there's quite a few unknowns so far....and with the expected price rises of the usual suspects who did well last season, these unknowns may be the key to a good start, like Hazard and Michu were last season.

[Neil D]

Thanks for writing this up, it's a great read that gave me plenty of food for thought. And once again, congratulations!

I think it's really interesting that you had so much success with a cheap backline and such a front heavy, top loaded team. Makes me wonder of expensive defenders are worth the hassle at all. Also I know what you mean about having eight good attacking options - I hate having to choose who to bench each week and Michu hurt me badly when I chose him!

[spiderm4tt]

You're welcome, thanks

The FPL game in its current format favours the front seven over a back line and keeper in that the most points to be gained comes from the midfield and forwards. Even more so this past few seasons with more goals scored and fewer clean sheets kept from the top teams. So yes I didn't see the point in having an expensive back line and I still don't unless keepers or defenders get more of a points potential.

Yes having a good front eight as good as it seems is a bit of a nightmare in getting the right player to bench, similar to when I had two available keepers towards the end of the season. When I had just a front seven and a non playing keeper I had no problems picking my team and I feel this was when I did well!

[Neil D]

Yeah I know what you mean, you would almost rather not have the dilemma so you can't make the wrong choice! The problem with that is as you found when one of your seven is injured in a warm-up or is unexpectedly benched you end up with a Pog calibre sub coming into your team for a small return.

Do you think 3-5-2 is the best formation? I tend to prefer three strikers.

[spiderm4tt]

I tend to prefer three strikers also. I would play four strikers if we were allowed! I think 3-4-3 is probably the best formation due to the way the game is set up at present.

3-5-2 is a good formation though, especially if there are plenty of value midfielders and not much value up top. But I prefers forwards as they are usually involved in most of the goals in one way or another, which leads to BAPs. RvP, Lambert and Suarez, along with Ba and Tevez at times earlier in the season, were fantastic examples of this.

[Mav3rick]

Great post spiderm4tt thanks for taking the time to write it. I'm going to read it all over the course of the next couple of weeks.

[DenisH152]

Great read matt, nice to hear your views on the season. I wish you the best of luck for next season. Defending that title will be so difficult and I am sure you will give it one hell of a go!

[bulgarche]

Very nice, Spider Wish you good luck for the new season.

[spiderm4tt]

Thanks

[Omarz14]

I know my question might sound silly...but is the one who started the thread really the winner of last year's FPL?

[wibble_mcwoo]

I know my question might sound silly...but is the one who started the thread really the winner of last year's FPL?

Did you not think to click on his FPL link before risking sounding silly? The rank's there for you to see.

[Omarz14]

I know my question might sound silly...but is the one who started the thread really the winner of last year's FPL?

Did you not think to click on his FPL link before risking sounding silly? The rank's there for you to see.

Of course I thought but I didn't build my new team yet so I couldn't get to the ranking...a YES would be enough anyway

[wibble_mcwoo]

I know my question might sound silly...but is the one who started the thread really the winner of last year's FPL?

Did you not think to click on his FPL link before risking sounding silly? The rank's there for you to see.

Of course I thought but I didn't build my new team yet so I couldn't get to the ranking...a YES would be enough anyway

You can always get to people's rankings, even if you're not registered or logged in. Anyway, let's not hijack the thread.

[flyingkillercob]

Just read the whole article in one go. Probably my finest FF achievement

Congratulations Matt and thank you for writing at length about your win. Let's hope the finale to next season's game is as exciting (and features a FISOer winning!)

[Tadpole]

With the Chelsea v Villa game moving to the first week, its almost possible to use your method as a starting guide

[jipouille]

I think you are some kind of god of the virtual world.

Thanks for sharing indeed....

and glad that an important member of the fiso community has done it. don't know if this happened before but this also shows the quality of this community. so i seize the opportunity to thank all these people that dedicate so much of their time to help us to waste our time more effectively

[Ironfist]

I think you are some kind of god of the virtual world.

Thanks for sharing indeed....

and glad that an important member of the fiso community has done it. don't know if this happened before but this also shows the quality of this community. so i seize the opportunity to thank all these people that dedicate so much of their time to help us to waste our time more effectively

Only 6 posts in 2 years... we're not doing our job good enough

[jipouille]

There are writers.
and there are readers.



now after reading the whole thing , o great spider of the universe, may i ask you a question. Do you tend to get your transfers in early after the game, or do you look frantically to ctc.... or were you soon rich enough for not caring and transfer on Saturday morning?

[From4corners]

You should write more, I like what I am reading from you

[wahl84]

Great article, Spider! It gave me a lot of inspiration in front of the coming season.

[spiderm4tt]

now after reading the whole thing , o great spider of the universe, may i ask you a question. Do you tend to get your transfers in early after the game, or do you look frantically to ctc.... or were you soon rich enough for not caring and transfer on Saturday morning?

It certainly wasn't the latter -though that would have been nice!

I most often only made transfers until as late as possible after the Friday's team news. I usually made my transfers Friday midnight before the final GW price rises, and also mainly because I sometimes worked Saturday morinings.

Yes I frantically looked at CTC many times a day, which was a huge help (thank you again CTC guys!). I rarley took a chance on early transfers and if the price went up during the week I didn't really care too much - but if I couldn't afford the player due to leaving the player until the Friday, then I thought so be it, it wasn't meant to be. Not spending points was crucial in me winning it in the end

[spiderm4tt]

You should write more, I like what I am reading from you

Thanks F4C

I would like to write more about FPL/football but I start my masters dissertation in the next few weeks - so I may not find much spare time

I am though in the process of writing two articles for two different fantasy football websites - I'll let you know when they have been published.

Hopefully my masters study will not be too heavy - I'd much rather like to write about football all day instead, and also be in The Rounded Keeper on match days!

[jipouille]

jipouille wrote:


now after reading the whole thing , o great spider of the universe, may i ask you a question. Do you tend to get your transfers in early after the game, or do you look frantically to ctc.... or were you soon rich enough for not caring and transfer on Saturday morning?



It certainly wasn't the latter -though that would have been nice!

I most often only made transfers until as late as possible after the Friday's team news. I usually made my transfers Friday midnight before the final GW price rises, and also mainly because I sometimes worked Saturday morinings.

Yes I frantically looked at CTC many times a day, which was a huge help (thank you again CTC guys!). I rarley took a chance on early transfers and if the price went up during the week I didn't really care too much - but if I couldn't afford the player due to leaving the player until the Friday, then I thought so be it, it wasn't meant to be. Not spending points was crucial in me winning it in the end

thanks. at least I was doing one thing as you did

[From4corners]

You should write more, I like what I am reading from you

Thanks F4C

I was actually referring to jipouille, but you're alright haha

[spiderm4tt]

You should write more, I like what I am reading from you

Thanks F4C

I was actually referring to jipouille, but you're alright haha

Haha! what a reply fail from me

Yes I too think jipouille should write more - also I always like what I'm reading from you F4C!!

[From4corners]

Likewise. And look at you being all popular It's good to know that you are capable of putting your thoughts into words for more articles. I take it these touch upon the same topic? Ctrl-c / crtl-v an option? Should be a good basis for your master's thesis as well (don't use the ctrl-c and ctrl-v option for that though).

[spiderm4tt]

Ha yes no copying and pasting for my thesis!

Though I'm seriously considering combining FPL with my research topic - I do have a few research Qs that may need answering such as:

Q1) Does the effect of having a poor GW score impact negatively on doing home exercises?

Q2) Does a good GW captain pick improve soft tissue healing in a hamstring muscle strain?

and finally;

Q3) Is there a negative correlation between the amount of time spent on FISO and picking up sporting injuries? (for example: the more you are sat down whilst using FISO, the less chance you have of playing sports and getting injured!)


I hope my university will give me the go ahead to answer these research Qs

[@Brian]

As someone near the end of my own course and thesis, good luck keeping a healthy "work life+fpl balance" !