GW2/3 - It's So Hard To Follow The Template

This following the template lark is hard. Firstly, I'm a little disappointed, as I think I've ruined the whole experiment by not nailing the template properly, and also by not keeping on top of things these first few weeks. The Template is one of those things you kind of just know - you know it when you see it. However, to know it you need to be plugged in to what's going on in FPL. As I wasn't paying attention to what was going on in the weeks preceding GW1 I just didn't have a clue. It was lazy of me.

I think Saka is definitely template. Now I've started paying attention I see him in pretty much every team. It's not surprising given his nice price relative to other options. Again, something I would've known instinctively had I been paying attention.

Since the start I've tried to follow the template with my transfers too. I've been too lacklustre and slow off the mark though, meaning I've missed quite a few price changes. (One of the benefits of 'following the template' is you get those bandwagon/herd mentality point ones. So this is another example of my laziness spoiling my little experiment.)

MOVES

Last week, when Solanke got injured, I had a decision to make in regard cheap forward options. The template move was to go with Muniz. My instinctive desire was to go with Southampton's Adam Armstrong - mainly to save £0.5m. I went with the template choice, of course - true to my plan. It was quite a good illustration of the type of difference in decision making I was expecting. It felt so wrong going against my instincts. I didn't like doing it, but even though I haven't quite nailed the template start I'm determined to stick with it.

This week I've made two transfers. I've actually took a (-4). Another thing I would normally never be doing this early in the season. I downgraded Nkunku to Rogers, and I upgraded Gordon to Saka.

So now I am looking very template. The only other clear template player I don't own is Fulham's Robinson.

GW2 Score

72 points (avg. 69)

As you can see, I benched Gordon's 10 pointer. This was another 'chasing the template' mistake. Had I been playing my normal game I'd have never benched Gordon in a million years. However, I was watching fpl content and so many people were sticking with Nkunku for another game. Likewise, there was the usual talk of Gordon being poor away from home. So I was thinking, "What would a template manager do?", and stuck Nkunku in. This was a mistake, and not because it cost me points, but because the logic was faulty. Just because I'm following the template doesn't mean I should make daft decisions in regard my own specific team. Gordon was always more likely to play than Nkunku. So that was an error in judgement in more than one way.

My current rank is now 3,773,406. So not a great start. Now I've taken a (-4) that'll be a further dent. It's still early days though,