There comes a point in every season, where managers have to make their decision to activate what I consider to be their most powerful chip of the season. The Second wild card.
It can define your season. Go too early, and risk yourself falling behind when future doubles/blanks are announced, and needing to take hits just to keep pace with those that have kept it in their pocket... Go too late, and miss out of potential bumper gameweeks with the advantages of your new, shiny, overhauled team.
For me, I was planning to keep mine for a little longer. I'd seen the talk of using it in GW 26, allowing yourself to prepare for the doubles in 27 and 29, and the blanks in GW28, and whilst i acknowledged it sounded like a decent plan, I was fairly happy with my team.
Three consecutive red arrows, benchings for Benoit Badisahile and Eddie Nketiah, a disappointing return over the last three games for Craig Dawson and Nathan Patterson being nowhere to be seen over the double gameweek that I've kept him in my side for throughout his injury, and I started to get curious.
On Tuesday, I opened the FPL app, and started playing round with my team, looking at the options... and i started to fall in love.
Using plan FPL, and Ben Crellins spreadsheets on twitter I was able to set up this wildcard team whilst looking at the options for GW27, 28, 29 , and beyond (GW 32 and 34 deserve consideration), but there were still FA cup games to play that could change my plans, and the small matter on Ivan Toneys betting discretions.
I thought no more about it, took Eric's team training session on Tuesday evening, and settled down to watch the mighty Sky Blues away at Preston (somewhere we never win), whilst getting the FA Cup updates. The games went pretty much the way I expected, but for Leicester defeat to Blackburn, so there was no impact on my proposed wildcard side (if anything, it benefitted it as James Maddison should now not blank, assuming he's fit... spoiler alert... I want James Maddison...who could've predicted that?)
Come Wednesday lunchtime, I'd purposely not looked at the app, but couldn't get my new potential line up out of my head, so I logged in and confirmed my wildcard. It's an exciting time, and whilst I appreciate it's not the right move for everybody, the time feels right for me.
Wildcarding now gives me a great opportunity to take advantage of GW27 and 29 - both of which are viable Bench boost options, navigate the blanks in 28 (although I'll probably go into that gameweek with just 10 players, looking at those without a game, I'll only want them back for GW29.. If i can roll transfers until then I may be able to do a Haaland hokey-cokey) and leaves me with my Free Hit intact for later in the season.
I've seen a lot of talk about wildcarding next week, but generally those with favourable fixtures that people will want to jump on, also have good fixtures this week.
As always with FPL, the best decisions are often the luckiest ones. Injuries, managerial decisions, and form can all ruin your plans, but for me and my team, the potential benefits of going with an early wild card outweigh the pitfalls of waiting patiently.
I'm hoping that by going early, I can get a jump on those players that I can see as being great differentials currently, but that people will be scrambling to get to as they come into their nice upcoming fixtures, and hopefully get me some hauls on the way.
It doesn't always work like this though, I tried something similar when bringing Craig Dawson in a few weeks ago, and thats been a disappointing move!
There's also a worry that I have over wildcarding, and that's that on Saturday, I will be without my phone for a few hours before and over the deadline, so I won't have any access to potential leaks which could lead me to a different decision when finalising my team, as I'm getting my final part of my Sky Sports prize, and they're taking me and the wife for a behind the scenes experience at Sky Studio's and I will be in the audience of Soccer AM. Look out for me on the TV!