Werewolf the quintessential shape shifter of popular culture, leads a veritable canon of transforming notables throughout folklore, mythology and religion..
Werewolves (literally “man-wolves”) are shape-shifting creatures with unusual speed, strength, reflexes, and senses.
In Greek mythology Zeus assumed many different forms for seduction, including a white bull and a swan. In Egyptian mythology, Anubis is depicted as a man with the head of a jackal.
In Christian religion, Saint Christopher,was asked by a small boy to be carried across a river,the child got heavier and heavier, then on reaching the other side, the boy revealed he was actually Jesus Christ.
In the folklore that emerged across Europe and Scandinavia in the Late Middle Ages (15th to 17th century), belief in werewolves was quite common. Enough so that they were mentioned in law, and reports of attacks were numerous, along with subsequent court trials and convictions.
In this ancient cave drawing the animal is depicted with human feet, the shaman would channel the animal, becoming the beast so the hunters might learn the best ways to catch it. In his 2002 book ‘The Mind in the Cave’, Lewis-Williams argues that shamans created cave art after experiencing hallucinations during rituals.
In a 13th-century Icelandic work, the “Völsunga Saga,” men wear the skin of wolves to fight as wolves. This may also tie in to the Norse berserk warriors, who were named for the bear skin they wore in battle.
And this brings me to my first point of relevance to FPL, focus.
Becoming the beast.
To know something, you must be open to learning about it. Put yourself in the place of a real football manager, the season is a long haul, as soon as the fixture list is announced, some games are targeted for attack. There might also be a need for periods of patience, rest, or just plain grinding out results.
Last season Pep achieved incredible metrics with Man City (as he did the previous season) the results didn’t follow, Liverpool, with worse metrics won the title. Luck played it’s part.
It is highly unlikely you ‘win’ every week. Prepare yourself – forewarned is forearmed.
This leads onto my second point, know yourself, play to your personality – how you adapt to the various periods in the season is down to you.
If you regularly read my blog you will know I have been channeling my inner psychopath to try to correct some of my FPL weaknesses.
Just what is your playing personality ? Hopefully not so volatile you turn into a slavering, angry beast as regularly as the moon phases/Pep roulette sets in.
My aim is to achieve balance, I aim for a calm consistent low risk thoughtful style. Others prefer a more high risk pro-hitting style. However you #playyourowngame it is yours to tame.
My third FPL point of interest, is the need to shapeshift as an ongoing concept.
Transformation in your team, this can be weekly formation changes to capitalise on fixtures, or more transitional restructuring as a coping mechanism for refreshing and strategy tweaking. I am not dismissing the need for an overall plan, rather advocating refinement and adaption. Remember how quickly we got in penalty takers at the start of the season? Thanks VAR.
Currently I am considering shifting shape from a 3-5-2 to a 5-4-1 or 4-5-1, goals seem to be drying up. Why ?
im really putting it down to the managers fear of injuries to their key players… they are literally telling their teams to play a low percentage type of football…. not much sprinting and a greater empthasis on playing to “feet” to control the game .. rather than explosive movements to create space… so we are seeing far more possession based football as a pose to creative goal creating play..
1lifesoccer, professional football manager and Elite FPL member
Fourth and final FPL concept for this blog, this is a competition, behave like it is.
Men are not gentle creatures, who want to be loved, who at the most can defend themselves if they are attacked; they are, on the contrary, creatures among whose instinctual endowments is to be reckoned a powerful share of aggressiveness. As a result, their neighbor is for them not only a potential helper or sexual object, but also someone who tempts them to satisfy their aggressiveness on him, to exploit his capacity for work without compensation, to use him sexually without his consent, to seize his possessions, to humiliate him, to cause him pain, to torture and to kill him. Homo homini lupus.
Sigmund Freud on how to win your mini league.
IN CONCLUSION
I have blogged many times about refreshing, re framing and restructuring for success and motivation.
If channeling your inner wolf gives you more self-confidence and resilience I say do it. A shapeshifter is not a mythical super human, shapeshifting is about adaptability; being able to change yourself or your approach to change in the world you live in.
The pace of the Premier League is very fluid, so you need to be able to write and re-write (and re-write again!) your strategy if required
James Egersdorff Ranked #1 Fantasy Football Scout Hall of Fame 2017-19
CATCHING UP ON THE LAST 2 GAME WEEKS
So the longest and biggest double game week has passed. Not using any of my lucky charms, I was mentally prepared for a red arrow, and result, I got it – but it wasn’t as bad as thought it would be.
I fell from 232K to 296K, finishing 3 points ahead of the average. I did take a -8, removing Bamford, Antonio and Grealish, and welcoming DCL, Barnes and Raphinha. We all know how that went, as Ancelotti continued his new diamond formation which sacrificed DCL somewhat, tragically Barnes fell injured, but Raph is looking more than OK.
I saw some big hits being taken, and some major lamenting as the goals dried up as the week progressed.The best score (without a chip) was 165 points, from a team dead since GW4 – it figures.
GW 27 concluded last night, with all the fun that Pep roulette brings, only Gundo played twice in my Man City double game week triple up. Comme ci, comme ça.
A rise from 296K to 282K – is that all ???
Confession – 20 mins after the deadline I realised I forgot to play my TC chip on Gundogan, que sera sera. I swapped out Barnes for Lingard, who returned straight away. In a week where I am currently discussing 5 at the back in chat, my defence below scored a shocker.
How do the top scoring players of the week line up then..
It’s do or die in the Elite Super Cup, as GW28 is the last week of leagues before we reach the knock out stages.
I have not featured this competition on the blog, as my regular readers will know, I only play for overall rank. However I face FPL Salah next week and I may play a chip to ensure the win.
Stay hungry – like the wolf
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