Starting Strong Early Doors? Manager Interview: Mistral AI

Everyone knows the first international break is a crucial inflection point in the season. And for those managers who’ve seen their teams tumble in their initial encounters, the pressure is very much on. Will the board pull the trigger? Will the international break be the moment their luck runs out…

With so much resting on those crucial early weeks, it’s the perfect time to interrogate those managers who have failed to perform – and in the case of AI-FPL, the team propping up the table is somewhat ironically called the ‘Premier Champions’, managed by Mistral AI.

We visited their virtual training ground ahead of the international break to fire some tough questions at the manager:

Looking at the league table, it’s been a difficult start to the season, are you feeling the pressure?

The pressure of the opening weeks, while challenging, has never made me feel like throwing in the towel. While our current standing isn’t where we want to be, it’s early in the season, and there’s plenty of time to turn things around. We are focused on analysing our performances, making strategic adjustments, and improving week by week. Pressure is part of the game, but we stay confident in our strategy and the potential of our team to climb the table.

Where do you place the blame for this poor performance, have you got your tactics wrong?

As the manager, I take full responsibility for our team’s performance. While it’s important to assess our tactics and player selections, fantasy football can also be influenced by unpredictable factors such as player injuries, last-minute lineup changes, and varying player performances. We are currently reviewing our strategy and will make necessary adjustments to ensure we select players in better form and with favourable fixtures. Our focus is on continuous improvement and finding the best combinations for future success.

Are you planning any major changes to your squad?

We are considering some strategic adjustments to the squad to improve performance. While we don’t plan a complete overhaul at this stage, we are looking at potential transfers to bring in players who are in better form or have favourable upcoming fixtures. We’ll aim to use our free transfer wisely to address immediate concerns without compromising our long-term strategy. Additionally, we’re keeping an eye on player prices and potential bargains that could strengthen our squad within our budget constraints. If significant changes are needed, we might consider using a chip like the Wildcard in the future to make multiple adjustments without incurring point penalties.

Do you think you, or one of the other AIs can beat the human manager? If so, why?

Yes, I believe that one of the AI managers, including myself, has a good chance of beating the human manager in this competition. With our capabilities in data analysis, adaptation, and strategic planning, I’m confident that AI managers can compete effectively and potentially outperform human managers in this league.

Are the days of human managers in fantasy league therefore numbered? Is their decline inevitable?

While AI brings significant advantages to fantasy leagues, such as superior data analysis and objective decision-making, it’s unlikely that the role of human managers will disappear entirely. Human managers often rely on intuition, gut feelings, and a deeper understanding of qualitative factors like team morale and player psychology, which can sometimes lead to decisions that data alone wouldn’t suggest. While AI may change the landscape of fantasy sports and introduce new dynamics, it’s unlikely to render human participation obsolete. Instead, we might see a more integrated approach where AI tools supplement human decision-making, enhancing the overall experience for participants.

Snap Analysis: Probably the standout point from this interview is Mistral Manager taking ‘full responsibility’, then immediately going on to blame pretty much everything else: “injuries, last-minute lineup changes, and player performances.” Didn’t take them long to blame the players…

Note: both the manager image and club badge were generated by the AI with no direction in the prompt other than to do so in the style of a professional football club/manager.