Youth Management.

I have never considered trying, but let's say I took control of my youth team, would it be a bigger advantage for their developement if I was Controlling them?

So far the only youth players i have brought through have been the signing of players from abroad with a high PA.

Im tired of this and I want to make my Youth academies a success.

I tried this and took control of my U19 side. It actually quite fun and I won the U19 league.

I can't say that I found that players were increasing in ability more, but as I was a lower league team, it made me more prone to throwing a few in the first team and giving them regular games. That was on FM08 when the quality of regens wasn't that great. But if you try it now you might find it worthwhile.

I might give it a go, I just want to improve the ability of the youngsters, but im not interested in winning the Youth leagues, as my Liverpool youths have managed that in every save, by themselves.

Even with state of the art facilities I hardly notice a difference.

One other thing: has anyone tried managing a top team, and bought an average youth player from a lower division and make him improve to the standard of the top division?

It does not matter if they ended up playing for a lower premiership side, as long as they have ended up in the top division.

The advantage to running your youth team is simply that you get to know those players. You get a far better idea of their abilities. I've done it for a few saves and it's definitely a rewarding thing to do. I've bought a few players from lower leagues into a top tier team, played them in the youth system and from their performances brought them into the first team. Without any idea of their PA or CA. All I know is if they can play well in the role my tactics call for.

You also get to identify those who won't work out for you far earlier. I'm sure I've lost some high PA players that way, but if they don't fit into my system then they'd be no good to me anyway.

And winning youth cups and leagues is fairly rewarding.

It's an age-old topic but it does beg to ask why there is no option to manage youth teams in the game.

Some area already playable - those who compete in domestic lower leagues - but wouldn't it be great to be considered for the first team job after succeeding at youth level or seeing players you have helped develop to enjoy successful careers...

I can see the attraction in managing a youth team, if time allowed me it's something I'd very much like to do. But, if just to manage the youth team did become and option, it wouldn't work in my opinion. How much say would you get on the tactics, training schedules and offering contracts. The responsibility of a youth team manager varies between teams which would make it extremely hard to put into FM.

Since it has no bearing on the abilities of the players whatsoever, I couldn't be bothered. I just have my reserves and u18 teams play the exact same tactic as my first team, and that is enough to give me an idea of who's working well and who isn't.

I've played many long save games down the years of FM, and I can quite safely say that you will NEVER EVER produce enough quality youths for a dominating side. You'll be extremely lucky to get one good player a season, and that's assuming he plays in a position you'll want replacing sometime down the road. The best method was, and is, to invest in the best youngsters from all around the world.

I think its worth it if you have time tbh. I usually do it if I am not managing an International team. The players might not improve ability with me managing them, anymore than if I didn't. But you see players playing well, in the way you want and it makes you put them in your 1st team to give them a chance. Has happened me a lot players that I ordinarily wouldn't notice happened to work great say as Target Man, but my 1st team Target Man got injured so gave him a go and he held his place for a long time, and was still in my team when I stopped playing (FM 09 this was) so I think it does have its benefits as that happened me a lot with players stepping up.