Are the durations on "Add to Shortlist" correct?

I've been thinking about "Add to Shortlist", and I'm not sure that the durations are correct.

The current "Add to Shortlist" has the following durations:

- 1 month

- 3 months

- 6 months

- 12 months

- Indefinitely

While those are sometimes useful, I find that there are plenty of "tweener" situations, where I want, say, 9 months or so. For example, if a scout discovers a player on the 15th of October, and his contract expires June 30th of the following year.

3 months takes us to January 15th, which is okay, but it might be nicer to track him to the end of the January transfer window.

6 months takes us to April 15th, which is just short of the point where I can offer him a contract under England's expiring contracts rule.

12 months gets us all the way through the summer transfer window, but then takes us to the following October 15th, which means he's on my list for an extra couple months after the summer window.

I'd like to propose the following dates, instead:

- 1 month

- End of current transfer window

- End of next transfer window

- End of next offseason transfer window

- End of contract*

- Until 18th birthday

- Until 25th birthday

- Until 32nd birthday

- Indefinitely

Here's what I envision for each of them, and why I've included them:

1 month - if you have plenty of transfer budget, and you're actively scouting for transfer candidates at a specific position, 1 month is a perfect timeframe for identifying targets without polluting a transfer list indefinitely. Its useful; it stays.

End of current window - taken off my shortlist at the next end-of-transfer-window date. For example: if today is August 12th, he would be taken off on September 1st; if today is October 15th, he would be taken off on February 1st; if today is May 10th, he would be taken off on September 1st.

This is the most useful timeframe, IMHO; its the one I find myself aiming for when I use the current 3-month and 6-month options. I use it when I have a pressing need to fill, and intend to fill it - either with this player or somebody else at the same position. In either case, the potential targets aren't players I need to watch beyond the current transfer window.

End of next window - taken off my shortlist at the end of the next transfer window. For example: if today is August 12th, he would be taken off on February 1st. If today is October 15th, he would be taken off on September 1st. If today is May 10th, he would be taken off on February 1st.

I can see using this in two cases - mostly, for the "through next summer's window" option from September through December, for summer transfer targets. I could also see it for players whom you think a club will want to sell in the winter window but can't pry out of their fingers over the summer.

End of next offseason's transfer window - Taken off my shortlist at the end of the next offseason, e.g., the September 1st date which is between 366 and 730 days from today.

This would be useful for "intriguing" targets whom you aren't willing to move on immediately, but who look like good candidates to replace a player on your team whose contract expires at that same window. Its not "Indefinite", but it gives you a two-season "reach" of transfer windows between this and the other two options.

End of contract - This might be better read as "End of the transfer window in which his current contract expires." So, for example, if the player's contract is currently set to expire on June 30th, 2011, the player is set on your transfer list through September 1st, 2011. If the player signs a new contract through June 30th, 2013, he is still removed from your transfer list on the September 2011 date.

This would be extremely useful for LLM's and those on tight budgets, e.g., after promotion, who are trying to build their squad through Bosman transfers - usually, by the end of that transfer window, the player will have re-signed with his current club, signed with a new club, or you have given up on him as unsuitable for some reason.

Until 18th birthday - Player removed from shortlist on his 18th birthday.

A lot of times, I want to follow kids aged 15 or 16 as they age. I certainly want to be notified when they turn 17. By the time they have turned 18, I've usually either made a play for them or given up on them.

Until 25th birthday - Player removed from shortlist on his 25th birthday.

If I've identified a potential target in the 19-23 age range, I'm not likely to really want to follow him "Indefinitely", but would find it useful to remain informed about transfer opportunities, bids, etc., until he turns 25 or so. I suspect there are plenty of human managers who basically aim to bring in players who are 25 and under, and sell of their players somewhere in the 29-32 age range.

Until 32nd birthday - Player removed from shortlist on his 32nd birthday.

I'd use this to keep track of this guy until he really begins aging; as above, I think its a pretty good age as a "beyond this age, some human managers won't bring in a player" marker.

Indefinitely - Player not removed from shortlist until he retires.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'm not sure the "titles"are quite correct - I'm not sure if this idea works better with the titles I've listed, or just by following that algorithm but displaying the actual dates. Maybe if the longer-range dates included an explanation?:

E.g., Add to shortlist

- Until November 15, 2009

- Until February 1, 2010

- Until September 1, 2010

- Until September 1, 2011

- Until September 1, 2012 (End of contract)

- Until May 11, 2013 (25th birthday)

- Until May 11, 2020 (32nd birthday)

- Indefinitely

Seems overly complicated. Why not just keep the current options and add a 'shortlist until' option where you add a date or length of time yourself...

Seems overly complicated. Why not just keep the current options and add a 'shortlist until' option where you add a date or length of time yourself...

This would be a better option. But I really don't feel any shortcomings of current shortlisting system.

Or use a note

I have an idea for FM10. Add a duration in "add to shortlist" called "chosen time" and you choose the time.

Or just add indefinetly and remove any players you're done with?

If I'm just going to add indefinitely and remove by hand, that defeats the point of "Add until ..." entirely. Same with using a Note (presumably with a reminder date set, if I'm reading you right, vrisk85?).

Add to shortlist for a specified time would be nice in that it would let me cover all the cases I've listed .. but I can't imagine using it for arbitrary dates outside of the ones listed, and I think it would pretty quickly start to feel tedious trying to maneuver a calendar to match those dates - I'd start thinking "Gosh, why aren't those defaults?"

This would be a better option. But I really don't feel any shortcomings of current shortlisting system.

Fair enough.

Do you find that you use all of the options (1m, 3m, 6m, and 12m, I)?

If today is March 15th, and your scout has identified a great prospect, are the dates June 15th, September 15th, and March 15th of next year actually useful to you - or would September 1st, February 2nd of next year, September 1st of next year be more useful?

. . . .

If my needs are different, I wonder if I'm using "shortlists" differently from other posters? I typically put every player that my scouts recommend, whom I find useful, on my "Default" shortlist .. it winds up being a fair number of players (130 at the moment), so automated tools that remove the player from my shortlist is the only thing that's keeping it from getting entirely out of hand.

(I move them on to a created Shortlist, my "True" shortlist, after multiple scoutings of the player and identifying him as fitting an actual need with my club.)

I don't really know whats best or what would be helpful tbh.

For me I send out my scouts and add anyone who is 4*+ to my default shortlist.

In the past I used the "One year" option but more recently just used indefinitely.

Using the one year was fine for my needs but it became a grind sending scouts back to look at a player when the year was up.

Now I just send scouts to look at players when I notice the reports having dropped off them on the shortlist.

I only sign players from the shortlist.

What i want is a checkbox that would allow me to disable automatic shortlisting. Just because i scout someone doesnt mean i want him in my shortlist. Its so annoying scouting someone then having to remove him.

I add everybody indefinitely and sort and delete every close season- in truth, it would be diificult to accurately predict how long a player should be on the list without giving it considerable thought and perhaps there are other more pressing taks,

Well, if you shortlist a player, dont you get messages in your inboxes regarding happenings with the player?

This means you are unlikely to lose out on offering him a contract, and you will always be in the know when he wants a transfer and is unhappy.

There isn't any point in adding a new feature when all you have to do is keep a close eye on him.