What does it take to produce top youth products at a club?

I have taken over my local team, Dungannon Swifts in the Northern Ireland Premier League. I edited their training facilites and youth facilties giving them 20 in each as well as a youth academy in order to try to produce the best youth players possible. I also edited the town of Dungannon, giving it 20 for attactiveness and maximum population.

My idea was to use my youth players in the first team asap and not buy a single player. So far it hasn't gone great, I have produced a few good players but nothing special.

What else has to be done to produce top of the line youth players?? Is it just something written into the hard code of the game that means the likes of Man United and Barca produce the best youth players??

i think the reputation of your team and the league your in are also a factor, try editing yours teams rep and the leagues rep

As chob said, the two main factors are club and league reputation. Unfortunately club reputation seems to have far too much of an impact in my opinion, which is something i hope SI rectify in the future. Also league reputation will prevent your players from developing above a certain level, so even a potentially world class player would not develop past maybe a championship standard playing in N Ireland.

If you don't mind a bit of editing, you can try raising your club rep to 10,000 just before the season update and then change it back afterwards. That should help improve the standard of regens whilst maintaining that element of randomness.

Luck is also a big factor. I have an incredible youth set-up with Barcelona and there are some years where no good players come through. Other years I have had "could be best of a generation" and "best we've had in a long time" type of players. My tactic is to poach great youngsters from other clubs when they are 16. That means they are classed as homegrown after three seasons.

Luck is also a big factor. I have an incredible youth set-up with Barcelona and there are some years where no good players come through. Other years I have had "could be best of a generation" and "best we've had in a long time" type of players. My tactic is to poach great youngsters from other clubs when they are 16. That means they are classed as homegrown after three seasons.

I also do that, im AC Milan but i have alot of spanish 'homegrown' players lol

Also league reputation will prevent your players from developing above a certain level, so even a potentially world class player would not develop past maybe a championship standard playing in N Ireland.

I'm pretty sure that's complete rubbish, mate.

I think I've read elsewhere that your location is important too - so if you were the only club in London, you'd get great regens, but if you are based in the Scilly Isles, no matter how good your youth facilities are, you're not going to have masses of talent at hand.

I'm pretty sure that's complete rubbish, mate.

I know, from playing experience, this is not complete rubbish in the slightest. Engage your brain before you start spouting idiotic comments and actually think about it for a second. How could any player develop to a world class standard playing in a relatively poor quality league like N Ireland? Just name me one player and i'll say you're right.

I read once that not only the reputation of the club is important but also the City it's in. This could include it's Nations rep, the cities population and the cities reputation

I know, from playing experience, this is not complete rubbish in the slightest. Engage your brain before you start spouting idiotic comments and actually think about it for a second. How could any player develop to a world class standard playing in a relatively poor quality league like N Ireland? Just name me one player and i'll say you're right.

I've developed world class players in smaller rep leagues in FM09 - I don't know if this has changed since other versions of the game or not, but I've definitely done it.

I've developed world class players in smaller rep leagues in FM09 - I don't know if this has changed since other versions of the game or not, but I've definitely done it.

Which leagues i.e. how small are we taking?

Which leagues i.e. how small are we taking?

Different saves across Portugese, Dutch, Scottish

Ok they're all a bit better than Northern Ireland, but they're still lower reputation leagues and have had no problem generating and developing top players to their limit a few seasons in with a developed club.

Different saves across Portugese, Dutch, Scottish

Ok they're all a bit better than Northern Ireland, but they're still lower reputation leagues and have had no problem generating and developing top players to their limit a few seasons in with a developed club.

Personally, i don't consider portugal, holland and scotland to be 'lower leagues'. In game terms, N Ireland has a rep of about 6 compared to the others you mentioned around 14/15 out of 20. A pretty massive difference in reputation. So i still stand by my point; it's not possible to develop players to a world class level in (my definition of) lower leagues, which includes the likes of N. Ireland. I really am quite suprised people believe any different tbh.

To suggest a player would be as good as he could be playing for somebody like Rochdale (no offense 'dale fans) instead of somebody like Barcelona is laughable.

Of course you aren't going to progress to the level you could if you played against sub-standard opposition so often.

Why do you think there was so much uproar when Beckham went to the USA?

You're only as good as your last match and if you continue to play poor teams then you won't better yourself. If you play AC Milan every week you'll be a far better player than if you played AFC Milan (or whoever their AFC Wimbledon Italian equivilent is).