FM09 Suggestion: Private + More responsive interactions

Perhaps this is part of a bigger discussion of how media works in FM, but at least one smaller change that seems pretty obvious to me is the need to be able to talk to players/staff and whatever else privately, and not via the media.

It seems ridiculous that the only way to discuss a player's worth to a team or the terms of a new contract is if the player first complains to the media, and then you have to respond through it.

At the very least, it should be possible to head disgruntled players by promising them things privately (eg. a player who is looking for first team action could be told that he will feature more next season, or a player may be warned that fresh competition/backup will be brought in for his position on the field). This could also work as a part of an appeal to players professionalism, that true pros will come to you privately to discuss issues before ever thinking about talking to the media.

I think another significant part of this is that interactions with players and others should be more dynamic and responsive; it's really just a tacked-on minigame where you hope your response will garner the desired reaction.

Point in case:

A player tells you (through the media) that they want first team football.

Your options are generally 1. tell him that you're the boss 2. tell him he's backup 3. tell him he's going to get more action 4. tell him he needs to train better 5. tell him he's redundant and he's going to get sold.

From my experience, based on the players predicament (age, relative quality, form, team form) and personality (determination, loyalty, professionalism etc.), each manager reply will give a different response that ranges from 1. Apology, totally resolving the complaint 2. manager promise that delays the complaint 3. shocked player requesting a transfer.

The problem with this is that it's a mini-game as opposed to a simulation. A real manager-player interaction would involved a discussion, back and forth and an eventual compromise that may be far from what the two parties initially expected. the current system just involves an educated guess that seems entirely unrealistic, irreparably breaking manager-player relationships in some cases and in others, incomprehensibly resolving issues (telling an older player who says he just wants more first team action that he's backup (which was already his squad status), and then getting an apology).

What do other's think?

Very well put. I couldn't agree more to be honest.

At the moment a lot of players say they just never respond to any media comments of any sort simply to avoid the possibility of any bad reactions (which is fair enough!) and I think that is totally unrealistic, because IRL a manager can't just say "no comment" all day long at a press conference.