Do you always have a keeper on the bench?

I never do, except for friendlies.

What's the point, it's very rare for the keeper to be injured or sent off.

I've only ever not had a keeper TWICE in the game.

In both of those games my keeper got sent off or injured and i had to put Terry in goal lol.

i always go for 1 keeper 2 def 2 mid 2 att

with 7 substitutes i dont see why you wouldnt want a keeper, of course in the first season you are only allowed 5 so i went 1 keeper 1 def 2 mid 1 att.

if i dont have a keeper then its in a game i dont have to win, say the last game of the league which we won before the game

I prefer to have a keeper on the bench for all my matches, but if I only have one fit, and my only other option is a youth keeper, I'll not bother. In terms of what types of player I have on my bench, normally 1 keeper, 1 centre-back, 1 DM or CM, 1 winger/AM and a striker. It all depends who's starting, who is better and how versatile my players are.

I always name a keeper on the bench, although last year when NI only had three subs I wouldn't name one.

Yes, when ever i have left a keeper off the bench (usually by accident) I have had my keeper sent off or injured.

I rarely put a keeper on the bench, although it depends on the rest of my squad - if there's no-one else I really want to have on the bench I will.

Seems 'keepers get injured or sent off far less than back in FM06 when my Whitley Bay team got mullered on a few occasions when we had to stick an outfield player in goal.

In FM07 I always did but in FM08 I never do. I've never seen MY keeper get injured and I've only had one sending off in about 12 saves - some of them lasting to 2020 - and that was for hacking down an opponant outside the area.

My bench is usually 2 def, 1 DM, 2 AMs, 1 ST and a yoof whom I blood if the game is safe.

I never do when I have 5 subs, but do most of the time when I have 7.

I should mention what I have on my bench:

DR or DL

DC

2 x AM

ST

Never have a keeper on the bench except for internationals

Always have a GK on the bench:

GK

DEF

DM

AM

ST

When it was only 5 substitutes I never had a keeper but now it's up to 7 substitutes I usually put one on the bench, especially in European games.

4 subs: No way

5 subs: Possibly. Depends on versatility of other subs.

7 subs: Always.

1x GK

1 x full back preferably capable of playing eitehr side.

1x Centre back

1x defensive midfielder

1x winger

1x Attacking midfielder

1x Striker

I always name a goalkeeper on the bench, just for the simple fact of Sod's Law. I know that if I didn't name one, then my goalkeeper would be sent off or become injured with no replacement goalkeeper.Having said that, I cannot remeber very many occasions where I actually have had to replace my goalkeeper.

Never have a Keeper on the Bench.

Never had my Keeper go off injured or get sent off in 10 seasons.

Been playing two teams at the same time for the last 7 of them.

Depends how many subs I could name.

If its a league with 3 subs then no, if its a league with 5 or 7 subs named then yes.

I always have a GK on the bench. I learned that lesson early on in FM2006.

Next choice for the bench is a DF. When I take over a club, one of my first acquisitions is a DF that can play anywhere along the back line. If that player starts, my bench DF is a player who plays the position the three-way DF is in. Otherwise the three-way is on the bench.

Third on the bench is a ST.

The other two spots are versatile MFs, optimally one that can play anwhere across the middle. I always have one or two on my squad. My most valuable bench player is a guy who is natural anywhere along the back line and the midfield.

i used to always with 5subs but since reading a few posts on here i thought about it and realised ive never had a keeper sent off or injured, so stopped putting one on the bench (except big cup games e.g semis or finals).

came back to haunt me yesterday though when i was 2-0 up and my keeper got injured, so my striker went in net and we lost 4-2 lol

I've never had subs good enough to be worth dropping a spare keeper.

The choice is having one extra crap outfield player to choose from, or not look like an idiot if my keeper gets injured.

I rarely have a spare keeper, as i like to have maximum choice for all scenarios once in game (apart from keeper sent off )

Its only bitten me about twice.

in the Australian league (A-League) it is a league rule to have a keeper on the bench plus you only get 4 subs ie 1 x keeper + 3 players. I generally go for 1 keeper, 1 def, 1 mid, 1 striker

always, but i play typically in leagues with 7 subs.

I never have a keeper on the bench, unless my keeper is going into the game with an Orange INJ sign.

Always. Too risky. The one time I only had one fit keeper (on 07), I had to put Ronaldo in goal in the Madrid derby, and lost 7-1 (ironically the 1 was scored by Ronaldo before Adan got injured!)

Originally posted by SCIAG:

Always. Too risky. The one time I only had one fit keeper (on 07), I had to put Ronaldo in goal in the Madrid derby, and lost 7-1 (ironically the 1 was scored by Ronaldo before Adan got injured!)

Thats very unrealistic though, isn't it.

We all know when an outfield player goes in goal, he never concedes and pulls off world class saves, an more often than not, saves a penalty. Shortly after you'll see him ripping off his shirt to reveal a the "Superman" S

Yeh always have a keeper on the bench, its just a disaster watching an outfield player in net.

ive always had a keeper on the bench just incase although ive never had one injured or sent off but if my keeper was to play a howler i would look into subing him and give my other keeper a chance to get a shot in 1st team

Goalkeeper

Versatile

Defender

Midfielder

Attacker

For 7 subs,

1 GK

1 DC

1 DR/DL

1 DMC

2 AMC/R/L

1 FC

I usually play 4-1-3-2 and the subs are arranged that way; it varies from each formation used. Also, I prefer to have versatile players as subs, eg. van Persie can play both AML/R, FC.

If 5 subs (in cups)

GK is optional depending on the conditions of the first 11. If most/all are 100%, then GK may be in as a sub. (You don't expect to use all 3 subs)

Most of the time I don't put a GK on the bench (unless I am short on bench players).. There is absolutely no point.. I mean the chances are slim and almost to none. I only ever had once my GK sent off and I had to put my ST (who has better rating for GK-ing) and lost miserably.

I have:

GK

DC

RB/LB

DM

AM (Versatile)

ST (Fast)

ST (Big bloke)

for 7 subs i like to have a spare keeper. otherwise if i feel i would like more options on pitch then i'll leave the keeper out.

My sub keeper has made 9 sub appearences.

None in goal.

2 Upfront

3 in AM

1 in DM

2 LB

1 RB

And he still has an average rating of 7

I never do, but then in the lower NI leagues you are only allowed 3 subs, so it is a calculated risk not too.

My goalkeeper is approaching 39 (Edwin van der Sar), so I feel a lot happier with a substitute 'keeper on the bench should his hips go or a cataract suddenly appear! Ben Foster seems pretty unhappy about still being a back-up, though.

playing in SPL it is a rule that we have to name at least one goalkeeper. as such I always have a keeper on the bench for every match. This even applies if we are playing in a scottish cup game where only 5 named subs allowed as I always put my keeper in the first sub space

I always do unless I the only fit keeper I have is some 15 year old from the youth team.

I usually have

1 GK

2 DF

2 Mids

2 St

I rarely have a keeper on the bench.It's not very often that the keeper gets injured/sent off

Well ive had a couple of injuries with keepers befoe and this is why I always have a kepper on the bench.

Have to say I always have a 'keeper on the bench. For me its always been 1gk

1df

1midfielder who can play more than 1 area and 1 st

With 5 subs I never have a keeper.

With 7 I do occasionally but more often than not I don't.

In FM08 I haven't been in the situation where I had to put an outfield player in net to be fair. Not that I can recall anyway.

I ALWAYS have a keeper on the bench.

Always have really.

I don't take my goalkeeper on the bench if I have only 3 subs - yes if I have 5 and above

always unless I am out of keepers. This happens worryingly often when I play LLM.

Originally posted by pelicanstuff:

always unless I am out of keepers. This happens worryingly often when I play LLM.

I know what you mean there. I once had all three of my keepers out injured, two in training and then the third one injured in a match. As I had no other keepers remaining, I had to put a defender in goal (no grey players were generated as GK for the match). Naturally, I got hammered in that game.

Luckily, I got one of my injured keepers back before the next match.

Although it does happen, the frequency in which goalkeepers are injured or sent off during a match is far too unrealistically low.

I almost never bother putting a keeper on the bench unless it's to blood in a newbie or placate a frustrated back-up, so that he can join in when we're 3-0 up.

I hope this imbalance is tweaked and improved for FM09.

i am fairly cautious so i tend to have two keepers on the bench.

Originally posted by Tom Leeburn:

i am fairly cautious so i tend to have two keepers on the bench.

Do all your keepers have glass ankles!?!

I only have a keeper on the bench if I have seven subs, and even then, I'm more inclined to include more outfield options.