Squad Rotation

Im busy playing as Barcelona at the moment and I have two players for every postion and I want to know if anyone here has played one single team week in and week out without the other player becoming unhappy....

Also leave your comments on this subject...

nah there'll always be one at least, specially the older players, even if they know theyre backups. best thing to do is tell em 'i pick the team' when they pipe up and hopefully they will apologise (might stop others moanin too). if they want to leave its not like theyre indispensible, best sticking to youngsters for your 2nd string

I do this, and have two team selections, 1 and 2. 1 play in all the leagues, 2 play in all cup games, apart from the CL final.

I've never had any complaints, although maybe I'm assisted by rotation through injuries...

EDIT: In your case I wouldn't recommend playing your first team week in, week out, using the second team only for backup. They're bound to be unhappy with that. Play the "lesser" team against easier opposition, and also rest the more important players ahead of tough games. That might work

So its not like in RL where the teams play almost identical teams week in week out....

So its not like in RL where the teams play almost identical teams week in week out....

Not in my experience, it seems the effects of squad status and losing match fitness is exaggerated in FM

Not in my experience, it seems the effects of squad status and losing match fitness is exaggerated in FM

it is exaggerated yes , and players whine too much

After a couple of seasons at Inter I had two 11's. I decided on the stronger player of 2 for each position. The first 11 played every game except league games, home and away, against the bottom half of the league. This meant my 2nd choice players getting around 25 games a year, once you've included appearances when they've played in the first 11 due to injuries/ssuspensions.

It's not very realistic but it works fine, keeping everyone happy and fit

I basically have two squads, I play my A Team for around 90% of all Prem & CL games

The B Team play in all FA Cup, League Cup games (bar FA cup final) and selected Prem/CL games (last game or two of group stages for CL if I've qualified) and the weaker, relegation fodder teams in the prem.

Injuries and suspensions also help increase the amount of games that the second stringers will play in a season.

The system works for me, I very rearely get any moaning players

If i'm at a strong club I try to have 2 good 1st team squads that can be roated whenever although 1 team is slightly stronger and will be used in the 'big' games. Then I try to have a 3rd team of under -19s that will develop to be top players.

Same here. I have two 11s and I play the stronger 11 in the important EPL games, CL games (except the ones against easy opposition or if I've already qualified), and FA Cup final. The second 11 play in the easy EPL games, when my first 11 players are too tired (as in during the Boxing day - New year period in England), FA Cup and League Cup. It keeps both of them happy and the first eleven get around 30 games while the second string get atleast 25 with the suspensions and injuries.

In europe you need two first team squads if you are playing in CL/UEFA cup. The don't pick anyone well below 95% rule works very well keeping players happy, as long as you dont forgewt your backup goalie.

Same here. I have two 11s and I play the stronger 11 in the important EPL games, CL games (except the ones against easy opposition or if I've already qualified), and FA Cup final. The second 11 play in the easy EPL games, when my first 11 players are too tired (as in during the Boxing day - New year period in England), FA Cup and League Cup. It keeps both of them happy and the first eleven get around 30 games while the second string get atleast 25 with the suspensions and injuries.

I think that's a pretty good balance tbh. It seems somewhat realistic and FM handles this squad rotation system fairly well IMO.

I never save team selection, I chose players depending on who I am facing. I generally keep all the big guns for big games. Then bring in Rotation with mid-premiership clubs and for the low end play some of the players that I want to develop. I do the latter in the Carling cup too.

I usually get one getting unhappy.

Apart from with goalkeepers, I don't think it's too far off real life - the whining seems more proonounced, because once you start doing well on this game you can develop an unfeasible squad depth.

People forget that, for instance, Fletcher almost left Utd at the end of the season before last, in search of first-team football - and he's united through and through.

Or that most of Liverpool and Chelsea's foreign signings catch the first plane out if they see they have no chance of the regular first-team spot.

At Man Utd, Ronaldo, Rooney and the first-choice defence were the only guaranteed starters - the midfield changed all the time.

At Liverpool, the team was more static only because behind their first-class starting midfield and attack, Liverpool don't have much depth.

At Chelsea a tonne of the players were injured for most of the season, but if they had been there, there would surely have been a heavy degree of rotation.

I remember all the players getting ****ed at Mourinho ( I think in his first season) becaus he played his team like it was FM - he picked a best XI and then after every game he swapped out the players that played badly and that was his starting XI for the next game, so the subs had to wait for injuries or bad performances to get a look-in.

I remember Joe Cole in particular hated it - Robben was bloody good when uninjured.

It's kind of funny with goalkeeper's though: if you look at the CVs of some of the goalies in the game, they change club every half a season.

Playing the same side regularly also leads to complacency and a lack of reponse from your players. Rotation is good to keep players firing on all cylinders.

My squad consists of no more than 16 players (2 of which are GKs), all of whom play regularly through each others' suspensions, injuries, etc.

I make up the rest with the youngsters in the reserves - promoting two or three 'for a month', rotating between those who get promoted based on appearances and squad needs.

I avoid squad rotation. Even though you do get the odd dodgy result with the players getting a lot of fatigue after playing regularly week in, week out, I just feel a consistent XI eventually bears fruit.

So for this, I trim the squad. If im not in Europe in the PL then I have just 20 first team players, in the Championship I go with a squad of 18.

An example of this working-am currently Wolves and I was leaking lots of goals as Stearman and Berra had never played together but by November the defence was solid as around 15-20 continual games had meant they had gelled well.

I have two sides. 1st choice team plays later cup stages or cup games against top opposition. 2nd choice team plays cl group games and lower PL home games some easy away games aswell and easy cup games.

i always have 2 players for each position at least, i always try to make my 2nd string so to speak youngsters they wont moan you can play the min the cups and if they progress they will be ready 4 1st team when your older players are ready to be let go and just repeat the process as i find the older players always dont like being left out