Holding on to players

I've wondered, since I started in Sweden, lowest league, once one reaches the top and becomes successful (winning national top division, UCL etc.) in a low reputation nation, how does one keep the players which will always want to move to bigger clubs?

How do you hang on to your gems, to make a real competitive team over the years without outside financial interference unless you allow it so?

You generally don't.

The only way you can is to tie them down to a long term contract, and ignore their pleas for a move and refuse all advances.

Even then, the chairman might go over your head and sell him if a big offer comes in.

It's realistic - small clubs don't generally retain players who are attracting interest from bigger clubs. The key is to use the funds acquired from the sale to bring in two or three players to improve your side overall.

I agree - you don't. When I manage Celtic I often struggle to get more than two seasons out of any quality players I sign because they always get lured somewhere else. The consolation is that you can usually sign replacements that will allow you to dominate the league and do well in Europe with the money you can earn.

I find games like that quite enjoyable as you can get success but still have long-term goals and you really need to make your scouts work hard to find the next big thing since you can't compete with the really big teams in the transfer market.

As soon as they're happy, offer them a very long contract. Then ignore them for 5 years, and in the last 2 years of their deal if they're happy even for a moment, offer them a long contract again. If they don't want to re-sign, cash in while you can

After spending the last 4-5 seasons with such an unhappy squad due to the 5+ players wanting to move to a bigger club I'm not sure I agree with keeping them any more. My board are constantly worried about lack of squad harmony because there are many players who dislike other players who dislike other players, all because of the few who want to move.

I've decided to try and sell players who want to move as soon as possible now.

I agree - you don't. When I manage Celtic I often struggle to get more than two seasons out of any quality players I sign because they always get lured somewhere else. The consolation is that you can usually sign replacements that will allow you to dominate the league and do well in Europe with the money you can earn.

I find games like that quite enjoyable as you can get success but still have long-term goals and you really need to make your scouts work hard to find the next big thing since you can't compete with the really big teams in the transfer market.

Had the same issue with Celtic, but it did make the game more fun as you had to constantly keep rebuilding. I turned over Ruben De La Red, Marquinhos, Javi Garcia, Morgan Schneiderlin, Sofiane Feghouli, and a couple of regens all within 2 years of each other for a profit of about £100m overall.

The trick is to get a core of players who are good for your level but no big team would ever seriously want them, and supplement with the odd up-and-coming star who you know will leave soon, but will add something to your team whilst they are there.

I think the best thing to do (after you have won the title and UCL with the small club) is to follow the players' example and move to a bigger club yourself, Real Madrid or Barca, where the big money is and where players never want to leave from.

Think about it: Mourinho achieved everything possible with Porto and moved to Chelsea, so did Fatih Terim leaving Galatasaray for Milan and Van Gaal moving from Ajax to Barca.

One big problem that FM has is that reputation never really improves. I managed to win for Fenerbache 6 consecutive titles and 4 consecutive UCL, raising huge amounts of money and still finding it hard to attract high-profile players or get enough recogniction from western european clubs.

I hope they improve this in fm2010, 'cause if they don't, then winninng everything for a small club won't be too great of a taste.

Players still want to move for a new challange, though even if your at the biggest clubs.

I think the best thing to do (after you have won the title and UCL with the small club) is to follow the players' example and move to a bigger club yourself, Real Madrid or Barca, where the big money is and where players never want to leave from.

Think about it: Mourinho achieved everything possible with Porto and moved to Chelsea, so did Fatih Terim leaving Galatasaray for Milan and Van Gaal moving from Ajax to Barca.

One big problem that FM has is that reputation never really improves. I managed to win for Fenerbache 6 consecutive titles and 4 consecutive UCL, raising huge amounts of money and still finding it hard to attract high-profile players or get enough recogniction from western european clubs.

I hope they improve this in fm2010, 'cause if they don't, then winninng everything for a small club won't be too great of a taste.

Right, herein lies the problem (as stated many-a-time in the forums): Club reputation is dynamic, and can increase/decrease, depending on successes/failures, respectively, but league reputation remains static. So Fenerbahce (named because of their location in Istanbul, but literally translates into "lantern garden," always amusing) may have the highest reputation of any club in the game, but their league reputation detracts from their world reputation. In contrast, a team with a lower reputation from the EPL, i.e. Stoke City, could potentially attract the same, if not better players, despite not having achieved the same successes as Fenerbahce, because their league reputation is significantly higher, which can offset the team reputation. So, despite Fenerbahce having won all of those titles, Stoke City could potentially finish in a European qualification spot, and because they will be playing European football, and will be in a league with a much higher reputation, they will have more pull in the transfer market.

And Lesh, great name, by the way

I'm currently in this situation in Finland. I've won the last 3 domestic titles, and reached the Champions League group stages once, but most of my squad won't extend their contracts. I sold about 5 players last year who all had a year left, and I'm going to sell another 5 this year. My teams maintained its competitiveness though as my replacements have been just as good as those who left.

Unfortunately you just have to accept that they'll go eventually and keep them for as long as possible. It is realistic though as in real life they'd transfer in the same situation.

I was in the same situation with Dundee United, despite being multi-champions of the SPL and doing V well in europe (couple of CL finals etc), my stars ALWAYS want out even after 6 months. The game became almost unplayable during the transfer window.

As such, i started a new game in England with a lower team, knowing that when i (hopefully) get to the top, my team should have a big enough reputation to hold onto stars, due to the league it'll be in (EPL)

Does any top team in a low reputation league hold onto their best players?

Most don't. That's football.