Is Team Gelling That Important?

URL with "History" is transfer history so player names are included

I thought it was extremely important until I started managing lower league clubs.

These next few pictures suggest it doesn't really matter if your team have gelled.

08/09 League 2

http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/yy321/basdock/Table1.jpg

http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/yy321/basdock/History1.jpg

09/10 League 1

http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/yy321/basdock/Table2-1.jpg

http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/yy321/basdock/History2.jpg

10/11 Championship

7 games in I'm 3 points behind the leaders, who are a much better team, but it's too early to tell where I'll end up.

http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/yy321/basdock/History3.jpg

Few things that need to be mentioned:-

- Everyone coming in held a first team spot or was the main back up to another player who was brought in. I basically had an entire new 1st team (I keep a maximum of 2-3 players from the previous year) every season, but my team still managed to perform from the very first game right up until the final match. There was no late surge, which would/could indicate that they scraped by til they gelled.

- The quality of my squad has never been much better than the rest of the league.

- I don't cheat in anyway. That includes corner bug.

I'd like to hear your thoughts/experiences on team gelling.

Gelling seems to play a role in my games. If I add a bunch of players it usually takes a couple of months for everything to get to where it should be (i.e. playing up to their abilities). Then again, I have no proof of that, really. Just thought I'd put it out there.

I (and many agree) would say it is of massive importance. So either you are underestimating your players abilities, or your tactics!

I'd like to hear your thoughts/experiences on team gelling.

Without reference to your post, I'd just like to try and dispell a common misconception that people have. Team gelling doesn't take a pre-season, 10 games, 3 months or any other pre-determined term. It takes as long as your assistant manager says it does in the tree menu on the squad page.

From memory, it once took my team (possibly Bologna IIRC) until February too achieve any sort of gelling, and that was with one or two (if any!) signings.

thats impressive

I'm a believer that it is important as when I have a clear-out of players that are not good enough, and replace them with better players, my results seem to suffer. But what I want to know is will it take longer for the team to gel if I have the squad split into different training regimes?

I'm a believer that it is important as when I have a clear-out of players that are not good enough, and replace them with better players, my results seem to suffer. But what I want to know is will it take longer for the team to gel if I have the squad split into different training regimes?

That's the thing I start with a new squad every year but I still manage to get good results from the start that don't change drastically throughout season.

Could it be a purely cosmetic feature that was designed to give the illusion of depth?

About your question I don't think it matters to be honest.

Personally I think it has a noticable effect. When managing Genoa in the second season in the summer I had signed a massive 24 players all to play in the first team. Only 2 players remained from last season and I sold as many as I bought.

In the first half of the season my teams play was very disjointed and really quite poor overall, although things improved slightly towards the end. This is despite my players being very high quality. I finished 5th in the end but should have done better.

The next season however I won the league easily playing fantastic football and I didn't make many signings.

It’s an interesting one this one as I’ve always read on these forums that it takes time for a squad to gel and that form can suffer.

I’ve just been promoted and preparing for my first season in the EPL. I’ve signed nine new players which is a record for me and my assistant tells me that my current squad of players would die for each other.

I had a worry that signing so many new players might cause me a problem or two but this doesn’t seem to be the case.

Gelling is HUGE. You can try to sign a few players and throw them into a team, and I'll instantly notice my whole team not linking up. I have to really choose the players I sign and ease them in Pre - season.

i dont change my entire squad mate m8

Replace postions

Whole Defence

Left winger

Striker

my squad changed so i had to play them pre season alot to get use to my style and my team

Kept

Both central midfield

Goal keeper

Right winger

Foward

when i changed my whole squad before i played horrible

Gelling is HUGE. You can try to sign a few players and throw them into a team, and I'll instantly notice my whole team not linking up. I have to really choose the players I sign and ease them in Pre - season.

That's what I was always led to believe but how do you expalin my situation where I'm told the players will die for each other. I have six new starters in the first team!

Are them some circumstances where you can get away with it?

That's what I was always led to believe but how do you expalin my situation where I'm told the players will die for each other. I have six new starters in the first team!

Are them some circumstances where you can get away with it?

i do aswell mate 6 new starters and now im finding my self 1st place up to now

I find gelling has a huge impact on my teams although I agree with another poster that the time it can take to gel is rather changeable. I guess this depends on the personalities.

Intrigued by the point about training, anyone expand on whether its true that this has an effect?

I find gelling has a huge impact on my teams although I agree with another poster that the time it can take to gel is rather changeable. I guess this depends on the personalities.

Intrigued by the point about training, anyone expand on whether its true that this has an effect?

Maybe the peronalities of the players and how they fit in to what you already have, have an effect like you say.

What about a pre season tour? Does this help with gelling the squad?

Maybe the peronalities of the players and how they fit in to what you already have, have an effect like you say.

Often in a scouting report there will be an indication made on how likely the player will take to "fit into" the squad. I'm presuming this speeds up the gelling process.

The languages of the players count as well if you didn't already know. I suppose it's just down to player relationships and luck really.