Team Composition!

When it comes to the non-tactical side of things, do you have any preferred image in which to mould your team?

Are you willing to take a chance on a highly-rated talent coming through your ranks as opposed to purchasing anew; do you favour a specific nationality (your own?); is there a limit to your spending each window; personality-wise how is your squad defined; how large, or small, do you like your squad to be; are you loyal when it comes to long-serving players?

For example: I like to bring the best of my club's talent through the ranks as soon as possible; the highly-rated I aim to give at least 10 games a season (likewise for players who have been at the club for a long time and have it in their Favoured Clubs!) and possibly more given attribute increases. I like to have one or two (homegrown) John O'Shea-type versatility figures in my ranks so I usually have squads around 18 strong. I have an affinity towards players of my own nationality (Wales) - given their fortunes in my lifetime! - but if I am based abroad I always lean towards using players of the nation I am managing in. I extensively scout the 'lesser' regions of the globe as I tend to like one or two world class players of exotic birth; Iranian, South African, Australian, Indian - these are rare but there is something Eto'o-esque about them! I also tend not to buy players, or let any leave, in the January window as I think transfers here make their histories look ugly, but that's probably just me! If this costs me my job then sod em!

Do you have any rules like these??

Well Me personally, i looks at the squad when i join. see where i need strengthening and where potential youth our young player who are not perhaps First Teamers yet fit in. I don't make a particular habit of buying talent or building it through the youth system. I use Cup Games and less important league games to give younger players first team action see how they perform over a few games and even if they are perhaps still lacking a little on the attributes front try and give them a run in the first team if they play well.

As for buying players, I just buy within my means. I try not to sell my best players even if big clubs come in for them as I like a settled squad rather then making my club a selling one. My first port of call when signing a player is the expired or about to expired section on my filter......You'll be suprised who you can get for free.

I always look at Eglish players 1st but they always cost to much!

Well i'm australian so i always look out for good australian regens but playing as liverpool the only aussie player worth signing on the game is cahill but because he play for my rivals everton its never worth going after him. Sometimes i also sign players that i admire irl, as long as they are good enough in the game and i like to have youngsters come through my youth system as well rather than buying players, but agian only if they are good enough.

Sometimes i also sign players that i admire irl, as long as they are good enough in the game

Sometimes I buy them even if they aren't good enough... and wonder why I lose.

at the start of the game of FM 09 at liverpool there are good youths too, ayala, san jose, plessis and much more especially their goalkeepers.

I'm trying to build the ultimate northern european side. I created the system I wanted to use then bought loads of young German and Scandinavian players and am moulding them from an early age to fit the system. It seemed harmless until I noticed that all the players i'd bought had blue eyes and blonde hair and I was talking about going out and dominating Europe.

I am very much a lower league manager. I like to start at a lowly division, where I will barely touch my monetary resources. This of course only leaves me with the option of loans and indeed free transfers. Nothing however, beats the glee of signing a gem that goes on to be your star player for the season, with a nice transfer fee at the end of the seasonn making it an excellent transaction. This style of management of course, only works up to a certain point, and after a few promotions I generally look to foreigners to provide great talent at minimal cost. I find this works nicely, keeps the finances in check and keeps me interested in the game. The next stage is when I have assembled a side capable of winning trophies - I will start to scout for promising youngsters and either put them into the first team at an early age or sell them on for profit.

When it comes to transfer budgets, I will often spend whatever the board gives me, only looking for the highest quality players. However, if there is a young'en that really shows great promise, I will usually snap them up before their value sky rockets. I never really like to buy players in their 30's, and always like to have young backup for the future.

I usually have a promising youngster on the bench, bring him on with 30 mins to go and see how he goes. If he does well with 2 or 3 sub apps, I will start him. Then usually the player he has replaced if he is worth a lot I will sell him. If this kid has the potential to be a leading star why keep hold of someone older?

Another wierd thing, If I get a star player injured and while he is out I am doing well I might not bring him back. Even if my form has nothing to do with the players replacement but I don't like to change a winning team.

Even in real life, if for example Arsenal are doing really well and Van Persie is due back, I'm thinking to myself, do I really want him to come back, please put him on the bench Arsene! lol

I'm trying to build the ultimate northern european side. I created the system I wanted to use then bought loads of young German and Scandinavian players and am moulding them from an early age to fit the system. It seemed harmless until I noticed that all the players i'd bought had blue eyes and blonde hair and I was talking about going out and dominating Europe.

Ah I see your problem there, what you should have done was filled your team with small dark shify men who had a towering resentment against half the world over their failed dreams as artists. At least that way if you failed you'd take everyone else with you.