Large clubs fielding full strength team to minor cups

I'm not sure if this will be changed in FM 2010 but it has always been something that's been bugging me.

I was playing as Man Utd and we had a Carling Cup Semi-Final against Arsenal.

Seeing it's only the CC, I decided to put my youngsters in for some match experience.

To my surprise (well not really, I expected it given it happens every time), Arsenal fielded their full strength squad despite the fact there is a league game 3 days later.

Now surely IRL, Mr Wenger will not have Van Persie, Fabregas and co lining up for a Carling Cup game at home.

Apart from looking absurd, it always means that the AI's youngsters never get a chance to play.

To add salt to wound, my youngster played well and managed to keep the scoreline 0-0 at the Emirates.

I was rather pleased with my team and walked in happily to the press conference, to get asked:

"You failed to beat a lesser team again, how do you feel"

I was close to storming off! Surely they'll recognise the fact that the fact that the average age of my midfield + forward line is 19 and that none of them are part of my first team squad?

Apparently not, the press must've thought it was Rooney, Scholes, Carrick and Berbatov playing because they couldn't understand why I couldn't win!

Anyway, enough story telling. I hope something will be done for this, hopefully both but at least one of:

1. AI managers recognising minor cups and play youngsters/reserves

2. Press recognising I am playing my youth team and not mock me for not beating a full strength Arsenal side.

Actually I think teams do play lower strength sides depending on the opposition. For example I have seen Arsenal field a young side against lesser sides in the competition.

I do agree though that this never seems to be the case when playing sides of a similar calibre. Possibly something to do with board expectations?

In a semi-final against rivals, I don't think its that strange even for the Carling Cup. However, your point is definetly true that teams tend to put out first team line ups during most stages of competitions that don't count for much. It would also aid AI youth development if they used youngsters in matches like this.

I Agree it should be changed, Arsenal played thier youngsters in the Carling cup final against chelsea 3 years ago, and in the semi against spurs. i get so fustrated when im facing Fabregas, Eduardo, RVP ect, at the Emirates and its only Arsenal Vs Reading. Carling Cup round 3 or 4. same with liverpool chelsea and united.

Never noticed the big teams use weakened teams in my game,maybe a couple of younger players but still normally strong teams.

I Agree it should be changed, Arsenal played thier youngsters in the Carling cup final against chelsea 3 years ago, and in the semi against spurs. i get so fustrated when im facing Fabregas, Eduardo, RVP ect, at the Emirates and its only Arsenal Vs Reading. Carling Cup round 3 or 4. same with liverpool chelsea and united.

Im pretty sure they fielded plenty of youngsters when they thumped liverpool at Anfield to knock them out of the league cup too.

Yeah i find this alot, now every year Arsenal play their youngsters in the league cup especially the first couple of rounds. Should fm2010 have a policy that Arsenal play their 2nd team (youngsters) in the League cup and League cup only?

Yeah i find this alot, now every year Arsenal play their youngsters in the league cup especially the first couple of rounds. Should fm2010 have a policy that Arsenal play their 2nd team (youngsters) in the League cup and League cup only?

Nope, definitely not, imo. Its an "Arsene Wenger" policy, so if it should be set for anyone, then its him, not the club...

Don't think there should be a policy of having only play the 2nd team, but I just want more realism with regards to the team that plays.

Playing a full strength squad with a league game in 3 days simply won't happen for most teams, let alone Arsenal (or any other big 4 with a very big squad).

I had a look at Arsenal's next game after the cup match and Fab started at 66%, Walcott at 73% and Eduardo at 72%.

Almost every year, IRL, the big teams stress that they will field the youngsters at the final because "they deserve the chance". I remember one year Sir Alex and Wenger were literally promising each other over press comments that they will field youngsters when they meet in a Carling Cup match.

Hopefully the AI can be smarter with regards to the minor competitions, and indirectly give their youngsters/reserve players more chances.

Some RL examples:

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-Manchester-United-kids-could-beat-any-Premier-league-team-article33796.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article5815891.ece

http://www.goal.com/en/news/728/carling-cup/2008/11/11/959221/carling-cup-fourth-round-preview

And probably the best example:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=169414&cc=5901

While there are some first team, alot of them were reserves at the time.

While I think you have a point about the press reaction, which is one of a number of press and confidence issues that needs sorting (like the fans complaining about the fact a 16-year new signing old hasn't played enough games), I don't see the problem with Arsenal fielding a full squad against you in a cup semi.

Just because Arsene does it in real life it doesn't mean he'll continue to do so all the time. Maybe he really wants the silverware, or maybe the next league game wasn't as important.

While I think you have a point about the press reaction, which is one of a number of press and confidence issues that needs sorting (like the fans complaining about the fact a 16-year new signing old hasn't played enough games), I don't see the problem with Arsenal fielding a full squad against you in a cup semi.

Just because Arsene does it in real life it doesn't mean he'll continue to do so all the time. Maybe he really wants the silverware, or maybe the next league game wasn't as important.

I think the point he's trying to make here, is that the Arsenal side essentially sabatoged it's Premiere league game by playing a full strength side in a Carling Cup tie.

It's something I've noticed as well. However I've come to except it, and the only time I play youth is when I play weaker sides in the cups. If I'm playing a Premiere league foe, I know they're not going to throw out a weakened side, so I'm not either.

Just last night while playing my Liverpool save, I fielded a side full of regens and Jack Cork (I had a huge CL game in the next few days), against Charlton in the second round of the Carling Cup. We lost 1-0, to a Charlton side who was a rather solid Championship side who put out a full strength lineup.

I didn't mind the loss one bit, in fact we were unfortunate to not have won. But I'm asked in the press conference afterwards about how it felt to be knocked out by a lesser side. Despite the fact that Charlton fielded a much stronger side. I said I was pleased by the effort despite the loss, which I was informed that my club didnt take well. That brings up an entirely different problem, the press conferences.

The OP is right, you shouldn't see major clubs sabatoging more important fixtures for seemingly insignificant (in the grand scheme of things), cup matches. I myself have learned to accept it though.

They could add an option where you propose an agreement with the AI manager to not field a full strength side, similar to a friendly proposals. Could be a good idea, but a glitch in that option could turn out very bad.

They could add an option where you propose an agreement with the AI manager to not field a full strength side, similar to a friendly proposals. Could be a good idea, but a glitch in that option could turn out very bad.

That doesn't happen in real life though and honestly its a terrible idea.

Whats happened already is that board expectations are based on competition rep. Would it be possible to make team selection based on competition rep? What happens at the moment (as far as i know) is that line ups are based on opposition rep, so Arsenal will put out their strongest 11 against Wigan in the CC, but then play a reserve team against Debrecen or someone in the hampions League. This is just stupid.

Maybe I am thinking of some other competition here but aren't there rules about deliberately fielding an under strength side. I cant remember if it was a domestic or european competition but I seem to remember a few years ago that Man United got into trouble for deliberately puting out an understrength side in a cup competition.

Maybe I am thinking of some other competition here but aren't there rules about deliberately fielding an under strength side. I cant remember if it was a domestic or european competition but I seem to remember a few years ago that Man United got into trouble for deliberately puting out an understrength side in a cup competition.

This is a nominal rule in football generally as far as i know, but it is impossible to enforce as the strongest team is entirely up to your opinion.

I don't think there is a rule that forces you to field your strongest side, otherwise Torres, Lampard, Rooney will have to play every game until they get injured.

I think the rule is that you need to field a side with the aim of winning. You can't deliberate field a side to lose a game.

I don't think United got into trouble, but iirc United already won the league and on the last game of the season, the result could affect the relegation battle. With on eye on the Champions League, SAF said he will field a understrength team but one that he believes will win.

Pre-match, there were talks of other relegation threaten clubs talking to FA/lawyers and all that if United fielded a side that would help their opponent avoid relegation. It turned out a non-event as the understrength united side still won.

Yes I plyed the Arse in the 4 th round away...........I picked mostly youngsters and was amazed to see a full strength Arse team !!!!! lost 2-1

The game is the game. In the game teams always aim to win. There is very little consideration for "giving youngsters a chance", as every victory or loss contributes to the manager's stability at the club.

I believe for most big clubs, the board expectation is for the team to achieve a good run in whatever cup they are in. In the game at least.

THe game, including board expectations and press conferences will not take into account the quality of team you put out and expectations willl be based on team reputation at the start of the season.