Youth Facility and Academy

I don't know if this has been improved with FM10, but in my experience with FM09, I came to the conclusion that having a youth academy is largely useless. I have managed different teams like Barcelona, Man Utd, Crystal Palace, Plymouth (about 4 or 5 seasons for each team), and I have NEVER seen a player even remotely worthy of my attention coming through my own youth academy.

Surely this is just not realistic. There needs to be a slightly increased rate of quality regen being produced generally across the board, and specially it should be more affected by the youth facility quality of the club.

So if the club has really awesome excellent youth facility + academy, they should have more chance of producing more quality regens than some lowly club in eastern europe.

I'm not saying this should happen all the time every season, but just that there should be more chance of it happening to the clubs with better facility.

i have seen lots at my real madrid youth team. i did 10 years on FM09 and about 4 world class players came from the youth team.

I don't know if this has been improved with FM10, but in my experience with FM09, I came to the conclusion that having a youth academy is largely useless. I have managed different teams like Barcelona, Man Utd, Crystal Palace, Plymouth (about 4 or 5 seasons for each team), and I have NEVER seen a player even remotely worthy of my attention coming through my own youth academy.

Surely this is just not realistic. There needs to be a slightly increased rate of quality regen being produced generally across the board, and specially it should be more affected by the youth facility quality of the club.

So if the club has really awesome excellent youth facility + academy, they should have more chance of producing more quality regens than some lowly club in eastern europe.

I'm not saying this should happen all the time every season, but just that there should be more chance of it happening to the clubs with better facility.

You were likely just unlucky.

There is a massive luck factor involved.

I spent ages at one club and never got anyone then I moved clubs and my new club generated one World Class LB, a Leading EPL Quality LB, and a Decent EPL Quality LB/LW in the first batch. I was actually quite annoyed as I had to sell two of them as they couldn't play enough to keep them all happy. The club had actually also produced a World Class striker 3 years before I join them as well.

Ive never ever had anyone great come through my academy either as QPR, Im thinking the reputation must have something to do with it as all the big clubs have the decent players.

This is another weak spot with FM, very rarely does a world class player start at a poor club.

poor clubs can have good players but its hard to find them sometimes

In FM09 with Gateshead in BSN, I found a 16 year old regen in my under-18's who was good enough to be a first-team regular. He ended up taking me to the Championship

I am also playing as QPR and am in 2017, having had top youth facilities for about four years. While no wonderkids have ever started at my academy, the general quality of recruits is increasing. In the earlier years, I'd be lucky if the kids would end up as good Championship quality. Now, many of them are rated as being future good Premiership players. No one I can use in my team yet, but I've noticed a definite increase in class.

So maybe reputation does have something to do with it.

Ive never ever had anyone great come through my academy either as QPR, Im thinking the reputation must have something to do with it as all the big clubs have the decent players.

This is another weak spot with FM, very rarely does a world class player start at a poor club.

In my most recent save, the best player in the world came through a Bosnian club, the second best from Santos, the third from Ajax, and the fourth from one of the Sofia clubs. There have been world class youth players through Man United's academy and Barcelona's too. One of the best centre backs in the world was generated unattached.

I've always been very unlucky. After I've got bored of a save I'll sometimes check out the PAs of youngsters using Genie Scout. Only two of my youth players, ever, have had a PA of over 160.

This is another weak spot with FM, very rarely does a world class player start at a poor club.

I've never seen a World Clas player from a poor club in an active league. I've seen them generate players more then capable of playing in the EPL, but very few make it as they don't get picked up by a good club quick enough. World Class players from poor clubs in non active leagues are actually fairly common, you can see 9 - 10 of them across a 20 - 25 year career game. The old Eastern Bloc countries quite often generate very good players.

I did an experiment with India in the lead up to FM10, gave all there teams top Youth Facility and Academy, its was slow to start with but now in the year 2022 India National team is full of World class players! They qualified for world cup 2018 with ease and got to th semi finals of World cup 2022!!! And there players have moved all round the world including 4 in England.

I did an experiment with India in the lead up to FM10, gave all there teams top Youth Facility and Academy, its was slow to start with but now in the year 2022 India National team is full of World class players! They qualified for world cup 2018 with ease and got to th semi finals of World cup 2022!!! And there players have moved all round the world including 4 in England.

World-class Indian footballers??! Now that's something I'd like to see...

If you play a game more than 10 seasons, you will realize the value of the best academy and youth setup. Although theres always rubbish coming through the ranks, there will also be good players, some world class. What you should notice is that in 09, unless you chose a particular nation as playable, after a while the decrease of good players from that nation is noticeable.

Ive never ever had anyone great come through my academy either as QPR, Im thinking the reputation must have something to do with it as all the big clubs have the decent players.

This is another weak spot with FM, very rarely does a world class player start at a poor club.

Messi started at Newell's Old Boys which isn't an Argentine powerhouse. Cristiano Ronaldo's first club was C.F. Andorinha, an amateur side. Ibrahimovic's was FC Rosengård. Ronaldo started at Tennis Club Valqueire, Social Ramos Club and São Cristóvão. Plenty of world-class players start at rubbish sides.

Messi started at Newell's Old Boys which isn't an Argentine powerhouse. Cristiano Ronaldo's first club was C.F. Andorinha, an amateur side. Ibrahimovic's was FC Rosengård. Ronaldo started at Tennis Club Valqueire, Social Ramos Club and São Cristóvão. Plenty of world-class players start at rubbish sides.

Which is exactly my point, this doesnt seem to happen in FM and is why I said there was a problem with it.

L1 and L2 teams should occasionally produce great players but it always seems to be the top 4 or 5 only, even if you have the same facilities.

Messi started at Newell's Old Boys which isn't an Argentine powerhouse. Cristiano Ronaldo's first club was C.F. Andorinha, an amateur side. Ibrahimovic's was FC Rosengård. Ronaldo started at Tennis Club Valqueire, Social Ramos Club and São Cristóvão. Plenty of world-class players start at rubbish sides.

but at what age where they at those clubs, since almost all regens in the game start at 15/16, where were they at that age? A lot of 15 and 16 y/o at the top clubs have already been signed from lower sides a few years before because they can afford to. This is simply just not shown in the game but it is why most of the better players appear to come through from the top clubs.

Did you have good youth coaches, and did you play them in your first team (even a couple of appearances for the season, in friendles or cup matches)?

Did you have good youth coaches, and did you play them in your first team (even a couple of appearances for the season, in friendles or cup matches)?

After realising I never had a player capable of starting for my team come through the youth team, I checked the new intake each season with the scout tool and the PAs are all very low so theres nothing I could have done to make them good anyway.

I signed a 16 year old CB from Bury for £100k who according to my coaches and scouts has the potential to be as good as Verden Corluka so it is possible to get good players at lower league teams.

Which is exactly my point, this doesnt seem to happen in FM and is why I said there was a problem with it.

L1 and L2 teams should occasionally produce great players but it always seems to be the top 4 or 5 only, even if you have the same facilities.

on fm07 i picked up a 17 year old left back who developed into continental from league 2 (english).

admitedly that was the only time throughout all my years plus fm07 was a goldmine for youths and development.

i had a save with merthyr on fm09 and while still non league (bsp and bss), produced 3 youth players who went on to play in the prem (although not with me). not world class but all 3 started at L1 standard and progressed up to a lower or mid prem standard. Merthyr do have some great facilities mind.

Which is exactly my point, this doesnt seem to happen in FM and is why I said there was a problem with it.

L1 and L2 teams should occasionally produce great players but it always seems to be the top 4 or 5 only, even if you have the same facilities.

i had a save with merthyr on fm09 and while still non league (bsp and bss), produced 3 youth players who went on to play in the prem (although not with me). not world class but all 3 started at L1 standard and progressed up to a lower or mid prem standard. Merthyr do have some great facilities mind.

on 07 there was one player who played for years in non active non league football and then moved straight to the championship and then prem. cant believe he had such good stats and stayed in non league which was non active for so long.

i have never once had even a premiership quality player come through my youth system. mostly i play as liverpool.

I don't know if this has been improved with FM10, but in my experience with FM09, I came to the conclusion that having a youth academy is largely useless. I have managed different teams like Barcelona, Man Utd, Crystal Palace, Plymouth (about 4 or 5 seasons for each team), and I have NEVER seen a player even remotely worthy of my attention coming through my own youth academy.

Surely this is just not realistic. There needs to be a slightly increased rate of quality regen being produced generally across the board, and specially it should be more affected by the youth facility quality of the club.

So if the club has really awesome excellent youth facility + academy, they should have more chance of producing more quality regens than some lowly club in eastern europe.

I'm not saying this should happen all the time every season, but just that there should be more chance of it happening to the clubs with better facility.

When it gets to the time of the year for newgens to be created, just save the game, and re-load if you're not happy with your crop of new players.

On FM09 as manager of Notts County with average facilities I managed to produce the odd good player, and turn around players that looked quite poor into decent players.

You were likely just unlucky.

Then I've been unlucky on every version I've ever played, because I think I've had 1 good player come up in all the years I've played.

Then I've been unlucky on every version I've ever played, because I think I've had 1 good player come up in all the years I've played.

yea, thats not unusual.

If you play a game more than 10 seasons, you will realize the value of the best academy and youth setup. Although theres always rubbish coming through the ranks, there will also be good players, some world class. What you should notice is that in 09, unless you chose a particular nation as playable, after a while the decrease of good players from that nation is noticeable.

Yes, I agree with you here! Having the best youth facility and academy certainly helps you in the long run. You would only see the benefits after about 5 seasons!

I have been unlucky too. More than 20 years with top youth facility and the best player I've seen is a Blue Square low-mediocre player.......

I think it is too much " bad luck " to call it bad luck.....or am I wrong ?

Youth Facility and Academy is great and should be thinking about it if ur playing with a low league team.edit- and if yoiu want a successful youth get Tugs Training http://tugstraining.webs.com/training/2009/index.html its the best training to improve prospects or youth players ect

and buy good youth coaches

Luck related, I did 5 years at Aldershot and got 2 wonderkids.

Playing as Ajax or as Bilbao I tend to get a steady stream of players that will go on to represent either Spain or Holland. I once won tue Champions league with five players that had come through my youth team at Ajax. I think the trick is to just keep playing the half decent ones as often as possible. If you are at a club that domestic success is often achieved you can play them against the poor teams while resting your beat players, this combined with good training and coaching can lead to success.