Very weak teams

I am managing Newcastle in the 2nd season (in the premier league) and I when playind Arsenal today I noticed that the team Wenger fielded was a very weak team - not too dissimilar to the teams he fields in the league cup IRL. He left the likes of Fabregas, Gallas, Walcott, Arshavin and Rosicky out - even though their fitness were all above 95% and he also left out around 10 other first teams players - but their fitness was below 95% so I could just about see that. I don't like the computer fielding teams in the league like the one Arsenal did today. Does anyone else find this and/or thinks its a bug? Or is it perfectly realsitic and perhaps a rare occurence? Thanks.

Who won the game?

I won the game 3-1 - in my previous games against the top teams, (i.e. Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd) I have noticed that thier teams have actually been somewhere near if not their strongest available. I dont mind rotation and change - in fact I think its vital that the computer does it - but this is OTT for me.

I have noticed that I tend to not have to play against Ronaldo, Messi, etc. They do seem to be hurt a lot with injuries they're not quite over yet when I play them.

I just dont like it when the AI rotates their team too much - like in the game in the OP I mentioned. The team he put out is like the ones he puts out for the league cup. Also, this was a game in hand for Arsenal and they stay in 6th spot - so you would think that this would have been a game which they would field their strongest team possible. Doesn't make much sesne to me.

Anyone else want to comment?

The threads here, so if people want to comment they will

Not really the same, but in my games Liverpool often sign really weak players and end up after a few seasons with a mediocre team.. They signed obscure players, for example these are contracted as First Team players or Rotation in October 2013:

Andrea Russotto (Italy)

Andrea Ranocchia (Italy)

Fernando Guerrero (Ecuador)

Roberto Canella (Spain)

Armend Dallku (albania)

Nene (Brazil)

Andreas Granqvist (Sweden)

Balboa (Equatorial Guinea)

They still have Reina/Gerrard/Torres and Masch but still.. they are no match to beat anymore, at least in the long run..

I hope this is no prediction of the future for LFC - I REALLY HOPE FM10 IS NOT RIGHT THIS TIME :-O

Fernando Guerrero was class for me...so dont know why pool is turns them mediocre...

Wow.. I've signed Fernando Guerrero to my Bulgarian Cherno More. I think he plays AMC if I'm not wrong.... A fair good purchase for Lower Leagues, but descent for Liverpool..

Not really the same, but in my games Liverpool often sign really weak players and end up after a few seasons with a mediocre team.. They signed obscure players, for example these are contracted as First Team players or Rotation in October 2013:

Andrea Russotto (Italy)

Andrea Ranocchia (Italy)

Fernando Guerrero (Ecuador)

Roberto Canella (Spain)

Armend Dallku (albania)

Nene (Brazil)

Andreas Granqvist (Sweden)

Balboa (Equatorial Guinea)

They still have Reina/Gerrard/Torres and Masch but still.. they are no match to beat anymore, at least in the long run..

I hope this is no prediction of the future for LFC - I REALLY HOPE FM10 IS NOT RIGHT THIS TIME :-O

Lol, Balboa doesn't even train with Benfica's first team in real life. And now he also got loaned to a 2nd division Spanish team.

Milan paid me 4 million when he went 1 and 1/2 years with NO games AT ALL except for reserves.

Should I just assume that I am the only one with this then?

I seem to remember something like this in FM09. I kept checking Liverpool games to see Gerrard and Torres just on the bench and things like that. Really weakened teams, going over the top.

^ Oh right - never knew it was a problem in FM 09, thats interesting.

I encountered something similar in my Newcastle game too. It was also in the second season, but in my case it was with Man Utd.

No Rooney, Vidic, Ferdinand, etc. I didn't mind though as they were poor on that day and only some atrocious refereeing (I had 2 disallowed goals & they got a flukey rebound OG) prevented me from taking the win. I was happy with the 1-1.

I think Fergie must've been taking advice from Big Mick.

^ Thats a good point - maybe Mick Mccarthy had influence over coding for AI selection .

Was it near the end of the season and Arsenal's position couldn't change no matter what they did?