How do you get to know your team?

I've just been sacked as Everton manager into my third season because I wasn't taking them anywhere. I took over at Barnsley and I don't know who is who. What player to play where and who is the best at the job. So I was curious to know what you do when you take over at a club you don't know the players of and what you do to get to know them and find your best team.

Look at coach reports and average ratings

assistant manager reports on the best formations and line-ups

I look at assistant report on the team squad, players ratings and their preferred foot

base it on how the squad has been playing, if you have already started the season

For me a spreadsheet by position with the options, assistant star rating and any strengths/weaknesses not obvious from their attributes.

Its then a case of trial & error, some players slot into place quickly others take time to understand how they can fit into your team if at all.

Watching them play. Full matches: there's no better way to get to know your players.

You could ask your assistant to pick the team for the first match, see how they get on and make tweaks as you go along.

After your first season is finished you'll automatically know your players:)

It's very weird to play with a new team in the beginning, but they grow on you eventually..

If it's preseason organise friendlies between your senior and reserve teams. Try and balance both teams as best as possible. Watch the match. Form your first opinion about the team.

Organise a second friendly between the same teams. This time alter the teams. If some reserve team players played well put them in senior team. if some senior team players played bad put them in reserve team. Watch the match. Form your opinion about who should be in the senior team, who should be substitutes and who should keep training at the reserve team.

To make it a little bit easier on you, loan and buy players from better clubs. The fact that YOU bought/loaned these players will make you feel like you already have a connection with them.

If the season is already ongoing check how the previous manager at the club was doing, what team he used, what substitutions, etc.. Check what the assman is recommending but don't take it that much into account because he has a few flaws.. Check who's the captain and the vice-captain of the team.. Buy/Loan new players.

The first few matches are always awkward but the players will eventually grow on you and by the end of the season you'll feel just we're you're supposed to be.

P.S.: How the hell did you manage to get sacked from Everton. They don't ask for much.. I think they ask for safe mid-table.

I normally pick my 1st 11 based on the formation I want to play and go through each squad member to see whois the best player for each position.

I tend to make a quick assessment of who I want to keep and who I want to get rid of. Those that dont make the initial first 11 and are on the subs bench have a chance to impress when coming on and if covering for injured players.

I also look at my assistants reports to assess who plays well in my favoured formation.

If you don't know the team very well I'd use the coach reports and my staffs advice. Also it's worth checking if that club have a thread in the GPTG forum.

Watching them play. Full matches: there's no better way to get to know your players.

This. Its the only way. Friendlies are there for a reason.

It also depends on what you want to do formation wise. I like to play a 4-3-2-1, so having 6 strikers and only 2 AMC's on the squad does me no good.

When I first get a team I like to make up my preferred formation (4231) then go to team report and have a look at the star ratings, then if I notice am short in some areas or I have an embarressment of riches in others I will change formation. Then I sometimes literally add up how many stars again, if it is more or less I will change accordingly. Obviously the more reliable the assistant the better.

Then I will play some friendlies or if its in the middle of a season i'll just play some games and tweak here and there. Then I'l begin to rebuild/impose my style of the team, which is what its all about really

I look at the stats first, and by my judgement pick a team.

Then i look at who is on form at the moment.

I then look who is the club captain, and which players haven't has a chance under the previous manager, and so on.

Within a month or two I can pick my first team.

This. Its the only way. Friendlies are there for a reason.

It also depends on what you want to do formation wise. I like to play a 4-3-2-1, so having 6 strikers and only 2 AMC's on the squad does me no good.

I learned that the hard way.

I've managed Tottenham with 4-2-3-1 formation, and half way through the season both Modric and Kranjcar got a long term injury!! Things went downhill from then on

I hate joining a team mid way through a season. Usually get through a season picking the players who well simply have the best stats, then at the end of the season, assess every player and look into the market and build my own squad.