AI signing free agents

First before I dive into what I wanted to post about, here's a sidenote about my fm11 game so far.

I'm playing as Droylsden from blue square north in england, who were tipped to finish around 7th in the first season. Three seasons later, and I'm in League One in one of the playoff places halfway through the season. Obviously, I'm delighted that my team is doing so well, but it's starting to feel a little bit too easy. The AI is not as proactive at signing free agents as I am. I sign everyone on two year contracts so that one year's stars become the next year's backups. But basically, I'm finding it too easy to find good bargains on free transfers. I have a few championship level players in my team right now; even though my wage budget is getting stretched a bit (2000 seating stadium), I think with a little bit of luck, I can make it into the championship.

Surely, it should not be this easy? Basically, I think AI scouting needs to be better. To balance this, maybe we should get notifications when other teams offer contracts to really good players, but I think there needs to be more competition for free transfers in the lower leagues.

Agreed. In the second season I was able to sign Alexander Hleb and Johann Vonlanthen for my Championship side Sheffield Wednesday.

Not too realistic.

The same thoughts have crossed my mind. I've been using the exact same tactics as you with free agents and managed to get Luton up to the premiership in about 7 seasons. There really is little or no competition for the free agents - I've basically had my pick off the bunch and always managed to find players to sign that are easily good enough for a level (sometimes two levels) higher than where I am.

Ive noticed this also. I think about 1 in 10 reject me, the rest sign with my team without objections. (started in BSS and are now in L1)

And most of the freebies on my shortlist reject other clubs even though ive not offered them contracts. As if they are just waiting for me to offer them contract....

Its sad, and have forced me to implement "my own rules" to kinda make it more realistic.

Ive started to remove players from my shortlist as soon as someone else offers them contracts. This seems to make them accept other clubs.

I’m managing part-time Fraserburgh in the Highland League and am finding the same thing. There’s some excellent Scottish League-quality players who are without a club and no-one seems to want them. They don’t want to sign for me initially, but once we get to March and they’re still without a club they will join me.

AI really does need to be more pro-active in the market, people like Leigh Griffiths sitting without a club and that just wouldn’t happen.

End of 4th season Steve Mandanda was released by Auxerre.

Half way through 5th season and still he is being touted around.

29 years old, 16 caps for France. World class keeper anyone? No? Helloooooooooo?

Hmm, I agree with you that it is too easy in the lower leagues but the unrealistic part might not be that the AI doesn't "know" about those free agents, how these agents would improve their team and tries to sign them but that you and your ass man know how good they are and can use the player search.

True. Players like Hargreaves, Vela and Nani all released on my game.

Rio at the age of 34 was released from Man United in the summer. In January he was still a free agent and went to Brentford in League One on 4.7k p/wk ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

koki makes a good point. If you relied on your scouts and recommendations from your own staff only, you'd probably find it a more realistic challenge.

ledley king went to liverpool in season one for minor fee. end of season 2 released on free (not injured) - signed for dundee utd....

This is nothing new, unfortunately - it has been marring the realism when playing in the lower leagues for the last few versions of the game.

Quite a few players of good quality are released by their club and never get picked up by a new one. To me it seems that well established players of decent/good League One/Two quality are the ones especially suffering from this (demanding too high wages? too little reputation in the market? no market?). I am yet to finish my first season in FM11, but loading my last game in FM10 (10.3) I find in January 2012 excellent players like Alan Dunne, Jermaine Easter, Steve MacLean, Cliff Byrne, Arron Davies, Lee Beevers, Adam Rundle, Sam Togwell, Gareth Owen, Matt Sparrow, Scott Vernon, Derek Niven, Michael Flynn, John Spicer, Danny Senda, Kevin O'Connor, Ian Craney, Iain Hume and many more languishing unemployed after being released in the summer. Far from realistic.

It makes it all very easy for the human manager of course. The competition for signing released players in autumn is already generally low. But the best piece of advice is really to wait until winter/spring: several established players released from higher divisions will then have spent more than half a season on free transfer and become willing to sign for low wages and for just any club at all - still with no competition for their signature from the AI managers.

As I mentioned, I am yet to finish my first season in FM2011 and from what I read I already fear nothing has been done to solve this issue (which in that case wouldn't be specific to FM11, but a long lasting issue that not very often has been reported in these forums from what I can see).

Sadly we've been reporting that at least since FM09, and it hasn't changed one bit...

The amount of good/decent players out of contract is ridiculously high... There is NO WAY many Top Division players would end up unemployed, let alone sitting at home unemployed for months waiting to land a contract in lower leagues.

In real life even the deadest deadwood usually manage to leave on Bosman rule, so I can't see why in FM we can basically loot the Free Agents list and have a competitive squad without spending a penny.

I'm in the same boat. On my Alfreton save I'm in the Championship and have got consecutive promotions from the BSN. Everytime I go up I always think I'm going to struggle, but I can easily buy a new team each year so I can not only compete but be one of the best teams in the league. In the Championship I was shocked when I had 15 points from my first 6 games and now I'm 6th and 3 points off automatic promotoin with games in hand and only 12 left to play.

I've managed to sign beauties like Micheal Johnson and Darren Carter while in League 1! I like winning though so I'm not going to complain too much, however it does seem quite easy to do.

This always happens. They aren't really going to be able to solve it anytime soon. I'm impressed with the job they do already of having ALL the AI clubs maintain some sort of decent squad. It's quite a difficult balance for SI to strike. Look at the French league bug this year. They all basically singed up anyone they could get their hands on and teams ended up with about 15 strikers.

I dont mind it but then again, I never stick around in the lower leagues for more than 2 years so it doesnt affect me too much. As a top side, you are lucky to get one squad player on a free each year. A lot of big names get released but they are often very old and want too much money.

AI managers are also quite ruthless with their squads. I was Arsenal manager, but then left. Within 2 days Vargas and Rafinha were on the transfer list, despite Vargas being great and wanted by Barca and R. Madrid earlier in the season. Rafinha was also good. THen end of the season they stuck Nuri Sahin on the transfer list too, which was great for me as I could take him to my new club.

In FM 10, I signed Diego Buonanotte on a bosman for a Serie C1 team. I was amazed when I landed him. He was transfer listed at River, who weren't using him, and there was no interest from AI managers. I couldn't believe my luck when I landed him.

This always happens. They aren't really going to be able to solve it anytime soon.

Sadly I see it that way too...

French league bug this year was just the peak of an old issue, with AI clubs bringing in players based on reputation/CA/PA regardless of the actual need of the team.

That, or the overmedication to the "too many free players" issue.

Or both!

Still, if SI haven't been able to balance AI's transfer policies despite all the feedback I've seen around here, I'm afraid the problem is "hardcoded" in the very game engine, so no matter how more tweaking they can do, the blanket will ALWAYS be too short at either end.

I dont mind it but then again, I never stick around in the lower leagues for more than 2 years so it doesnt affect me too much. As a top side, you are lucky to get one squad player on a free each year. A lot of big names get released but they are often very old and want too much money.

But look at it from a mid-table act perspective... If you can sign decent rotation players for FREE, it means you'll spare plenty of money... You don't need just 11 Top Stars to win, you'll also need a dozen of solid backups, even at Barça... And what's better than scooping your entire backup troop for free, while you can also sell your HomeGrown surplus to AI clubs for stupid money after just a couple of apps?

AI managers are also quite ruthless with their squads. I was Arsenal manager, but then left. Within 2 days Vargas and Rafinha were on the transfer list, despite Vargas being great and wanted by Barca and R. Madrid earlier in the season. Rafinha was also good. THen end of the season they stuck Nuri Sahin on the transfer list too, which was great for me as I could take him to my new club.

I'd say "AI managers are stupid"...