Four random questions

1) Work permit for the Premier league. How does this work? It seems random who gets it and who doesn't. Is it some hidden stat (adaptability comes to mind) that comes into play when they decide who gets it? Or age? My assman ALWAYS says in his report about transfer prospects that the work permit will probably get declined but approved upon appeal. Sometimes he's right, sometimes not.

2) "Playing nervously". Some players just do this every game for me, no matter how good they are. I have a top quality striker who seems very nervous even though he has no reason to be. And whatever I tell him before the game he just can't shake his nerves. What stat determines this? I've tried to tell him I have faith, No pressure, Expect a performance... everything. Should I just give up and let him sort it out himself? He consistently produces for me, so it's no big deal, just curious. It seems a lot of players, especially regens, have bad nerves.

3) "COACH X doesn't think Y should be taking free kicks". Why not? He has a free kick rating of 18. Why would he not be suitable? Same with corners and penalties sometimes. Penalties I could understand if the player doesn't have good composure or whatever, but corners and free kicks?

4) Greyed out options in Private chat. Some comments are ALWAYS greyed out. "Talking to media" comes to mind, even when players actually have been talking to the media. Has anyone ever been able to use this? Same with Preferred moves, some of the topics there are often greyed out while others aren't. Why? It should be up to me as manager to determine what is relevant to tell a player and what isn't.

Cheers

1) A combination of reputation, potential and luck. You can only get something on appeal if they are an "exceptional talent" - hence the combination.

2) No pressure seems to be a good one. Occasionally praise opposition managers - sometimes they get "Glad to see his manager taking attention off the team" or something to that effect. It sometimes annoys other players, though...

3) Technique I think

4) Agreed!

1) Work permit for the Premier league. How does this work? It seems random who gets it and who doesn't. Is it some hidden stat (adaptability comes to mind) that comes into play when they decide who gets it? Or age? My assman ALWAYS says in his report about transfer prospects that the work permit will probably get declined but approved upon appeal. Sometimes he's right, sometimes not.

I believe they are only guaranteed a work permit if they have played 70% of their nations matches in the past 12 months (I think it's 70%, might be 75%). If they get turned down first time then they can get a work permit on appeal if they are a great talent, in the game decided by reputation and potential ability.

2) "Playing nervously". Some players just do this every game for me, no matter how good they are. I have a top quality striker who seems very nervous even though he has no reason to be. And whatever I tell him before the game he just can't shake his nerves. What stat determines this? I've tried to tell him I have faith, No pressure, Expect a performance... everything. Should I just give up and let him sort it out himself? He consistently produces for me, so it's no big deal, just curious. It seems a lot of players, especially regens, have bad nerves.

Poor mental stats? He probably has poor hidden stats, try using the no pressure team talk.

3) "COACH X doesn't think Y should be taking free kicks". Why not? He has a free kick rating of 18. Why would he not be suitable? Same with corners and penalties sometimes. Penalties I could understand if the player doesn't have good composure or whatever, but corners and free kicks?

For options like that it takes more than 1 attribute for a player to be good at that action. For example, a player with 20 for free kick taking would rarely hit a good free kick if his crossing, long shots, composure & technique were bad.

4) Greyed out options in Private chat. Some comments are ALWAYS greyed out. "Talking to media" comes to mind, even when players actually have been talking to the media. Has anyone ever been able to use this? Same with Preferred moves, some of the topics there are often greyed out while others aren't. Why? It should be up to me as manager to determine what is relevant to tell a player and what isn't.

Don't know, can't help.

Cheers

There you go, I've answered what I can.

What he ^ said but i would like to expand on your first question.

Obviously International apps have a large affect on WP's, Im not sure of the exact rules but it's the same in FM as it is in RL.

Also, if a player is a huge prospect, he will have a good chance of getting a WP.... Thats a reputation issue. High Potential sometimes = high reputation in the world.

But the other point not mentioned above is that your clubs level has something to do with it. WP's that may be issued to a player in the prem League, may not be issued in a lower league. Again this is a reputation issue, league rep, club rep etc.

All in all, it's a difficult situation to asess when looking at a prospective transfer target, but I would advise you to trust your scouts. If your target wont get a WP, your scout will say so in many cases. (Re-Scout players as you move up leagues if you start in a lower league)

Also, with regaurd to question 3, the free kick stat is not the only stat that makes for a good free kick taker.

I understand that Composure comes into it..... Some argue that Creativity, Flair and Finishing and a few other relevant stats also play a part but I cant confirm that.

EDIT ... I personally never choose my set piece takers. I leave the option blank and the AI usually calculates the best man for the job itself. I can't remember having a problem where set pieces were less sucessful than I would like to see or too much less sucessful than others have reported on the forums. ..... Just a thought but you could try it.

BTW Mackem posted more or less the same stuff as I did at the same time .... Sorry for the repeat info -)

Allright thanks, that helps. I kinda figured the same about work permits as you guys said, but the reason I asked was specifically for a 14-year old argentinian who looked like a really good prospect. WP has been denied three times now. His reputation is National so far, he's a DC and already has terrific stats for his position, and imo he will become a star. I'm guessing it has something to do with age too perhaps. I don't see a lot of 14-year olds in the game. I'll have to wait until he's of decent age anyway, so no biggie, but if they keep denying him a WP I think I'll go and edit some of his stats and then change them back once I have him, it would be silly if I couldn't sign this future star player.

I wonder if the 14 year old is for another reason.

I asked the question why a 15 year old Raheem Sterling was not in the Liverpool youth team and was told that he had to be 16 on a certain date before he could be included in the game. I wonder if you cannot sign players under 15 for this reason as well - i.e they have to be 16 on a certain date before they will be allowed in your squad. Just a thought but i could be way of the mark on this one.

Allright thanks, that helps. I kinda figured the same about work permits as you guys said, but the reason I asked was specifically for a 14-year old argentinian who looked like a really good prospect. WP has been denied three times now. His reputation is National so far, he's a DC and already has terrific stats for his position, and imo he will become a star. I'm guessing it has something to do with age too perhaps. I don't see a lot of 14-year olds in the game. I'll have to wait until he's of decent age anyway, so no biggie, but if they keep denying him a WP I think I'll go and edit some of his stats and then change them back once I have him, it would be silly if I couldn't sign this future star player.

There is precisely no chance whatsoever, not even with a signed note from the Almighty himself and character references from Winston Churchill, Admiral Lord Nelson and King Arthur, that the Home Office would a grant a WP to a 14 year old who likely will not have represented his country at any significant age level. In this case the game is accurately representing real life.

Plus he's under 18 and from outside the EU so you wouldn't be able to transfer him outside of Argentina anyway, unless he has a second nationality from within the EU.

4) Greyed out options in Private chat. Some comments are ALWAYS greyed out. "Talking to media" comes to mind, even when players actually have been talking to the media. Has anyone ever been able to use this? Same with Preferred moves, some of the topics there are often greyed out while others aren't. Why? It should be up to me as manager to determine what is relevant to tell a player and what isn't.

Cheers

Everybody else seems to have somewhat covered your other questions, but let me try to shed some light on this one.

A number of the "always greyed out" options are only things you can bring up in response to something else happening. In your example of the "Talking to media" option, this is because you can't have a moan at a player for talking to the media unless they actually go to the media with their concerns instead of bringing them to your attention (Player X goes to the papaers saying he wants to move to a bigger club, instead of coming to you to talk about it, for example)