Club facilities

Just trying to get some feedback from my fellow FM managers. Here is my dilemma :-

What do you (the community) regard as most important to upgrade first in terms of your clubs facilities...

a) Training facilities

b) Youth facilities

c) Youth recruitment network

I am currently playing as Newcastle (maybe my forum name made that obvious). In the very first season the facilities are currently at :-

Training facilities - Good training facilities

Youth facilities - Average youth facilities & youth academy

Youth recruitment network - Average youth recruitment.

My head says that upgrading the first team training facilities is the most important.

But my heart says that upgrading the youth facilities would be wise, as it enables me to train my youngsters a lot better and maybe give me a better chance of my youngsters achieveing their potential.

I think that the youth recruitment network is probably the least important for the first couple of seasons. But i guess i'd just like to see what other people think.

I have already played about 5 seasons, but my young signings just never seem to reach anywhere near the potential that my scout suggests. Even though every one of my coaches is at LEAST 4 stars. So debating starting again and making the facilities the main concern.

Thanks for any feedback guys.

In your case with the facilities you have my personal choice would be to upgrade the youth facilities first, then the training facilities and finally the youth recruitment network... but others may have different ideas..

I'd always go for training facilities first, especially if I am buying the young players I am trying to develop. I'd only really worry about the others once I had starting looking to bring our own players through, which usually happens a few years down the line.

It depends what type of a manager you are. Whether you want to bring youth through or to rely on already established players from elsewhere. My style is the latter, so I would upgrade the training facilities first and youth facilities later on. Plus you can just send youth players out on loan for a few seasons to gain that vital experience needed to improve.

I would go for the youth facilities first too.

Youth Facilites defo

The quality if your own youth players that you bring through is incredibly random, personally, I've never in all of FM2011 produced a good youth player from my own youth setup. Therefore, I'd prioritise training facilities first, and only upgrade the youth setup when you've got training facilities to a "top" level. It's a lot easier to buy in quality youth and raise them up than it is to hope a good one comes through your own youth setup and I'm pretty sure youth setup is mostly responsible for the quality of regens you get through at the start of the season, and perhaps their training before they sign a "professional" contract. In my experience most youngsters I end up buying are 17-18 anyway and will entirely skip this phase, so training facilities is the main thing.

Youth facilities seem to dissapoint, in FM10 I had Top Youth facilities and only 1 player in 40 years in my save made it to the first team.

I'd always go for training facilities first, especially if I am buying the young players I am trying to develop. I'd only really worry about the others once I had starting looking to bring our own players through, which usually happens a few years down the line.

Yeah this was my thoughts Dafuge. Deep down as i say my head says concentrate on the main squad/first team facilities.

The youth stuff etc is always something i can do in a few seasons.

I guess i was just curious to see what others thought, and if others also struggle to produce talent from their academys.

It also bugs me (in my 5 seasons save) that a couple of supposed "wonderkids" i have found ALWAYS turn out to be rubbish. LOL. I was just curious to see if i could develop them better than what i currently have done.

Played this game for years and years, but never really got into the whole training schedule/developing youngsters scenario. This is something i have started to invest time in only over the last 2 versions of the game.

It just seems to baffle me a bit.

Also i dont suppose any of you can point me in the right direction of making good training schedules?

The stock ones that come with the game dont seem very good. But if i'm honest i dont really know what areas to train them in. So always just shy away from it and leave the default training schedules. Maybe this is also to blame for my constant failings. LOL. Well i dont claim to be a great manager...but i sure am having fun trying to take my beloved Newcastle to dizzy heights...note i say "trying". One day i might even win a trophy...just like in real life...i can dream. We can't all be Real Madrid's or Man Utd's eh!

Again thanks for the feedback guys, this is exactly why the FM forums are great. So many people willing to try and help. Good stuff.

Also i dont suppose any of you can point me in the right direction of making good training schedules?

The stock ones that come with the game dont seem very good. But if i'm honest i dont really know what areas to train them in. So always just shy away from it and leave the default training schedules. Maybe this is also to blame for my constant failings. LOL. Well i dont claim to be a great manager...but i sure am having fun trying to take my beloved Newcastle to dizzy heights...note i say "trying". One day i might even win a trophy...just like in real life...i can dream. We can't all be Real Madrid's or Man Utd's eh!

Again thanks for the feedback guys, this is exactly why the FM forums are great. So many people willing to try and help. Good stuff.

I found this site helpful when i made my own training schedules. It covers training categories, coaches & workload and also match preparation amongst other things.

Thanks Stant.

Will welcome anymore people can reccomend.

You're welcome Geordie, hope it is of help!

Youth facilities seem to dissapoint, in FM10 I had Top Youth facilities and only 1 player in 40 years in my save made it to the first team.

I'm managing in the Conference Premier and half my first team have come from the youth ranks, most of which through my own club. At this level, the facilities are far from top.

Youth recruitment networks seem more important than youth facilities for improving youth player stocks.

I'm not sure how one can improve youth recruitment networks though?

maybe by hiring certain kinds of coaches?

I like to work with the youth's of my club, is that what I'm doing now in my save

Training facilities.

Youth recruitment/regens you'll be lucky to get anyone worthwhile in an entire save, it's not really worth the money unless you have it spare.

I'm not sure how one can improve youth recruitment networks though?

It's an upgrade under "Networking" along with Scouting Range/Feeder club/Parent club.

I've always tried to do training facilities first for two reasons. First it does not matter much if i get good rated youngsters when i can't train them properly. Second i'm the type of manager that goes looking for 17 year olds to sign for the future.

Agree with most of the above. The training facilities is by far the most important.

Firstlly, youth signs professional contracts at 17 years of age, and most are 16 or older when they come from the academy. The few months they train at reduced intensity with the youth setup are usually wasted, since very few have the right mentality to develop properly until they have had tutoring anyways.

Secondly, the chance of actually getting 4*+ players with 1*+ CA in a useful position with useful stats through your own academy or youth recruitment network is extremely small. When that is said, I usually give every player with 3* PA coming from my own academy the chance to reach their potential, because I like following their careers even after they leave.

Hands up if you said you can't get youth players making your first team. This one hasn't even played a game for my youth team!

I'd always go for training facilities first, especially if I am buying the young players I am trying to develop. I'd only really worry about the others once I had starting looking to bring our own players through, which usually happens a few years down the line.

This, This, always This!