Low Morale = Ability of a Wheelie Bin

Is it just me thats found this? I have a very good striker who has become such a waste of space recently because either his morale or confidence is low.

After netting a goal every other game for nearly two seasons, he hit a lean patch in March or April last season. That's fine, I thought, until it lasted for the rest of the season. He picked up an injury in pre-season before he'd scored a goal for us that ruled him out until the second game of this season.

He now hasn't scored a goal for me for 9 months.

I build his confidence up with reserve fixtures, until his average is way over 8 for the last 5 games, then blood him into the first team, and he shows all the ability of a wheelie bin. He gets absolute sitters in front of goal and blazes them wide. He looks 'complacent' in cup games against lesser teams, which just infuriates me. He's missed penalties. Eventually, his average rating is back down to about 6.0 for the last 5, and I start the whole sorry process all over again. I've tried him in different roles, with different strike partners, anything, and he can't score.

Eventually, his lack of first team football has led to him complaining. I agreed to give him football, played him for 4 consectuive games where he was crap, then dropped him back to the reserve squad. Obviously, he complained and requested a transfer.

So many things are wrong with this I don't know where to begin.

What's even more bothersome is that he isn't alone - I have a second striker on the same route, while a third is doing his best to join them.

I just needed a rant. You need to tone down how pathetic a striker is until he fumbles in his first goal for a season, and let me explain to them that unless they start scoring again, I will sell them. I want to let him know in no uncertain terms than on £65k/week, I don't expect a 9 month dry spell in front of goal.

What's even more bothersome is that he isn't alone - I have a second striker on the same route, while a third is doing his best to join them.

Sounds like it's your management and team talk skills that needs looking at if it's a problem with more than one striker.

Sounds like it's your management and team talk skills that needs looking at if it's a problem with more than one striker.

I'd agree with this. Strikers in a drought need different things to "inspire" them... try "expect a performance" against a crap team (it's worked a couple of times for me in the past )

It's the team talks, or the tactic, or both.

If he's going through a nine month goal drought and you still haven't figured out what to tell him to make him perform, there's obviously something you're missing. Tell him No Pressure.

When several of your strikers struggle with the same, lack of coolness in front of goal, it may be a problem with your strikers' mentalities. If it is set too high they usually shoot from any angle as soon as they get the ball and this is bad because they will miss more often.

You don't have to put him IN the reserves (if you play in England at least), only make him available to them - that way he won't be upset.

The second guy who's done it is more understandable - he's only 20. The third is 21.

I'll try, but if I say I expect anything from him, he plays nervously all match and fluffs his chances.

The second guy who's done it is more understandable - he's only 20. The third is 21.

I'll try, but if I say I expect anything from him, he plays nervously all match and fluffs his chances.

Tell him No Pressure until he scores. The risk of complacency is better than the certainty of nervousness.

The second guy who's done it is more understandable - he's only 20. The third is 21.

I'll try, but if I say I expect anything from him, he plays nervously all match and fluffs his chances.

if he ALWAYS plays nervously when you "expect" anything, then don't use "expect..." Perhaps a "you have faith"? Again I've used it in the past, as a half-time team-talk to a striker who was in a drought and seemed able to miss an open goal from 6 inches... he got a hat-trick second half :O

What BiggusD said about the striker's mentalities is worth considering too... I couldn't get Cassano scoring for Sampdoria even though my other strikers in the same role were scoring for fun... I increased the mentality slider a notch and he was a goal machine!

He never looks motivated. I occasionally get 'Playing Okay', but complacent or disinterested are quite common. It's bizarre - I have one striker who is doing very well, and two teenagers who are doing well for their age, but then two of them have totally lost it.

BiggusD - I do usually just make him available for reserves. It's just if I feel he's cost me a winnable game that I get a bit mad that I send him to the reserves.

BiggusD and Lazaru5 (and footballmanager84), thanks for the advice I was half-expecting to get flamed for this thread.

Update: He's officially gone mental. He requested to be transfer listed, which I accepted. Roma made a rubbish bid, which I rejected. He asked to be taken off the transfer list, which I rejected. Then he complained to me that the bid from Roma had been rejected, so I promised him I'd try to sell him. He said he was glad to be on his way, then asked to be taken off the transfer list again. I rejected.

Get rid of the ****.

Whats that old saying? Football is 30% fitness and 70% mental? Something like that anyway.

What's his Determination, personality and player type? What is the Ass.Man saying about his personality in his report?

It's not booted up right now, I'll see what the assistant says later, but this is a screen of his profile just before pre-season began this year.

This must have been about 3 months after his last goal.

Is it just me thats found this? I have a very good striker who has become such a waste of space recently because either his morale or confidence is low.

After netting a goal every other game for nearly two seasons, he hit a lean patch in March or April last season. That's fine, I thought, until it lasted for the rest of the season. He picked up an injury in pre-season before he'd scored a goal for us that ruled him out until the second game of this season.

He now hasn't scored a goal for me for 9 months.

Well this problem has Ancelotti stumped too, so you don't need to feel alone.

Well this problem has Ancelotti stumped too, so you don't need to feel alone.

and Roy Hodgson before him...

(although Kenny managed OK )

Well, it seems that with only 13 in Determination and evidence of either low Pressure, Loyalty or Professionalism hidden stats (or all of them), the poor lad is a useless load of blubber. Concentration at 7 hints at low Concistency as well.

It is very important to build up a team of Determined, Professional and Ambitious players in FM11.3

It is very important to build up a team of Determined, Professional and Ambitious players in FM11.3

I agree completly, it also makes managing morale and team talks a lot easier..

Thanks guys. I'll see what I can recoup... Apparently Spurs are willing to take a chance on him.

He finally scored! Almost 40 weeks since his last goal for the first team, he managed to fluke one in off the post against Swindon in the FA Cup. The kid on a similar run of form (who was actually tutored by Moreno for a while) missed 4 CCC's in the same game.

He finally scored! Almost 40 weeks since his last goal for the first team, he managed to fluke one in off the post against Swindon in the FA Cup. The kid on a similar run of form (who was actually tutored by Moreno for a while) missed 4 CCC's in the same game.

Yeah make sure your tutors are guys with good hidden stats and high Determination. I know that if the tutor's Determination is lower than the tutee's, the latter's stat may decrease. If this is the case with the hidden stats as well you may just have destroyed a kid's career...

arrange a friendly against a very weak side if possible & let him score as many goals as he wants!

If anyone is interested in an update: Christian Moreno has been sold to some team in Russia, and I recouped most of my money. He's been on lightning form for them so far, but then he did also score 11 in his first 12 for me, so I can't see it continuing.

The second guy (the kid) went an entire second season without scoring, but I did occasionally stick him in midfield, and he was mostly used as a sub. He's had a decent pre-season now, so I'm hoping for good things.

I think the third player must have no consistency but really enjoys the big matches. He only ever seems to score against the best opposition.

Derby 2007-08 is the perfect example of this...

Strikers who are having a rough patch are hard to going again. My personal suggestion is sit them on the bench for a game or two, then start bringing them back as a sub without too much pressure on them. Either that are give them more pressure than one could ever imagine! Whatever you feel like at the time. They'll just work through it in time if you leave them to it.

Derby 2007-08 is the perfect example of this...

Strikers who are having a rough patch are hard to going again. My personal suggestion is sit them on the bench for a game or two, then start bringing them back as a sub without too much pressure on them. Either that are give them more pressure than one could ever imagine! Whatever you feel like at the time. They'll just work through it in time if you leave them to it.

9 months on £65k/week was too long for me to be waiting tbh.

9 months on £65k/week was too long for me to be waiting tbh.

You have a reserve team, let him bang a few in there for a bit.

That actually works far better in Hungary in all fairness as B teams can play in the second tier, and hence they actually score competitive goals.

That's a lot of money though! Oh well, hopefully he'll score a ton for you soon.

You have a reserve team, let him bang a few in there for a bit.

He did. I let him get up to 10 in his last 5, then I'd ease him back into the first team, and...

He's gone to Spartak now, he can be their problem for a while.

I'll pass the message onto him Neil Personally, I'm hoping he fails miserably and is forced into early retirement.

Not that I'm bitter or anything.

I once tried to sign a player on a lower league save with Ilson... He refused to talk to me and years later when we were promoted to the Premier League I celebrated by putting in a £1 bid for him, just to unsettle him. He asked to be transfer listed and refused to sign a contract. He ended up retiring because he felt he was too good for the teams that were offering him contracts after his contract ran out. He was 29!

I once tried to sign a player on a lower league save with Ilson... He refused to talk to me and years later when we were promoted to the Premier League I celebrated by putting in a £1 bid for him, just to unsettle him. He asked to be transfer listed and refused to sign a contract. He ended up retiring because he felt he was too good for the teams that were offering him contracts after his contract ran out. He was 29!

FM is played by some seriously vindictive people...

I feel so at home

*cough*