Under 18's playing in Reserves

I have recently bought a couple of very good 16/17 year olds, including Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but they are being severly overworked. In other words they always start every under 18 and reserve team game. In my opinion I couln't care less where my reserve team is in the table as it is packed with has beens and 18/19 year olds who will never make the grade but I always feel that the under 18 team should always be performing well as they are the future of the club so I would much rather them play in the Under 18 matches than the reserve but they always get picked for both (and in some instances the games are one day after each other meaning the players come off witn a condition of about 50%). Is there any way to block them form playing reserve matches and just youth ones?

Not as far as I know, but playing reserve football is better for their development than u-18s anyway

Not as far as I know, but playing reserve football is better for their development than u-18s anyway

Apart from the U18s Cup maybe?

Get someone else to manage reserves? (longshot)

You can set any player to not be available for the reserve team match day squad (even those in the reserves!). So just do that.

You can set any player to not be available for the reserve team match day squad (even those in the reserves!). So just do that.

Do that with U18 players in FM10 and they end up in the senior squad! Is it different in FM11?

Cheers

xxx

Well reserves and u18 leagues have fewer games anyway, so they're not usually too overworked.

It has been in my experience. All you do is uncheck the 'available for reserves' option on the player, whether they are in the first team squad, reserves or U18's.

I actually found out by accident when I released that my third choice keeper (who is constantly in the reserve squad) wasnt getting any games at all, even when my first and second choice keepers were listed as unavailable. On closer inspection of the news item you get when you are informed of an upcoming reserves game I noticed that I had one member of the reserve squad who was unavailable for the upcoming reserve game.

I was suffering with the same problem as the original poster, so I tried to do the same with my better U18 players (couldnt give a crap about the rubbish ones) and realised I could make them unavailable as well.

I was suffering with the same problem as the original poster, so I tried to do the same with my better U18 players (couldnt give a crap about the rubbish ones) and realised I could make them unavailable as well.

So they don't end up in the senior squad the next day? In FM11?

EDIT: Just realised my thinking is back to front. In FM10 U18 players selected as 'available for reserves' end up in the senior squad, so ignore this.:o

couldn't you just move the u18 players to the reserve squad?

OP wants them to play U18 matches.

Thanks guys but still a bit confused with raybouldinho's solution. My under 18's aren't selected as available for reserve team yet still play? I get the message about the first team players being available for the reserve match but how do I stop the under 18's playing from there? A bit of a step by step guide in how to do this would be really appreciated

So they don't end up in the senior squad the next day? In FM11?

Not as far as I'm aware, not in my experience anyway?!

Thanks guys but still a bit confused with raybouldinho's solution. My under 18's aren't selected as available for reserve team yet still play? I get the message about the first team players being available for the reserve match but how do I stop the under 18's playing from there? A bit of a step by step guide in how to do this would be really appreciated

I dont have the game loaded up at the moment matey so I can't guide you through step-by-step, I'll try, but I might have it wrong....

If you right click on an individual player whilst looking at the U-18 squad, you may even have an option to make them 'unavailable for reserve team squad'.

I'll load the game up as soon as I can, have a mooch around and come back here.

Thanks mate but there is no 'unavailable for reserve team' only 'available for reserve team' which is definetly not selected?

It's strange because when reserve team players are unselected for the 'available for reserve team' they don't play but when the option is unselected for my under 18's they do!?!?

Maybe its in the team/manager options menu (where you choose which coach you want to manage each team?)

I'm sure I've managed to do this before...

Putting them in the senior squad during each reserve game would work but could eventually upset them. Have you tried setting a different member of staff to look after the reserves? I know it's a longshot but you might find one who doesn't choose them.

An 'unavailable for reserves' option would be very handy.

Maybe its in the team/manager options menu (where you choose which coach you want to manage each team?)

I'm sure I've managed to do this before...

I've only found it to work on Reserve players.

I think it's pretty clear that it cannot be done without making the game very tedious to play. I think I will just play the best youth players in the reserves and swap them when an under 18 cup match is coming up, because everyone likes a decent little cup run If any SI members read this, as pigfacemonkeyman says, a 'unavailable for reserve team' option for youth players would make a very good addition for FM12!

being able to set a priority level would be nice, ie "high priority for under 18's" (to make sure that 16 year old wonderkid, gets picked ahead of the soon to be leaving crap 18 yo!), then a "low priority for reserves" (to make sure they are not gonna have a borderline heart attack every weekend!)

I think a 25-man youth squad would fix the problem. Don't fire the useless academy kids!

IRL youth team players aspire to play in the reserves against supposed better standard of players to help them improve, but yes I do agree that if a youth team player plays 2 sometimes 3 games a week it would be more detrimental.