Wants first team football!!!!!

Every player wants it regardless of whether they are 17 years old, a 35 year old journeyman or just an average decent reserve.

Bottom line is is you have a first eleven and it is really tough to keep a number of decent back ups to that team.

To avoid the unpleasantness & the fact that anything other than 'I'll let you go soonest' results in tears, I identify my back-ups & get them on a longish contract. Agree then to let them go but do nothing about it. Result is that most of my reserves to the first eleven are on the transfer list & unhappy. Don't like it, but see no other way.

I wish there were more options when the bloke asks for first team football like 'You are not as good as the 1st. team player in your position; until you get your game up to his level you will have to be patient!'

I tend to agree on this. I'd like more options in the player private chat option. Only two options don't involve telling him he can leave in some way or another. "Last time I gave you a chance you didn't impress" or "I make the decisions". Not really enough IMO.

rotation is your answer. i've got alex smithies as back up keeper and he complains every now and then. give him 5 games in a row and he shuts up.

i find it helps to avoid talking to players who want first team football

Your squads are too big. I keep my first team down to 20-22 players and everyone outside of that who isn't a young prospect gets shipped out. If you're trying to hang onto 30+ established players you're going to have issues.

If I deem a player 'not good enough' and they complain about lack of football, I firstly don't respond to their concern, I then place them out for loan and transfer (if I haven't already) and change their training to goalkeeper.

Eventually they get the picture and leave me alone.

Think it's a bit daft when a player willingly signs a contract with squad status set as back-up and then starts complaining about six weeks into the season. I'm not opposed to players complaining because they're not getting games. It happens in real life. Even back-up players get fed up eventually. But it happens too much and too soon in FM. If you want first team football right away, maybe don't agree to a back-up contract.

For youngsters it should be "You are a good player and I want you to succeed, at the moment there's other people ahead of you, hope you get your chance soon, I can't wait to see what you bring"

or something less long

Then for older players there should be options of "You've had a good run, we're about to put a curtain around you..."

Nah lol

Something like "You're not a spring chicken anymore and there's great youth prospects, I'm sure you appreciated it when you came through the ranks that the senior players stepped aside to give you a go, do the same for the younger lads and encourage them :D"

You should be able to smile at the end of the conversation. Or have an angry face! Or embarrassed. Or Crying. Emoticons is not a bad idea... nah don't really add them.

But seriously, there should be comments available towards older and younger players.