My potential world beater is wasting his potential

Right, I need some advice.

I signed a young brazilian centre back called Gérson after my scouts told me he had the potential to become a leading Premiership centre back. He joined me at the age of 18 with great defensive stats and an "ambitious" personality.

I thought I had a real gem on my hands, but shortly after his arrival, the demise started.

On arrival he refused to be tutored by any of the experienced centre backs saying that he would rather develop his own game. Knowing that he wasn't good enough to get games in the first team yet, I sent him on loan to Santos for a year. Top training facilities and a status of "valuable member of the first team" would be great for his development, I thought.

When he returned to the club a year later - with 22 first team starts under his belt - I was surprised to find that several of his key attributes had dropped (tackling, positioning etc).

Again I offered him tutoring from one of my world class centre backs and again he refused.

Basically he's now 20 years old and doesn't look any better than he did when he joined me. On the contrary my coach report tells me that he's "declined as a footballer over the last 3 months".

Any advice on how to handle a youngster like this and help him develop? Or will I be better off showing him the door?

Right, I need some advice.

I signed a young brazilian centre back called Gérson after my scouts told me he had the potential to become a leading Premiership centre back. He joined me at the age of 18 with great defensive stats and an "ambitious" personality.

I thought I had a real gem on my hands, but shortly after his arrival, the demise started.

On arrival he refused to be tutored by any of the experienced centre backs saying that he would rather develop his own game. Knowing that he wasn't good enough to get games in the first team yet, I sent him on loan to Santos for a year. Top training facilities and a status of "valuable member of the first team" would be great for his development, I thought.

When he returned to the club a year later - with 22 first team starts under his belt - I was surprised to find that several of his key attributes had dropped (tackling, positioning etc).

Again I offered him tutoring from one of my world class centre backs and again he refused.

Basically he's now 20 years old and doesn't look any better than he did when he joined me. On the contrary my coach report tells me that he's "declined as a footballer over the last 3 months".

Any advice on how to handle a youngster like this and help him develop? Or will I be better off showing him the door?

Did he have any long term injuries during that loan spell? I think that's the only reason that a footballer would decline when he's below 30 years old. Also, did Santos play him as a defender? If they used him at other positions, that could be why his defending attributes drop.

Also, since you're only at the start of the season, it's normal that they have slight drop in attributes during the pre-season.

What I would do is keeping him and sending him on loan to some other places since he's only 19. Uusually, things won't go wrong with potential star players unless they don't get to play competitive football for years. Have faith in your youngsters!

I have him also, but i haven't loaned him out to any teams, hes 21 in my game now and still on course to be a leading premiership star, so it might have been the loaning out that did it

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Macyst:

Did he have any long term injuries during that loan spell? I think that's the only reason that a footballer would decline when he's below 30 years old. Also, did Santos play him as a defender? If they used him at other positions, that could be why his defending attributes drop.

Also, since you're only at the start of the season, it's normal that they have slight drop in attributes during the pre-season.

What I would do is keeping him and sending him on loan to some other places since he's only 19. Uusually, things won't go wrong with potential star players unless they don't get to play competitive football for years. Have faith in your youngsters! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

He was out for 2 months with strained knee ligaments and also had a few minor injuries that kept him out for a week at a time. By the way, in the time he played 22 games for Santons, he also played 14 games for the Brazilian u20 team. So he's had plenty of first team football in the last year.

also, I'm actually in january now, so that can't explain his drop in stats.

He's currently away with the U20 national team and now dribbling, free kicks, long throws, pace and acceleration just dropped... Maybe they just have really crappy coaches there?

I'll try and loan him out again for first team experience. If it doesn't help, I'll sell him.

I don't send my youngsters out on loan as soon as i get them. TRy and develop him at your club first and then send him out

If his stats are dropping, I'd stick him on a hefty training schedule.

I have Gerson at Chelsea but he's not getting in the first team due to my excellent newgen that I found in Germany. I was getting offers in 2012 for £18m + from Man U and Barce. Wish I'd taken them now.

Here's what he looks like for me in 2014.

http://img120.imageshack.us/my.php?image=gersonqh6.jpg

He played one cup game for me and got a couple of goals - one from a corner, one (strangely) volley from the edge of the area. I trained him in the reserves for a year, and he accepted tutoring from John Terry, then spent two years out on loan - one at Leeds (helping get them promoted) and one at Motherwell.

Perhaps his attitude is random depending on his games. I also signed this chap at the same time.

Douglas

Not sure if a fellow U19 player helped him settle or what.

Be careful about using the tutoring option on a player... the tutor must be more skilled than the student, maybe even of higher potential (I'm not sure about that one). And they should be of similar mental outlook.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by backpackant:

Perhaps his attitude is random depending on his games. I also signed this chap at the same time.

Douglas

Not sure if a fellow U19 player helped him settle or what. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, I bought Douglas too. Loaned him to Plymouth where he went great, and Westeroo as well. But he's kind of stalled, because I can't offer him regular 1st team football, nor can I find a Prem team to loan him, which is where he is at now.

I've just signed gerson at the start of the 2012/2013 season for fulham, so i'm hoping he develops into a world class player too. he happily accepted tutoring, from either skrtel or fazio, not sure which.

was planning on not sending him on loan, and giving him a few first team appearances over the season.

Same I am stuck with Douglas.

Can't seem to fit into my team (Newcastle United) be it in the FC or AMC role. Keeps doing well out on loan, so I will give him an extended run I think and see how he does....

Gerson - I have had exactly the same. Gave him a contract at something like 14 years old, and he always looked decent. He's on the bench for me but that is only because I don't really have any depth.

He has been out to Morton in the SPL (Probably a mistake looking back now!) and to Plymouth, but hasn't really had a proper run. He has been tutored by Steven Taylor too.

I had a similar story with a young player, not with world class potential but supposedly enough to be a good championship player. No clubs wanted to loan him and he couldn't get a game at my feeder club and he really didn't look like reaching his potential to me at 19, even though my scouts still rated him as having good potential. So when I got a couple of bids for him I managed to negotiate a very good price for him considering his value and current ability. My advice would be to sell him but add in a buy back clause in case he does reach his potential later than expected.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mravac Kid:

Be careful about using the tutoring option on a player... the tutor must be more skilled than the student, maybe even of higher potential (I'm not sure about that one). And they should be of similar mental outlook. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't find that the personalities make a difference really - I've had players who had the same description being rejected by the tutee as their personalities were 'too different' and yet cases where they've had complete opposite personalities have been a great success. I seem to be getting quite good at this now, I might try my arm at writing a guide seeing as there doesn't seem to be a decent one around...

I think both are probably suitable for mid-table/pushing for Europe teams.

Also, this has become a bit of a good player/team guide type of conversation so it might be closed soon.

I have not tried this particular player but I came to a conclusion that do NOT loan anyone over 20 if you want him to improve and be part of the team. Better keep him in the team and give him playing minutes even if he is not best option at that point. I saw extreme leaps from 18 and 19 year players when I had shown patience to them in first team matches. Also letting them in early age creates good relation between you and them and most likely they pick you as their favourite personal at early age.

I only loan players over 20 if I want to keep them as reserve or if I want to sell them later because adding game experience seems to increase player value up to some extend and he draws more attention but I dont think they keep improving fast enough stats wise when they are on loan.

Of course there can be exceptions to this theory but I have reasons to believe around %80 of the players follow this.