Player “Squad Status” – “Back up to the first team”.

Hi all,

The following situation annoys me as hell and seems not logical.

You are buying the player. He agrees for squad status - “Back up to the first team”. His job interest for this role – “Very interested”. Sure, he demands higher wage and more bonuses for this status squad then for “Rotation” or “First Team” status but it’s ok for me.

And why the hell after few season games he start to moan “I want more first team football blah blah blah transfer me blah blah”

This often happens with players even If their hidden attribute Professional more then 15.

I think if even the player has Ambition - 20 and Professional - 1 but he has agreed for “Back up to the first team” then he should never moan about because he receiving much wage for it.

I think SI should address this issue.

It also were logical and acceptable if he starts moaning after few full seasons but after few games.

Serious? How many footballers do you know who would be satisfied with never playing a match? Even those who's on backup status expects to be played now and then. Not counting reserve matches. And higher wage on backup than on rotation or first team status - that sounds strange to me. Higher bonus for playing yes, but higher wages? Never seen that before.

Higher bonus for playing yes, but higher wages? Never seen that before.

You can test it almost on every player. “Lock” his squad status role at “Back up to the first team” and look how much wage he asks for it then “Lock” squad status role “First Team” and look how much wage he asks. You’ll see almost all times players demand much more wage for “Back up to the first team” and it is logical because nobody likes to sit at back up and they demand much more wage for it. But if he and you agreed for such high wage for this status role then he should not moan about it at least one or two seasons.

Serious? How many footballers do you know who would be satisfied with never playing a match?

But if he wants play sometimes there is “Rotation” status for it but he has agreed for “Back up” status. Do you feel the difference? I’ll repeat It also were logical and acceptable if he starts moaning after few full seasons but not after few games.

Nevertheless; all players expects to be rotated into the squad now and then, players on rotation status will expect it more often than players on backup status. Use "easy" matches to give these players some match time. Or unimportant matches. Every team needs to have some sort of rotation policy in order to keep players happy. At the end of a season, none of my 22 first team players have started less than 10-12 matches, and even the most promising youngsters has been given a few starts and swaps.

Thomit, you don’t read what I writing? -) or you just trolling me? -)

I’m talking about that the player witch you bought at beginning of new season and who agreed for “back up” team status with job status “very interesting” and then after few games in new season this player starts to moan about “not enough first team football blah blah blah transfer me bla blah”

Sure, after full season he’ll get few appearances and I strongly suggest that such players should start their “moaning” at least after full season.

If you never encounter such situations lucky for you but I’ve encountered a lot of this.

So, give him a few matches and see if he stops moaning? Players comes with different personalities, some are more difficult than others. That's life. And I don't think you should hope for a full season without any competitive matches before you start to get complaints. Sorry, but you stated in your first post that you believe players with professional=1 and ambition=20 should not complain about not getting any matches because they are being payed not to. I think you are very mistaken in this. I am telling you, every player regardless of status or pay will expect to get played - how much depends on player personality and those stats you mentioned.

Oh and btw; yes, I have had difficult players too. Lots of them. Most settle down once they get a few matches now and then, within a healthy rotation policy, Others can't be managed at all, and soon becomes transfer listed. Ask any manager if this sounds familiar to them:)

Isn’t look stupid when you buy couch and after few weeks he starts moan “I want to be assistant manager”?

When player agrees for “back up” status he is understanding maybe there will some chance for him if some first team player get injured or maybe not and it looks very stupid when in beginning of new season such players start to moan. If he wants more football then he shouldn’t agrees for “back up” status and demand other status not lower then “Rotation”. Sure, maybe in future he may reconsider his status but it should happens at least after one full season.

Sorry, but you stated in your first post that you believe players with professional=1 and ambition=20 should not complain about not getting any matches because they are being payed not to. I think you are very mistaken in this.

Yes, my bad I’m also think it's too much. I apologies for it.

So, give him a few matches and see if he stops moaning?

At this point of season it is even hard to find place for much better players who is on “Rotation” or “Hot prospect” squad status.

For “Back up” squad status I sing up only very poor players for lower league and only if their “Job interest” is “Very Interested” for this role. I need such player only for propose if there’ll be very bad luck injures for one position. Giving place in first team to such players is very big risk to lose even simple game.

It looks very stupid and very strange when in beginning of the season such players start moaning about “first team football” but few weeks ago they agreed for “back up” status with wage ten times bigger than they received before.

I don’t know maybe SI should make harder to sing up players for “Back up” role but if they agrees then shouldn’t moan at least for one season because offering “back up” role you clearly tell for what purpose you are buying them. It is like you’re buying Physio but after few weeks he stats moan about that he want do coaching.

Backup doesn't mean no games at all. You need to play such players every now and then.

If it is literally after a few games then I would agree with the OP, but my suspicion is that it is not - at least, that isn't my experience.

I think players who have signed a "back-up" contract should probably be a little less hasty in complaining unless they are unprofessional, but every player wants to play and even those who agree to start as a back-up will want the opportunity to try and develop into more.

Is anyone actually reading what the OP has typed? He's saying that within weeks of signing as a back-up player the lad is moaning that he's not getting regular first team football.

That is not right & it's even more annoying since we can no longer tell a player that he's back-up & needs to have a little more patience.

It depends what "a few season games" actually means, if its 2/3 weeks fair enough, if its 7/8 you could see why. I've found players on back up status take longer to complain than those on better squad status's, but even back up players need games.

Could you clarify for me/everyone the following:

When did you sign him? When did he start complaining (how many games and how many months later)? What is his personality? What position does he play? Who are the players in front of him in the squad (and how do they compare to him)?

(I don't know if the latter is programmed in at all, but perhaps he agreed to the back up position, but after the transfer window closed, he felt that he was actually the best option that you have available in the squad).

P.S. I am only asking these questions to try and understand the situation fully, I am not disagreeing with you or defending the game, or vice versa.

Could you clarify for me/everyone the following:

I can’t tell you exactly because many different situations but I usually buy them about a month or two month before new season and they start to complain after 4-6 games in season.

Sure, as I told before for back up I buy only poor players from lower leagues with “very interested” job status for back up squad status. And it’s logical that usually such players aren’t “MEGA Professionals” and usually their Professional attribute around 10 but nobody expect from them mega progress in training or something like that.

Also nobody expect from them that they sit in back up for five seasons without any complain but it’s reasonably expect from them to sit quite at least for one first season because they agreed for it a month ago for wage ten times bigger than they had and extra big loyalty bonuses. By offering “back up” you clearly tell that you need player only for back up and not even for Rotation in case if there'll be very unlucky chain of injures if in and he agrees with it. But why the bloody hell after few season games he starts moan about first team football.

I see everyone likes to compare with real life situations so let’s image this situation.

In begging of new season Manchester United offered contract with “back up” squad status to crappy 27 years old player from few leagues lower and offered twenty times more wage. It’s lucky ticket for this player.

And after few games in season such player comes to Alex Ferguson and tells him “I don’t seen to feature In your plans I’m good enough and I might leave to find first team football.”

I don’t call such behavior unprofessional I call such behavior idiotic.

In this case SI should add new hidden attribute “Idiot” -)))

Sure, such conversation could happens because this player can evolve or just get tired for sitting in back up but not early then season or two.

P.S. In conclusion I repeat my strong suggestion that players who you bought at begging of the season and who agreed for “back up” status and showed "Very interested" for this job status should only start moaning about first team football at least to the end of the first season. Else this situations looks like fraud and stupid considering their poor ability and how much wage they receiving for having such poor ability and doing nothing.

In all honesty I haven't had this problem, but I don't tend to sign older players as back up. Next time it happens, if you upload it, then SI can have a look at the issue and perhaps remedy it or at least explain what has happened.