A specific gripe about player decline.

I noticed something yesterday. As a flaw, it's fairly minor. But it's irritated me a little bit.

I would think that a good number of us agree that player decline is a gradual process. Admittedly, some players will decline faster than others. But one thing we can all say is that a player's birthday is no marker as to the specific date we would expect to observe a particular feature of decline in a player to show itself.

For some reason, for the past in-game year, I've been watching the pace stat of Rio Ferdinand, who was 31. It stayed at 16 all year. Then, on his 32nd birthday, it went down to fifteen. Now I know that's a tiny decline. I haven't even noticed it on the pitch. It's not the decline that bothers me. He's 32. He's bound to be losing pace. What's irritated me is that the game has used his birthday as a marker for when it should reduce the stat. Decline doesn't work like that.

I may seem pedantic to some of you in bringing this up. I can be quite pedantic about FM, it's true. But I just don't like the fact that a player automatically had to decline in pace because it was his birthday.

I'm sure that stats decline other than on the birthday, in which case I don't see it as a problem. (They certainly increase on non-birthdays so I'd expect they decrease also).

I'm sure that stats decline other than on the birthday, in which case I don't see it as a problem. (They certainly increase on non-birthdays so I'd expect they decrease also).

That's what I would have expected. It's why I was surprised and a bit concerned by this Rio Ferdinand thing.

Your Ferdinand will decrease a lot faster over the next few months. For me it was Frank Lampard who was playing his heart out at the beginning of the season he hit 32, but by Christmas he was struggling to make the bench. By the end of the season, aged 33, I was ready to take him down the vets and put him to sleep.

Your Ferdinand will decrease a lot faster over the next few months. For me it was Frank Lampard who was playing his heart out at the beginning of the season he hit 32, but by Christmas he was struggling to make the bench. By the end of the season, aged 33, I was ready to take him down the vets and put him to sleep.

He's so, so good at the moment. This is just depressing.

That seems strange to me as well, but carry on with him and he may still be able to do the business despite losing pace gradually. I had Mexes and Milito in my team until they were 35 and both had very low pace by that time.

That seems strange to me as well, but carry on with him and he may still be able to do the business despite losing pace gradually. I had Mexes and Milito in my team until they were 35 and both had very low pace by that time.

Given the years of quality service I've had from him, and bearing in mind he's club captain, I'll be carrying on with him until he really does become too much of a liability.

In any case, he's still faster than 29 year old Nemanja Vidic. And Vidic never gives me any problems.

Mike, are you sure this isn't just a coincidence, or have you seen it happen on other occasions?

It's the only time I've seen it. So it may well be a coincidence. It just seems hard to believe that it is. What I need is another player in his 30s with a birthday coming up! But my next oldest player is Owen Hargreaves at 29 and 10 months. Not sure his pace stat is due to decline just yet.

I'd put it down as coincidence and move on. You can't let it bother you when it has only happened once. If it keeps happening, then you've got a problem.

My previous post is nonsense! I mean, I can watch the pace stat of any player who's over 30! It doesn't have to be one of mine!

Nevertheless, it would be great if he would only lose 1 point of pace every birthday. That would compensate a bit for the dramatically decline of other attributes, like ... acceleration. ;-)