Back-up goalkeepers.

Does anyone else think that goalkeepers who are at your club specifically to warm the bench and provide back-up to the first team become unsettled to easily and quickly?

I mean, look at Tomasz Kuszczak at Man. United. In reality, he knows his role at the club and is now into his third season as back-up 'keeper. But in the game, it only takes a few months for him to get upset about it.

I believe it needs to be easier to make it much clearer to a 'keeper when you buy him/promote him through your ranks that his role is as a back-up. Obviously you can set his status to 'back-up to the first team', but that doesn't seem to make any difference.

Steve Harper never complains for me at Newcastle, he had 'slt' near his name once a few seasons in (2010 I think) and I played him one game against a lower league club in the cup and he was happy for the rest of the season.

The problem with Kuszczak I bet is because he's young and he wants first team football to improve, whereas Harper is old (no offence, Harps!).

Yeah i do agree that they definately get unsettled too quickly! There needs to be another option so you can tell them that its unlikely they'll get a game unless 1st choice gets injured or suddenly turns awful!

As you start bringing in keepers it becomes more of a problem IMO. To begin with I had Max Grun at FC Bayern, and he lasted about 4 seasons without complaining before leaving on a free. I brought in an ancient Sander Westerweld who only lasted one season and then had to move on because he was moaning, I was going through a sub keeper a season, but now I use youth players and they seem happier to bench warm than player bought in.

At Liverpool, I use Reina for the Premier League and Champions League, then I'll use Cavalieri in the domestic Cups.

Keeps the both of them happy.

Beyond that I've only got youth Goalkeepers who are happy forever if they are even so much as "Moved the the senior squad".

You have to take in every factor when making examples like this. Kuszczak is still relatively young (For a keeper mind you) and he's the back-up for a grand club like Man Utd. His competition on the first squad is Edwin Van Der Sar <- A keeper who has been looking less and less comfortable in the goal. I think that most keepers would be content at waiting for the first team spot in Man Utd.

But I do agree that alot of keepers in the game are moaners. I tend to play them in easier cup matches and some sure winners in the leagues to keep them off my back. But anyway, yeah there should be a more specific instruction to give to these keepers. There are only 1 spot for a keeper in the 1st team, and they should be more aware of that automatically.

I mean, look at Tomasz Kuszczak at Man. United. In reality, he knows his role at the club and is now into his third season as back-up 'keeper. But in the game, it only takes a few months for him to get upset about it.

Play him in your cup games and against vastly inferior opposition in Europe and the league and he should be perfectly happy. Thats what I do and he seems perfectly happy with this.

Play him in your cup games and against vastly inferior opposition in Europe and the league and he should be perfectly happy. Thats what I do and he seems perfectly happy with this.

I only used Kuszczak as an example. Although I'm managing United, I sold Kuszczak years ago (Aston Villa offered me £11m!) and Van der Sar is long retired. I do play my back-up 'keeper in cup games, but he isn't happy. When he signed his contract, I told him he'd be back-up to the first team, but that doesn't seem to matter. My first choice 'keeper hasn't been injured or suspended in the two-and-a-half seasons I've had him, and I kinda wish he would be once in a while!

If a keeper willingly signs a contract with 'back-up' status, surely he should realise this is a completely different scenario to an outfield player signing with the same status.

I've recently signed Kuszczak for my AC Milan team as a back up, he signed the contract as a back up so therefore he should be pleased but no, the whiny little moaner gets upset after only 5 games of the season 'cos he aint playing 1st team football!

I think part of the problem is that, whereas back-up outfield players will likely get just enough football to stop them from bleating, back-up 'keepers generally don't. But the game doesn't really take this into account.

I agree with this. When you offer backup to a keeper, they should understand that they are backup incase the 1st gets an injury.

Any back-up player becomes unsettled way too quickly (especially in your team...) if they don't play. Which is a contradiction, if their squad role is "backup to the first team". On the other hand, it is also interesting to notice that a lot of "first team players" play like 10 games in a season and never complain... It would be more logical if a backup would complain and request transfert as soon as his team role is assigned (and don't sign with your team if they are offered a backup role) while "first team players" should start complaining as soon as they are left in the cold for two-three consecutive games.

As they are now, squad statues don't mean much, what is really important is the (hidden) "controversy" attribute.

Squad statues? Lol.