AI Goalkeepers squad numbers

I know this is a small gripe, but I"m sure if everyone checks their games it will be the same, at present I'm in season 13/14 and of the 20 premiership teams only one AI team has a GK who they have given the squad number 1 too (i.e. a GK they have bought within the game), Wigan still have Kirkland so he has the number 1 as do Chelsea because Cech is still their first choice (but they start the game as 1), so that's including me only 4 Premiership teams with GK with squad number 1, which I think is a tad silly......

Personally I'd like it if squad numbers were assigned according to starting position.

1 to 11, like the good old days.

But I guess FM is just reflecting the mad world of real life.

Perhaps 1 is an unlucky number in the future, and SI have the power of foresight.....

As far as I can tell the game doesn't reassign squad numbers to players, therefore the number 1 shirt is usually only given out when the previous holder has left and then when a new keeper is signed, he gets that number, or it's given to the next youth keeper without a number. And because the current first choice keeper is usually signed while the keeper with the no 1 shirt is still at the club, the new keeper gets a different number. In some cases the sale of the previous number 1 coincides with the signing of a new first choice keeper.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

No your bang on, thats exactly my point, I'm sure in the real world the majority of keepers want the no.1 jersey, I know there are the likes of Buffon, but surely the majority want 1. example in my game Liverpool bought Akinfeev for 27.5m whilst Reina was still there, Akinfeev gets the squad no.26, the pool sell Reina to Sunderland (who sold Gordan to Villa) and then the pool buy Weidenfeller as back up and he gets the no.1 jersey, just think it would be more realistic if the AI at start of season, same time human managers are asked to pick squad numbers, give the first choice keeper No. 1, which I think would be more realistic

I see your point, and it would look better and be more realistic but I'm not sure what would be needed to be done to implement it.

I'm sure in the real world the majority of keepers want the no.1 jersey, I know there are the likes of Buffon

Buffon wear's the number 1 jersey. :confused:

Buffon wear's the number 1 jersey. :confused:

Whilst at Parma he requested the number 88, which caused a bit of controversy as some thought it had something to do with Neo-Nazism (H being the 8th letter in the alphabet, 88 being HH - Heil Hitler......ridiculous, but then again Italian football is plagued with Neo-Nazism so who knows)

I was thinking player numbers should play a small part in player management. Perhaps each player has a sort of "preferred number(s)" and they may or may not request the number at the start of each season/when signed. Of course, not every player would actually come out and say "I want the number 13", but it would be a varying attribute, sort of like...

0-5: No preference

6-10: "Would prefer number X" in player information tab, but no real affect

11-15: Approaches manager to ask for specific number(s)

16-20: Is upset it he does not get his number

Sort of like Ballack, Cantona, etc. If you don't give them the number they like, they might get annoyed, but it won't be game-breaking, of course. Just nice to have these minor little things.

Keepers by defult (most of them) would have a low attribute which leans them towards 1, and for the sake of approaching realism, AI managers might be able to guess what their preferred numbers are.

Alternatively, perhaps the number-assignment can also be tied to squad status/repuation, so your youth winger doesn't get the number 11 while your star is stuck with 48

Completely agree, would add a little colour, a bit like the Captain and Vice Captain, you sign a striker who wants No. 10 and your current No. 10 gets upset if you take away his number...... again a nice little detail

Whilst at Parma he requested the number 88, which caused a bit of controversy as some thought it had something to do with Neo-Nazism (H being the 8th letter in the alphabet, 88 being HH - Heil Hitler......ridiculous, but then again Italian football is plagued with Neo-Nazism so who knows)

Indeed. But he has worn number 1 for X number of years, and only wore the number 88 for a very short period of time, so I dont think he can be put in his bracket of goalkeepers "wanting a different number".

It's actually quite a tricky one, this. How do you try and ensure that it's done realistically? Presumably you need to code it in so that there is emphasis on the first choice 'keeper getting the number 1 shirt. However, there are plenty of examples where it isn't the case; Reina at Liverpool, Jaaskelainen at Bolton, Barthez for France, Howard at Everton to name but a handful.

The good thing is that this perhaps isn't the most major issue in the game.

I think players wanting certain squad numbers and being annoyed if they don't get them is a great idea. It happens IRL and I'd love to see it within the game.

To the OP: Reina wears no. 25, so why did Akinfeev get 26? Was Charles Itandje assigned to no, 1? I know their new Brazilian goalkeeper (forgotten his name) has taken the no. 1 shirt at Liverpool now. Seems a bit strange to me, if you're the top player in your position at your club why not take the best number if it's available? I mean okay if your number is already taken, like Beckham etc, but otherwise it is strange, especially as a GK. But Mike 7077 rightly points out there are a fair few keepers in the Prem who don't wear the no.1 jersey.

You could have a players preffered number??

Also when auto selecting squad numbers it could be done there!

Researchers have been asked to set preferred squad numbers.

Was Charles Itandje assigned to no, 1? I know their new Brazilian goalkeeper (forgotten his name) has taken the no. 1 shirt at Liverpool now.

no, itandje wore 30 and the new brazilian keeper is cavalieri wearing no.1. back on topic, i think it would add something to the game if the players could choose their own number as it happens in real life. i don't think it should be confined to keepers either.

I agree it shouldn't be confined to goalkeepers, you could have messages like....... "Robbie Keane is 'over the moon' in being given the coveted no.7 jersey, he made it clear that he was delighted to be following in the footsteps of Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan" Or "New Manchester United signing Rafael van der Vaart has spoke of his desire to wear the number 7 currently held by Cristiano Ronaldo, it remains to be seen if Alex Ferguson will risk upsetting Ronaldo to grant van der Vaart's wishes' ...... or something like that..... something better but you know what I mean

i know what you mean and i agree.

I agree it shouldn't be confined to goalkeepers, you could have messages like....... "Robbie Keane is 'over the moon' in being given the coveted no.7 jersey, he made it clear that he was delighted to be following in the footsteps of Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan" Or "New Manchester United signing Rafael van der Vaart has spoke of his desire to wear the number 7 currently held by Cristiano Ronaldo, it remains to be seen if Alex Ferguson will risk upsetting Ronaldo to grant van der Vaart's wishes' ...... or something like that..... something better but you know what I mean

Exactly what I was going for.

The idea of past wearers would also be great!

"Player X has been handed the number 11 shirt for Manchester United, made famous in recent yers by prolific winger Ryan Giggs. Fans of the Red Devils will hope that X will continue the legacy of the legendary shirt, but only time will tell."

"Player X has revealed that he is delighted to receive the number 11 shirt, claiming that former Man Utd player Ryan Giggs was a personal hero of his, and promised fans that we would do his best for the club. However, he stressed that he would not be aiming to replace the winger, but would prefer to be his own player."

"In an interview with (whatever), Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has commented on Player X taking over his old squad number. The Welsh winger had only ncouraging words and positive feedback on his former club's new number 11, and wished him, and the team, all the best."

Of course, negative events could also take place, which would then lead to stress/pressure on the player(s) in question.

"Oxford United keeper Billy Turley vented his anger to the press after losing his coveted number 1 jersey. Whilst Turley accepted that XXX was a good keeper, Turley felt that he was still Oxford's number 1" etc etc.