Has the African Nations Cup ever made you want to jump off a very tall building?

Seriously in the game this is the most annoying thing, i believe, in the world. I'm now afraid to buy african players cos as i do most of my management in england they are all called up during my busiest time of the year. This tournament has lost me many a game.

No, as when you sign African players, you know they will be called up to represent their countries.

No, I have never wanted to do that.

a good manager is one that is able to best utilize his available resources to win games. I doubt you fit the bill

I've never bought an African player for that very reason.

Ive bought African players, however rarely young ones, as i like the African players, if their good enough, to tutor my youngsters so when the Africans are away the players they tutored step up, some even permanantly breaking into the first team.

No - can't say that I have.

Seriously in the game this is the most annoying thing, i believe, in the world. I'm now afraid to buy african players cos as i do most of my management in england they are all called up during my busiest time of the year. This tournament has lost me many a game.

If you are going to fill your team with Africans, you have to weigh that up against the fact that they will not be there for a month in the middle of the season. Is that absence worth it for what they bring to the team for over the rest of the season.

Chelsea suffered with this during the last African Cup of Nations. I think 5 of their fist team squad went. But Mourinho/Grant knew this when the players were signed, so they thought it was worth it. Plus, irl you can always get the player to lie and say he is injured ...... this clearly happens!

Or, most of the time, an african player has the hump with the international manager, or their country's FA arent paying them, so they refuse to play. You cannot fault the money grabbing attitude of the african players!

a good manager is one that is able to best utilize his available resources to win games. I doubt you fit the bill

this was a bit harsh mate, evidently he wants to help grow the game in Africa by signing African players (I do the same with Asia, tend to have up to 8 young Asians at my Polish or Belgian feeder club).

I can sympathise, but if you're a big squad you should be able to cover a few missing players, this might even give a youngster the chance to show you what he's got. I love it when that happens in the game, in my Liverpool game a young DM got a shot in the first team due to 6 (!) DMs being injured and I was stubbon and didn't want to change my formation, he played like a demi-god and now sits on my bench for main games and plays all the minor ones (even made me sell Lucas to Marseille).

You can get through it mate, best of luck to you.

I've never bought an African player for that very reason.

I never buy Africans too (or U21 South Americans) , let the other managers miss them .

I never overload my team with African players for this reason.

yeh its hurt me before but like some of the other posters have pointed out, if you have decent backup it gives them a great opportunity to get some games and impress. and they usually do. what really used to hurt was when you would lose all your best south americans for important champions league games. i think that got fixed though..

If you accept that this will happen when you buy African players, it won't bother you so much because you'll be prepared for it.

your sqaud need to be strengthened then. Is it a pain? Sure, Do I know this when buying them, Sure. Combat that by having sufficent cover. Unless you bought a whole sqaud of African's?

I think jumping off a very tall building is a bit extreme.

You can get counselling for these feelings.

Call 08457 90 90 90 and they'll offer support and advice in these troubled times for you.

(Or just avoid buying African players)

cant say as i've ever felt like that about it, no.

what does irk me slightly is > the cup of nations if played at that time of year, mainly because of the waether conditions being too hot during the summer. so, how in the hell is it ok for them to host the world cup during the summer?? surely whats good for one set of players is good enough for the rest?

I've rarely had more than 1 or maybe 2 African players in any of my teams.

Having 17 members of my Grindavik squad called up for international duty and an Icelandic league match on the same day not being cancelled irritated me a little though, not least because it was a title decider against another team I was managing who also had something like 15 players away on international duty!

I invariably forget, pay through the nose then that little "int" sign arrives. It's aggravating, but it's the managers prerogative to spot nationality and remember it.

cant say as i've ever felt like that about it, no.

what does irk me slightly is > the cup of nations if played at that time of year, mainly because of the waether conditions being too hot during the summer. so, how in the hell is it ok for them to host the world cup during the summer?? surely whats good for one set of players is good enough for the rest?

South Africa is in the southern hemisphere and has winter in June/July if that is what you are referring to.

I love players with talent. If they are talented, I sign them. I try not to hinge the success or failure of my club on a single player, but I can understand your frustration if you load your club with African players and watch half of your side disappear for the Cup.

I love players with talent. If they are talented, I sign them. I try not to hinge the success or failure of my club on a single player, but I can understand your frustration if you load your club with African players and watch half of your side disappear for the Cup.

Given that you know what will happen when you sign these players, I'm not sure you have any right to be frustrated. Although it's a slightly different matter if you take over a club that already has lots of Africans. But even then you should still know what to expect.

Or, most of the time, an african player has the hump with the international manager, or their country's FA arent paying them, so they refuse to play. You cannot fault the money grabbing attitude of the african players!

What kind of nonsense is this?

So Togo = all of Africa?

Adebayor = all African players?

What a load of ********

cant say as i've ever felt like that about it, no.

what does irk me slightly is > the cup of nations if played at that time of year, mainly because of the waether conditions being too hot during the summer. so, how in the hell is it ok for them to host the world cup during the summer?? surely whats good for one set of players is good enough for the rest?

South Africa has a totally different climate to the majority of the rest of the continent. It'll be cold in SA 2010. It'll actually suit the European nations more than the African sides. It'll be just like having the tournament in Europe.

Also, ANC can't be played in June because of the rain, not the heat.

I love players with talent. If they are talented, I sign them. I try not to hinge the success or failure of my club on a single player, but I can understand your frustration if you load your club with African players and watch half of your side disappear for the Cup.

I love talentless nobodies. If they're talentless I sign them. Whenever possible I build a team around such players, safe in the knowledge that they will never be called away on international duty

Never wanted to do that, but I never managed a team with that much African players that it could affect the results of my own team.

At the start, playing as Chelsea... YES! Drogba, Kalou, Essien, Mikel ALL GO! its a nightmare!

a good manager is one that is able to best utilize his available resources to win games. I doubt you fit the bill

rofl, playing fm doesnt make u a real manager

i love the people that play fm and think they are now a lisence coaches

cant say as i've ever felt like that about it, no.

what does irk me slightly is > the cup of nations if played at that time of year, mainly because of the waether conditions being too hot during the summer. so, how in the hell is it ok for them to host the world cup during the summer?? surely whats good for one set of players is good enough for the rest?

Erm..you do relise that it is summer in Southern Africa at that time of year don't you? The world cup, when played in Africa (and any other southern hemisphere country) is played in there winter.

But back to the poster remarks. As said in here by many people. Stength in depth is usually the best way around the problem. Some of the African players are awesome, so I would never not buy them because of this, just make sure you have good back up.

rofl, playing fm doesnt make u a real manager

i love the people that play fm and think they are now a lisence coaches

He didn't say anything about being a real manager. His point was perfectly valid. Yes, it applies to real life, but it is true of FM too.

rofl, playing fm doesnt make u a real manager

i love the people that play fm and think they are now a lisence coaches

Playing FM makes you a real manager in that you are really managing a virtual team?

Seriously in the game this is the most annoying thing, i believe, in the world. I'm now afraid to buy african players cos as i do most of my management in england they are all called up during my busiest time of the year. This tournament has lost me many a game.

Nope. I and other people can determine the difference between playing a game and reality

a good manager is one that is able to best utilize his available resources to win games. I doubt you fit the bill

And nor do you else you'd be Managing in the Premiership I guess

I've rarely had more than 1 or maybe 2 African players in any of my teams.

Having 17 members of my Grindavik squad called up for international duty and an Icelandic league match on the same day not being cancelled irritated me a little though, not least because it was a title decider against another team I was managing who also had something like 15 players away on international duty!

That is a debacle of monumental proportions! Last year's end of season fixture congestion for Walter's team in Scotland came close.

However, as the OP asked, I'd respond, Harry Redknapp has survived just fine. It did cost him some matches as well as some injuries to key players for the rest who'd drafted the players from Africa. As an investor, I'd be concerned that you'd put all your eggs in one basket...

The ANC doesn't bother me at all, if I have African players in my first team squad I make sure I have enough depth to cover for them, whether they're injured or on international duty. The ANC is just like having them injured for a few weeks.

What have the African National Congress got to do with any of this?

What have the African National Congress got to do with any of this?

ANC is also the African Nations Cup, but yeah, I was talking about the Congress

ANC is also the African Nations Cup, but yeah, I was talking about the Congress

Actually, it's the ACN. African Cup of Nations. But you were talking about the Congress so it doesn't matter.

Playing FM makes you a real manager in that you are really managing a virtual team?

so plying fifa makes u a good footballer?

theres a tiny bit more to football management than looking at a spreadsheet page and blobs moving around the pitch

one more reason not to play with Chel$

how tall is the building?

so plying fifa makes u a good footballer?

theres a tiny bit more to football management than looking at a spreadsheet page and blobs moving around the pitch

Only you mentioned "good". The guy you quoted only said that you are a manager because you are managing something, albeit a virtual team...which is true. You aren't playing football if you play Fifa, you are managing if you play FM, it's just that you are managing an AI team, not a real one.

It doesn't mean you could be a real manager of a real team though obviously...only a (insert your own insult) would think that.

a good manager is one that is able to best utilize his available resources to win games. I doubt you fit the bill

Suely there is not a lot even a good manager can do if he loses say, 3-4 top players to the African Nations Cup and also has his fair share of injuries. Surely, it must make you think twice before buying more than one African player.

I'm not claiming to be a top/good manager but certainly above average, and losing vital players like this has, in the past, caused a fair amount of grief.

The only african in my current squad is a Lybian, and they rarely seem to qualify for it anyway.

I'd try to avoid having all africans covering one position - or at least once it had happened once, that position would be covered by the next time the competition came round...

no i dont want to jump off a tall building, i have a squad capable of coping, its called DEPTH!

no i dont want to jump off a tall building, i have a squad capable of coping, its called DEPTH!

What if your club doesnt have sufficient money resources to cover their best players. And if they do the back up may be a lot worse than the African that is away on duty.

this was a bit harsh mate, evidently he wants to help grow the game in Africa by signing African players (I do the same with Asia, tend to have up to 8 young Asians at my Polish or Belgian feeder club).

I can sympathise, but if you're a big squad you should be able to cover a few missing players, this might even give a youngster the chance to show you what he's got. I love it when that happens in the game, in my Liverpool game a young DM got a shot in the first team due to 6 (!) DMs being injured and I was stubbon and didn't want to change my formation, he played like a demi-god and now sits on my bench for main games and plays all the minor ones (even made me sell Lucas to Marseille).

You can get through it mate, best of luck to you.

The question here is no matter how you whine what can you do? It's not something SIGAMES can control, it is up to the African Football Federation to decide. They think having the ANC in January floats their boat what can you do? Nothing.

rofl, playing fm doesnt make u a real manager

i love the people that play fm and think they are now a lisence coaches

ROFL, I also don't understand which part of my post imply that I am talking in the perspective of a real manager?

I am speechless by the fact that some people can imagine so much. Best can be go be a scriptwriter.

And nor do you else you'd be Managing in the Premiership I guess

I don't think I ever mention anywhere in my post that I am capable? I am appalled at how people manage to spin so much interesting new facts from my post even I didn't know of.

Suely there is not a lot even a good manager can do if he loses say, 3-4 top players to the African Nations Cup and also has his fair share of injuries. Surely, it must make you think twice before buying more than one African player.

I'm not claiming to be a top/good manager but certainly above average, and losing vital players like this has, in the past, caused a fair amount of grief.

A good manager must and should be able to for see the likelihood of them losing key players due to such commitments. If he doesn't then he ain't one with a foresight and will just blame people when something unfavourable happen to him.

Good time to give your youth a chance.

In my case, I expected to loose 3 first team players, but hadn't expected or planned for 5 others to injured. You are of course correct - I suppose a good manager would have plans in place for all eventualities. It certainly taught me a lesson I won't forget as it cost me dearly.

To be fair to the OP, he doesn't claim that he feels he has been wronged in any way. He just explains how losing players to the ACN makes him feel. And his thread title is just pure exaggeration rather than something to be taken too seriously.

The main point to be made, or rather repeated by now, is that when you buy African players, you know what will happen. The obvious thing to do is to think about it and to prepare for it.

Say a team had a whole squad of African players, and all of which were called up to the ACNs, even the reserves and youth team. What would happen then?