Youth Development Test

A lately i have been looking at ways to develop my youth players so I took it upon myself to find a way of generating the best possible training package for my up and coming stars. I developed a method and noticed something good was happening. I didnt post the method as i had no concrete evidence so yesterday on my day off i decided to test it.

Heres what i did....

I took over the manager of a random Prem club, in this case it was Bolton Wanderers and bought eight 16-year olds from Britain and abroad. I noted down each players total attributes (all visible stats added up) and also their key attributes, i.e defenders key attributes are tackling, positioning and heading.

I placed all eight players in the reserves and saved the game.

----------------------------Method one-------------------------------

The first part of the test was to assign the younsters to their positional training, i.e i put my defenders on defending and my AMC + SC's on attacking. I then went on holiday from 18th of July 08 and returned to the game on June 10th 09.

I re- checked the stats and noted down the improvements in each players field and also their total attributes.

----------------------------Method two-------------------------------

I reloaded the game so that my team was back at 18th July 08.

Then, Instead of assigning each player to training to suit thier position i changed the technical training to this..

Fitness - Intensive

Tactics - Intensive

Attacking - Intensive

Goalkeeping - None

Defensive - Intensive

Motivational - Intensive

Following this, i assigned my eight players all to Technical training and Once again went on holiday until June 10th 09.

Here are the results i got...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

(DC) Dennis Appiah

Attributes

Pre Test - 197 (this number is all 17 attrubutes added together, the total is out of a possible 340)

Result of Pre set Defending training- 222

Result of My Intense Technical Training - 242

Difference + 20

Key attrubtes (starting attributes - Method 1 result - method 2 result)

Tackling - 13 - 18 -17

Heading - 14 - 16- 16

Positioning - 10 -14 -14

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

(DC) Alessio Campoli

Attributes

Pre Test - 175

Pre set Defending training - 199

My Intense Technical Training - 216

Difference + 17

Key attrubtes

Tackling - 9 - 12 -12

Heading - 14 - 16 - 16

Positioning - 12 - 17 - 17

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

AMC Sean Geddes

Attributes

Pre Test - 162

Pre set Attacking training - 184

My Intense Technical Training - 202

Difference + 18

Key attrubtes

Passing - 11 - 15 - 15

Shooting - 10 - 14 -14

Creativity - 11 - 13 - 13

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

AMC Eyal Golasa

Attributes

Pre Test - 182

Pre set Attacking training - 202

My Intense Technical Training - 207

Difference + 5

Key Attributes

Passing - 14 - 18 - 17

Shooting - 11 - 15 - 13

Creativity - 17 - 18 - 18

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

AMC Jonjo Shelvy (183-212-218) att

Attributes

Pre Test - 183

Pre set Attacking training - 212

My Intense Technical Training - 218

Difference + 6

Key Attributes

Passing - 14 - 17 -17

Shooting - 10 -13 - 13

Creativity - 10 - 11 - 11

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

AM/SC Shaun Jeffers

Attributes

Pre Test - 160

Pre set Attacking training - 187

My Intense Technical Training - 197

Difference + 10

Key Attributes

Shooting - 9 -12 -13

Heading - 5 - 5 -7

Pace - 10 - 15 - 16

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

SC Balint Bajner

Attributes

Pre Test - 169

Pre set Attacking training - 196

My Intense Technical Training - 207

Difference + 11

Key Attributes

Shooting - 11 -19 - 19

Heading - 10 - 10 -12

Pace - 10 - 10 -12

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

SC James Specer

Attributes

Pre Test - 149

Pre set Attacking training - 171

My Intense Technical Training - 191

Difference + 20

Key Attributes

Shooting - 8 -14 -14

Heading - 9 - 9 -11

Pace - 10 - 10 - 11

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONCLUSION:

Using the intense technical method improves the players all round attributes rather than focusing on one. The defenders key attributes are better using method one but the attacking players key attribute lie with using method two.

Method two should only be carried out on younsters who are currnetly not getting games, it is designed to soley improve a younsters all round perforamnce. If you keep these younsters in the reserves a few seasons by 19/20 they will be modified and ready to prove a big physical presence in whatever team you are.

You could try it with any 16yr old and let me know how he improves by the age of 20.

So, every youth player improved through intense training?

So, every youth player improved through intense training?

Yes all eight of them. its important they dont play games though, otherwise they would will burn out.

Good method, you should try it with a huge amount of players, like 50 or so, and then note down the results to see if the method is truly foolproof.

Good method, you should try it with a huge amount of players, like 50 or so, and then note down the results to see if the method is truly foolproof.

I think il pass on that, it would be a lot of work, 8 players took long enough!

My last sentance was an invitation for forumers try yourself, so if alot of people try it over a period of three or four seasons with just one player, bought as a 15/16 yr old we may see a big improvement.

Intresting experiment mate. Its a note to see that it seems to be best for the defenders to be put on defensive training, but strikers improve more with intensive training.

Good work and hope it helps in future experiments.

ive always played a few youngsters when ive played lower league teams in cups or when ive won the league with games to spare and ive found this helps them improve dont know by how much though

I think il pass on that, it would be a lot of work, 8 players took long enough!

My last sentance was an invitation for forumers try yourself, so if alot of people try it over a period of three or four seasons with just one player, bought as a 15/16 yr old we may see a big improvement.

I think I will use this when I am Leeds (and the great youth Academy) and this might help

But how do you set the technical training to just on player?

Go to training, then whilst over their name press SQUARE IIRC, then it will change the training schedule

Yeah mate but i mean how do i give just one of my players;

Fitness - Intensive

Tactics - Intensive

Attacking - Intensive

Goalkeeping - None

Defensive - Intensive

Motivational - Intensive

I can only find how to change it for the whole team!

Yeah mate but i mean how do i give just one of my players;

Fitness - Intensive

Tactics - Intensive

Attacking - Intensive

Goalkeeping - None

Defensive - Intensive

Motivational - Intensive

I can only find how to change it for the whole team!

When on training menu select technical (option on left hand side) and you can edit the schedual

Change technical training to

Fitness - Intensive

Tactics - Intensive

Attacking - Intensive

Goalkeeping - None

Defensive - Intensive

Motivational - Intensive

Then assign the desired youth to technical training rather than general or attacking etc...

Oh, right well go to the side menu and click on 'Technical' or whichever one you want. You'll see it come up then

Thank you for the quick response mate.

Brilliant work again from you!

great work mate

thats one of the things i focus most on in the game, bringing up youths. i like to see new ideas

Awesome research bugel. But, I have one question though..

These players are young & some of them are bound to be unhappy. What do you do then? Just leave it as it is?