Team Gelling - How Well Players Adjust

I like that SI have introduced this as a much more important factor to consider whilst playing the game, although maybe it needs tweaking a little to be fully realistic. However SI have definitely made progress with this aspect of the game, and hopefully stops people completely tearing apart squads and rebuilding them from scratch in one transfer window (completely unrealistic, but still see it loads on the forums!!)

I think SI need to improve the balance between players who gel quickly, and players who never settle at all. Take some real life examples:

At Liverpool, there was an established Spanish contingent in the likes of Reina, Arbeloa, Alonso, a Spanish manager in Benitez, and Spanish coaching staff before Torres arrived.

And after a good pre-season, and about 4-5 premier league games, he scored that goal against Chelsea, and never looked back, becoming an amazing success in his first season in the Premiership.

This season Riera has come in, and played very well, settling in almost instantly to his role, and the team's style of play. Its obvious that the Spanish contingent at Liverpool must have helped these players to integrate quickly, along with various other factors, such as their personal adaptability, and style of play.

I think this should be reflected a little better in FM, with a message from your assistant, saying "Player X seems to have settled in and gelled with the team excellently. Assistant believes this due to the team's tactics, and the presence of other (Player's Country of Birth) Nationals in the first team squad." - Similar to the way your assistant alerts you to the progress of a young player, after a prolonged period of exposure to first team football.

An opposite example, would be Reyes at Arsenal. He just never seemed to settle at all into the team, and apart from a few flashes of brilliance, never showed his best stuff. After being loaned out, and then transferred to Real, and then loaned to Benfica, it seems Reyes is a character that finds it difficult to properly acclimatise to new surroundings. Again, the game should reflect this by your assistant not only saying Reyes is having "serious problems settling in", but giving reasons why, including possibly a message that he may never settle, and may have to be sold.

A third example would be Veron at Man Utd and Chelsea. Veron's game was never suited to the pace of the premier league, and that was proved when he was largely ineffective in league encounters. This should be reflected by your assistant coming back with a message like "Player is having difficulty adapting to the teams style of play/pace of the league." Maybe after a season or two, if he still hasn;t adapted well, this could be changed to, "Player hasn't adpated at all to the team's style of play/pace of league, and may need to be sold."

In FM 08, i barely had any failed signings at all, and everything was pretty much dependant on my scouts. As long as they scouted the players ability accurately, then i would be sure the player would be a success, which simply isnt true IRL. Even though the player himself, may have undoubted ability, other factors may cause them to be, either an instant success, such as Torres, an eventual success, like Drogba, or a failure, like Veron, and all the other possibilities in between.

I think this aspect has been better reflected on 09, i just want maybe better feedback, on how a player has adapted, and the reasons why. All players are not the same, and while some adapt quickly, some may never adapt, and this wider spectrum of circumstances needs to displayed a little clearer in the game.

What are your thoughts ?

to be honest I have seen some of my players do very well within the first 10 games, but others perform horribly shortly after their arrival, and sometimes they never perform well.

I am really liking to new gel system personally as I think it adds more realism to the transfer module and to the game.

For sure it is really good,I did try to basically sign a new team in the Championship at 1st and this just doesnt work,it did before

Now you have to really build your team,yes bring in some new faces but try to retain a fine balance and intruduce the younger guys as you go..for me at least is a great thing.

I havent seen any single player not fitting in well over the season but I have been alot different this year as to other years.

A good example is I just got promoted to the premiership and before I would grab lots of free players and it would work,or indeed spend my budget and get even more top players.

This year's edtion I have been alot more sensible,ok I am stuck on the 24th of July but I have brought in 3 players,I had a budget of 9.5 mil and spent 4mil(the majority on 1 player)and once the patch comes and I play again I will keep the rest of the budget till January,before I would have blown the lot.I feel I have what I need and I dont want to disrupt my squad...never had that feeling before.