Signing nobody?

[ljwjones]

So I am just coming to the end of my third season at PSG, and as expected I have changed the team a little bit in that time, but now we are playing a nice game of football and about to win he league. But now I am not sure if I need to sign anyone, the money is there which temps me into it, but I don't want to ruin our system we have. Do people ever not sign anyone for a whole season, if so does you team still work as well as last season?

[Cleon]

I've spent £6 million in 6 seasons buy buying an handful of youths. I never buy anyone who fits straight into the first team after season 2 as I prefer to develop youths instead.

[Ranquelme]

I've gone two seasons without a signing despite have £140m to spend with Napoli. Still won the league easily

[gipsy]

Hi,

I am currently in 2017 and i have only signed two players I think since I started (and some 16 years old) all the other players are either the players from the original team (if they did not become coaches at the club in the mean time), the B team or the reserve team.

The only downside is the way La Liga is coded in this game where you have control over tactics and training for your A team and U19 but NOT for the b team, which disrupts training and formation learning. I have yet to find an acceptable way to alter la liga so it behaves like the premiereship, french league etc... Whi did SI have to implement la liga this way is beyond me... I hope in the future we could have a way to have better control over be tems when maanaging in Spain. I play with Barca by the way

[ljwjones]

Got to say gipsy not many people would have to sign anyone for Barca there squad is great already. But maybe I shall try not to sign anyone, I have a great youth team who you won Uner 19 cup and won the league with winning all but 1 game. And my reserves are 2nd in their league too.

[gipsy]

agreed. Yet the vast majority of people playing barca buy so many players that after two seasons the first 11 is almost completely reshuffled with the exception of Messi... Go figure, to me playing with Barca without any siginging and playing a long term game is a kind of challenge... with this anoying limitation on training and tactics exposed above

[Bradley21]

I've spent £6 million in 6 seasons buy buying an handful of youths. I never buy anyone who fits straight into the first team after season 2 as I prefer to develop youths instead.

This.

Games at it's best when you're developing kids.

[jimmy87]

Sounds like a challenge for me and my Everton boys, gonna give myself this transfer window, (basically to rob my old Norwich team after their harsh decision to sack me) and then only allow free signings and youth players from then on.

[Eugene Tyson]

So I am just coming to the end of my third season at PSG, and as expected I have changed the team a little bit in that time, but now we are playing a nice game of football and about to win he league. But now I am not sure if I need to sign anyone, the money is there which temps me into it, but I don't want to ruin our system we have. Do people ever not sign anyone for a whole season, if so does you team still work as well as last season?

I only sign players that are either really high scout potential - or have a really high ability rating from the scouts.

My threshold is 4-5 stars. I never go any lower. It would really take a 4.5 or 5 star ability player that is scouted to make me think about signing them.

If I can improve the team I will.


Really comes down to "who is the understudies for each position". Is there a 4.5 star winger, and a 1 star rated backup player? Well then you probably should sign the 4.5-5 star rated winger that your scouts recommended.

I will always scout a player for at least 3 games before deciding whether to make a bid. Their star abilities and potential can be inaccurate if you don't scout thoroughly.



I found that when I didn't sign a player in a season the team got a bit stale. Players like having competition in the team for places. But not too much competition or they get unhappy.


I really enjoy having 4 really good strikers and 2 or 3 excellent wingers - etc. for each position. This gives me great flexibility in rotating the teams. I like playing youngsters against the lower opposition - so having young players with high potential stars really helps and I play each of them in about 15 games a season. And I will sub them in for higher profile games where I'm winning by 3 or more goals.


It's all about rotation, keeping players fresh, giving youth a chance, and having good competition for places.


I wouldn't like to be going into a champions league crunch match to find out my 2 star wingers were injured and I had to play two guys with very little potential or ability.

[Ackter]

Ah, but if you only sign 5 star players, you never get the satisfaction of knowing that you've turned a mediocre player into a world star.

[ljwjones]

well upfront I have no problems for competition, got Hunterlaar and Lavezzi(1st and 2nd in top scorers this season) then on the bench Niang and coming through my ranks Fierro(stolen from chivas) Then in center mid I have Pastore and Hazard, with Erik Torress training to play there and slowly fitting in. Then on wig got atleast 2 players for each wing. got 3 center backs, and 2 of each right and left back. So I look and think "who do i really need"

[DarthCraigus]

I've just started my third season with Newcastle and I've only signed one player at the start of this season - A 17 year old Dutch regen DMC, who've I've sent out immediately on loan to my feeder club (Hartlepool - and I'm beginning to think he's too good for them!).

Over the previous two seasons I've only signed 8 players in total (one of them, James McFadden has since left) although have used loans to my advantage but mainly for cover and not for starting places. I'm at the stage now where I feel satisified with my team and don't feel the need to shake it up too much. Plus I have some promising youngsters who I want to push on this season and try and establish them in the first team squad to follow the example of Haris Vuckic, who in my second season had the highest average rating in the entire squad with 7.38 from 32(2) appearances.

I am used to playing previous iterations of FM with a rich, big name title challenger and I'd buy several big name players every year (or even every window!) so this save is a little different for me as Newcastle aren't in that bracket, and it's actually very satisfying to play it in this way.

[Eugene Tyson]

Ah, but if you only sign 5 star players, you never get the satisfaction of knowing that you've turned a mediocre player into a world star.

So you'd sign a 2.5 star or 3 star player? Of course when looking to full up the ranks for a position I'm going to go for something better than I already have.

[bolulu]

If I need a starting first teamer right way, I always try to sign a 4, 4.5, 5 star player. However, I do like to sign a few youngsters to develop, but they must always have the same (4/5 star)rating for potential.

[Cleon]

So you'd sign a 2.5 star or 3 star player? Of course when looking to full up the ranks for a position I'm going to go for something better than I already have.

Why wouldn't you? He can still become good and do an excellent job. Just because you have a 5 star player doesn't mean he'll play any better than a 2 star one.

[Mr_Whippy]

I've bought 4 players under the age of 22 for approx. £5 mil, i've also spent £2mil on racking up a stupidly impressive youth/reserve teams for when my old fogies pass on.

[LeBaiton]

So you'd sign a 2.5 star or 3 star player? Of course when looking to full up the ranks for a position I'm going to go for something better than I already have.

I regulary sign lower star players when different scouts with high judging potential skill tell me their potential are similar or possibly slightly higher than players I already have in my team, but I do keep an eye on their pricetag. If their development fails, I never really have to bother, as I can always sell them on to championship (or lower) clubs. I never make a loss on sales, aslong as you don't spend big, it's a nice little income on the side...

I've had a spell at Real Madrid where at one point I had the best striker in the world and the best goalkeeper in the world - both model professionals. I signed two 16 year old scottish players for less than 100k each - a striker and a goalkeeper - who both had a half star potential and had them be tutored by them for a year and a half in a row, just as a test to see what I could develop them into (and because I had a weak spot for Scotland after an 11 year spell at Raith Rovers).

They're both english premiership players now - and internationals too! - both 23 years old and playing at their full potential and will probably never increase beyond their current skill. They don't really seem to stick to one spot though, they tend to live a rather nomadic life going from club to club for several millions after a few seasons. But yeah, stars can be made, definatly!

[Eugene Tyson]

Yeh I wouldn't bother with that.

[Eugene Tyson]

Why wouldn't you? He can still become good and do an excellent job. Just because you have a 5 star player doesn't mean he'll play any better than a 2 star one.

Well keep buying them then if that works for you.

[Cleon]

Well keep buying them then if that works for you.

I was asking you why you wouldn't consider buying them.

[Ackter]

2.5 star minimum at my teams because I've rarely been able to get a player less than that to be useful.

If I see a 2.5er with attributes in good places for his position, why not take the risk if the price is right?

[Eugene Tyson]

I was asking you why you wouldn't consider buying them.

Because I only buy players that 4 star + in current ability or 4 star + in potential.

I don't buy players that are not better than my current crop. And I don't buy players that don't have the potential to be better than my current crop.


When I buy a 4star or more current ability player someone in the team drops below 4 stars - they are most likely sold the next transfer window.


My team literally only has 4 star and above players in current ability. OR they have 4star + in potential.


In the first 3 seasons it's like a revolving door policy for players. But after season 4 it quietens down and I have a team that I like.

I most likely only buy youngsters from this point on. Filling out the youth team. After another 2 seasons (on season 6 now) The 16 year old youth players move to Reserve Level.

The Reserve level players are offered out on loan. Whoever takes them takes them. Then I can use the good reserve players as backup to the first team.

The new batch of 16 year olds arrive at the club from clubs all over the world.


By the time the Reserve Level players are ready for 1st team football, say about 21 or 22 - then the lads from prior years are approaching 30. I then cash in on some of those players. Or if a player has slipped in current ability below 4 stars I sell him.


It's about a 10 year plan to get a team I like together.

[kris0710]

Hi,

I am currently in 2017 and i have only signed two players I think since I started (and some 16 years old) all the other players are either the players from the original team (if they did not become coaches at the club in the mean time), the B team or the reserve team.

The only downside is the way La Liga is coded in this game where you have control over tactics and training for your A team and U19 but NOT for the b team, which disrupts training and formation learning. I have yet to find an acceptable way to alter la liga so it behaves like the premiereship, french league etc... Whi did SI have to implement la liga this way is beyond me... I hope in the future we could have a way to have better control over be tems when maanaging in Spain. I play with Barca by the way

Its the rules in Spain. 'B' teams are like normal teams, seperate managers and all. SI have it coded right but you would imagine IRL Pep and the 'B' manager have chats about how to play.

[scott MUFC]

if the 2-3 star player is in an area your scouts dont know much about, they could be world class

[BiggusD]

Signing nobody is fine, but I only do this if I expect youngsters I have already to take the step up. A season where the squad does not move forwards is a wasted season imo. I am now in the 9th season with Bradford and the last two of them I have only signed 1-2 possible first-teamers and 3-4 promising youngsters to go in the youth team. The first 5-6 seasons I often shifted 10+ players out and 10+ in.

[gipsy]

Its the rules in Spain. 'B' teams are like normal teams, seperate managers and all. SI have it coded right but you would imagine IRL Pep and the 'B' manager have chats about how to play.

And I would love to see this implemented where you can at least suggest things to the B team manager. As you are saying, I can't imagine that there is absolutely no talking between the A and the reserve manager in Spain