Do you ever sign player on form stats/how they fit in to the squad, rather than attribute?

Par example, as a Spurs manager sitting in 3rd place on the coat-tails of Utd and City, I should probably be looking at a higher level than Clint Dempsey and Scott Sinclair. Yet, besides some thoroughly decent yet unspectacular attributes, I am drawn to their rather good league stats. Dempsey is Fulhams top scorer with 9 in 13 games, and can play in a variety of positions. What's more, is that he won't be muscled off the ball as easily as some of my current players. Sinclair is playing inside forward for Laudrup's men, and has 7 in 13 for them, and a great average score. He has the pace and dribbling that is so important for a counter attacking team like mine. I'm considering bids for both, and can get Dempsey for £4m since his contract runs out in 6 months.

People will say I can find better, but why would i look elsewhere when i can get proven EPL talent?

Dempsey at that price is a cracking buy. He's a good all-round player with no weaknesses, he's versatile, he's two-footed. An ideal squad player, and at that price you can't really go wrong.

I never look at stats. Those are too random to matter. I know exactly what I want in each role, and I sign players who suit them well. When looking at my squad as a whole, especially in the attacking positions I like to have various options available. For instance both same-footed and opposite-footed wingers on both sides; fast, creative and technical strikers and big, strong, strikers - also prefered feet of different kinds. This broadens the variety of goals scored, which is always good.

No. I look at stats after attributes but really they hold no sway unless amazing. An example would be a transfer listed striker I bought became the top scorer for my team (man utd) in 2 seasons. If i went on stats I would have ignored him

Stats no, how they fit in yes. I don't care if Sinclair has 7 goals, I would care that he was suited to my squad.

Doubt any manager sits around lauding over attributes. Guess, most managers look at how well they play.

Probably say to scouts, "I need a fast winger with decent crossing" or a "Covering Defender", or "Hard Tackling DM" etc.

The way the game is done is unrealistic and too broad.

I sign players purely on the Potential Ability star rating within the game.

I just make sure I sign scouts with 20 JA and 20 JP.

I then scout the player for 3 games, and I make the decision based on whether they are better in PA within the game compared to what I already have.

I normally look at players my scouts find as long as their PA is at least 4 star . Then i work out their positions and what position i need strengthening and also whether it might be worth retraining them to play in another position

Then i look at their stats taking particular notice of their pace . The game is geared up too much towards pace to buy slow players

I wish I could.... Unfortunately, I usually manage small teams, so I take whatever I can get..

But when I'm looking at a couple of players trying to decide which one to get, I usually look at stats and injuries to be the decider. Specifically, I try to determine consistency, pressure and injury proneness stats. What use do I have for a striker with world-class skill, if he can't maintain his form, crumbles in the matches I actually need him AND spends most of his time with the physio?

An example would be a transfer listed striker I bought became the top scorer for my team (man utd) in 2 seasons.

Sometimes I look at average rating if I am trying to decide between two players.

I once had a 1.5 star rated striker who was very consistent - so much so that he was the top scorer in the league, beating my 4.5-5 star rated striker who was second place in the goal scoring charts.

Ability alone will not determine the players I buy - I want a player who fits into my system or who would improve it. There aren't many who would buy a 1.5 star rated player though.

I signed a player called Vincent Janssen who was average yet overperformed in the EPL and hit 20 in 30 for a lower mid table team. I moved to Samporia, brought him with me and he hit 19 in 15, before I moved on again. 2 seasons later I checked his name and he was playing for Sparta in the Dutch Jupiler league having scored 0 in 18. Some players really respond to a particular way/methodology of playing, and then outside those situations can be misused and stuff. It's quite realistic I think. I rarely base any decisions pirely on attributes, more on how they perform in teams I can relate to.

Long time ago, probably FM09 or something, I bought some dutch player who helped Holland win the world cup, and got the golden boot. His stats were good, but if it wasn't for his accomplishment I probably wouldn't have bought him. He flopped and I sold him.

Well I use both. I rarely sign a player with attributes I don't think will suit my style but also pay attention to their match ratings/stats, especially with established players. The players current level of competition compared to yours is important when considering match rating etc. Youngsters are probably more about attributes + potential. A players personality and key mental attributes can be deciders very, very often.

It does depend though as if I'm managing a small side relying on free transfers then I'm more open about what to accept.