When squad players DRAMATICALLY exceed expectations...

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So this lad is my 2nd choice LW (by a margin), and he looked a pretty good prospect a few years back, but hasn't developed as much by 23 as I had hoped. I am still sticking by him though because I think he can still be a very good player within the next couple years, and thus be a top LW from around 26-30. Last season he was on loan, the year before on the fringes of the squad, playing for the reserves (Sevilla Atletico) and so on. This year I figure, "Its now or never" and I have to give him more first team playing time, and what does he go, and do, he scores 9 goals by December 2nd! From LW!

Now what do I do? Not change anything? Play him as the 1st choice? Tell him not to shave or change his underwear for the rest of the season?

I have something similar at LA Galaxy, just got a 15 year old DR on a youth contract. My assistant rates him a star and a half lower than my current DR (who is pretty good for the league) so I give him a game to rest my best DR and he was a beast. Kept the ball well, was never caught out defensively and chipped in with a game winning assist. Never had as good a game since but he is becoming my first choice, at least for the lower teams in the league.

Not got a screenie because Im at work, ill do what I can if I get time tonight.

He might have had a great start, but he doesn't look good enough for Sevilla in my eyes and by that age I dont think he ever will be.

I had a similar thing happen with this dude:

I always had a feeling he'd be a good player when I first signed him but not to this extent. He's basically forced me to sell Doumbia and Cavani because he kept them both out of the side.

My advice is to just keep playing the kid.

I was trying to convince my FM playing friend the other day that it's not ALL about stats. This proves my point I think. So much goes into how and why someone plays well. I don't say that I have a 1st or 2nd choice player for any of my positions - I just have a squad of players who are all capable on their day.

I had a similar thing happen with this dude:

I always had a feeling he'd be a good player when I first signed him but not to this extent. He's basically forced me to sell Doumbia and Cavani because he kept them both out of the side.

My advice is to just keep playing the kid.

This guy is a true beast though and his performances should now come at no surprise.

But the guy in the OP indeed does not look like he could be capable of performing like that in La Liga. Wonder if his high determination stat makes up for lacking so much else...

I agree QWERTYOP. This guy might not look much for such a team, but hey...if he does the job and does it well, I would keep playing him. I have something of a similair thing going on my Arsenal save. I've got Kyle Bartley, obviously not a regen or the worst attributes. But I think most would not have him in their Arsenal side. Yet for me, he is my best defender and is playing really well for England as well. I know I had a player in last years FM in my Eastboure team when we got higher, didn't look too good but he certainly delivered!

Great hidden stats and personality can sometimes be more valuable than visible statistics on the field. A player with both will be a beast.

Players that play better than their stats suggest probably have above average/great hidden stats which is why they perform so well, though I've never actually proven that because I'm against the use of such programs to check these things, but it's how I interpret it.

@Jayahr: That guy is irrelevant to this discussion as he has the stats expected of a player in his position, and of that level. The OP's player is, to be blunt, ****.

that the op's player have 20 determination would probably also mean that he have a decent hidden and personality attributes aswell, which would back up the theory presented by TacticalGenius

Great hidden stats and personality can sometimes be more valuable than visible statistics on the field. A player with both will be a beast.

Players that play better than their stats suggest probably have above average/great hidden stats which is why they perform so well, though I've never actually proven that because I'm against the use of such programs to check these things, but it's how I interpret it.

@Jayahr: That guy is irrelevant to this discussion as he has the stats expected of a player in his position, and of that level. The OP's player is, to be blunt, ****.

Not irrelevant at all. The OP's thread title is "when squad players dramatically exceed expectations" and Rysavy certainly did.

I am pretty sure when I signed him it was because his PA was rated as high, and he had a good personality. 20 determination is what sealed the deal. I will look what my coaches say, to see if they think he is consistent. He has good physicals, so the fact that he is 23 and some 5 or 6 months doesn't deter me from giving him game time to see how much more he will develop (because physicals develop more when a player is young, and mental and technical attributes develop more from 22-26 in my experience).

The thing is though, if he is playing like he is now, he doesn't need to develop, he just needs to keep delivering similar performances! Can't really expect him to ever do better than 9 goals in 7 appearances!

Not irrelevant at all. The OP's thread title is "when squad players dramatically exceed expectations" and Rysavy certainly did.

But let's face it, that player would only be a "squad player" at perhaps the top two teams in the entire world, at least a 21, maybe when he put in stellar performances at 20 or 19 he was perhaps more of a "squad player" but still.

Can't really expect him to ever do better than 9 goals in 7 appearances!

He won't keep it up though, he just doesn't have the stats. I'd still try to phase him out with someone better, but sure, he could still be an okay squad player.

Further proof ME is heavily unbalanced and it favours Acceleration/Pace over anything else?

20 Determination is a nice bonus and probably his hidden/mental stats are good, but I just can't look past the Speed attributes to justify such an utterly average player performing so well.

Goal ratio looks better than it is because Man United played a weak side in the League Cup and he scored 7 in one game. He got 45 in 51 last season, 20 assists and an average rating of 7.69. Season before he only start 16 matches, since breaking into the first team he has been awesome scoring important goals in big matches.

I was trying to convince my FM playing friend the other day that it's not ALL about stats. This proves my point I think. So much goes into how and why someone plays well. I don't say that I have a 1st or 2nd choice player for any of my positions - I just have a squad of players who are all capable on their day.

so true

just like IRL, it's more effective to buy a player that fits into your system, rather than reshaping your system to accommodate a new player, something that is too often done in FM

to dumb down my example

i bought Oscar Cardozo and Stefano Pettinari, Cardozo being more expensive, higher wages, and with the "better looking" attributes

however, Pettinari outperformed Cardozo by far because he was quicker on the ball, had the offsides PPM, and i had 3 midfielders with the killer balls PPM. Cardozo on the other hand, was stronger, had better technical and mental skills, but was slow on the ball so he couldn't reach those killer passes. therefore, my tactics suited Pettinari better than Cardozo. it's almost similar to the Torres case with Chelsea IRL

if showed you guys a screenshot of Pettinari's attributes, you wouldn't believe he's outscored someone like Cardozo

Had his foot broken by a hard tackle in the next match. See y'all in 4 months! (of game time)

I have played some 50+ season in FM12..

Star ratings and attributes mean nothing.

I focus Physicals and a few other things.

Some of my players hardly get 3 star rating, and are not judged highly by my back room staff. But they perform, day in day out.

I won the premiership with a young team once, average age was 19 in the first team, wage budget used was a tad over 200k I think. But I made a tactic work, I recruited only certain players.

With the exception of players who are that much better than the alternatives or generally perform very well, I go on form when doing team selection, I no longer drop players after a bad game as a matter of policy but still do it a lot, and any player at least consistently performing reasonably well gets to stay in the side as long as he keeps it up, which can admitedly leave players sidelines for months on end, which is a pity but that's the way it goes.

So I've enjoyed a number of these, especially 'all rounders' with many attibutes 13-15 (16 at a stretch) but unexceptional in any way, who have proven to be some of my best performers.

I have played some 50+ season in FM12..

Star ratings and attributes mean nothing.

I focus Physicals and a few other things.

Some of my players hardly get 3 star rating, and are not judged highly by my back room staff. But they perform, day in day out.

I won the premiership with a young team once, average age was 19 in the first team, wage budget used was a tad over 200k I think. But I made a tactic work, I recruited only certain players.

So what is it that you're looking at?