A 2nd GK that is actually useful?

Playing the 2014 and 2015 version I always just have 1 GK. Never had a "backup" Gk because my number one is never tired. Never a need for a backup GK.

Should my number 1 get injured I use one from the U21 team.

Will my number 1 GK get tired this version which will require me to have another GK?

I wouldn't expect a goalie to get tired, they are quite capable of playing every game (In FM and real life).

Playing the 2014 and 2015 version I always just have 1 GK. Never had a "backup" Gk because my number one is never tired. Never a need for a backup GK.

Should my number 1 get injured I use one from the U21 team.

Will my number 1 GK get tired this version which will require me to have another GK?

The reason to have a backup keeper in FM is the same reason why teams have a backup GK in real life - that odd occasion when one of the following happens

1) Your goalkeeper is injured

2) Your goalkeeper is out of form

3) You hate your number one goalkeeper

No-one plays their second goalkeeper because the first is tired, as that's a pretty unlikely occurrence.

Just noticed you did actually mention injuries, in which you play your U21 keeper. Now he's your backup goalkeeper, rather than having a dedicated one in your senior squad. Not really much different.

How I do it, I have a number one and number two keeper as forameuss said for backup reasons. For a third choice keeper you could just stick a youth player there, as it's very unlikely that your second choice could also get iinjured unless they are injury prone.

Depends where you are playing, in Spain, for example, your B team keeper will be registered to them and transferring him back and forth could potentially leave him unable to play for your B team if he plays too many games for the first team.

I find playing the backup keeper in cup games (and European group games when you've already qualified at certain clubs) keeps him happy and match fit (particularly if he's an international).

I only have two gk's in my first team..

Always a number 1 and an understudy who's young.. i see no merit in having an aging keeper sitting around doing nothing.

Always a number 1 and an understudy who's young.. i see no merit in having an aging keeper sitting around doing nothing.

I freakin do

In my Juventus save

Buffon got injured while saving vs Cagliari in a friendly (collided with the post) - shoulder injury 6-8 weeks, and missed his own testimonial lol

Rubinho (who admittedly doesn't play - I tried to sell him) got a hip injury during training - misses 3-4 months

Neto (my 2nd choice, although rotates well) seems to frequently get niggly things in the match (sprained wrist is the most frequent) - missed 8-10 days

fortunately, it was over an international break, so I had no fixtures (and Neto recovered for my next game) - but have played a few CL games with no backup keeper (damn Juventus for loaning out all their 'u20' keepers)

Depends who I am playing as. If a lower league side, then I may only have the one keeper. If I require another, then a loan of my youth keeper will do.

If a higher division club, then I will get my scouts to look for a hot prospect youngster as my backup. He doesn't moan and I will give him a game every now and then.

I must be the only person who makes sure they have 2 good keepers then! Only do it if I'm at a big club but the thought of a back up or younger keeper letting me down in a big match is enough to make me do it when it's more than viable.

My first choice will then play 25 league games and the majority or CL games. My 2nd choice will play 13 of the easier league games, cup games, dead rubber CL games and when my first choice is injured (usually when it's the biggest games of the season I find!!!). Neither ever comes and moans about game time.

Been playing FM for so long that I'm stuck in old ways and still won't change regardless of what others do!

Managers use the excuse of goalkeepers being tired when what they really mean is "I'm using the 2nd goalie but if it goes wrong I don't don't want to be in trouble for not playing the better keeper".

Goalkeepers do not tire enough to warrant leaving them out.

I imagine it's more a case of giving the back up occasional match so they don't come into the team after months without playing if the number one is injured.

As a minimum I always try and give my 2nd Goalie at least 10 starts a season, this is often easier/harder depending on how your season goes.

Once I have identified the weaker teams in my league, after 10-15 games, I then start to rotate them, cup games against lower league opposition is always a good opportunity to swap them around.

Obviously depends on how much money I have, but where possible, in addition to the regular first team keeper, my back-up is a young keeper who has lots of potential and may be able to step up to plate in the future when the regular keeper gets too old / I get a good offer for him. Obviously, I do make sure the back-up gets a decent amount of games in order to help him develop as well.

I ensure my team always has a half-decent backup goalie, and give him all the games in the domestic cups and maybe some league games. Its abit of an insurance really, just in case my first choice gets injured or screwed on international duty (I hate international weeks).

I found it essential in last years version to have a capable 2nd choice keeper. I used them in cup games etc.

I think a decent back up keeper is very important. how often do you win a league by a point or two points? If you have thrown in an untested 19 year old who drops a clanger and costs you 3 points, you can miss out on promotion, titles and prize money for the league.

There are plenty of good young keepers out there, but personally, I prefer to find someone who is over 30 with good mental skills and bring them in to act as cover as well as mentor my younger keepers. As long as you are honest and don't tell a 31 year old that you are going to play him week in week out, then all is good. I will also make my 2nd keeper available for the reserves for 60 minutes which keeps him match fit and fresh at the same time and also gives a youngster 30 minutes in every reserve match.

I always go for the following.

Obvious first choice

Decent backup with some experience who can jump in if needed and is sitting on the bench. Usually around 2,5* CA player. Preferable a home grown one if in a club where the registration rules becomes a problem.

Talented youngster who plays for the youth/reserves. Plays in low level cup matches, but is not sitting on the bench for the first team as it might block him from getting games.

It's generally worth having three keepers at a club that you would be happy playing. The main keeper, his understudy (doesn't have to be that good, just good enough) and third choice (who just has to be competent).

Football manger is generally very forgiving with keepers though, as the number of injuries is less than real life, and the number of sending off or in match injuries to keepers are very low.

I always have a keeper on the bench but can only remember once in both FM14 and FM15 that he was required. I normally have an experienced number 1 and a young ish back up with a talented U20 third keeper in another of my squads.

I've played 13 games of FM16 and have had my keeper get injured during a game already, sadly for me after I'd made three subs.

Managers use the excuse of goalkeepers being tired when what they really mean is "I'm using the 2nd goalie but if it goes wrong I don't don't want to be in trouble for not playing the better keeper".

Goalkeepers do not tire enough to warrant leaving them out.

Gaolkeepers can get mentally tired. It is a high pressure position and giving them a rest can sometimes be beneficial.

Gaolkeepers can get mentally tired. It is a high pressure position and giving them a rest can sometimes be beneficial.

Is 'mental tiredness' a factor in the game then? What attribute does this present itself as?

Is 'mental tiredness' a factor in the game then? What attribute does this present itself as?

I doubt it I was referring to the comment made by El Presidente which I assume was based on real life.

In previous versions of the game I've always found it pretty easy to pick up good goalkeepers. I've always aimed to have a main goalie and a good young understudy who plays 15ish less important games a season. After 7/8 or so seasons when the #1 goalie wants to move elsewhere or we get a ridiculous offer I sell him, the understudy is now good enough to be #1, and I pick up a new ~20 year old to carry on the cycle.

In terms of keepers, I do occasionally rely on a youth teamer as a backup if I need to prioritise my budget on other positions but often try and have a 'proper' second choice since injuries do happen every so often, usually a player I inherited that I keep around. Currently I am in the interesting position of having 2 'equal' keepers, using a poor performance as the trigger to switch them which still gives them a long run in the side at a time. It works because one is a former youth teamer (very close to my heart) who is now merely 'decent' since we became a top side and the other is a younger keeper with more potential so that way the latter still gets games and develops and the former doesn't get thrown on the scrap heap, and they're both similarly solid and reliable so it doesn't make a difference.

I've actually had an interesting experience last year demonstrating why extra keepers can be useful (and even insufficient). It was in Brazil where my first-choice keeper was injured for months, I'd already sold (a little too hastily) the other (retirement-age) keeper, managed to quickly find another who then got called up out of the blue by Bulgaria (he picked up citizenship from playing there) having had no international record at all beforehand! And the younger keepers were ineligible for being too young. This was just after moving from Argentina where I once had both keepers called up for the national team at the same time when we had a Sudamericana game and the younger keepers couldn't play because they weren't registered for the competition. Just goes to show that situations where you very much need a 2nd keeper (at least) do very much happen and it helps to be prepared. Even more recently I've had a few goalkeeper injuries in the past 5-6 seasons.

I always get Victor Valdes as my second GK. He's been available on like the past 3 FM versions and he's always world-class.