Training: I had a handle on it, not sure I do now - how's it best done?

[urbanjunkie]

Okay, so in the past several years I've used with success a basic training structure that is set up like so:

Training > Team

General Training - Main focus: fitness / Intensity Level: average

Customised Scheduling - 20% + allow rest after match

Match Preparation - Match Tactics

Then in the week to week calender layout, I tend to focus on different areas based on form or opposing sides and home and away games (always keeping an eye out on the Overview tab and the % of time spent on different areas).

Individual training isn't something I'm fussed about (players that need improvements are given extra work as part of general development).

During pre-season I tend to focus the general training on fitness (low initially then set to high) and concentrate weekly training on tactics / cohesiveness etc set to high.

Main difference between this year and FM14 is that in 14, I started the season with most players at around 100% condition. Not sure if in FM15 its been altered but finding squad rotation is a necessity more so than ever and hardly anyone is at 100% at any given point during the course of the season. Always around 90 - 97. Which is nothing to complain about I guess.

So my questions are really around how I'm meant to be using:

General training / Customised / Match Prep

Weekly focus within calender + match prep within calender

thanks

[Cleon]

Match prep should be tactics fully fluid in tactical familiarity. General can be anything you like as long as you understand that general training trains groups of attributes so whatever this is set to, will be the main focus of training (meaning more emphasis on these attributes at the expense of others). So that means;

The General training focuses you can train are:

• Balanced
  
• Fitness
  
• Tactics
  
• Ball Control
  
• Defending
  
• Attacking
  
• Team Cohesion
  

All of the above focus on sets of attributes so lets break them down and take a look;

• Fitness : Acceleration, Agility,Balance, Jumping, Natural Fitness, Pace, Stamina, Strength, Workrate
  
• Tactics: Anticipation, Composure, Concentration, Decisions, Teamwork
  
• Ball Control: Dribbling, First Touch, Heading, Technique, Flair
  
• Defending: Marking, Tackling, Positioning
  
• Attacking: Crossing, Finishing, Long Shots, Passing, Creativity, Off the ball
  

So if you choose a focus this means the emphasis on the attributes listed above will be much greater than normal. You'll notice I left off balanced from the list, the reason for this is because it's like a default setting and make sure all attributes have the same focus on all attributes with no preference. The general training module is great if you want all players to train a specific way for something you are creating and take a more generic approach. Team cohesion just focuses on players gelling and does not train attributes.

There isn't much point changing general training on a weekly basis as it takes around 60 days for the focus to have any real kind of benefit. As for match prep you can set that to whatever you like.

Scheduling

On this part of the bar you can select to allow players to have a rest before/after a game. The bar also moves and the furthest left you go the more time is spent on match training. The further right you go the less time is spent on match training. There is 5 different settings in total and each move either increases or decreses by 10%. So if you had the bar to the far left it would be 50% meaning training between General and Match is split evenly. All the way to the right would mean 100% General training with no match training.

Match training

• Tactics Only
  
• Teamwork
  
• Defensive Positioning
  
• Attacking Movement
  
• Defending Set Pieces
  
• Attacking Set Pieces
  

These give you a slight boost for the next game. So for example if you are having issues with conceding goals from set pieces then you might want to work on this for the next game if you think the opposition pose a real threat from them. Or if you wanted to work on tactic familiarity then you'd choose'tactics' as the focus.

Individual training isn't something I'm fussed about (players that need improvements are given extra work as part of general development).

I'd be really fussed about this part because if not all your players will be trained more generalised meaning they will be all round. It's much simpler to make the player the player you need by just giving him a focus.

You do have to squad rotate more on FM15 as before on FM14 you didn't really need to as often as players regained 100% almost all the time so its been tweaked slightly. It's much more realistic now so it should be somewhere between 90-95 maybe higher depending on space between games etc.

[urbanjunkie]

Perfect Cleon, appreciate that.

Re: individual training, I do actually have (assistant) handling that area but just spent some time reviewing and changing some of the specific training based on tactics/playing style and strength of position for key players.

Any preferences on pre-season training?

[Charles Chips]

Which attributes does the Team Cohesion focus emphasise?

[Dave Vessey]

Which attributes does the Team Cohesion focus emphasise?

My understanding is that it doesn't help with attributes but is useful if you've had extensive squad turnover and need to get the team to gel.

Cleon will be able to confirm.