Unhappy squad hasn't been strenghtened

[Baodan]

I had a nicely written post with everything explained from my point of view, but then while trying to get a screenshot for the post too much time passed and the post was erased

My team is unhappy because they dont feel like i brought in enough new players. I didnt know i could address the situation via Concerns/Unhappiness in the squad section.

Now if i try to address the issue my only option is exit. How do i fix the problem?

[Lord Rowell]

1. Splurge some money on new signings, giving in to the whims of your players to make them happy (and store up problems further down the line)

2. Ignore them. When they request a meeting, just be calm but on lines of you make the decisions etc.

I tend to favour option 2.

[eriktous]

Depending on my mood I sometimes go for option 3: put anyone that complains on the transfer list, set their squad status to Not Needed, and stick them in the U18s until they're gone or my mood changes again. I'm the boss.

 

P.s. Did I mention I'm not good at this game?

[Baodan]

I'm managing a fairly small team called Catania with limited financial resources and stature, so bringing in decent new players is already a bit of a challenge.

My squad morale problems came when I finally won promotion in my 2th year and then had to do a team talk regarding expectations for the coming season in Serie B. I basically had the option to say either "we'll manage with the players we got" or "I'll be looking to bring in some new players to the team". I'm by no means a pro at FM but I am aware that the game will try to make life difficult every time I have to talk in game. Knowing this, and because I knew I had to buy new players to replace the ones who got sold or just didn't make the cut, I went with option two.

I went out and bought new players, still quite limited financially and not really feeling like a very attractive Serie B club, but the players started getting worried about me apparently not bringing in the kind of new players they were expecting. I get some more from the free transfer but still they aren't satisfied. A couple of months go by and I still try to bring in more players on a free transfer without it changing anything in squad morale.  Then suddenly I notice the option to discuss the issue with some of the more vocal players, but when I chose to address the issue my only option is "exit".

Now I'm suffering cripplingly poor squad morale, with players wanting to leave because of it, and no apparent way to solve the issue. We're doing fairly well in Serie B but it has zero effect on team morale. 

[Cougar2010]

You just have to wait for their unhappiness to subside.

If a lot of the squad are unhappy but you are doing fairly well compared to what is expected by the media & board then little by little players will lose the unhappy tag (One or two at a time).  Its just a case of waiting it out tbh & you might end up with a couple that you are forced to move on just to help morale.

[Pingdinho]

Look at it this way; at least you now have a better idea of which players might have problematic personalities. You sound like you are doing well, so you might get chance to sell these players and replace them with better options.

[Baodan]

If I recall correctly I'm about to be done with October and still haven't seen any change in squad happiness. I have important players looking to force a transfer away from the club and important players unwilling to sign a new contract who can then leave on a free after December. I was never able to sign contracts for longer than 2 years and I never really had much money for wages and the likes, so I had to negotiate new contracts only when I had to - without being able to look to far ahead and anticipate problems I didn't cause.

Basically this will leave me with little and less and will ultimately mean game over. There's not way I'm going back and starting over with no players in Serie C just because the game decided I should do so.

[Lord Rowell]

20 minutes ago, Baodan said:

If I recall correctly I'm about to be done with October and still haven't seen any change in squad happiness. I have important players looking to force a transfer away from the club and important players unwilling to sign a new contract who can then leave on a free after December. I was never able to sign contracts for longer than 2 years and I never really had much money for wages and the likes, so I had to negotiate new contracts only when I had to - without being able to look to far ahead and anticipate problems I didn't cause.

Basically this will leave me with little and less and will ultimately mean game over. There's not way I'm going back and starting over with no players in Serie C just because the game decided I should do so.

Just be patient, calm, stand your ground. You actually need to be much more patient, unhappiness takes time to go away.

[Cougar2010]

9 minutes ago, Baodan said:

If I recall correctly I'm about to be done with October and still haven't seen any change in squad happiness. I have important players looking to force a transfer away from the club and important players unwilling to sign a new contract who can then leave on a free after December. I was never able to sign contracts for longer than 2 years and I never really had much money for wages and the likes, so I had to negotiate new contracts only when I had to - without being able to look to far ahead and anticipate problems I didn't cause.

Basically this will leave me with little and less and will ultimately mean game over. There's not way I'm going back and starting over with no players in Serie C just because the game decided I should do so.

It will take 6 months - one year, maybe longer for all the players to lose the unhappy tag.  There is no quick fix, it needs time & patience.

The rest is hyperbole, besides the fact you did cause the problem even if players leave you go and sign other ones like any football club does IRL.  The idea that its game over just because some players leave is ridiculous.

[Baodan]

All my talking has gotten me further from the solution I was hoping to find.

Every day the option to address the two players who kind of spearhead the concern over the lack of new players brought into the team reappears. Every day I click it hoping to be able to do anything, but I always only have the option to "exit".

Clearly something is not as it should be with the option to address the player concern. Why would it be there if it does nothing?

[Maaka]

If you think it's a bug, probably best to report it in the bugs forum?

If there's an option to talk, but no other options to say things, just to leave the "conversation", then it might be a bug of sorts.

[Baodan]

There is no way I will continue playing while everything falls a part around me due to something I have no control over. I'm only doing fairly well because I keep reloading a save game until I don't get decimated in that particular match. And I do this to see if I can avoid abandoning the game by solving the morale problem myself. But its already getting boring because there's no fun in playing like this and reloading all the time drags out the season to unbearable lengths. 

 

[Baodan]

Maaka It looks that way to me, but besides you it doesn't seem like anyone else thinks its a bug.

[Cougar2010]

11 minutes ago, Baodan said:

There is no way I will continue playing while everything falls a part around me due to something I have no control over. I'm only doing fairly well because I keep reloading a save game until I don't get decimated in that particular match. And I do this to see if I can avoid abandoning the game by solving the morale problem myself. But its already getting boring because there's no fun in playing like this and reloading all the time drags out the season to unbearable lengths. 

 

You are missing the point, you caused the issue!

Now you have to wait, you can't talk to the players, just leave them and they will eventually let it pass.

The fact that you are reloading and saying you will abandon the save just points to the real problem - You!  You don't like it when things aren't going your way and are throwing the toys out of the pram.  Grow up, play each match once and deal with whatever happens.

[Maaka]

10 minutes ago, Cougar2010 said:

You are missing the point, you caused the issue!

Now you have to wait, you can't talk to the players, just leave them and they will eventually let it pass.

The fact that you are reloading and saying you will abandon the save just points to the real problem - You!  You don't like it when things aren't going your way and are throwing the toys out of the pram.  Grow up, play each match once and deal with whatever happens.

I believe he thinks the problem is that he has the option to have a conversation, but no options within said conversation, apart from exiting it..
The reason for the squad unhappiness is kind of besides that point.

[Baodan]

How did I cause the issue?

I was given the option to basically say two things:
Rely on the old squad in the new division
Bring in new players for the new division

I chose "Bring in new players for the new division" with my reasons stated above.

Following that I then went out and bought those new players, and then even more because of the problems with team morale. I did what I said and I'm being punished as if I didn't. And to solve the issue I'm given an option that I admit to not knowing about until 2 months after it probably appeared and now I can only "exit" when I chose it.

Is it my fault that I did what I said? There wasn't any specific requirements attached to any of the speech options I was given and I feel I did what I promised.

[Cougar2010]

1 minute ago, Maaka said:

I believe he thinks the problem is that he has the option to have a conversation, but no options within said conversation, apart from exiting it..
The reason for the squad unhappiness is kind of besides that point.

Well partly and yes having the option to enter a conversation and then have no option to say anything I would agree is a bug.  In that case you shouldn't get the option to have a conversation but thats relatively minor as the OP still wouldn't be happy if that were the case.

He wants an instant fix to the problem he caused which isn't the way it works and neither should it.

[Baodan]

maaka thank you and yes.

[Baodan]

My first season with Catania was rough and I had to deal with all kinds of problems. Starting 11 points behind everyone, players unhappy about not getting enough time on the pitch or just simply wanting to leave. I had a million players who didn't want to join my club and I had loaned players who didn't want to come back. I had rough losing streaks and problems with the board. I managed to get to the player-offs for promotion my very first season and then watch it slip away against a relatively weak opponent.

That's how it goes and I played on.

I don't understand the responses I'm getting and I'm starting to think I made a mistake trying to resolve my issues in this manner.

Is there some way for me to talk to someone who isn't going to tell me I'm bad at the game? I might even settle for someone like Maaka who seems to get my poorly worded point

[Maaka]

3 hours ago, Baodan said:

My first season with Catania was rough and I had to deal with all kinds of problems. Starting 11 points behind everyone, players unhappy about not getting enough time on the pitch or just simply wanting to leave. I had a million players who didn't want to join my club and I had loaned players who didn't want to come back. I had rough losing streaks and problems with the board. I managed to get to the player-offs for promotion my very first season and then watch it slip away against a relatively weak opponent.

That's how it goes and I played on.

I don't understand the responses I'm getting and I'm starting to think I made a mistake trying to resolve my issues in this manner.

Is there some way for me to talk to someone who isn't going to tell me I'm bad at the game? I might even settle for someone like Maaka who seems to get my poorly worded point

Don't get me wrong, I agree with you that the missing conversation options is a bug, and if that is what you need help with, then post it in the bugs forums.
If your major problem is the causes that got you into these issues, then I'll have to agree with those who says it's mostly down to poor squad management. To resolve this, you'd better listen to the advices you can get here. Even though you say you were down to two options, then you made your choice, and if your actions weren't deemed good enough by your players to back up your statements, then I'm sorry to say, you're just paying the price for that. It's not an easy situation to get out of, and it might actually be best to move on with your career. Or you could just try to weather out the storm, with the possible consequence of facing a relegation. At the end of the season, if you survive, you should get rid of those players you feel are "killing" your squad (by then, if managed properly, several of your players should be "back on"), and try to build a new (better) squad from there.

But, again, if you feel that the bug is the major issue, post it in the bugs forums.

[Banana-Rama]

i am surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet but the conversation thing is not a bug, sometimes when players are unhappy with you they will simply refuse to talk to you. if you had kept the promise that you made to the squad then the game wouldn't be punishing you, so you must of failed to fulfill the promise, i suspect that you are not telling us the whole story...

[DP]

In no real life situation would playing players refuse to talk to the manager. I hate it when people try to legitimise bugs. 

[Banana-Rama]

2 hours ago, DP said:

In no real life situation would playing players refuse to talk to the manager. I hate it when people try to legitimise bugs. 

as i just said it is not a bug, it is a part of the game that was put there deliberately by the developers. a bug is a flaw in a game that is not supposed to be there, players refusing to talk to you because you have angered them to such an extent is the game working as intended. you can like the feature or you can not like it, but it is not a bug...

[DP]

It's a bug if the screen keeps popping up and there's nothing you can do with it :/

at very best incredibly poor design/UI. 

[Banana-Rama]

3 hours ago, DP said:

In no real life situation would playing players refuse to talk to the manager. I hate it when people try to legitimise bugs. 

i don't appreciate being told that i am trying to legitimise a bug by the way, don't try to patronise me in that way by talking down to me, maybe you have had a bad day at work and want to take it out on someone...

[DP]

Ha chill out ffs. You're doing exactly that 

[Banana-Rama]

11 minutes ago, DP said:

Ha chill out ffs. You're doing exactly that 

yes but you drew the first blood with that sly comment...

[MrBannystar]

This is always a feature that makes my blood boil. I had a few months away from the game and thought I'd get myself back in the mood for FM17. I was struggling a little bit with Palace in the Premiership (having gotten them promoted the season before last). Our form improves and we're unbeaten in 5 matches, and morale is good, everything's on the up! The board were still very confident in me and no danger of getting the sack. Then suddenly, the game realises that we're still in 18th (2 points off 15th place) so the players decide to become unhappy. 

I'm forced to use the editor to remove all unhappiness and morale then remains lower than the night before. Ludicrous. This feature is simply not intuitive enough and ruins the experience. You could be in some freakish situation where after 20 games you're bottom of the league but 1 win off top spot and the squad will still be unhappy because the game sees that you're in 20th position. Form and performances are completely irrelevant. 

[Fer Fuchs Ake]

Perhaps you didn't sign high-quality players? By the sounds of your post, it seems as though you have gone quantity over quality. Maybe the squad wanted higher quality players so you could compete in the Serie B. As for exiting every match until you win - don't. You'll learn nothing. We've all rage-quit the odd match but doing it for every single loss won't help you at all.

[Tajerio]

At the end of the day, it's a game, it's supposed to be fun, and if the game you're playing isn't fun don't play it.

That said, players refusing to speak to the manager is ridiculous, but I'm almost dead certain it's a feature and not a bug.  The game offering you an option to speak to players who won't speak to you, on the other hand, sounds like a bug to me.

If I recall the option correctly, there's a very clear implication that you're going to bring in better players to help your club compete at the higher level.  It's not reasonable for your players to react positively simply because there are more of them--they want to win and at least a few malcontents don't think your player moves are helping, because the players really aren't any better.  So that particular part of the difficulty I think is very much on you.

But you have options.  You can sell the malcontents and see what happens; play out the string and get wrecked; reload and cheat until it is fun, which is your prerogative as it's a game (though I think ultimately less satisfying); or resign and look for a new job.  Or, of course, you can always start a new save.  No sense punishing yourself trying to get that one save right if you're not enjoying it, I would think.