under performing players across FM versions and saves

[puffascruffowitz]

I've noticed a trend with certain players who on paper should be lighting up their league, but never manage to consistently perform better than average.

I notice it holds true for certain players across different saves and even different versions of FM. So it must be somehow baked into their attributes/profile.

Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, and other players of that level do not perform better than a 7.10 average. This is true in FM 22 and FM 21. It's true whether I get them or an AI team does. It's true across many seasons. League doesn't make much difference. 

My question is what prevents these seemingly world class players from performing? A combination of hidden attributes? Any way to remedy it? No amount of hectoring, coddling, hands off approach, or anything else seems to work. They also never seem to be awful, never cost me a game, but are always frustratingly mediocre no matter what I do. 

It's perfectly realistic just would like to get an idea of why? 

 

[XaW]

Take a player like Mario Balotelli, for example. He is so gifted, and could be a world beater, but he never really got out his potential. Why? Well, I'd say he just didn't work enough for it, at least it looks like that from the outside. So how do FM replicate this? Though the hidden attributes in the game, things like professionalism, pressure, consistency to mention some. Players with low professionalism is something to avoid like the plague, at least I do. Low pressure will make them struggle in key moments. Low consistency will mean they rarely play as well as their attributes suggest they should.

Some of this can be mentored to improve, but if it's extremely low initially, then it's not likely to ever be very high.

Other than those, it could also simply be a very bad attribute distribution. If you have a striker with excellent positioning, for example, it looks nice, but it's not much use (except for pressing forwards perhaps) being a defensive attribute. So while it's not a drawback in itself, it can make a player appear to be much better than they really are.

This is something you should look for when buying players, take not of what role you are expecting them to play and make sure those key attributes are as high as possible. Other attributes are nice, but 3 unimportant ones should not trump a really important one.

[kokafalasi]

Agree with this explanation.

Btw, on the initial post and as you mentioned Sandro Tonali: here are his stats in my current FM22 AC Milan save, I've played 4 seasons. He topped 7.40 in league games in 3 of those 4 years.

[puffascruffowitz]

24 minutes ago, XaW said:

Take a player like Mario Balotelli, for example. He is so gifted, and could be a world beater, but he never really got out his potential. Why? Well, I'd say he just didn't work enough for it, at least it looks like that from the outside. So how do FM replicate this? Though the hidden attributes in the game, things like professionalism, pressure, consistency to mention some. Players with low professionalism is something to avoid like the plague, at least I do. Low pressure will make them struggle in key moments. Low consistency will mean they rarely play as well as their attributes suggest they should.

Some of this can be mentored to improve, but if it's extremely low initially, then it's not likely to ever be very high.

Other than those, it could also simply be a very bad attribute distribution. If you have a striker with excellent positioning, for example, it looks nice, but it's not much use (except for pressing forwards perhaps) being a defensive attribute. So while it's not a drawback in itself, it can make a player appear to be much better than they really are.

This is something you should look for when buying players, take not of what role you are expecting them to play and make sure those key attributes are as high as possible. Other attributes are nice, but 3 unimportant ones should not trump a really important one.

That's the thing I am exceedingly careful that the player matches exactly the role and mentality I want. Despite meeting that criteria they are still mediocre. In scout reports I always look for "consistent player", and I want mentality and determination always fairly professional/determined or better. Maybe it is the pressure or isn't there an ambition attribute too? 

13 minutes ago, kokafalasi said:

Agree with this explanation.

Btw, on the initial post and as you mentioned Sandro Tonali: here are his stats in my current FM22 AC Milan save, I've played 4 seasons. He topped 7.40 in league games in 3 of those 4 years.

Interesting. Tonali in 2 saves on FM21 and 2 saves so far on FM 22 never performs. This is my current save. I was convinced since I've seen it so many times in my saves that it could be true for all saves but guess not. Wonder what's different for me or if it's just happenstance and that's it. 

[XaW]

1 minute ago, puffascruffowitz said:

That's the thing I am exceedingly careful that the player matches exactly the role and mentality I want. Despite meeting that criteria they are still mediocre. In scout reports I always look for "consistent player", and I want mentality and determination always fairly professional/determined or better. Maybe it is the pressure or isn't there an ambition attribute too? 

Well, some roles will not be as prolific as others. The deeper non-playmaking roles will often have lower rating that others, but your tactic will depend on them. Sort of like BWM might not get high ratings, but he will be a key for you anyway. I don't know what roles or tactic you use, but some roles do more dirty work and will be rewarded less with high ratings, as in real life (just about always the goalscorers or assisters that win the Ballon d'Or...)

Det/Amb/Pro are keys to development and always things you would like as high as possible. Model Citizens and Perfectionists are the best personalities. Consistency and Big Matches are also important info from the scouts, and something to look for.

I will also add that SI said that 6.80 is the average in terms of ratings, so anything above a 7 should be considered a good season.

[duff33]

What does a 'spirited' personality mean? I've never thought it was a negative one, but am curious now.

I have one player, who on paper is pretty good, that I am struggling to get consistency from - I'm assuming he just doesn't fit my tactic quite so well.

[dave88]

Well, thats my problem with Inverted Wingers and Inside forwards. Never mind how talented player I sign, or one with good attributes, they play really bad most of the times. Once I had a 5 star inverted winger, and his avg. rating at the end of the season was 6.10(!!!). In paper, everything was fine, but in the pich it was a disease. 

[Hovis Dexter]

40 minutes ago, dave88 said:

Well, thats my problem with Inverted Wingers and Inside forwards. Never mind how talented player I sign, or one with good attributes, they play really bad most of the times. Once I had a 5 star inverted winger, and his avg. rating at the end of the season was 6.10(!!!). In paper, everything was fine, but in the pich it was a disease. 

I'm in February in my current season and play with Inverted Wingers ... my main AMR has an average rating of 7.72 and my main AML has an average rating of 7.56.

[XaW]

1 hour ago, duff33 said:

What does a 'spirited' personality mean? I've never thought it was a negative one, but am curious now.

I have one player, who on paper is pretty good, that I am struggling to get consistency from - I'm assuming he just doesn't fit my tactic quite so well.

Spirited is a fine enough personality, medium to high professionalism, high pressure, very low to medium sportsmanship, and medium to high temperament.

Consistency does not impact personality, btw. That can only be gauged by scout/coach report.