Injuries to key players before big match

[cherryman71]

Is it hard-wired into the programming that a key player has to get injured before every big match, such as a cup final or a semi, etc. I'm talking about this kind of thing. This is happening to me season after season, and too many times to be just a coincidence, it happens before every big game.

[HUNT3R]

No, it isn't hard-wired.

 

A possible reason is that key players play more matches, so could be more tired or fatigued so could have more chance of injury.

[du Garbandier]

Haha. Might not be "hardwired" but it happens too often to be coincidence. Along with "Welcome to the club. Here's your injury."

[warlock]

1 minute ago, du Garbandier said:

it happens too often to be coincidence

Well, if it wasn't a "coincidence" you'd never notice. Humans are very good at creating patterns out of random noise. 

[Freakiie]

Well a lot of big matches come up near the end of the season, at which point your players will inherently be more exhausted and jaded, thus increasing chances of injuries. Your star players will generally have played the most matches, so they will be the most fatigued and thus more likely to be injured. Add to that a healthy dose of confirmation bias and suddenly you have a star player injured for every big match.

[cherryman71]

On 01/05/2022 at 10:47, Freakiie said:

. Add to that a healthy dose of confirmation bias and suddenly you have a star player injured for every big match.

"Confirmation bias" is a horrible Orwellian style phrase designed to shut down someone elses opinion. Oooh, you can't say anything because you'll only be confirming your bias

[XaW]

38 minutes ago, cherryman71 said:

"Confirmation bias" is a horrible Orwellian style phrase designed to shut down someone elses opinion. Oooh, you can't say anything because you'll only be confirming your bias

While it can be used as a way to shut people down, the term is not a "style phrase", it's an actual psychological aspect of a cognitive bias.

As for the opening post; No, there are no types of mechanics to injure key players before big matches. That's not how the game works, as has been confirmed by SI several times over and over.

[cherryman71]

On 06/05/2022 at 19:45, XaW said:

 

As for the opening post; No, there are no types of mechanics to injure key players before big matches. That's not how the game works, as has been confirmed by SI several times over and over.

Yes, you are right, Mr Moderator. Its not programmed in, it just happens absolutely every single time, without exception

[XaW]

1 hour ago, cherryman71 said:

Yes, you are right, Mr Moderator. Its not programmed in, it just happens absolutely every single time, without exception

Thinly veiled snarky comments don't really suit you.  For what it's worth, I'm not employed by SI, I don't get paid for being here or posting. I'm a fan of the series who have been asked to help out here. I've never been asked or told to walk "the company line" or in any way moderate my own views of the game and the series as a whole. And I have worded issues with the game for many years here. I've reported bugs or other issues, posted suggestions for changes, and given my honest feedback without covering up in any way. I've given clear feedback on everything from the lack of good AI squad building to how I think the Halfback role is too far forward in the final 3rd of the pitch, and given lots of critique when it's deserved.

Painting this as a dystopian dictatorship where negative feedback is not allowed is not really fitting. You are certainly free to think whatever you wish, but when the creators have clearly explained that you in fact are wrong, I don't really know what else to tell you. If you see this "every single time", then perhaps it's something you are doing wrong, since that's certainly not the case for me, or seemingly most others. Perhaps a small introspect into your own handling of things, especially towards the end of seasons where there are more big matches and fatigue is at its highest...

[cherryman71]

The last line of your argument might hold more sway were it not for this also occurs at the club world championship, and the charity shield which are at the start of the season. However, I respect what you have to say, and we will agree to differ.

[HUNT3R]

Why start a discussion topic if you're not prepared to discuss it? A few people have made points and given reasoning for what you're seeing.

Like I stated, it could be because they play the most, so will be the most fatigued/tired and lowest condition so at more risk of injury. There's often a match practice session on a thursday, which is just before a match on the weekend, so could aid in producing injuries. 

 

Can we continue the discussion?

[Overmars]

If you have a week before a big game, rest your starting team for 3 of those days, keep the other days light, and focus on match prep sessions with some set piece prep. Get rid of any "double intensity" training setting as well. Now is not the time to push players to exhaustion.

[Prepper_Jack]

Heh, I often view them getting injured as a blessing, unless it's a very long injury, or one that they never fully recover from. They can't complain you're playing that nice new youngster instead of them for the duration.

But, really, they have no reason to code that in there to annoy people. It's most likely that they simply have more wear and tear from the match load than other players you might be able to rotate out more. Also, many a star player have become more injury prone in general over the years due to already sustained injuries. By their late 20s, a lot of them have been involved in several hundred matches at least, owing to the fact that they've always been the best choice for selection. It's a high impact sport, and savage against cartilage and ligaments. Cartilage itself doesn't heal very quickly. Having 2 matches a week for a decade, even without being knocked around by opponents, will lead anyone to the surgical table eventually. Football Manager is kinder than reality in terms of injury occurrence.

As @Overmars said, if you're really worried about a big match, go light on the training load. Normally I have people at full condition train at double intensity. One notch below that, normal intensity. A notch below that, half. Anything below.. they don't train. After a match, the first thing players get is a recovery session, and maybe a team bonding or match review. Something they aren't going to get injured in, because after a match they're all at very high risk. After that, during the season, nothing more than light green intensity a few times a week, and no more than two sessions per day, as anything more prevents them from recovering properly. I usually only get a handful of injuries a season. Last season I think I had more loanees injured than people on my squad. No need to fill the week with recovery sessions... just train responsibly, and things like this will come rarely.