Feature Request: Squad Rotation Planner

[drhay53]

Over the last few iterations some features have been added that are very close to things that I've kept spreadsheets or python scripts to handle for many years. While digging around the new squad planner in FM23, it struck me that the primary tool I still basically HAVE to have outside of the game is a script I wrote to manage squad rotation.

First, what I do in my script. I have a data file tracking each player's expected playing time, and their first choice position in my tactic(s). I track via a simple number when the last game was that the player started the match. I run the script before each match and it tells me which players need to play according to meeting their agreed playing time.

Sometime in the last few iterations of FM, the "match workload" was made visible as well. I have come to believe that the match workload is one of if not the greatest predictor of injuries. So I am constantly juggling playing time to have the best players available for the most important matches, with "medium" match workload, while also making sure the backups are getting enough games to stay happy on the team and stay fit. This is all fine. It's the right kind of puzzle to have to be solving in football manager!

The problem is it's incredibly difficult in the game to construct a single view where all of this can be managed adequately. Especially estimating the match workload during a busy calendar, and then figuring out when the last time was every player started, it's just too cumbersome to do it in game. The information simply doesn't exist, as far as I can tell, to do this at a squad level.

So I propose a new "squad rotation planner" that lays all of this information out. It may also include things like when players return from injury or are away on international duty. In this squad planner, you can set your starting 11 for each upcoming match, and it will project for you what each players match workload will be for future matches. It will also show the number of matches since the last time that player started, for each upcoming match, so you can find the best time to rest a starter and play a young player or backup. There are many other things that could be added to this planner, like training rest days and such (i.e. maybe this screen is a subsystem of the medical center?). 

I think this would be another step towards reducing the need to track information external to the game. Hope you all will discuss it as a team and see what you think. 

[Zachary Whyte]

Thank you for the detailed suggestion. This is going to be reviewed.