[Scientific Approach to Wonderkids]

Hi

Wondering if you can help.

I am wanting a more evidence based approach to scouting. I've started a little bit of this already but wondered if anyone is way ahead of me. Let me give some examples of what I have found so far in my game (I'm 1 year in)

1. 20-21 Regens - only 1 of the 91 players under 21 with PA>164 had Determination <10. Hence, if your scouts have a 4 1/2 - 5* potential player, and Determination <10, best to ignore them.

2. All those with PA >154 had Professionalism >9. Therefore if 4 1/2 - 5* potential, and professionalism is character trait, then consider signing.

3. If <20 years old AND international cap with Australia, then PA high (2 players, PA 158, 170). 

4. Of the 390 players labelled as "promising young ...", 65 had PA >150 (16.6%). 

5. Of the 53 players labelled as "Wonderkid", 49 had PA >150 (92%).

I wondered if anyone has looked at things like sensitivity/specificity/PPV/NPV and applied them to players in FM, rather than just opinion (e.g. "his stats look good" and nonsense like that). Hence, you could come up with algorithms that could help you find Wonderkids more accurately.

Would appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

Andy

[Going on Holiday]

Hello all,

I love many aspects of FM - the buying/selling of players, scouting, contracts. The actual playing of a match is something I'm not interested in at all really - much too complicated for me. In some ways I am more a Director of Football type, rather than a manager.

And so in an ideal world I play the game turn by turn when the transfer window is open, and then hope to go on holiday when it's closed. Unfortunately I find that it is impossible to have any success doing this, as my team chronically underperforms. If I don't go on holiday and play each game, I tend to be vastly more successful, but don't enjoy the game as much.

Is there any way round this issue apart from "play a different game?"

Thanks