[SFraser's Training Schedules for FM10]

I may be wrong ProZone, but I'm pretty sure that I read some time back that Natural Fitness was a fixed attribute and could not be trained, and personally have never seen it go up or down in any long-term game I've played. Not sure about Flair, as it's my personal opinion that it should be a mental attribute that could be encouraged, (as a player ages he becomes more confident in trying things, if that makes sense) though whether it is actually viewed that way by the designeers is another matter.

[SFraser's Training Schedules for FM10]

SFraser, I certainly think you are on the right lines in terms of the base thinking, proportionate to the number of categories within each area. and undoubtedly no system can be perfect for every player as they are all different beasts in terms of the roles each user defines for them within their system (your CF as opposed to mine for example). I think one of the problems we have, is how SI have split the "skills" down when it comes to set-pieces. Are free-kicks purely an attacking skill in terms of their training, or does free-lick training also cover the skill required in defending free-kicks. I wouldn't necessarily want FB's developing free-kick dead balls as a matter of course, but I would want them developing throw-ins and crossing, conversely, I don't necessarily look at CM's/AMC's as throw-in specialists but do view free-kicks and crossing, even perhaps corners as key skills required.

In terms of the discussion on pre-season, I'm pretty sure one of the tootips and pieces of advice you receive actually suggests intense physical is best carried out then, so that's a game developers clue is it not as to the levels required in terms of strength and aerobic base levels for the season itself. I have always developed a very basic heavy physical pre-season schedule in the past and then lowered the levels during the season, albeit not based on the base theory you have worked from. Obviously the first thing you then notice when changing is downwards arrows in their strength and aerobic sections when changing, but that was to be expected as they have massively reduced the amount they are doing. The attributes themselves had increased, then stabilised throughout the season.

On the issue of squad players, here we do have a problem. They are obviously not going to get as much match experience as the starting 11, it's always been theorised that playing reserve (If you have a reserve team playing in a reserve league, but thats another issue) matches doesn't really assist development, so potentially you have elements of your squad which, despite their potential for development being high, they will not, or that development will be slowed somewhat, particularly when they become too old for youth football.

[SFraser's Training Schedules for FM10]

Couple of pointers for you SFraser. Now in my second season of using these schedules and whilst the physical changes are very, very impressive, I find that base skill improvement, such as passing, esp for CB's appears minimal. Even at a basic level, the game is about passing the ball, so every player needs improvement in this area, so perhaps review the levels for passing required for the defenders.

Additionally, having gone through the developing programmes, can one assume that the fact that the developing CF schedule is set to an absurdly high "Heavy" level with almost full on aerobic trg is an error? Was losing young forwards hand over fist till I looked at the schedule.

Set-piece trg covers a multitude of skills, free-kicks, throw ins etc. Some of the schedules, in their existing form lack set-piece trg for certain positions in which the trg of a specific skill is required. As I've pointed out before, no set-piece trg for CMs, despite the fact that many CM's are free-kick specialists.

The schedules are really good, though the CM schedule appears more defensive than creative, whilst the AMC routines you have previously said yourself are probably not designed for a pure AMC. I have tinkered around with the base schedules and made alterations in those areas, (reductions and inreases based around the base theory you postulate on the number of areas within each category) but I'll have to let it run to see whether I notive a massive difference.

[SFraser's Training Schedules for FM10]

Having never really paid a lot of attention to training over the many years, other than some rough and ready Defender, Midfielder and Forward attempts in the past, this time around I have actually begun to look more closely at things, even though a lot of what was being said was going right over my head. And so, I began to look around for training schedules and have downloaded 2 or 3, including your own a couple of days ago. The first thing that hits you is how completely different all these schedulses are which highlights the fact that somewhere along the line, "the missing piece of the puzzle" as was previously mentioned has eluded everyone. Reading through the theory you are working on makes sense, even though I'm still having trouble with ratio calculations, and so I have begun to use your schedules in a career game I have going at the moment. But there are one or two initial queries I have:

Pre-Season: Since there is not a pre-season schedule with the pack, you do not follow the general thinking that intense pre-season fitness trg is required, and leave all players on their existing schedules?

Set Piece Trg. None of the CM trg schedules have any form of set-piece trg assigned, though the AM schedules (less veteran) do which I find quite anomolous considering set-piece trg covers amongst others free-kicks and the propensity for CM's to be freekick specialists. So my question is, should these schedules have set-pieces included and what would be the trade off?

Long and Short Term Injury Schedules: Some clarity required on the definitions of Long and Short Term. My personal belief is that anything under 14 days is short term, and anything over that Long Term. Additionally, at what point would you move players in these schedules?

I have only just put these schedules into use, and at first found players very tired after games, however a couple of months down the line and the recovery rate is acceptable, still have to rotate one or two, but I usually would anyway playing 3 games a week. The injuries received do seem a little high, now whether thats down to the schedules, or just over physical opposition hard to say, as I reckon it's about a 50/50 split in match injuries to trg injuries.

Be interested in your feedback on the above points.