Are future versions of FM likely to have a more in depth options with regard to youth teams?

[jamez_b]

Someone re-tweeted the below article on twitter the other day about the Bayern Munich youth team setup:

http://www.socceramerica.com/article/45419/inside-bayern-munichs-youth-program-qa-with-wer.html

http://www.socceramerica.com/article/45445/coaches-should-help-not-disturb-qa-with-bayer.html

It got me thinking a bit about how little control you have currently over your youth intake and youth team players development until they are 16. However as FM strives to become ever more realistic and detailed is this an area that SI will look to develop in future FM versions?

In an ideal world you should be able to request the following if you have a youth academy at the club:

Ask to assign a certain amount of cash toward the youth program.(this currently exists to a degree but often it can be difficult to increase it a huge amount)

Hire certain types of staff to coach each level down to entrance level into the academy.

Dictate whether each age group should be playing 7/9 or 11 aside.

Invest in the local area to improve the long term talent pool (Similar to Kermiov's plan with Anji before it went a little wrong.)

Get your coaches to bread a certain philosophy throughout all of your youth teams like the below:

"WERNER KERN: We want to play active soccer. We want to defend high and we want to possess the ball as much as possible because we believe that we learn and improve when we possess the ball a lot. When you’re chasing the ball all the time you’re not learning a lot.

You must, of course, learn the elements of defense, but we want to act not react."

It might just give the player a bit more control and avoid the disappointment of getting a youth take every year and it having no players in of any use or the completely opposite type of player to the way the first team is playing.

Would also make for some cracking club and country games. Anyway just thought it might be an interesting discussion topic for people.

[braceletwinner]

I like the idea of at least being able to dictate which philosophy you prefer, so that youth would tend to have higher attributes to match that philosophy. It shouldn't preclude other types of players, of course, but if your youth academy is emphasizing first touch, technique, passing, etc..., it makes sense that you'd see more of that type of player.

[BurghBear]

I think it's a great idea, would really add another element that I would enjoy. To implement it might be rather difficult though as I think we sometimes forget just how complex the game has become over the years. It would really make you think about your HoYD though!

[jamez_b]

Yeah definitely and i don't think we'd be talking about being able to see the players stats when they are 7 for example but more being able to dictate how each year group is being trained. But also to get scout report feedback each year providing their rating of that year group, which areas are strong, which are weak so that you can make a decision on focus areas for the coming year.

I guess it would just allow the player to shape the type of players coming through and to actually having a bit more control on the return on investment when asking the board for investment in youth.

I tend to play every version mostly in Eastern/Southern Europe, specifically Greece, or in South America and it would be great to say implement a Barcelona, Ajax or Bayern style youth setup in Athens for example. Obviously in the early part of the save it would be the whole wheeling and dealing to get the right players in to the club and getting the result on the pitch but at the same time you could invest the money made into your academy. You could then influence the style of player you wanted coming through and instruct your academy scouts to look for certain type of players etc.

Maybe then you'd have Panathinaikos(my regular long term game choice) spotting at an early age and bringing through another Messi but also having the ability to influence the type of players coming through for the next generation of Greek players.

[Lawlore]

Although not to the depth described here, there were a few steps towards youth development made in FML, through the academy system, which at least shows SI have it on the radar. With the delegation options implemented in FM13, I think this is an area where the game could very much expand to its benefit.

[Johnyfooty]

I personally would like to be able to invest more outside borders.

Now the only thing that influences youth income when it comes to nationalities is having knowledge of the country. And even then the chance of producing a newgen is soooo low.

I'd like feeder clubs to produce newgens regardless whether their country is active on the database. That's the whole point of having them anyway apart from the 1-2 you will have for EU nationality.

[jamez_b]

I agree with you about the outside borders bit and the feeder club. If you've got the money, requesting the board to setup youth academies in Africa, Asia, South America etc. Alternatively when you request a feeder club to take advantage of their youth team then you'd see this influencing an increase in the number of newgens of that nationality coming through your academy.

The parent club could then appoint and pay for their own coaches to work at the feeder club, pay for the upgrade of training and youth facilities etc.

It could all link back into the philosophies you agree with your chairman at the start.

In terms of the system being manipulated it'd be no different to people that spend their games now buying up all the young newgens from south america. If people want to invest all of their money into youth academies and youth development then it should make a difference. There is nothing more frustrating now that constantly upgrade your youth facilities only to see a crap youth intake year on year.

Realistically you are only going to start seeing the effects of your changes quite a bit further into the game which at the moment becomes swamped with quality newgens after 5-10 years(the best ones often all spawned in unplayable leagues). Having control over the type of players entering and moving through your academy would just avoid the current issue where you are a team that play possession football, high line etc. and have done for years. Then your youth take comes in and the majority of the players are the complete opposite types of players to what you want.

[swisso]

With regards to including players younger than 16, I can't see that being a starter.

You certainly won't have 'real' under-16 players in the game at the start, it's nigh on impossible since most clubs will refuse to release such information and there's probably some ethical questions over including 11 year olds in a game.

But, there's nothing to say you couldn't have any impact on shaping these players before they came to you at 16. You can already see some influence that your Head Of Youth Development has on the youngsters, but personally I think it's too minor.

[jamez_b]

With regards to including players younger than 16, I can't see that being a starter.

You certainly won't have 'real' under-16 players in the game at the start, it's nigh on impossible since most clubs will refuse to release such information and there's probably some ethical questions over including 11 year olds in a game.

But, there's nothing to say you couldn't have any impact on shaping these players before they came to you at 16. You can already see some influence that your Head Of Youth Development has on the youngsters, but personally I think it's too minor.

Oh yeah definitely not have real under 16 players as it would make your database massive and there would be the ethical issues there.

For the impact on those players coming through it could work both ways as if you set your academy to be very specific in what they look for you could end up releasing potential stars that maybe don't fit your academy's philosophy.

Would just add an interesting element to long term saves.