Your ideal squad size?

[craiigman]

Just wondering what people have as their ideal squad size, in terms of both numbers and their roles at the club.

Some clubs have First team + Under 20's, some have First team, Reserves, Under 19's. And so on. How many players do you like to have on each level and so on?

Last season I felt I had too many players at both my First team and Under 20's, so had no room to move under 20's up. So this season I made them smaller, but then couple injuries and I feel like they are too small. Just wondering how you guys go about it? What rules you like to stick by? I'd like to have a system in place where I can see I path way through the ranks to the first team, but also worried about strength in depth. Most noted this season by players complaining about lack of depth in certain areas etc

Be good to hear how some of you go about this?

[22764636]

I don't have any rule or any pro experience with the game but my liking is to have a First Team of 22/23 players (I mainly play in Italy Serie A and you are allowed to bring  12 players on the bench) and 15/16  players each for my youth teams.

[craigcwwe]

Look to have a first team squad of around 23, this season it's 26 though.

[sporadicsmiles]

I rarely, if ever, use the entire squad limits when making a team. I usually have around 20 first team players and cover the rest of the squad with my better young players. The danger with this is that an injury crisis can hit you hard. It is much easier to have a happy squad that way. I also like to make it so all of my players are rotation options. My backup players are my kids, so if a player is not good enough to be rotation, he is sold. I will also rotate all my players to get them game time and to maximise fitness and match sharpness. I find that this is the best way to get good performance and a happy squad.

[Overmars]

I generally stick with 22. My youth players are never any good unless I go out and buy them. But if I buy someone, he will probably be good enough to be in the 22 before long. I think my situation would be different if I played as some of the bigger clubs who have better youth academies, but I like to win promotions and escalate through a football pyramid.

[bowieinspace]

2 players in each position, with at least some of the players being able to cover multiple roles. I manage in Spain so have a B team who compete in the 2nd tier, so I tend to put players there for the full season due to registration issues, however my younger hot prospects may well sit in my first team squad, but available to play B team games. If we pick up first team injuries or we're in a heavily congested fixture period, the hot prospects may help the first team depth.

[ilkork]

I try to limit myself to a maximum of 25 players per team. For example, Olympiacos has a First Team and an U20s. So, it's max 50 players for me (25+25).
My logic is, 2 players for each position, a total of 22 players. Then have a spare 3, mostly youngsters, in case of an injury crisis.

[serif]

I prefer being able to field another squad if I'm playing two matches a week. That entails being in a continental competition thus having some margin of superiority domestically, although this could be a very different situation depending on the league. If I don't consistently have two matches per week I find that big of a capable roster to be a waste and problematic, in which case I loaned players out. I do manage in Bulgaria though so for all I know competing domestically and internationally could be tougher elsewhere. Nonetheless, three seasons in all the team being in continental competition groups have faced surprising difficulties domestically.

Keep in mind reserve squads are automatically populated so you can keep match sharpness up even by having only one of your players available to your reserve team.

[dafuge]

I prefer to have 22, two for each position.

I occasionally sign youth products to sit in the reserves, but they are loaned/sold or made part of the 22 before long.

[adamjames_]

I tend to start the season with the full 25 man squad registered as first team players plus 3 or 4 youth prospects available

By the time I get to November/December, it's down to between 22 and 24 players ready for the ones who haven't performed or don't fit the system to leave in January.

[Vilmar]

A minimum of 22. I try to supplement the rest with U21 players and make sure I have at least 5 players above 21 with Homegrown Club status. 

[oneronaldo]

First 11, second 11 (aka the bench mob) and thats it. The U23/youth will be called upon if necessary. For 25-man registration I usually fill in the remaining 3 slots with my highest rated youths.

[Bigmonkey79]

I play as Leeds 4 3 (flat) 3(wide). Over first 2 seasons i try to get to 11 first team. Then first team cover (3* plyrs), one each in gk, lb,rb,cd,cm,st aml amr then best 3 hot prospects (usually cb, cm and a forward) make the 22. 

Everyone else into u21 at end of first season. Not start of first season as the squad gets the right hump! Wait until the key players actually like you! (assuming you have some success in 1st season!)

As game progresses recruitment gets better so more hot prospects become good enough for first team cover within 6/18 months. Its  then just matter of improving standards in u 21 then u18s for a healthy club.

That way your hot prospects get the game time they need and you get to play a reasonably settled side. Injuries and condition tend to take care of rotation so 22 happy bunnies.

[phnompenhandy]

As a lower league manager I have to manage the squad carefully. It's 2 for each outfield position and 1 goalkeeper. Then I'll have up to 11 youths who might need to occasionally fill in.

[Ross101]

Ideally I roll with 23 players...2 for each position plus a 3rd gk...

I very rarely promote a player to senior squad if they are still eligible to play in my youths...and make every reserve and youth player available for loan...saves money & provides them experience without me taking the risk...

I never sell a reserve or youth player and give everyone a chance to compete for a place in senior squad once they are old enough...if they don't make the grade only then do I try to move them on...

Any senior (over 21) players out with 23 are placed on transfer list, if I cant sell I try to loan out, if still cant shift them I make them available for reserves to keep them active...

Any bid i receive for a player I've not listed I will only accept if its at least 3x their value...if player has requested transfer I'll accept 2x...if I've listed them I'll accept face value to get rid...

Maybe a bit of a rigid system but its worked reasonably well for me so far...

[Lucas_26_7]

Usually try and have two players for each position, plus a back up third choice who can play both right and left back. If playing a 4-2-3-1 then then the 3 behind the striker must be able to rotate and play the other positions. I normally try and make at least a few of my back ups youth players, and give the best ones bench spots on rotation. Usually have about 20 players in Under 23's and 18's

[tinkerer]

I have a preference to keep my squad to contain 25 players with 3 goalie. Every window I make sure that my first team, B team, and u19 team has 25 players in each of them. All of the first team, B team, and u19 team has the same squad structure in terms of players in certains position, role, etc, so it makes transition from my youth squad to B squad then to first team smoother (I'm managing Sporting CP and I have long term project here). Excessive player will go on loan.

Although sometimes it's hard to keep the squad number low, since too many exciting prospects need chance in first team and too many good players on the market makes me tempted to bring them here