Player selection when your team's on bad run of form

[Ron Wandle]

When your team's on a bad run of form and you're trying to turn things around, do you focus on selecting:

a) Your best players on paper?

b) Your players who have the best recent form?

c) Your most experienced players?

d) Your players who have the most Determination and maybe Leadership?

e) Your players with the best current morale?

f) Other?

 

EDIT: Added morale.

[Snorks]

17 minutes ago, Ron Wandle said:

When your team's on a bad run of form and you're trying to turn things around, do you focus on selecting:

a) Your best players on paper?

b) Your players who have the best recent form?

c) Your most experienced players?

d) Your players who have the most Determination and maybe Leadership?

e) Your players with the best current morale?

f) Other?

 

EDIT: Added morale.

g: All of the above!

The first thing i do is look at the analysis of the past few games - try and work out WHY the performance was poor, where the gaps in the tactic are - from there I have a better idea of what players I need to minimise those weaknesses.

Then i look at my 'first choice eleven' and see who has been performing below par according to the Blue Bars - last 5 game average - and compare with the players who could step in.

Determination is a key attribute when you are struggling, so it does come into play with my last point. 

Low morale in players can be fixed reasonably easily with the 'Praise Conduct' chat so I would usually have my starting 11 reasonable sorted, then Praise Conduct if any need a morale boost.

Key to the whole thing though is understanding WHY you have had a run of poor performances - start with the tactical analysis.

One thing I often do as well, is strip away all the TIs and PIs - give them a game without any instruction and let them play their way. Then start to build the instructions little by little in response to what  I see happening on the pitch.

Rashidi has done a good video on How to Stop Losing to the AI it's worth a look.