Does poor morale adversely affect performance?

[Blinkenlights Faxlore]

And vice versa, does good morale improve performance? I've never been too sure about this (especially when it comes to dealing with specific players as opposed to low morale in the entire squad).

I tend to drop players with a poor average rating, because, doh, they're not performing. I also rest players with a poor condition, because they tend to get injured otherwise. I also usually give players with low match fitness a run in the reserves to get them up to speed (although I'm not really sure how much of a difference this makes either).

However, I've never really been too certain about what to do with morale.

My squad's moral is overall pretty good, but there is one player who is constantly stuck on low or very low morale. He's unhappy and wants to move to a bigger club. The problem is that he's one of my key players and rated at four stars. He hasn't been playing terribly lately, but he certainly hasn't been hitting it out of the park either, so to speak. However, this could of course be completely unrelated.

Should I drop him and give his backup a shot? The backup in question has good morale but is only rated at 2.5 stars.

(And yeah, I know, don't look to much at the star ratings, but it's just to give you a rough idea of the quality of the players.)

[dankrzyz]

Personally, I do think morale affects performance - and clearly vice-versa. However the more difficult question is how to improve your man's morale. Sometimes dropping him a game or two and criticizing him will fire him up; but sometimes it will only further sour his attitude. Sometimes supporting words will inspire him and, in turn, improve his performances. It really depends on the player and his personality.

[Football Manager.]

It definitely does especially when you're fighting relegation or playing lower league it plays a huge impact

[mr_whitey]

Morale has a huge impact IMO. And it's sometimes very hard to turn it around once its low and you continually loose games. Team meeting is a key to turning it around, but only if you get it right

[j. terry]

Yeah, morale makes a massive difference. Personal conversations after games for top & poor performances, praising and critizising respectively, often helps morale. Playing a mid-season friendly against a really poor team to up morale can also help you get out of a slump. Having match preparation on teamwork helps as well, alongside sensible teamtalks. Just use common sense in your man-management and you should be allright

[MijnEigenFan]

I feel low morale makes player scared to press high and thus make my defense fall apart.

[furiousuk]

Morale is more important in some situations than others and depending on your managing style will be more or less important for you. If you're a Keegan style manager then managing form, condition and morale is critical if you're going to succeed, on the flip side, if you're a more tactical manager then you can probably get away with a player with the hump now and again.

The dynamics of player personality and actually managing players rather than just setting tactics and picking a team are getting better with each iteration of FM. Your philosophy of dropping/resting players is a pretty decent one but you can get more complex if you want to (the game will reflect it). For example, some strikers need to keep playing to geth through a slump, others will recover if they start banging them in for the reserves while others further require the stick to get the best out of them.

[darthrodent]

Morale is more important in some situations than others and depending on your managing style will be more or less important for you. If you're a Keegan style manager then managing form, condition and morale is critical if you're going to succeed, on the flip side, if you're a more tactical manager then you can probably get away with a player with the hump now and again.

The dynamics of player personality and actually managing players rather than just setting tactics and picking a team are getting better with each iteration of FM. Your philosophy of dropping/resting players is a pretty decent one but you can get more complex if you want to (the game will reflect it). For example, some strikers need to keep playing to geth through a slump, others will recover if they start banging them in for the reserves while others further require the stick to get the best out of them.

This is exactly what I'm interested in right now as far as Football Manager is concerned. I opened a thread here:

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/354787-Weekly-Motivation-Strategy

I would very much appreciate some advice, thank you.

[tinkerer]

Yep its surely affects,

The most 3 important in FM are : Tactic, Player, and Motivations ( from one of the blog i read )

i have same problems with you, my first team RB want to join club who plays in Europe, i'm ready to sell him but not for cheap price, so i managed to counter the offer, sadly for him, the club pulled out, so his morale now poor and told the media that he is disappointed with me because not allowed him to talks with other clubs..

From one of the best right back in the leagues to mediocre players who are like "WTF i'm still in this club? nah i don't want to play" in the field, so i dropped him and play another RB, i'm only using him as my backup and plays him on cup games..

I suggests you too wait for a 6months/1 season, talk to him sometimes to raise his morale, and slightly put him back in the starting XI, sooner or rather he will be back in happy morale and play good for your team, however if the thinks not works, sell him in the next transfer window as he value won't drop too much