Does anyone else find this?

[Norlye]

Although new to the game I have played & watched a lot of football over the years so feel I understand the game. 

Were it starts to go wrong for me,so far,is that after taking over a team & having a good initial run with the players that I have inherited, once I start to recruit new players in to the system & try & develop things they go wrong. I usually end up with a bloated. & unhappy squad with no discernible improvement & usually the slide will begin. 

Harder than it looks this management & recruitment lark. Almost feel sorry for the Pep's & Joses' with all the "real" money to blow.

[extremeskins04]

40 minutes ago, Norlye said:

Although new to the game I have played & watched a lot of football over the years so feel I understand the game. 

Were it starts to go wrong for me,so far,is that after taking over a team & having a good initial run with the players that I have inherited, once I start to recruit new players in to the system & try & develop things they go wrong. I usually end up with a bloated. & unhappy squad with no discernible improvement & usually the slide will begin. 

Harder than it looks this management & recruitment lark. Almost feel sorry for the Pep's & Joses' with all the "real" money to blow.

I had this problem until I realized that your Director of Football and Head of Youth Development are EVERYTHING.  Literally.  From their reputation to their tactical knowledge in bringing in the right youth that fits your system.  I realized that it didn't do me a lick of good to bring in decent youth players and regens when they didn't fit my system very well cause I had average staff bringing them in.  It's pretty easy to do well your first season but it's your second and third seasons where you know if you actually did things right.  It took me quite a few restarts on my saves to let it finally sink in.

[anagain]

It's a balancing act. You need to get in quality to improve your team, yet not too much that it upsets the status quo of your team.

I think it's actually a little harder in FM than it is in the real world. In the real world players will go to a club seemingly happy to pocket a big wage and play the odd game. In FM they're going to be programmed to want to play. Or maybe I'm a cynic.

Ideally you have to get your contracts right. If you get in too many players that are designated as first teamers then you'll have trouble playing them all. Before long one of those players is going to want first team football. I personally think there needs to be more options available to make players understand why they're not playing week in, week out. Sometimes you'll get an option to say 'soandso is just playing better than you at the moment', but other times you just won't.

I actually think that the chances of players coming to you for more game time needs to be tuned down. If you listen to players talk at clubs, then quite often they're content with a big squad and competition for places. They might not be getting game time, but they'll often understand why they're not getting that game time. There are undoubtedly more ways for the manager to talk to play in the real world though.

Take AFC Bournemouth, for example. Players such as Gradel and Ake will undoubtedly want more game time, but they are more often on the bench. Many fans will ask why Gradel and Ake don't get game time, but you don't see the players go to the press. I am sure Eddie Howe regularly communicates with his squad so that players know where they stand. That is something I feel I don't get enough options to do in FM.

[tmason122]

I don't think it is too difficult to achieve... as long as you have a clear idea about how every player you bring in fits into your team and your philosophy. As others have said it's wise not too introduce too many new players at the same time. I usually limit to myself to 3 first team signings a season (not including squad overhaul if I am starting somewhere new and believe the squad needs some significant change) plus a couple of youth players.  

But also it is important to understand how that player fits into your long-term vision for the team. I often decide against signing very good prospects (wonderkids, etc.) or well-established transfer-listed players if they don't fit into my long-term vision of the club. It doesn't matter how good they are, if there isn't a spot in my squad of 25 available, or if they will negatively impact a youth player from developing correctly I won't bother signing them. My best teams (with regards to squad harmony) are usually when I have a nice mix of players, various ages in various stages of their careers.... all with the same (IMO trait) of high determination which makes for personalities I like.