Player Development - Athletic Bilbao - B Team, C Team, U19 or loan out?

[BrianMunich]

As surely most of you will Athletic Bilbao have a Basque only transfer policy, allowing you to only sign players with Basque nationality, or sign Spanish players of age 16 to become naturalised as Basque 'citizens'. As you can imagine this places a heavily reliance upon youth development - which I'm finding to be a large amount of the fun managing Bilbao.

 

With Bilbao, you've essentially four squads that a youth team player can be part of - First Team (Athletic), B Team (Bilbao), C Team (Basconia) and the U19's - all of which you have control other training, and tutoring. There is also the option obviously to loan players out to a large amount of feeder teams in the Segunda division, or further afield should you offer them out - this obviously won't allow any control over training. 

My current path way at the moment isn't as streamlined as it should be, and I know I'm not making best use of the options I have available to me to maximise player development. 

A player will come in through youth intake, and will be set a training plan, and will also be tutored if needed - likewise with all 16 year old players I've picked up from around Spain.

My B team (Bilbao) are still currently in the Spanish 3rd tier. They are a mixture of decent pros (too good for Segunda B, not good enough for first team/good tutors), and youth players. Hopefully this coming season the B team will gain promotion to Liga 123. 

Basconia play in the 4th division, which is a league I haven't loaded. Whilst players in this team 'play games' and end up with stats - I'm curious as to how useful these games are in aiding to a players development? Is it better to have a player moved to this team, rather than sat in the U19's for instance? Is it even better say, to loan out the player to play under the AI in the game - would games played in a league loaded be more beneficial, and off-set the non-control over training?

 

In short I'm just looking for tips on the best way to fill out these squads, and to know why each player should go to which, and know when they are ready to move up, or be sent out on loan? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[zlatanera]

I would suggest you attempt to maintain control of your players' development as much as possible. Try to find better coaches for the C team if you can. Those "games" are better than not getting any action in either of the higher squad. Keep an eye on the "Training" tab - ideally you'll hope your assistant tells you to move them up into a higher squad before the training summary says ""coach" feels that "player's" progress has slowed somewhat and he needs better challenges to further his progress". That quote means you need to move them up a squad or, if they can't make the jump from B to A team, then loan. 

[BrianMunich]

Yeah, that's sort of the way I'm inclined to go. 

I'm fairly comfortable with the set up I'm going to have with my B team, or who I will comfortably allow out on loan - just curious on the differences and benefits, and how I should split up players between my U19's and my C team..

I'm thinking C team should be players of 16-18 who have been tutored/or have a desired personality to aid upon their own development. Whilst those that are being tutored, or otherwise don't have right personality or determination level still residing in the u19's. 

 

[herne79]

Short version - before the age of 18, Training is the most important part of player development.  After this age, match time at the right level becomes more important. 

Slightly longer version - what's the "right level"?  If players find their matches too easy it can reduce the effectiveness of development, eg., put a future star into a 5th tier team where he is already better than the players around him.  On the flip side, if the player finds it too difficult it can also reduce effectiveness.  eg., put that same player into your first team with all the other superstars you may have and again he might struggle.

[Brian]

I have a very simple policy in developing players;

First year

• Tutor and train the U19 squad heavily. Only real exiting talents in the b-team will be tutored. Everybody will be trained and monitored. 

Second year

•  The U19 players will become my b-team players. Will continue to train them. 
• The B-team players will move to the first team to become part of the first eleven or back up. Other players will be loaned out or sold right away. 

Third year

• U19 players that started in my first year now become my first eleven or back up. 

 

I train every player for the simple reason to sell them on for profit or a high % of the next sale. This way the League I play in will improve in strength and I make money years after. I want to keep the youth teams as small as possible after a few years to really focus on the right players. 

[zlatanera]

4 hours ago, Rooks said:

I have a very simple policy in developing players;

First year

• Tutor and train the U19 squad heavily. Only real exiting talents in the b-team will be tutored. Everybody will be trained and monitored. 

Second year

•  The U19 players will become my b-team players. Will continue to train them. 
• The B-team players will move to the first team to become part of the first eleven or back up. Other players will be loaned out or sold right away. 

Third year

• U19 players that started in my first year now become my first eleven or back up. 

 

I train every player for the simple reason to sell them on for profit or a high % of the next sale. This way the League I play in will improve in strength and I make money years after. I want to keep the youth teams as small as possible after a few years to really focus on the right players. 

Yeah that's a good routine, particularly for a "big fish" i.e. Ajax, or a dominant side you've built up in another smaller European league. But Athletic have the added issue of being unable to easily replace players, so I'd probably suggest stretching out the process over 5 years until they're 21-3, just like they do in real life. That centre back with only 3 gold star potential suddenly becomes a lot more valuable if PSG buy your entire defence in the space of a week.

[OlivierL]

i'm playing with Bilbao and now in the 4th season.

C team : all the 16/18 year old players that are not good enough

U19 team : keep al the good 16y in this squad , all the good 17/18y old are loaned out .

Bilbao : a mix from older players who are not good enough for the first team but cheap enough to keep for bilbao(keeping them in the right league) and a few 'great' youngsters that are in my A squad for training but play games for Bilbao.

 

[RodentofDoom]

Part of a players assessment is the view of their level of ability, which is given in terms of a relevant division (coach report, usually a Con as its going to be lower than your first teams division)

If you are goin to loan a player, a team in a division below the recommended level will be less effective

So as Herne79 said .. your coaches will identify the right level for you, you only need to make sure that you agree to the relevant requests

 

 

I'm currently managing in the Bulgarian 2nd League

Ive just had a U19 winger promoted who's level of ability is rated at 3rd division, potential is 'could improve a lot'

The 3rd Division isn't loaded, so if he is loaned out to that level he will get 'simmed' matches .. and tbh I have no idea what impact that will have on his development (I'm worried it's not as good as actual matches, but I don't mind being wrong)
what I have to monitor now is, is U19 team football sufficiently challenging to drive his development forward