Tips for squad rotating [FM 2018]

[Zanman777]

I used to struggle with player unhappiness due to lack of game time, so I started paying more attention to my squad rotating. But to me, rotating the squad is easier said than done.

I have my favorite eleven in my squad, like everyone else, I guess. And then there's "the rest". Some are almost as capable as the starter player(s) on that position, and some are quite worse. 

I've tried setting up a squad view that helps me pick the players for each match. Amongst the columns I picked, there's "games missed in a row" (I try not to let that number go larger than two in any player).

Another column I've added is "last 5 games", but that column only shows the ratings of the matches the player actually played. It would be ideal if there was a column that showed the last 5 games of the club, not of the player... (I could swear there was one, but I haven't found it lately)

I've added the column "appearances" too. And started by guiding my team selection by the number of appearances of the player. Until a backup player complained of lack of football... even though he had 20 appearances! I checked his "form" tab, and he was kind of right, he hadn't been picked in the latest five games in a row.

Then there's another dilemma for me: imagine you have your two favorite D Cs named "Alpha" and "Beta". And you have other two D Cs, "Mr Rotation" (squad status = rotation) and "Mr Backup" (squad status = backup).

On the first match, you play Alpha and Beta.

On the second match, you want to rotate the players... So, Mr Rotation and Mr Backup it is...?

Or maybe replace Alpha by Mr Rotation, and leave Beta on the pitch - this way, yo don't sacrifice the playing team quality too much.

On the third match, replace Mr Rotation by Mr Backup... But wait, Beta is playing way more matches than everyone else then! Ok, let's replace Beta by Mr Backup... But then Mr Backup and Mr Rotation are getting the same amount of matches even though Mr Backup is just that - a backup...

And to keep tags on all those decisions... well, I'd better get a piece of paper and a pen, or else I'll get lost once the first match ends...

It's all very puzzling to me. How do you manage all this?

 

[FrazT]

One of the first tips is to start with the squad status of your first team pool.  If you are overloaded with Key and First team status players, then rotation will be horrendously difficult because they will complain.

[Zanman777]

9 minutes ago, FrazT said:

One of the first tips is to start with the squad status of your first team pool.  If you are overloaded with Key and First team status players, then rotation will be horrendously difficult because they will complain.

Fortunately that's not the case. I'm not overloaded with Key and First team status players. Nevertheless I got a backup player with 20 appearances under his belt complaining for lack of football, so... It still feels like I'm supervising a class in kindergarden sometimes haha.

[sporadicsmiles]

Players treat starts and substitution appearances differently when it comes to game time. So 20 appearances, 19 of which were subs for 20 minutes is clearly going to be worse than 10 starts from 20 appearances. Just so you are aware of that.

For me, the key to rotation is just having players who you are happy to play. Take your CB example. I typically have 4 CBs in my first team squad, sometimes 5 if I have a young player coming in to replace an older one. Among these I will have my best pairing, who will start any important match together when fit, and can expect to start together most games. These are players I would have a "first team" status for. The third choice CB should be at, or very close to, the level of the two major CBs. He is the major rotation option. He will come to replace one or the other starters as form and fitness dictates. I must have faith that this player will be able to perform (and this also means I can play 3 man defense if ever needed). The fourth CB is the backup option. He will get starts in cup games, against weaker sides where I feel he will not be exposed, etc. He is set to be a backup, or a hot prospect (depends on age). He expects to start the least, but I try to get him 10 starts across competitions. Then the other point is that I sign players with the aim of progressing them through this cycle. The third choice CB should have the ability and ambition to become a first team player, and force his way into the top two. This happened in the last season of my current save. Younger third choice CB played better than older second choice CB. Likewise, the fourth choice guy should be aiming to displace the third guy. When I say this, I mean you should have players capable of advancing in the squad. Rarely will I have a backup option who is kept purely as a backup, unless they are an aging player with long service at the club and with a good personality.

This is pretty much how I manage my entire squad. Some positions, like FBs, I have 2 players who will pretty much be interchangeable, because I ask a lot of my FBs and they are often fatigued. The midfield is the more complex, because I like to have not only rotation options, but players who can offer a different style of play, so I can play them when I need a hard tackler rather than a finesse passer, for instance.

The take home message, I guess, would be that rotation should naturally come as a progression of your own squad building. If you have players who want game time, but you do not want to play them, sell them and buy a player who you would be happier to play (or no player, and use a youth player as the backup for emergencies, I do this with goalkeepers very often, having only one senior player). Plan the rotation options you have so that they are able to jump into the first team, or progress at the club. If they stop progressing, sell them and start over. And do not be afraid to revise playing time for players as appropriate. If a previously key player drops to a rotation option, you can change it. Rarely do I get a player who complains about this, because I use it with reason. Hope that helps somewhat.

[phd_angel]

Yes, complaining players is a problem in large squads, especially if you plan on keeping your main squad fresh for the entire season...

- Set as many players as possible as Rotation or Backup. This helps keep their expectations realistic.

- I only rotate 1 or 2 players off the main squad in each match. I find that performance declines horribly if I place lots of backup players... (I find that quality in stars is way more important than match condition in %)

- I never give in to players who whine they are not playing: every time I give in and say they will play next, they always under-perform horribly, to my regret.

- During matches, you may want to give instructions to slow down the gameplay, waste time, etc...