Training youth to reach their PA *Updated with Links

[04texag]

Does anyone have a guide link, or some quick tips on how to more reliably train your youth so that they are reaching their PA? Most of my guys never do, despite doing all of the right things, so I feel like their must be some obvious thing I'm missing. I'd love to see some comprehensive stuff on this.

 

UPDATE

So here are some links I have found helpful in researching this.

Great Overview! - Covers everything from getting youth recruitment to the actual training of youth: https://theresonlyoneball.com/2020/06/25/football-manager-2020-youth-development/#8-youth-development-in-football-manager-training

Possible Troubleshooting - Here are some more tips specifically on developing to potential - https://www.passion4fm.com/11-reasons-why-your-players-wont-develop-in-football-manager/

 

Edited September 9, 2021 by 04texag

[DarJ]

My Approach to Youth Development in Football Manager 2020 (theresonlyoneball.com)

[04texag]

Great stuff there, didn't know that site but know the author. Here's the summary:

1. Youth Facilities and Junior Coaching should be improved as much as possible as they directly impact the quality of the Newgens coming into your Youth Teams.
2. Youth Recruitment should be increased to bring in players from further afield, thus having the pick of the bunch when it comes to getting players into the Academy.
3. Your Head of Youth Development plays a role in sculpting the type of players you get through to your Youth Teams. While he doesn’t influence every player, it’s important for me at least to make sure he has a great Personality above all else. Model Citizen is the one I’d be looking for here.
4. A coaches view of a player’s Potential Ability can also change. Don’t be too quick to let players go because their only have three-star Potential Ability. Give them the same attention as if they were five stars rated and you might get a surprise.
5. When players are under 18 their training is key to their development. Quality training with the best facilities and best coaches you can afford will help their progression. Determination, Ambition, and Professionalism are important to development.
6. When players reach 18 then game time becomes more important, but do not neglect their training. They still have a lot of development ahead of them. Seek loan moves for players who are ready to step up and player at a level relative to their ability.

 

Things I have discovered through reading MULTIPLE guides all morning.

I might be OVERPLAYING some of my team. I have been quick to move guys up to the senior squad for mentoring, and then I put youngsters as available for U20s matches. Sometimes they are playing two games a week, and not getting enough rest or actual training because of this. Big highlight, is training importance under 18 and game importance over 18, although don't over do the games.

Also, I double checked, and some of my coaches in U18 and U20 were a little sub par. I hired some new guys which might help.

I use custom training schedules which I made last year for FM20. I reshuffled a few of the slots as I was actually lighter on PRD training than I had thought I was.

[vikeologist]

I'm kind of jealous you learned all this so quickly. Some of us have taken years to figure this stuff out.

There is I think some debate about which personality for a HoYD is best; Model Citizen or Perfectionist. Let's just say that both have their advantages.

However, there's also the issue of whether personality is the most important thing. Judging Ability / Potential might be important. Also their preferred tactical system formation. There's not much point having good players come through unable to be best utilised in the formation you use. It's also nice if they can coach.

Don't get me wrong, you still want a good personality, but I've recently traded in my long-time Model Citizen for a Model Pro (which is perhaps the 3rd best personality).

I'm hedging some of my comments, because there's lots of factors involved, and I suspect people should prioritise things slightly different depending on their specific aims and situation.

It's also my belief that professionalism is more important than determination and ambition. If you want determination (and work rate), to skyrocket, that's easy; fine their arses for poor performance. Ambition is a tricky one, because it makes them more likely to leave, but if you want to sell off lots of players, ambition is good. Over at the Youth Challenge, a few people actually try to make their players and squad somewhat less ambitious, because we want them to stay.

You haven't mentioned mentoring. That's very important, and with the latest version of FM, a lot more subtle.

Lastly, I think the consensus is that your HoYD's personality is twice as important as your other youth staff, but you certainly want to take notice of their personalities as well.

Apologies that some of my comments are a bit short of detail. As you can imagine, there is extensive discussion on this, and it's important to remember that this will never go like clockwork (except the fining to increase determination / WR). Also remember that your intake takes a couple of years (some think up to 6 years) to emerge. You can't install a Model Citizen in October and expect instant results the following March.

Youth Development is a balancing act.

Edited September 9, 2021 by vikeologist

[herne79]

@04texag @DarJ You could just check the guides pinned to the top of this forum which have had input from SI staff and very knowledgeable people such as rashidi and cleon.  Relevant info found there includes: best practises; mentoring; individual training; how newgens are generated; what the HoYD does and more.

The people who write these guides either get their information from here (and then don't bother to add a credit) or (worst case) make stuff up.  Always check the pinned guides here.

 

3 minutes ago, vikeologist said:

It's also my belief that professionalism is more important than determination and ambition.

It's been repeatedly stated by SI that all 3 are of essentially equal importance when it comes to player development.

 

[DarJ]

8 minutes ago, herne79 said:

You could just check the guides pinned to the top of this forum which have had input from SI staff and very knowledgeable people such as rashidi and cleon.

I didn't think about that, I read the one from the link I posted recently so I had it stuck in my head 

[04texag]

1 hour ago, herne79 said:

@04texag @DarJ You could just check the guides pinned to the top of this forum which have had input from SI staff and very knowledgeable people such as rashidi and cleon.  Relevant info found there includes: best practises; mentoring; individual training; how newgens are generated; what the HoYD does and more.

The people who write these guides either get their information from here (and then don't bother to add a credit) or (worst case) make stuff up.  Always check the pinned guides here.

 

It's been repeatedly stated by SI that all 3 are of essentially equal importance when it comes to player development.

 

Ya, I've read through all of those guides countless times, but haven't seen results for getting good youth actually making it to the PA or even close.