Free transfers bidding war in lower league

[Pantelas]

Hello, just wanted to share my experience with lower league free transfers this year, specifically Concord Rangers, Vanarama South.

 

I see loads of unattached players especially at the start of the game, with no clubs interested, but as soon as I bid, I almost always start a bidding war, which usually involves higher division clubs, thus I stand no chance getting that player. I understand that's very realistic as my bid becomes known to other clubs, and what sometimes works is getting them on trial, and waiting for a couple of weeks late in the preseason until I make an offer. Another thing I do is wait until very late in preseason to make an offer, If they still are available that is.

 

This is not me complaining by the way, I'm just curious to know of others' experience in the lower leagues concerning free transfers, especially year one.

 

[du Garbandier]

You should have an indication of how many clubs are interested in a player. If its something like 24, I wouldn't bother competing. If it is just a few, the info will name the clubs in question, and you can gauge from that whether the player is likely to prefer yours or theirs. Often they are more interested in playing time than wages.

[CoffeeFueledCurmudgeon]

I think the premise is that until you've made contact you're unaware of other interested parties. Once you've made contact with the player and/or the agent, you're made aware of other interest.

Works as intended, surely?

[Pantelas]

1 hour ago, du Garbandier said:

You should have an indication of how many clubs are interested in a player. If its something like 24, I wouldn't bother competing. If it is just a few, the info will name the clubs in question, and you can gauge from that whether the player is likely to prefer yours or theirs. Often they are more interested in playing time than wages.

That's one of the issues i find, in many times I see no clubs interested, and when I bid, immediately two or many more teams bid for the player.

 

6 minutes ago, CoffeeFueledCurmudgeon said:

I think the premise is that until you've made contact you're unaware of other interested parties. Once you've made contact with the player and/or the agent, you're made aware of other interest.

Works as intended, surely?

But some of those players already have loads of clubs interested, whereas others have no interested clubs shown, until after I bid for them. So it's' not always the case. 

[Mars_Blackmon]

Don’t forget that unattached free agents also make their own inquiries to teams. You really don’t know if after the player had contact you, he reached out to other teams to gauge his options.

[phnompenhandy]

12 hours ago, Pantelas said:

That's one of the issues i find, in many times I see no clubs interested, and when I bid, immediately two or many more teams bid for the player.

 

But some of those players already have loads of clubs interested, whereas others have no interested clubs shown, until after I bid for them. So it's' not always the case. 

It always seems that way to me too, but I like the narrative constructed by Coffee and Mars here - we're simply not aware of clubs having an interest in a given player until we make enquiries. After all, it's only the top top players who command transfer gossip interest in the media.

[Pantelas]

2 hours ago, phnompenhandy said:

It always seems that way to me too, but I like the narrative constructed by Coffee and Mars here - we're simply not aware of clubs having an interest in a given player until we make enquiries. After all, it's only the top top players who command transfer gossip interest in the media.

I just wish it wasn't so random.

In one game I could sign 4-5 out of 20 players I had on trial at the start of the game (being just the one bidder), and in a different save I never got a chance with any of the same players, effectively ruining my save because in order to even get a chance to offer them a contract, I had to sell current players...

[Fire_03]

vor 13 Stunden schrieb Mars_Blackmon:

Don’t forget that unattached free agents also make their own inquiries to teams. You really don’t know if after the player had contact you, he reached out to other teams to gauge his options.

It is like in real life
If a player contact the club, it won´t mean, he is not doing this to several more.