How to build correctly your team in the long term ?

[CKBrahMa]

Hi everyone !

First, I don’t know if it’s the right place to post this : sorry if I made a mistake.

 

Here is my problem : I’m quite ok with scouting, creating tactic, winning and so on.

however, the more the season go, the more my team looks like a « Galactic » team, with 2 main problems :

1. Having a lot of word-class players, with some of them not having great playing time and lacking of players who are not that great but vital for a team (eg : Makele during the Galactics of Real Madrid)

2. Preparing the future : I found the wonderkids, but I struggle to give them playing time as there is at least 2 better options before them. If I send them on loan, I struggle with homegrown/clubgrown for the UCL registration

 

What are your advices ?

[Lewis007]

Honestly, this is a pretty comprehensive guide on the matter:

https://www.guidetofm.com/squad/building/

I tend to follow this as closely as I can, and it's tended to work for me so far. I never have a senior squad of more than 25 players and like to keep my youth teams (u21, u18s, etc) to a minimum, never bloating them with multiple wonderkid signings every season (I find that ruins the game for me as I get overwhelmed).

 

[EnigMattic1]

3 hours ago, Lewis007 said:

Honestly, this is a pretty comprehensive guide on the matter:

https://www.guidetofm.com/squad/building/

I tend to follow this as closely as I can, and it's tended to work for me so far. I never have a senior squad of more than 25 players and like to keep my youth teams (u21, u18s, etc) to a minimum, never bloating them with multiple wonderkid signings every season (I find that ruins the game for me as I get overwhelmed).

 

Although I agree with this, there are always exceptions. A good example would be if you were managing in the Canadian Premier League where most of the teams only have a senior side. In that instance, I would try and have my "first backup" as a youngster to cover both bases and then, when my first choice moves on or is surpassed by the young backup, bring in another youngster. In this instance, I would also try and follow the "Ajax Method" of:

"Every Ajax youth eleven has 16 players. There are 2 goalkeepers. Four right footed players are selected for positions 2, 6, and 7 (right back, right midfield, right wing fwd), Four left footed players for positions 5, 8 and 11 (left back, left midfield, left forward), Three players for 3 and 4 (central defenders) and finally three players for 9 and 10 (striker and shadow striker). This applies from the Under 10 team up to the first eleven. During the players’ development, therefore, they play in the two or three positions within the team for which they have been selected."

**This was taken from an Ajax thread by @Cleon for FM14 which I still look to for help with squad planning - https://community.sigames.com/forums/topic/307557-ajax-when-real-life-meets-football-manager-fm14/

I also believe that planning for the future has been made somewhat easier with the addition of the squad planner this year.