Unreasonable Contract Demands

[Damedius]

So I went to resign 4 players from my team near the end of the season. 3 of the 4 want to all be important players and play a lot. They also want to play in specific positions and in specific roles. 1 wants to play in a position I don't use in my formations and the other wants to play in a position I have never used him in.

This is supposed to be a game we enjoy playing. Why is the game like this?

[starbugg]

4 hours ago, Damedius said:

...This is supposed to be a game we enjoy playing. Why is the game like this?

It is like this to make the game challenging, players do make these demands, and it can destroy teams if you don't manage it well, it's what the game is all about.

It wouldn't be a game I enjoy playing if it was any different.

[Damedius]

1 minute ago, starbugg said:

It is like this to make the game challenging, players do make these demands, and it can destroy teams if you don't manage it well, it's what the game is all about.

It wouldn't be a game I enjoy playing if it was any different.

Is this your personal experience from managing football teams? Have you managed a club where half the team thought they were managers and tried to tell you how to manage the team?

After winning promotion I had 3 more players ask for new contracts and they all want to be the important players playing in specific positions in specific roles. Are you just supposed to rebuild the team every year? How are you supposed to build a team that you keep together for more than a season or two when they all ask for new contracts with stipulations that would ruin the team?

[onionbag]

When I have a number of players angry over my treatment of a teammate who is demanding more playing time i want to make each of those players nominate who they think should get less playing time to accommodate the angry one.

Yeah that's what I thought. Now go train.

Bunch of petulant prima donnas.

[starbugg]

3 hours ago, Damedius said:

Is this your personal experience from managing football teams? Have you managed a club where half the team thought they were managers and tried to tell you how to manage the team?

After winning promotion I had 3 more players ask for new contracts and they all want to be the important players playing in specific positions in specific roles. Are you just supposed to rebuild the team every year? How are you supposed to build a team that you keep together for more than a season or two when they all ask for new contracts with stipulations that would ruin the team?

I never let it get to the stage where it ruins the team.

It is not that unusual for players at successful teams lower down the pecking order to want to renegotiate their contracts after promotion, it is also not unusual for these teams to lose their better players after promotion when the bigger boys come sniffing around.

Edited November 25 by starbugg

[Damedius]

13 hours ago, onionbag said:

Bunch of petulant prima donnas.

This is the problem. SI have made parts of the game annoying and unejoyable. You have players that asking for contracts for much more than they are worth. My wage budget is 150k/week. Players are asking for 10-15/week. I can't afford to sign a team full of players asking for that much. Especially when the majority are nowhere near good enough to get paid that much.

 

[Ali555]

On 25/11/2024 at 20:38, Damedius said:

So I went to resign 4 players from my team near the end of the season. 3 of the 4 want to all be important players and play a lot. They also want to play in specific positions and in specific roles. 1 wants to play in a position I don't use in my formations and the other wants to play in a position I have never used him in.

This is supposed to be a game we enjoy playing. Why is the game like this?

I totally get your frustration. It’s tough when players have very specific demands, especially when those don’t align with your team’s needs or formation. It’s a bit like managing a real sports team where egos, preferences, and roles can sometimes clash. In games like this, they want to add a level of realism, but it can feel restrictive at times. Maybe it's about finding a balance between keeping the team chemistry strong and giving the players some room to grow or adapt to new roles. Hopefully, future updates will offer more flexibility!

[Damedius]

4 hours ago, Ali555 said:

I totally get your frustration. It’s tough when players have very specific demands, especially when those don’t align with your team’s needs or formation. It’s a bit like managing a real sports team where egos, preferences, and roles can sometimes clash. In games like this, they want to add a level of realism, but it can feel restrictive at times. Maybe it's about finding a balance between keeping the team chemistry strong and giving the players some room to grow or adapt to new roles. Hopefully, future updates will offer more flexibility!

I think the biggest frustration when dealing with this is that there aren't any proper responses for you when this happens. I can't say, well playing you in that role or position would compromise the team. If the player insisted, then I should be able to respond with something like "Well I'll find you a team that will give you what you want since you clearly won't find it here."

If feels half baked. Like they are trying to make the game artificially difficult but it comes across as very annoying. I quit my save and started a new one after because I don't want to deal with it. I imagine if it happens again in the same way in this new save,, I'll end up taking a long break from FM.

[Tony Wright 747]

15 hours ago, Damedius said:

I think the biggest frustration when dealing with this is that there aren't any proper responses for you when this happens. I can't say, well playing you in that role or position would compromise the team. If the player insisted, then I should be able to respond with something like "Well I'll find you a team that will give you what you want since you clearly won't find it here."

If feels half baked. Like they are trying to make the game artificially difficult but it comes across as very annoying. I quit my save and started a new one after because I don't want to deal with it. I imagine if it happens again in the same way in this new save,, I'll end up taking a long break from FM.

It will

[turnip]

You don't have to talk to your players, you know? You can just ignore them. 

[Damedius]

2 hours ago, turnip said:

You don't have to talk to your players, you know? You can just ignore them. 

Depends on the player doesn't it? If he has lots of friends they might become concerned. The game seems very unrealistic in that players care about the contracts of other players and ask for new contracts every year.

I have never seen in this in the real world. I have never seen players talk about the contracts of other players or ask for a new contract less than a year into their new contract.

[turnip]

Yeah, because most professional footballers know that the best way to **** off their club is to air their dirty laundry in public.

That doesn't mean they're not asking in private, though. 

 

If I have some sympathy with the original complaint it's that: in-game, it happens too often that a player or their agent whines to the press when they're told "no". The odd rare occasion for a superstar like Salah is fair enough, but random hobos from my squad that are nowhere near the first team is just irritating. 

[thecaveman]

If player demands are unreasonable and they will not back down - Sell and replace. No player is irreplaceable and rather get rid of them before they destroy the dressing room atmosphere. Never make promises you know you will not keep.  Sometimes you even make a good profit and improve your squad at the same time.

[Damedius]

2 hours ago, thecaveman said:

If player demands are unreasonable and they will not back down - Sell and replace. No player is irreplaceable and rather get rid of them before they destroy the dressing room atmosphere. Never make promises you know you will not keep.  Sometimes you even make a good profit and improve your squad at the same time.

It's a lot easier to deal with when it happens throughout the year one at a time. It feels awful when it happens all at the same time at the end of one season.. For instance my MK Dons save where I had 7-8 players ask for more than I could afford after being promoted to the Championship league.

I also don't know if this is true but it seems like it might be programmed that players ask for new contracts if there is any money in your wage budget. I have been trying to be slightly over budget in my current save and it seems to be much better.

[Hovis Dexter]

On 30/11/2024 at 03:11, Damedius said:

I also don't know if this is true but it seems like it might be programmed that players ask for new contracts if there is any money in your wage budget. I have been trying to be slightly over budget in my current save and it seems to be much better.

I read this a few years ago and now also keep my wage budget slightly over budget wage bill. I still, of course, have players asking for new contracts but it seems more under control.

Edited yesterday at 09:54 by Hovis Dexter

[FrazT]

I think that the whole player happiness module has needed some adjustment for several versions now, particularly with regard to support of others wanting a new contract or players wanting to leave.  One of my favourites is when you have a player who has regularly been the poorest trainer and you eventually bring him in to to raise the issue

Manager: I don't think that you have been training very well recently
Player: I don't agree.  If that is all I will be off then

What- come back here till we discuss this further

[FrazT]

Just had another cracker:

Team plays with a DM and had 2 in the first team squad.  In preseason, 1 of them breaks a leg and is out for at least 4 months.  Promote the B team DM, 20 year old who plays 2 pre-season games as cover/backup.  Deadline day at 5.30 PM got one of those annoying bids from a Saudi team for about half the player's worth.  Bid was rejected and player was unhappy- told him it was too late and if he wants to go, he can go in the next transfer window.

Next day, I was advised that the squad are unhappy about my treatment of the young player and they want a meeting.  Ok- I set up the boardroom with 25 seats and in they come- both of them!!!  27 year old who I had brought all the way through the youth system and a 19 year old Brazilian wonderkid , bought 3 weeks ago who hadn't played a game yet and who doesn't speak any English!!!!!!

Told them the same story and the 27 year old is not happy and leaves in a strop saying that he will have to consider his position- the Brazilian didn't say much, for some reason.  27 year old was sold shortly thereafter to some team in the English championship.  Situation was so bad that it was laughable TBH.

 

[FrazT]

On a roll now-

Get a report from my under 18s manager of a 16 year old player who has trained really well- check his form and attributes, note that they are all positive so invite him in for a chat to congratulate him on his training.

No- he doesn't agree and questions whether I know what I am talking about.  What 16 year old in his first year is going to kick back against praise from the big Boss??

[Hovis Dexter]

5 hours ago, FrazT said:

On a roll now-

Get a report from my under 18s manager of a 16 year old player who has trained really well- check his form and attributes, note that they are all positive so invite him in for a chat to congratulate him on his training.

No- he doesn't agree and questions whether I know what I am talking about.  What 16 year old in his first year is going to kick back against praise from the big Boss??

Totally agree - as an aside I’ve found that a training rating of 7.75 seems to be minimum figure that you can praise without risking an adverse response.

My favourite negative reaction is when you bring a youth player onto the pitch as a substitute and discover rather than use the opportunity to impress he would have preferred to have stayed on the bench