A first world problem: Always buying new players?

[Kiltman67]

I'm now in my 6th season managing Man Utd. With one or two exceptions, my policy since I arrived has been to focus on signing great young talent in their teens and giving them enough first team experience to grow. As a result, more than half of my first team is 18-24 and still have potential to improve.

After a dominating year, I'm now in the pre-season and wondering what to do with the £95 million I've just been given for transfers. I don't really feel that there's any gaps in my team, either in quality or depth, they're beginning to play the style of football that I want, and the one or two solid older first team players are at a stage where they're probably a season or two away from beginning to decline.

It seems like I should keep the team as they are, "if it's not broken then don't fix it", etc. However, in FM and in real life even the best teams still buy new players each season. Partly, in real life at least, because if you field the same 11 players for two seasons other teams are going to figure out how to stop you. Partly also, I suspect, because even if a team had 11 Messi's the fans would still complain that they didn't try to sign new players.

So what I'm curious to get opinions on is whether I should be trying to sign new players? Will other teams have an easier time against me because it's the same team I fielded last season? Or does it work in my favour to have a group of players who've been playing together for a year and are predominantly still improving?

 

[malhar]

I'm now in my 6th season managing Man Utd. With one or two exceptions, my policy since I arrived has been to focus on signing great young talent in their teens and giving them enough first team experience to grow. As a result, more than half of my first team is 18-24 and still have potential to improve.

After a dominating year, I'm now in the pre-season and wondering what to do with the £95 million I've just been given for transfers. I don't really feel that there's any gaps in my team, either in quality or depth, they're beginning to play the style of football that I want, and the one or two solid older first team players are at a stage where they're probably a season or two away from beginning to decline.

It seems like I should keep the team as they are, "if it's not broken then don't fix it", etc. However, in FM and in real life even the best teams still buy new players each season. Partly, in real life at least, because if you field the same 11 players for two seasons other teams are going to figure out how to stop you. Partly also, I suspect, because even if a team had 11 Messi's the fans would still complain that they didn't try to sign new players.

So what I'm curious to get opinions on is whether I should be trying to sign new players? Will other teams have an easier time against me because it's the same team I fielded last season? Or does it work in my favour to have a group of players who've been playing together for a year and are predominantly still improving?

This is just down to your style of management. What I do (and what I am currently doing with Porto) is that I make plenty of changes and "set up" my team for the future during the first four-five seasons. I try and win the domestic titles, and CL wins are a bonus if they come by. Now in my fifth season I am at a stage where all my players are 18,19, or 20 with the exception of Hulk who is 29. But what I have essentially done it set my team up for the next decade or so. I will only buy/sell if I find a player that is too good to ignore and that I feel will really benefit my side. If you find a player that will make your team better, then go ahead and buy him. If not, carry on with the players you have at the moment. Simple as that really.

 

[Alex17]

Buy Ronaldo! YOLO!

 

[Dannyborofogg]

I have done this with Arsenal I am in my 7th season and got a substantial transfer budget. However I have won everything for the past 2 seasons without spending much money or bringing in more than 4 players. My team are settled and we still seem to be getting on just as we have done for the previous seasons. I refuse to spend the money and my squad is very happy.

 

[barcelonic]

Im in basically the same boat. This is what i do...

Set my wage budget to max and use it to help keep the developing talent at the club.

Every March (EPL) there is a new intake of youth in English clubs. Scout hard at this time and look towards clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City & United. These youngsters may be worth getting as they will be 15yrs old, but beware they won't sign for a rival.

You can't predict progress, so buy a top player with experience when you need to fill a role, even for one season. I picked up a DMC for free when his Corinthinas contract expired because i'd been watching the date for 6 months. He was worth 17m sterling when he arrived. I played him and he did well getting interest then i transfer listed him and will make money and clear space for new talent to fill his place.

If you want a top player for a season only, make a loan offer with a really high Future Fee, but then never buy him. This way you can get better players on loan than normal and you are completely free of commitment to both the player and the club.

When you have the perfect balance then as you said some players will now start to decline. Other players take his place but always think 5 years down the line - i terminate many of my triallists almost immediately and use my inflated budget to spend too much on young wonderkids (usually late season after new intakes) to fill their places so I actually have an Under-18 team to compete lol.

Best of luck deciding what to do with all your money (the Wenger problem lol)

 

[InValide jr]

(the Wenger problem lol), I'd say hes having no such problem at the moment with his arsenal team looking no better than fulham

 

[Chriis]

I'd just buy to replace in your position.

As I guess all your players were relatively cheap due to buying them so young, when an offer of £15-20m+ comes in, sell them on and then find another -19 year old to replace them in that position.

this way you can begin to develop a player again and kep making profit.

 

[Jake]

Find the best 15-16 year olds in the world, buy them. For a bit more of a hand in their development, why not have a crack at managing the reserve side in the U19's Champions League? I won it 4 times on the bounce with my kids before most of them made the grade at first team level.

Set all of your remaining budget to wages and watch the interest roll in, as a consequence you pay down the debt quicker, and along the way you can probably expand the stadium and continue to upgrade facilities.

You are at the stage where i was about 3 seasons ago on my Utd file. I was so close to blowing 60 million on a creative midfielder, instead i snapped up a 17 year old regen from Swansea, continued to use my ageing creative midfielder until he was fully into his decline and 2 years later the regen is first name on my teamsheet.

 

[Kiltman67]

Thanks for the interesting discussion.

I thought that since the transfer window has just closed in my save I should report back on what happened.

- Spent about £7m on 8 or 9 players 16 or under. I suspect none of them will be world class in the end, but with the right development they could be solid rotation players in a few years time. Made the decision that I would follow their stats and train them to play where I think they should play, so midfielders being trained as strikers, wingbacks training as DMs etc. Scouting-wise, the best of the bunch is stupidly injury-prone Austrian. He's been injured 3 separate times in 6 weeks. But there's a few others who are playing great. Including a German AML who's really potent as an Inside Forward, and a Spanish CM who could be a hugely creative Complete Forward.

- Sold/Loaned out a few young backup players and older fringe players. Most-notably, I finally got rid of Mezut Ozil who I've been paying £150k per week (negotiated down from £180k when he first signed) to play badly in three quarters of his games. Only got £3m for him, but the joy at seeing £150k added to my wage budget, and the knowledge I'd never have to listen to him complain about not playing enough, was priceless! The fact I could never get him to consistently perform will remain as the biggest enigma in my 15 years of playing CM/FM.

- Paid £17.5m for an left footed Argentian AMC. He's 25 so doesn't really fit with my transfer policy, BUT a quick glance at his stats shows that he has the potential to be an incredible Inside Forward at AMR. In the couple of occassions I've played him as a False 10 at AMC he's been prolific at scoring. Good right footed Inside Forwards are just too rare, so couldn't resist signing him. Now in the process of trying to train him up.

- Finally, I must confess to a guilty splurge. £29.5m for a Spanish CB. He had requested a transfer from Real Madrid, so got him "cheap". I have DMs who have the stats to defend, and are also better passers for my short, possessive style, but they've never really impressed on the field at CB. Loaned out a few of my young CBs to reduce the amount of rotation I'll have to do.

Factoring in ingoings and outgoings, I still have £50m in the budget, about £240k wages, and a lot of players out on loan. I'll be keeping an eye out for new regens over the coming months, but otherwise my cheque book is closed for another year