Big clubs unsettling my players - how to deal with this?

[arun]

So, I just finished my first season with Portsmouth, managing to get them to 11th position in the table. Now, the big bad clubs are coming in and unsettling my important players. Rafael van der Vaart is unhappy because I won't let him move to Villreal. Even clubs like Everton are pursuing a couple of my players and they are unhappy because I won't let them. Just a week ago, they were happy at my club.

How do I deal with this situation? I responded once to Rafael VDV's comment about his longing to move and he responded positively, but Villareal later offered twice his value to me and I refused. Now, he is unhappy again and seems distracted by off-pitch issues while playing, according to my Assistant Manager. Should I milk him for all he is worth or should I force him to stay? In which case, how do I keep him motivated? How do I deal with such a situation in general?

 

[Marko8]

better sold him for big money and buy same good player like him or 2-3 decent players
It's better that, then he went for free

 

[Cal.]

Offer them a new contract and maybe increase their role a notch (eg first team -> key player)

 

[arun]

better sold him for big money and buy same good player like him or 2-3 decent players
It's better that, then he went for free

I could do that with lesser players, but most players of Rafael VDV's status simply won't sign for me. Plus, he seems to have settled into the team now and even manages to get some DFKs in

Incredulous as it may sound, the Portsmouth board are splashing the club with money. They are upgrading the training and youth facilities ($1.3M), adding 3200 more capacity to the stadium ($6.5M), invested $17M two months ago to improve the balance and have now given a transfer budget of $45M plus a wage budget of $850K p/w for a top half finish. Last year, it was $650K p/w.

Offer them a new contract and maybe increase their role a notch (eg first team -> key player)

They are not interested in a new contract. Regarding VDV, as of now, the contract length is not a problem; only happiness is. His contract runs for 3 more years. Will his unhappiness go away once the new season begins and Villareal go away? And we win a few of games. Unfortunately, we open our account with the holders Man City.

 

[Mike.]

I could do that with lesser players, but most players of Rafael VDV's status simply won't sign for me. Plus, he seems to have settled into the team now and even manages to get some DFKs in

Incredulous as it may sound, the Portsmouth board are splashing the club with money. They are upgrading the training and youth facilities ($1.3M), adding 3200 more capacity to the stadium ($6.5M), invested $17M two months ago to improve the balance and have now given a transfer budget of $45M plus a wage budget of $850K p/w for a top half finish. Last year, it was $650K p/w.



They are not interested in a new contract. Regarding VDV, as of now, the contract length is not a problem; only happiness is. His contract runs for 3 more years. Will his unhappiness go away once the new season begins and Villareal go away? And we win a few of games. Unfortunately, we open our account with the holders Man City.

get a good run going and he'll be fine. aim to win one of the cups to get your profile up, and if you get into europe that as huge plus for you

 

[Scott]

Cry in the Corner, Thats my normal reaction

 

[iNickStuff]

I had Chiellini courted by Liverpool and Juande Ramos for three years while I was at Juventus.Continually unsettling him and annoying me personally with his persistance.

I kept on to him for his best years and eventually,at the age of 28 years,I was able to pull off my biggest transfer in terms of a selling by forking out £40million to pry him away.

If you want to hang onto him,it's best to squeeze as much as you can in terms of performances out of him and then sell him for big cash.

Like Tottenham did with us and Berbatov

 

[Formia]

If he has 12 months or less left on his contract, then definately sell him, otherwise you can give it time.

Another general tip which I saw somebody mention on another thread is to NEVER RESPOND TO SPECULATION. It has worked a treat for me so far.

 

[arun]

Well, I just wanted to give an update on the situation. The season's long since over and I have moved onto ManU and had success with them (back to back EPL and ECC titles ).

At Portsmouth, I decided not to let go off VDV that season. His performance dropped for some time, but after that once we began to win a lot, his became happier. We eventually won the EPL by a whisker and he no longer wanted to move. So, success talks

 

[winfield]

I never respond to tranfer sepculation. If I want to keep them long term I renew their contract annually. I always tack on a minimum fee release clause in contracts of 30 mil and set transfer status to indispensible to club but accept offers of 30mil or higher. Helps scare off some of the jokers who want to be cheap. Also I try to make sure I'm listed as one of their favoured personnel as it helps occasionally respond negatively to other manager comments

 

[arun]

Well, I did respond to some of the transfer speculations and the results were mixed. On the whole, I didn't see any significant effect. However, when a player responded to such a rumour (or my response to it - my memory is a but fuzzy on this), I always responded. Choosing the appropriate response this time was quite important. Once I chose wrong and VDV (or someone else) wanted me to place him on the transfer list. A few other players also became concerned that things had come to this. However, another time I responded correctly and the player (VDV or someone else) apologized and was happy again. Until a new and bigger club wanted him! :'(

 

[chapman7]

When i started my West Ham save Carlton Cole was rumoured after i reacted to it i then had Carlton Cole asking to be put on the transfer list i accepted it but wouldn't let him leave unless big money was an offer from the interested club think it was Lyon.

By the time he asked to be taken off he had been scoring for fun in the league as i used youngsters in cup games and he even beat of competition for the league top scorer with 32 goals and when i go on the game again im going to offer him a new contract

End of season comes as usual you clubs rumoured in smaller team players with my team it was Celtic interested in Jack Collison but i resisted to selling under 10 mill and other clauses.

 

[damian fichardo]

sell them with an extra sell on percentage. at end of day you cant keep them if they not happy or their value will go down and they wont sign new contract.
If sure you have also unsettled players from clubs lower down to yours. It is a dog eat dog world

 

[arun]

Hehe yes, as ManU I have been doing it. I signed Defour for free and I am going to do the same to Gourcuff. He already has a major concern about wanting to leave the club/put on transfer list. Plus, I am already in his favoured personnel list. I just have to wait for 1 year. Patience, lads, patience

 

[NunoPeixinho]

I love to be the hunter in these situations

 

[Tomat]

Say they not going anywhere and you want the club to progress to match their ambititons.

Also when clubs make offers negotiate the deal and ask for like 60mil, soon makes them dissapear.

 

[arun]

Yes, but it will still make your player unhappy. Sometimes the comments work, sometimes they don't.

 

[winfield]

Sometimes it does sometimes it doesn't. I'm in my 6th season as and 3 time defending Eredivisie champs and I've had Otamendi for 6 seasons. Arsenal, Man U, Juve and Inter sniffing around and chasing him annually. Every year I renew his contract. Utrecht is his favoured club now and and every time they talk about him he just brushes them off.

I also have Verratti and Kadlec (top scorer in Europe last season) and they're constantly being hounded annually. I keep winning, renew their contract every off season and they love me and the club. Verratti keeps being hounded by Juve who I stole him from (the co-ownership thing is a ***** 250k to pescara but 1mil for Juves share) but he keeps telling them that he doesn't care and they should look somewhere else.

 

[arun]

Yes, when this happens it is very satisfying.

Unfortunately, it can also happen when you don't want him to. Michael Carrick is too old now to be a box-to-box midfielder for my ManU team, and I have transfer listed him and even offered him to clubs. But he just doesn't want to leave! He keeps rubbishing rumours and offers and keeps saying that he has no intention of moving.

I don't dislike him and his wage demands have dropped precipitously and he wants only as much as my 16 year old hot prospects, but I don't have any use for him. He just doesn't have the physical stats to be box-to-box MC and he can't be the Anchor man. Plus, his determination is relatively low. Wes Brown is in a similar boat but he has pretty high determination and teamwork, so I can use him to tutor my future Thurams and Vidics. But he won't leave! Even Rio Ferdinand didn't love the club as much and he was the captain.

Plus, Brown is going to take up coaching after retiring while Carrick isn't.

---------- Post added at 07:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:12 PM ----------

Finally, Carrick has agreed to move. He just wanted $9K p/w for one more year for me. Also, the game needs to get its news right. He is now saying that he is relieved to have left ManU. Oh really?