1) I manage Lincoln City currently in 2016 in League 1. Finished 4th in League 1 last season and lost in the playoff final at Wembley to Doncaster 1-0. The only regular player I let go was a backup/rotation AMC (I play 4-1-2-1-2 mostly, occasionally a 4-1-3-2) so my team should be very solid having gotten 4th last year and retained all the key talent. Except I have had a miserable start to the season. Strikers cannot score goals. I pumped them in for fun in the second half of the season last year (and moved from a mid-season position of 18th or so up to the aforementioned 4th) with the same tactic and same strikers. I think the only plausible explanation for this is that I set my pre-season training schedules to overweight Strength and Aerobic training so it could be that my midfield and forwards don't have the anticipation, communication, finishing, etc quite down by the start of the regular season (although we had some brilliant pre-season friendlies). This pattern of terrible early season form has happened basically every season I've played. So I'm thinking it may be down to the Fitness-focused pre-season training schedules . . . I'll adjust the schedules when I get play this weekend.
2) I board requested more coaches back in League 2 and maxed out at around 1 AssMan and a couple coaches. I kept board requesting coaches and got the request approved but the coaches allowed number never went up. Then, once I secured promotion, my number of coaches allowed exploded to allow me to have about 10 coaches (vs about 5 or 6 before). So I hire out a full staff for my first season in League 1, lots of good 4 and 4.5 star coaches. Come end of the season and some of them don't want to re-sign with me so I go looking for replacements. But somehow my number of allowed coaches has dropped back down to 6! So I request more, get more granted but still, my number remains at 6!
3) Requesting improved Youth or Training facilities. I always get the request granted but then, come the end of the season, the board effectively say, "while we agree in principal on improving, we simply cannot find the funds" which has got to be total **** because the club ended the season with a positive balance of about 5 million quid.
On 1, I can understand I probably need to adjust my training schedules differently. On 2, I can understand maybe there is a number of coaches cap depending on which league you play in that no matter how many times the board say, "ok hire more coaches" you just can't increase beyond that cap. BUT how could my cap have increased then gone back down?! On 3, this is just ridiculous. We clearly have the funds to improve the facilities and I have had at least four youth come through in the last two to three years who could have challenged for the first team if they had proper development/facilities. I do have one striker now who I signed to a pro contract who has 3.5 star potential but he's the only one (out of probably 5 or 6 with 3 star potential) to go from youth setup to first team.
Anyone else find similar issues? Any recommendations?
2) I board requested more coaches back in League 2 and maxed out at around 1 AssMan and a couple coaches. I kept board requesting coaches and got the request approved but the coaches allowed number never went up. Then, once I secured promotion, my number of coaches allowed exploded to allow me to have about 10 coaches (vs about 5 or 6 before). So I hire out a full staff for my first season in League 1, lots of good 4 and 4.5 star coaches. Come end of the season and some of them don't want to re-sign with me so I go looking for replacements. But somehow my number of allowed coaches has dropped back down to 6! So I request more, get more granted but still, my number remains at 6!
3) Requesting improved Youth or Training facilities. I always get the request granted but then, come the end of the season, the board effectively say, "while we agree in principal on improving, we simply cannot find the funds" which has got to be total **** because the club ended the season with a positive balance of about 5 million quid.
On 1, I can understand I probably need to adjust my training schedules differently. On 2, I can understand maybe there is a number of coaches cap depending on which league you play in that no matter how many times the board say, "ok hire more coaches" you just can't increase beyond that cap. BUT how could my cap have increased then gone back down?! On 3, this is just ridiculous. We clearly have the funds to improve the facilities and I have had at least four youth come through in the last two to three years who could have challenged for the first team if they had proper development/facilities. I do have one striker now who I signed to a pro contract who has 3.5 star potential but he's the only one (out of probably 5 or 6 with 3 star potential) to go from youth setup to first team.
Anyone else find similar issues? Any recommendations?