Does giving young players competitive games help much?

[marksandygill]

I'm just started a new game managing Barca, and they have some very good youth players (obviously!, trouble is my main team play most games, backup players play when they are injured, early cup games and some European games so it doesn't leave much opportunity for promising youth!

So I decided to promote them to my main team and arrange friendlies between league games and before internationals etc, does anyone know if for players to develop properly they need to be competitive games or do any games I manage help them more than sitting in my U19/B team?

Main team:

Valdes
Alves-Coates-Pique-Alba
Mascherano
Busquets Xavi
Messi Iniesta
Villa
​

Backup team:

Pinto
Montoya-Puyol-Bartra-Muniesa
Song
Fabregas Tiago
Sanchez Tello
Cardozo
​

3rd team

Banuz
Edgar Le-sergi gomez-bartra-grimaldo
Ca
Dos Santos Samper
Deulofeu Rafinha/Tello
Dongou

​

Even this leaves no space for Sergi Roberto and Espinosa!

 

[FootballManagerG0D]

You should just sign coaches for your U19 team.. and let them play in that until the hit 20. Except Rafinha I had him in one Barca save, got Messi to tutor him, and he became a monster!

 

[jimjames]

I'm new to the game, but I'd definitely have sergi roberto in somewhere

 

[Hobbs]

It does help them to improve but i can't really see any of them being a great impact (obvious exception of Fabregas, Thiago and Bartra). Perhaps you should try moving them to an affiliate in a competitive league?

 

[marksandygill]

Yes, but do games need to be competitive (like they would be in real life) to help a player improve or is just game time important?

Also most of the above players are capable of being back-up/squad players after a few years (Muniesa, Samper, Rafinha, Tello, Dongou, Grimaldo, Ca and Deulofeu especially)

I find sending players out on loan can be pointless/difficult, and they do tend to get injured quite a lot (not saying there's a bug...