Friendly Matches - How To Work Them To Your Advantage?

coolmcool

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I am playing as Shakhtar at the moment and was wondering what other people do during winter breaks involving friendlies? Should i be playing like 2 or 5, should they be weak teams to keep my side fit but happy or challenging teams, and do you give your team a friendly when the internationals are on as only 12 of my 30 man squad got called up so i gave the rest a couple of friendlies to keep them occupied.

Thoughts?
 
1. I always give friendlies to my team in winter breaks. I combine them with rest days to keep players match fit but also rested and happy.
2. The amount of matches to be given depends on team/squad/length of winter break. If I have a 2 week winter break Ill give them 2 max 3 matches all with lesser opponents (mostly much weaker).
3. International breaks are different. If I have many internationals and I cant keep them from going/issue instructions they ll be tired to return. So the remaining players will usually get rest coupled with fitness training. If I can make up a decent squad (including decent up and coming youngsters/reserves) I may have one friendly against a very weak opponent.
4. Also as I dont like entrusting important things to the AI if I have big squads I dont make people from it available for reserves but rather, I arrange freequently friendlies with lower teams to keep them match fit.
 
Most winter breaks I'll play a much weaker team during the first week for rotation players and a few younger ones, a fairly strong team 4 days after mostly for first team players then again another weaker team another 4 days after that for whoever I feel could do with playing it.
 
So with the Ukrainian league its 80 days off from when you play your last champs league group game and the first knockout game how long do you think i should give them off before i arrange my friendlies? As i feel as if my players struggle for fitness in the first month back
 
If you have two full starting 11s then play two a week against weaker opponents throughout the break. If you don't have a large squad, play 3 games in two weeks/a game every 5 days also against weaker opponents, it will help you keep your players fit, there is a small risk of injury and keep morale high. Also, if you have a high tempo tactic in which your players are constantly running around for the whole game, make a tactic with a slower tempo which will reduce the risk that your players will get injured while still keeping them fresh, results should be easy to come by against the weaker opponents anyway
 
So with the Ukrainian league its 80 days off from when you play your last champs league group game and the first knockout game how long do you think i should give them off before i arrange my friendlies? As i feel as if my players struggle for fitness in the first month back

If you have so much time you need to arrange a lot of friendlies -do it as if the league continues - otherwise you ll experience what you are: lack of (match) fitness. But give players a bit more rest as well to keep them happy
 
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