How do you develop and nurture youth talent?

[CMPUNK1]

Hi,

I have a few questions on how you develop and nurture youth talent.


- How do you determine whether you sign, develop or release youth players? (Is it just based on star rating for potential?)

- How do you go about finding and signing any youth players?

- Do any ever slip through the net? and why?

- Do you keep them in your team or loan them out?

- How many years does it take to develop them from a obscurity to a quality player?

- How do you go about individual training?

- How do you monitor progress and check they are improving?

- Do you use senior players to tutor them?

- When do you decide to break them into the first team? Cups? Minutes?

- Any other useful information?

- Scouting techniques?

- How many coaches? What quality coaches? Key Attributes?

I wouldn't expect you to answer all the above questions but these are the kind of things I am looking for.

Thanks a lot for the help

 

[Pipp0]

Hello, nice thread. I usually keep them at my Under team untill age of 18. After that I offer them for loan, but only as a Key players! I see offers and accept offers of a teams with best youth facilities. For individual training I use the advices of my staff.
btw - At the moment I'm playing with Milan, 2030 year and I have to mention that players in my U19 team develop better than loaned out ..

 

[MillerJA9]

One tip I stand by is when tutoring a youngster, be wary of each player's determination score. If the tutor is lower than the pupil then the player receiving tutoring will have a drop in determination. I believe tutoring is good for assisting in developing attributes but also key for the personality type. Ie you're better having a player learn from someone with a "model professional" personality.

I tend to have my scouts scouring the world for talent but I also go through u21/u19 international teams and scout the players. Another tip is going to a league profile on regen day (google regen dates) and then go on "transfers" and select "youth intake", you can then see all the regens that have appeared in said league. Scouting/looking at them all is tedious/time consuming your scouts will take a while to deliver reports but it can be useful to look at some of the players acquired by top clubs and sometimes you can be quick and snap them up on a free. Other than this, I'd just suggest giving youngsters some gametime. I'm not a huge fan of loaning out as it can result in players stunting in development but this is from prior experience and I know others will swear by it.

 

[addug]

I'm sure I'm not alone in this but as soon as I take over a club/start a new game I go through and totally redo all the scouts, don't tend to have any below 17+17, costly but it saves you money signing players who turn out youngsters who turn out not to be good enough. But yeah however hard you try plenty slip through the net, it's just impossible to find all the worldies, just a case of looking for an opportunity to snagg the ones that do at a good price.

The difficult thing when it comes to young players is making the decision to bring them in to the first team. I usually buy 5-8 top quality young players a season, and then loan them out till about 19. If you want to bring through young players you have to be willing to sell your top players or you're just gonna end up seeing the youngsters stagnate, or trying to balance it and lead to no-one being happy.

Development is always dependent on the player's attributes. I bought a RB at 16 and have given him 25ish appearances a year and now he's just turned 20 would be a leading player for most Premier League players. High work rate and determination have been keen to this. You just have to find the balance where your team won't suffer from you trying to blood youngsters.

I don't tend to focus too much on training early on. My main thing is trying to get wide players to be good on both sides, I like the versatility it gives the squad and the easier you start them on it the faster it works.

You have to be cutthroat when it comes to setting rid of youngsters too, if at 20 they've made very little development I tend to offer them out for next to nothing with a 50% of next sale clause.

 

[naterr]

I keep all youth players with me until they are 19. Will train them in a secondary position (because I like versatile players). I also do individual training for strength or pace (depending on their original stats) physical stats grow much quicker in their teens.

Once they are 19 if they have developed well I will either loan to a top flight team as a first team player or Give them as much game time as possible

If they don't look like they can break into first team squad I will sell. Try and get a sell on percentage

Using the regen dates is a good idea but it does take lot of time. I check certain countries u19 team every year. (Belgium Argentina. Ukraine. And Denmark are my favourites)

I could go on for days about what I do as it's my favourite part of the game...

I also track some of the players I sell who came through my youth just to see how their career got on...I know it's sad but I like to think I care haha

 

[Disclaimer89]

I also track some of the players I sell who came through my youth just to see how their career got on...I know it's sad but I like to think I care haha

Not sad at all! I only say that..because I do the same thing! haha

 

[naterr]

Not sad at all! I only say that..because I do the same thing! haha

Haha sweet I'm not alone!

 

[rocheyb]

Good questions, one-and-all, and deserving of good answers:

Q: How do you determine whether you sign, develop or release youth players? (Is it just based on star rating for potential?)

A: With each new intake, I accept the advice of the Head of Youth Development as to which players should be offered youth contracts but I go through the list to see which players have sufficient first team potential. Throughout their time in the U18s, out on loan or in the U21s, I keep an eye on their potential rating. Any that are still at 3.5 stars can stay; below that, they are likely to be transferred.

Q: How do you go about finding and signing any youth players?

A: I sign as many top scouts as I'm allowed and I assign them to every major league, major international tournament and major youth international tournament with instructions to report back on any players up to selected ages (up to 17; up to 19; up to 21) with potential of at least 4 stars. This is a good way to become aware of the young players at the top clubs around Europe who, while they might not make the Barcelona first team, can be excellent free signings or affordable transfers for you.

Q: Do any ever slip through the net? And why?

A: I'm up to season 2020/21 and I would say that there have been two players that I have sold while young who have gone on to be better than I thought they would. One was an academy product and the other was a player I had picked up from Palermo. It's probably because they were given greater first team exposure at their new club than I could give them at mine, without having to leave out a fully fit first team player of superior current ability.

Q: Do you keep them in your team or loan them out?

A: Of the youth players who have the scouted potential to become first team regulars, I prefer to keep 16 and 17 year-olds in the U18 squad with the best of them getting a few outings in the first team when it suits my need for squad rotation. At 18, I like them to go out on full season loans and, typically, again at 19. I have just enlisted Fiorentina (now in Serie B) as my feeder club so I will implement this regime more dogmatically from now on. When an academy product's contract comes up at age 19 or 20, I make a decision based on his potential rating by then and how well he has done in whatever first team appearances he has had by then.

Q: How many years does it take to develop them from a obscurity to a quality player?

A: Whatever age they were when I signed them or they joined my U18s, I aim to make a decision on them by the time they are 22 - even if that means that I continue to loan them out or use them sparingly while I wait for a more senior player to retire or move on. I have sold a few academy products for between 2million and 4million, who I thought would only ever be squad makeweights.

Q: How do you go about individual training?

A: At the start of each pre-season, I go through the best players in the U18s list and look for opportunities to retrain them to play alternative positions, based on their skill ratings. Other than that, I follow the advice of my coaches to set individual training instructions for things like positioning, tackling, passing etc.

Q: How do you monitor progress and check they are improving?

A: I check on their skills ratings with the Training Development option, and keep an eye on their potential rating, which can fluctuate at times.

Q: Do you use senior players to tutor them?

A: Yes. I tend to do this once a year. I read somewhere on this forum that you have to make sure that the Determination rating of the tutor is higher than the tutored, otherwise it can have a negative effect. Tutoring usually goes well and it sometimes establishes favoured personnel among your squad.

Q: When do you decide to break them into the first team? Cups? Minutes?

A: I pull players out of the U18s whenever I need them for squad rotation. In domestic and some Champions League group matches, I will give one or two of them a starting spot or put them on the bench so I can rest my first team players once we have the match safely won. Players in their early 20s who are knocking around my first team squad get more of these opportunities and in the Premier League, too. I don't specifically aim to give them a set number of matches or minutes, I just use them when I think it will help me to manage the whole squad.

Q: Any other useful information?

A: Choose your favourites among the youth players and use them more often. Reward good performances with the Private Chat function and don't criticise them for poor performances. Retraining them to play alternative positions gives you more opportunities to find a place for them in your match day squad. By giving them their debut and encouraging them to improve, you will become one of their favoured personnel.

Q: Scouting techniques?

A: Get as many scouts as you can, with high ratings for Judging Player Ability, Judging Player Potential, Working With Youngsters and Determination. Get a spread of scouts from all over Europe and South America and assign them to work in the territories they already know. Instruct them to report on - for example - players aged no more than 17 with scouted potential ability of 4 stars. Check their regular scouting reports and add any quality players to your shortlist, irrespective of whether that's an area that is already well-catered for in your first team squad. You will get news items about these players including any bids made for them, new contracts or failed contract renewal negotiations. I signed a brilliant young Egyptian goalkeeper from Barcelona when I got a news item reporting that he had snubbed a new deal at the Nou Camp. He became available on a Bosman in January so I stepped in and signed him for nothing. And as I've already mentioned, send your scouts to all of the major full and youth international tournaments.

Q: How many coaches? What quality coaches? Key Attributes?

A: On the Boardroom screen, you will see a list of how many coaches and other staff you are permitted. Sign as many as you can. Get the best quality coaches you can find from the Staff Search function - I use a mobile phone app called FMCoachCalculator to assess just how good they are and at which particular areas of training. You want every area of training to be coached by a specialist in that subject - and to get the most from that coach, he should only coach that one discipline.

My computer is currently performing the last hour of a 23 hour back-up, after my Time Capsule device went ****-up last week. But tomorrow I will come back and add some screenshots to illustrate the answers I have given here.

 

[Strolla]

- How do you determine whether you sign, develop or release youth players? (Is it just based on star rating for potential?)

I will look at their determination and personality, trying to find signs of high ambition/professionalism in his personality. Star ratings are very subjective, so I look for the difference in stars (indication he's not reaching his peak) and the important attributes for his position (e.g, finishing for a striker, tackling for a defensive midfielder, and so on). I look at how he looks in these key attributes and then, if he measures up, I'll sign him.

- How do you go about finding and signing any youth players?

I will look at the under 19 squads for the national teams every 3 months, and look at all of the traditionally 'big' clubs under 19 squad each January and June. I keep an eye on young players the other big clubs are going after, and will scout the ones that the big clubs are going after, to see if they are worth me buying. However, with this approach, I need to be mindful of my existing talent in these areas. In one save of mine, I have two first choice strikers, aged 24 and 21 respectively. I have 6 very good looking strikers in my youth team. There is no point in buying another striker for the future. In the same save, my left flank is operated by a 30 year old and the up and coming talent for that position is much weaker. It would make much more sense to buy a left winger as opposed to a striker in this save.

- Do any ever slip through the net? and why?

Yes. There have been times that I have misjudged a players potential for growth, and let him go to a rival, only for him to end up at a really high level there instead. This mostly happens by me misjudging him, because of low determination or a bad personality (both of which can change), and relatively poor stats in areas I consider key. The biggest reason players slip through the net is that I have players who are at least as good as them already in my youth squad. The comparison abilities FM gives us are helpful in reducing this, but this will always happen.

- Do you keep them in your team or loan them out?

I will keep them in my team until they are about 17 or 18, before loaning them out to a top facilities club, in a league lower than my own. Best examples of this are Celtic and Olympiacos. They need to be a key player for them, otherwise it could hurt them more than help them. It is also helpful if the team you loan them out to plays the same way as you (look at manager preferences for this), as it gives a fairly good impression of how the same player will do in your system.

- How many years does it take to develop them from a obscurity to a quality player?

That depends on the player. His determination, ambition and professionalism are the three most important aspects here. For the best of the best, it'll take two or three years. For the more average players, it'll be double that.

- How do you go about individual training?

I look at all the key attributes for what his eventual role in the first team will be, and whichever one he is weakest on, I will train him in that specifically for a few months, before reviewing again and seeing if his weakest area has changed. I'll do this until the player is 21 or so, before putting them on a heavy training regime of their individual role.

- How do you monitor progress and check they are improving?

I highlight the roles they play in the first team on the development page, and have a look to see if there is notable improvements.

- Do you use senior players to tutor them?

Yes, especially with squad rotation players and players with poor attitudes/determination. A good squad player is someone who has high determination, workrate and teamwork, on top of well balanced stats for his role, as opposed to the superstars, who can afford lower mental stats because of higher ability.

- When do you decide to break them into the first team? Cups? Minutes?

When they're ready for a run in the first team, I'll start by playing them in the earlier cup rounds, and putting them on the bench for smaller league games. I will gradually play them more, and when I play a club in the relegation zone, on poor form, I will play my strongest 11 and him, taking one player out. If he's having a bad game, I'll take him off at half time, if he's getting a 6.5 or above, I'll give him the full 90 minutes. I will then slowly increase his game time in each match he plays in, for the rest of the season. If he wont be in the first 22 (First and second 11) by some distance, then in his next season I will loan him out to a club where he will be a key player.

- Any other useful information?

When you're buying a player, claiming an offer is non-negotiable can sometimes cause the club you're bartering with to accept it anyway, even if they would have asked for more if you had suggested terms.

- Scouting techniques?

I have scouts in the top 5 leagues of the world all the time, normally about 3 per league, all looking for players with a lot of high stats for his position (you need to do this manually, passing 15, ext). This can cut down some time, but leaves you vulnerable to risk missing out on a great player because his stats are slightly lower than your boundaries. Also, scout all the big under 21 competitions (U21 Champions League, U21 World Cup, Olympics, ext) and look at the highest performers there.

- How many coaches? What quality coaches? Key Attributes?

For me, as many as possible, with high stats in their coaching specification, plus a high Working With Youngsters stat. Fill up your under 18 coaches with the Working with Youngsters stat your priority, and your first team coaches by their coaching stats.

Hope this helps.

 

[sammyt]

These answers are only what I do and whilst it works for me there might be better ways of doing it.

First off some background info, I play as Sportkring Sint Niklaas who I've brought through the Belgian ranks mainly using young players, so they're not the best or most reputable club and some of what I do might work differently for bigger teams. I have my youth teams match my first team's tactics so the players who stay at the club get used to playing our way. Any where I've mentioned the Belgian players specifically or the Belgian National youth sides is looking for players for home grown quota's and should be replaced by whichever country you play in.

- How do you determine whether you sign, develop or release youth players? (Is it just based on star rating for potential?)

I mainly base it on star rating for potential when looking at buying players. With a minimum of 4 stars potential needed (or the occasional 3 1/2 stars if they are virtually there and I need a backup) in a role I use. For players coming through my youth setup I tend to use 2 stars as a minimum potential to be bothered about and 3 1/2 star potential for a role I use if I'm looking to develop them into players I'd use.

- How do you go about finding and signing any youth players?

I have my scouts spread out looking for a minimum of 3 star CA or 4 star PA, though I rarely sign players to go straight in my first team. I also monitor the Belgian national youth teams every 6 months and check the highest valued Belgian under 16's through search filters after youth intake and during pre season. Also I periodically sort all scouted players by potential as well to see if I can find any bargains.

- Do any ever slip through the net? and why?

Yes I miss out on players I've identified because they chose a more reputable club or foreign ones that would blow my wage budget. I'm yet to have someone slip through the net after coming through my youth setup.

- Do you keep them in your team or loan them out?

For players whose development I care about I tend to keep them (unless a feeder club specifically asks for them on loan) until they are good enough for the division below then loan them out on at least first team regular status, preferably key player status for a year then they tend to come back to me ready to be a backup option at my club so I then loan them to a side lower in my division or abroad until they are good enough to be a rotation option for me. (for 1 CB this meant a year at a lower pro league club before a year at Reading in the prem before he was ready to be my third choice CB due to the strength I have there, with the main thing now stopping him being one of the starters is the partnership infront of him being so effective when played together)

- How many years does it take to develop them from a obscurity to a quality player?

On average they become ready to be first team regulars by 21, some at 19, with them hitting backup status by 17.

- How do you go about individual training?

I normally let my assistant handle it up to age 17/18 when I start to think about introducing them as backup or loaning them out, at which point they train the role I'd look to use them in most.

- How do you monitor progress and check they are improving?

I tend to check via stats (e.g. apps goals average rating while out on loan) or gut feeling based on how they play in my first team (sometimes ignoring ratings for the match if I felt they had a better or worse game then shown)

- Do you use senior players to tutor them?

Sometimes when they are in the under 19s but I don't make a point of it at that age. When they become rotation options I'll get whoever is infront of them in the first team to if they are old enough unless that player is one I am looking to get rid of.

- When do you decide to break them into the first team? Cups? Minutes?

I tend to use a rotated squad in cups mainly featuring second choice players and backups, normally featuring 2 first team players/ experienced players with a couple more experienced players on the bench. Then I'd normally play 2 17 year olds somewhere in my cup sides (normally in the position I've got the first choice for on the bench incase they are overly bad).

In what should be an easy league win e.g. relegation contenders when I'd normally rotate the squad I'll play 3-4 youngsters who I deem as backup or the most promising 17year olds along side the first team unless the fixtures don't allow it.

- Any other useful information?

My head of youth development has as close to 20 20 20 20 working with youth, Judging PA, Man management, Judging CA as possible. Scouts aim for the highest judging PA possible, relaxed a little in an attempt to cover all continents nationality wise.

- Scouting techniques?

regional roaming min 4star potential, specific scouting players in the Belgian National youth teams.

- How many coaches? What quality coaches? Key Attributes?

As many coaches as the board will allow, Under 21 and Under 19 have both a manager and assistant. them and all youth coaches most important attribute is working with youngsters/ youth coaching. Then youth coaches specialities are varied.