LLM in the Second Division NG of Sweden. Any tips?! Plyr morale is ALWAYS so low

[Linkoping]

I don't start with the greatest team by taking FK Linkping but the board expectations at the start of the game are to WIN the division with my budget payroll at 1,500 p/w and current player payroll @ 1,640 p/w.

It makes it really hard to do anything and eventually by the start of the season *ALL* my players morale is VERY POOR because we keep losing the pre-season. I'm using a
defensive 4-5-1 formation.

@ game start it tells I instantly sell my staff and get a decent assistant manager.
Eventually I get told there are some old players salaries who are way to big and should be cut but they refuse to terminate their contract and we get on bad terms. I guess I just release them on a free and pay the bill right?

What do you guys recommend as a good start? UGH.

I am using WOLFSONG's TEAM PEP TALK guide most of the time but *no matter* what almost all games there are a couple players who play poorly and get nervous etc etc.
Avg. player rating most games is ~6.0 - 6.9 unless someone scored whose above 7.0 then.

 

[anystroem]

Sounds like a mess.

Why not hang on to some of your staff to begin with (there might be some relationships you want to nurse to avoid bitter players), which will also save you some money to begin with.

Recruit younger players, but only players with the potential to be "better than" your star players. The younger players usually come at a lesser dime.

Moving forward, you bench the old, overpaid guys and play only the younger players to let them develop. Eventually your big guns will be looking for a ticket out of dodge, which allows you to shed them budget style, or maybe even get a penny or two for them.

For immediate moral boost, put together a couple of tournaments and/or cups in the pre-season. Start with div 3 and 4 teams if necessary to make sure you win the cups. I have a feeling that the players might be having an attitude becasue they think you are going to suck, a few cup wins can change that. When morale comes up a bit, you might try to raise the bar for success by inviting better teams. If you think about it, besides free beer in the locker room (before and after the games) nothing works better to improving moral than winning, but as the #1 option isn't an option in fm11, you have to settle for winning (after all, it's just a simulation).