FM Question

[gkb]

I'm playing Runcorn in the Conference North Division. I have an assistant manager who is supposed to arrange friendlies. However, both my Reserve Squad and U-18 Squad have nothing in their fixture screen at all. I have guys at those levels that I was hoping would get some playing time. So I have a couple of questions.

Do I have to arrange all friendly matches for both the Reserves and U-18s? if so, any advice on that because frankly I seem to suck at getting other teams to agree to a friendly match with either squad.

Will the Assistant Manager eventually schedule some matches for these guys or not?

Thanks!

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by gkb

I'm playing Runcorn in the Conference North Division. I have an assistant manager who is supposed to arrange friendlies. However, both my Reserve Squad and U-18 Squad have nothing in their fixture screen at all. I have guys at those levels that I was hoping would get some playing time. So I have a couple of questions.

Do I have to arrange all friendly matches for both the Reserves and U-18s? if so, any advice on that because frankly I seem to suck at getting other teams to agree to a friendly match with either squad.

Will the Assistant Manager eventually schedule some matches for these guys or not?

Thanks!

Are most of your reserve and U18 players greyed out players? I'm guessing they are. Those aren't full contract players and if you don't have enough full contract players, I don't think you can arrange friendlies for your reserves or U18. If I remember correctly, my Harrogate teams didn't get reserve friendly matches and U18 friendly matches until we made it to League Two.

Edit to clarify: They didn't get any real matches until we made it into League Two, I think.

[gkb]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Are most of your reserve and U18 players greyed out players? I'm guessing they are. Those aren't full contract players and if you don't have enough full contract players, I don't think you can arrange friendlies for your reserves or U18. If I remember correctly, my Harrogate teams didn't get reserve friendly matches and U18 friendly matches until we made it to League Two.

Edit to clarify: They didn't get any real matches until we made it into League Two, I think.

Yeah the bulk of those teams are greyed out players, especially the u-18 squad, I think I have 2 real guys there. I have 7 real players on my Reserve team, but maybe that still isn't enough. How do you get those guys to develop if you can't have any friendlies at those levels??

Thanks for the reply EF.

[illinifan999]

My Real Madrid B and C teams don't play any matches whatsoever until the offseason when I make them play Real Madrid. And I can't arrange any friendlies for them.

[Marc Vaughan]

Certain levels of play in leagues simply DONT have leagues for their reserves and they only play friendlies or do training and practice.

Conf North/South are one of these - simply put such teams rarely have enough players to field reserve/youth teams due to financial constraints ...

[Runtheball]

Originally Posted by gkb

Will the Assistant Manager eventually schedule some matches for these guys or not?

Despite Mark's answer above, this part of the question is still unresolved for me. I'm playing as Aberdeen, and have a full roster of U19s and reserves, and I have the options set for AM to arrange friendlies. He did arrange friendlies for the first team, but over a week later no friendlies were set for the U19s and reserves, so I had to do it myself. Even now, at the start of the regular season, my U19 squad only played the 2 friendlies that I arranged...the AM didn't arrange any for them.

[MalcPow]

Originally Posted by Runtheball

Despite Mark's answer above, this part of the question is still unresolved for me. I'm playing as Aberdeen, and have a full roster of U19s and reserves, and I have the options set for AM to arrange friendlies. He did arrange friendlies for the first team, but over a week later no friendlies were set for the U19s and reserves, so I had to do it myself. Even now, at the start of the regular season, my U19 squad only played the 2 friendlies that I arranged...the AM didn't arrange any for them.

The assistant won't schedule friendlies for them. What Marc was saying is that there isn't a set of league fixtures for reserve or U-19 players in certain divisions. These reserve and youth leagues are essentially "friendly" leagues, so your AM will never really schedule pre-season friendlies for these teams. Their season itself (once you reach a division where these teams have a season) is a collection of organized friendlies, so I guess the logic is they don't really need any super-friendly warm-up matches.

With regard to Real's B and C teams. Madrid's B team plays in one of the Spanish Second Division B leagues, I'm guessing you only have the top league selected in Spain so your B team won't see any fixtures. Unfortunately to fix this you'd have to start a new game with all of Spain's divisions selected.

[illinifan999]

I have 2nd division and above selected for Spain. Can they get relegated out? Maybe that's what happened before I got there. If so anyway they can get back in?

[Marc Vaughan]

PS> The reason that AM's don't schedule reserve friendlies is simply that the clubs who are generally in this position (ie. no real reserve action) are very small clubs - reserve/U18 matches tend to actually lose money* so scheduling a full year of friendlies for them would probably bankrupt your club ...

*Bear in mind they have MUCH lower attendances than a normal match but normal wear/tear on a pitch, lighting bills etc. (although policing and required stewards charges are down also).

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by illinifan999

I have 2nd division and above selected for Spain. Can they get relegated out? Maybe that's what happened before I got there. If so anyway they can get back in?

Yes this can happen (but they can't rise above the main team) - if it has then they'll have a reasonable chance of popping up again next season (as thats psuedo-simulated behind the scenes to determine who comes up from a non-active lower league).

[MalcPow]

Originally Posted by illinifan999

I have 2nd division and above selected for Spain. Can they get relegated out? Maybe that's what happened before I got there. If so anyway they can get back in?

It's Second Division B that they play in. There are four divisions that play below even the Second Division (Second B1, B2, B3, and B4), and Madrid B plays in one of those. If you have Second and above, and not Second B and above, then they're just not there. They may have been relegated like you said, and then MV's post applies, but if you have Second and above, and not Second B and above (a different selection at start-up) then they were never active to begin with, and the chances of them randomly popping up in the regular Second Div aren't that good.

[gkb]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

Certain levels of play in leagues simply DONT have leagues for their reserves and they only play friendlies or do training and practice.

Conf North/South are one of these - simply put such teams rarely have enough players to field reserve/youth teams due to financial constraints ...

That makes sense, thanks for replying Marc.