Getting started with a CM ...

[SpHSpH]

I only get one chance to negotiate with a player?

Why is there no back-and-forth at this stage?

How am I supposed to know how much to offer him in wages?

This is a bummer - I have missed out on some guys that I want.

[striper_43]

Quote: Originally Posted by SpHSpH

I only get one chance to negotiate with a player? Why is there no back-and-forth at this stage? How am I supposed to know how much to offer him in wages? This is a bummer - I have missed out on some guys that I want.

Yes, basically, you can negotiate with the team. The club will most likely not take your first offer (I've never seen it). Then, you negotiate with the player. Usually if the player doesn't like the wage offer, he will counter offer. If you don't meet his demands for the counter offer, he will likely be done negotiating.

Sometimes, players will just refuse to come to your club. Once, with Arsenal, I thought I signed an aging Xavi. I agreed to terms with Barcelona for 33-year old Xavi. When I sent the wage offer to him, he said he was not interested in negotiating because he has been with his current club for a long time and would like to stay there.

I was annoyed but, at the same time, I realized that this is probably more realistic. It would be like Frank Lampard joining Milan. It wouldn't happen.

Also, players who have just transfered to their club (Henry, David Silva, Van der Vaart) won't be able to change clubs for a year or two.

[SpHSpH]

I am not chasing any fancy guys - I am League One Charlton.

My targets are mostly 60-65 OVR.

I usually get "your league is not prestigious enough" (or something like that) as my reason for them not signing with me. I can get the club to let me talk to the player - it is closing the deal with the player that I am having trouble with. It seems like I have had more luck with guys who are already on English teams ... probably bench guys ... I have picked up some players from Wolves / B'hamCity ...

It would be nice if there was a little more "rounds" in the contract talks - it is really a shot-in-the-dark as to what to offer in wages on the first try (since I may only get the one try). Anyway - I have been able to get some of my targets to sign - so it has not been a total loss.

My new question is - I put up about 10 guys for sale and have only been able to sell off 5 of them (I am halfway through the window ... finished my friendlies ... have not started the regular season). I *really* want to sell of these other 5 guys ... there are two more transfer targets that I want - and I need more $$$ so that I can pursue them. The guys I have for sale are not fancy ... transfer fees $800000 < x < $1500000.

[hedache]

In the lower divisions, I don't think you're able to sign higher ranked players much. I don't think I had signed anyone that stuck out a lot more than my highest ranked player in the team. You slowly build your team. I would target guys with average overall relative to my squad but with strong numbers on the attributes i'm looking for. Most of the time, before you make it to EPL, they will be interested in playing for a more experienced manager, or... CASH So you'll have to spend some money, offer high salary for short contracts. That way you can renew later for lower if you want to keep him. Or just sell him.

[striper_43]

Players in the EPL probably wouldn't want to move to League One. You're having better luck selling players than I ever have. I've put up tons of guys for sale but I've only ever received a few offers. Put a guy up for loan and you'll get loads of offers right away (but obviously not much money).

[SpHSpH]

Yes - I am aware of the "build slowly" plan - I always do my FIFA's with a second (or third) division team and try to work them up. The players on my original roster are mostly 55 < x < 65 ... and my targets are all 60 < x < 68 ... so they are relatively similar. It is more for things like positions (I had no LM or RM on my roster) or age (I had 3 of my 6 CB who were 30+ years old).

The note about "more cash or more experienced manager" usually shows up when I am pursuing a player for a loan. I try to stick with "this offer looks feasible" for my transfer options. What I keep seeing is, after the team allows me to talk with the player (for transfers - not loans), the comment is "lots of other teams are considering this guy - be sure to offer him lots of money". But I do not know how much more "lots" is. The transfer targets who turn me down always say something about "would prefer to play in a more prestigious league" ... so maybe it would not have mattered how much cash I offered. I am currently a 1/2 star manager in the nPower League One ... so I can understand that I am low on prestige in both regards.

[hedache]

The prestige may have a slight effect on it as well. I think I had ease of signing players as I gained prestige. It's hard for me to tell for my first year since it was more like a error trial method signing players but later in my 3rd year, if I was after a player, by offering a little over his regular salary I was able to sign most guys. I was in the EPL by then as well. So when your league doesn't matter, I would be successful signing a 15K salary for something between 16K to 17K. Let's say an almost 10% increase. But earlier I wasn't following this method regularly and my division was lower as well as my prestige as a manager.

[SpHSpH]

I have decided that I like that it is hard for me to get players from leagues in other countries - I have had the highest success with players from other English teams. Perhaps this is fair (so far). When I have more $$$ or better manager prestige ... I think I should then be able to recruit foreign players to my team.

Three games in ... 1-1-1.