Asunto: Youth players

I enjoy pulling good players for the NT and myself but it comes to the point where hanging to them is stopping the evolution of my team... I start seeing them as $$$ now and attaching them less emotional value.
It's probably why I sold that 16yo today since he could have been trained and sold later on for more.

I suppose when you are still developing and finding 1-2million in pocket a large deal, I'd agree entirely. At some point though when you're floating constantly around the 10mill mark and established, you look towards other measures and a quality youth might be what you need to set up a particular position you're weak at or filling the hole as an extra trainee slot preparing them to take over down the track.

Usually if I can save splashing out 3mill for a trainee by picking them out of the youth school I do so. That said, if they're gun but not the position I'm training I don't hesistate to sell them off for $$$. That then allows me to splash the 3mill out on another player already up to high league standards.

Stephenson was a player I never had control over.

Seller: Punt Road Tigers To: Nivu Price: 232 800 AU$

Last income (last time I got money for him)
Club received 1 220 000 AU$ from transfer of junior Scott Stephenson


So this time I was a crap manager.
(editado)
(editado)

Ah ok, thought there were a few clumps of 1mill payments from all the sales where he was U23.

I knew the initial price was low though, compared to the rest of the sales.

excellent 0+ Talent 6.5 Will be sold

Greg Poiser, age: 18

club: Krayzee Coconuts
Matches
Players
Transfers
History
, country: Australia
value: 60 000 AU$, wage: 1 120 AU$
very good form, tragic tactical discipline

NTDB:
average stamina hopeless keeper
average pace hopeless defender
weak technique good playmaker
weak passing unsatisfactory striker

Emil Aloisi, age: 19

club: The Comets, country: Australia
value: 133 600 AU$, wage: 1 880 AU$
very good form, tragic tactical discipline

NTDB:
unsatisfactory stamina hopeless keeper
good pace unsatisfactory defender
good technique poor playmaker
solid passing solid striker

Pulled as formidable, 4w/pop in YS. Frustrating about the age but otherwise not too bad a pull.

Solid pull, 5.5 talent
Simon Schofield, age 17
value: 68 800 AU$
wage: 1 240 AU$
very good form

hopeless stamina hopeless keeper
poor pace good defender
good technique poor playmaker
tragic passing poor striker


Inc +0 talent 3.71
Richie White, age 18
value: 178 400 AU$
wage: 2 360 AU$
very good form

poor stamina hopeless keeper
solid pace good defender
unsatisfactory technique solid playmaker
unsatisfactory passing very good striker

Would have been better the other way. Schofield to have the 3.71 talent and White to have the 5.5.

Oh well, Schofield still workable to being an U21 defender, White probably pushing to be either a striker or defender.

yeah, happy with White, was worried about him coming out as a 20 year old keeper! Can't be arsed with Schofield, will sell him

I hate pulling players like White, the skill distribution is a waste of secondaries.
I'd be quicker to train him as a Def but Striker can do too...

I've never trained defenders, (defense on mids, but not defenders), but he looks like a striker to me.

I'm only suggesting this because as a DEF he wouldnt need a huge amount of Tech whereas a s Striker he would.
There's only 2 levels difference between Def and Striker which made me reach that conclusion too..

It really depends how quick he wants him to be operational really.

Getting off topic now but I'm surprised more people don't run around with divine / solid / divine type strikers. Have just enough tech to trap the ball and just concede the fact that you are going to get tackled (which happens most of the time with high tech anyway). So if you aim for that sort of striker, then he'd only need the same amount of tech as defender anyway.

I find solid tech for def a bit high... :)

I'm a tech lover tbh. Been in both situations and I haven't looked back since having more tech.

For strikers I really find you need brilliant+ tech to cut it at NT level, club level it's probably outstanding+ if you've got a solid midfield.

Technique acts in a few ways, some of which I'll list below:

1) Controlling the ball (but let's be honest, you have divine technique or solid technique, fumbles still happen).

2) Being able to pick off midfielders anywhere (very useful against pressing related tactics)

3) Being able to get around defenders pretty much anywhere on the pitch, but particularly most important preventing defs tackling from behind and side on.

Sure you might argue pace solves that issue too. My answer is yes with a but ;)
Pace becomes irrelevant with a good defensive setup. Slot defenders back a fraction from their usual position, pace is almost useless on it's own. Any ball that does breach the defense the striker runs onto the ball gets taken away due to lowish tech.

4) Probably the most influential decision is it increases the chance of sides to foul. That can result in penalties -> goals, cards -> sending off,suspensions -> player taken out of midfield -> free space -> more dominance -> goals.

A solid tech player won't necessarily create as many opportunities of fouling.

There's probably others as well. Don't get me wrong, I like high pace too but I'll never sacrifice technique to get it there. Look at the carnage Alagich has done in the U21's in terms of chances. His finishing was often horrible though ;).

Defenders I find formidable about the right level, although anything solid+ is sufficient.
(editado)

I fully acknowledge that I am speaking from ignorance. I find it hard to remember pre-Hirons/Croxall days, and even their early days when I was training Croxall up from tragic.

You a number of valid points, and I had also forgotten that tech limits a players speed with the ball.

Still if you use the width of the pitch and your striker is scoring most of his goals with his head, then tech is mostly irrelevant at the critical moments. If you set your tactic right you should be able to get your speedy, sniper to both shoot from range and also pounce on rebounds and be in for crosses as well. Like I said, I'm suprised I don't see/hear of people doing it more (maybe they do and it just doesn't work?)