2015 Youth Development - The Best Method?

[Ashez]

Youth Development - The Best Method?

 

Developing youth is a key factor in Football Manager and there are various ways we can do this, in this guide i will be looking at three methods to see which one develops youngsters the best. Every now and then a thread will appear asking which is the best way to improve youngsters, intensive training, game time or using the loan system. Each method has there pros and cons like using the loan system means the player is no longer on intensive training, so let's get myth busting and find out some facts!

 

The Control:

 

To start things off i needed a player who was fixed on every save to use as a control so i could compare each set of results, for this test i decided to use Julian Draxler, the reason for this is because he is the youngest set player i saw (according to Dec's short list) at nineteen and he has a big difference between his current ability and his potential ability. I also needed to use two clubs for these tests so once again looking at one of Dec's short lists i found Barcelona and Chelsea as the perfect clubs as they have matching training efficiency's.

 

Julian Draxler - CA 148 - PA 175:

 

 

He starts out a good looking player but let's see what is the best method to improve him.

 

 

Test One:

Just Intensive Training:

The Training I used:

 

 

Stats After a Season:

 

 

Stats wise Julian has improved from the starting image at the top, however has his current ability changed?

 

Current Ability After The Season:

 

CA - 148

 

With no game time Julian's current ability remained unchanged, his stats have improved but it's a visual improvement and nothing else.

 

Test Two:

Reserve Team And Intensive Training:

 

We've discovered that IT alone isn't enough to improve a player so let's find out if he'll improve with minutes on the pitch.

 

Stats After a Season:

 

 

A steady improvement on the starting image.

 

Results - Evidence Of Game Time:

 

 

An impressive season.

 

Current Ability After The Season:

 

CA - 161

 

A massive improvement, Julian's current ability has improved by thirteen! 

 

So match time is vital in the development of youngsters.

 

Test Three:

A Season On Loan:

 

We've seen the importance of game time at reserve team level but how does this compare to playing on loan at another club, especially as intensive training will not be used. 

 

Stats After A Season:

 

 

As expected the stats haven't seen much of an improvement due to not being on intensive training.

 

Results - Evidence Of Game Time:

 

 

Another impressive season.

 

Current Ability After The Season:

 

CA - 162

 

The best result yet! Julian's current ability grew by a staggering fourteen points!

 

Conclusion:

 

Game time is the important factor in developing youth, yes intensive training makes the players appealing on the eye but if you want to bring a gem through the ranks minutes on the pitch are the way to go. We've discovered intensive training holds back the player if anything and that it means little if he's not on the field so it's your job as the manager to get him playing. The loan system gave the best results but the difference is that low it hardly means anything but it is a great option if you are a team without a reserve structure and if the player isn't ready for your team yet. The reserve team test is really the best of both worlds as the player in under IT and playing regularly, unfortunately this option isn't available to every club, so when playing as a team without a reserve side i suggest you loan the player out or use him in your first team as much as possible.  

 

Thank you for reading, your comments are appreciated.

 

This post has been promoted to an article

[bjkat81]

Excellent analysis, thank you.  Is this also the case in FM PC?

[Ashez]

Thanks, I have no idea about FM sorry but I'd expect them to be similar.

[professor_rob]

Does it make a difference if they play for 10 mins or 30 mins or even 90 mins. As it still says 1 appearance in the stats. Sub appearances are indistinguishable from starting appearances.

[Ashez]

I would say yes however that would need more testing (which doesn't look possible anymore). I can't answer as it is now because these were holidayed results so I don't know how often they played etc.

[Eminem6586]

im curious, every time i start a game theres a reserves but no players init. if i put players in there are they actually going to play or does this indicate there isnt a reserve team?

 

because ive always been unsure i tend to just loan out.

[Ashez]

I believe the team needs to have players in there, like in Spain and Germany they'll play games but in England they won't.

[DutchTony]

Hi Ashez. I hope this isn't a ridiculous question. Where would I find my players CA numbers to see how they are progressing through the years?

[Ashez]

Unfortunately you needed Vibes save editor so this is no longer possible.

[scass]

im curious, every time i start a game theres a reserves but no players init. if i put players in there are they actually going to play or does this indicate there isnt a reserve team?

 

because ive always been unsure i tend to just loan out.

As Ashez says, in some leagues like Spain, reserve teams play in the lower divisions.  Haven't tried it on 15, but on 14 I tried Barcelona, and put new youngsters in there for a couple of seasons.  They got injured a lot, but it seemed better than loaning them out to clubs in the conference and then watching them never get a game. Either way, reserves or loans, you have no power over whether they play.  i assume this is the same on 15.

[Ashez]

Since the loan update last year i've found it pretty fair with giving players game time .

[DutchTony]

Unfortunately you needed Vibes save editor so this is no longer possible.

I seeeeee. I thought I'd missed something in the game for a minute :-)

Thanks

[LordArcoDW]

Boss I was wondering, like I do use IT but certainly, is sending a player in loan at lower leagues is more beneficial or at a higher league club?

[Ashez]

They need games so which ever will get them more, I never got chance to look at the advantages of level of clubs they were sent too and without the Jay's editor it's unlikely I'll be able to again, maybe someone with the IGE could look into it.

[LordArcoDW]

They need games so which ever will get them more, I never got chance to look at the advantages of level of clubs they were sent too and without the Jay's editor it's unlikely I'll be able to again, maybe someone with the IGE could look into it.

You stopped using IGE boss? Well if that's so I guess I'll do it .

[Ashez]

Last year Vibe had it's own editor which I used for content, I won't use the IGE as I don't agree with it but that's a story for another day.

[Henrique Mourão]

Great post! One question though. My players initially grow when starting to playing for the reserves, but soon they just grow angry and this affects development, they even seem to get worse over a few months. I tried over 6 months and they basically stagnated. Did anyone have similar problems? I am training Porto, a team with excellent facilities and whose reserves play in Portuguese second league.

[LordArcoDW]

Great post! One question though. My players initially grow when starting to playing for the reserves, but soon they just grow angry and this affects development, they even seem to get worse over a few months. I tried over 6 months and they basically stagnated. Did anyone have similar problems? I am training Porto, a team with excellent facilities and whose reserves play in Portuguese second league.

Lone your players, mate.

*Loan

[Nath]

I've always found sending players out on loan for a couple of years and then easing them into the first team is the best way for bringing up young talent.

 

That and keeping them on the bench and making sure they start in meaningless games such as matches after winning the league or cup matches against teams several divisions below the current club.

[dab0ss88]

Great guide, just curious How do you get the numerical value for CA and PA? 

No worries I saw a response above 

Edited November 22, 2017 by dab0ss88