ML Optimum Squad Size

[Kazuki_Ito]

Just wondering what sort of squad size most of you guys have in ML?

I'm almost always at the lower limit so I can have a small number of relatively high value & high salary players as oppose to having a large squad of more affordable players.

Until now I've been getting by pretty comfortably with a squad of 18. I only have one GK and 3 recognized CB's (I play a 3-5-2) and I can make it through a season like that without fatigue and injuries becoming too big a problem.

Until or unless I get to a point where I haven't used up all my transfer & salary budget then I think I'm gonna carry on this way as it seems like the easiest way to put together a team I can do well with.

I don't really see this as a problem as such, unless you want the game to be ultra realistic, but unless your club is awash with money I can't see any reason for having a large squad. :erm: Maybe now I've qualified for the Europa League I'll see my players get burnt out during the season.


Just one or two other really nice features I thought worth mentioning about ML this year... (they may have been in earlier games but I just didn't notice them :tongue

It's just a small thing but I think it's pretty cool that in your ML news stories they use pics from what actually happened in your previous matches. Like if you score a diving header they might use a picture of your player scoring that goal as the background for the news story about the match.

One other feature I like is that you can review your squad season by season and see who you bought and sold. I like to look at it now and again to see how my team has evolved and hopefully improved. It's not really a critical part of the game but they could easily have not included it.

 

[valencia5]

Just wondering what sort of squad size most of you guys have in ML?

I'm almost always at the lower limit so I can have a small number of relatively high value & high salary players as oppose to having a large squad of more affordable players.

Until now I've been getting by pretty comfortably with a squad of 18. I only have one GK and 3 recognized CB's (I play a 3-5-2) and I can make it through a season like that without fatigue and injuries becoming too big a problem.

Until or unless I get to a point where I haven't used up all my transfer & salary budget then I think I'm gonna carry on this way as it seems like the easiest way to put together a team I can do well with.

I don't really see this as a problem as such, unless you want the game to be ultra realistic, but unless your club is awash with money I can't see any reason for having a large squad. :erm: Maybe now I've qualified for the Europa League I'll see my players get burnt out during the season.


Just one or two other really nice features I thought worth mentioning about ML this year... (they may have been in earlier games but I just didn't notice them :tongue

It's just a small thing but I think it's pretty cool that in your ML news stories they use pics from what actually happened in your previous matches. Like if you score a diving header they might use a picture of your player scoring that goal as the background for the news story about the match.

One other feature I like is that you can review your squad season by season and see who you bought and sold. I like to look at it now and again to see how my team has evolved and hopefully improved. It's not really a critical part of the game but they could easily have not included it.

I usually have a minimum of 24 and a max of 30ish....

I invest in younger players too, and the ones I can't play too much I loan out....usually loaning 2-4 guys on my roster....I've actually loaned in a player for the first time, but I don't do that often.

Most of my starting 11 is high 70's to low 80's....then my bench is 73-79 rated....I play two goalkeepers, but keep a young one in training....use him rarely.

I end up playing everyone because of conditions, obviously some more than others....if I see I'm not using someone at all, and he's not a very young player, I put him on the market.

Just have to be smart and patient about your transfers in and out, you'll end up with too much cash I believe...

 

[Kazuki_Ito]

Yea most of my players are around the 80 mark plus or minus a few.

I'm not sure if it's because I used the default ML players (Arcas etc.) but my transfer budgets just don't stretch to that much. I wonder if you get more generous budgets if you use the real life players.

I'm into my fourth season now and I've got to the point where I have quite a few players with OVR>80 but there's no way I can afford a 20+ man squad. I guess I might have to win some major comps before my club starts issuing me with a warchest or two.

 

[valencia5]

Yea most of my players are around the 80 mark plus or minus a few.

I'm not sure if it's because I used the default ML players (Arcas etc.) but my transfer budgets just don't stretch to that much. I wonder if you get more generous budgets if you use the real life players.

I'm into my fourth season now and I've got to the point where I have quite a few players with OVR>80 but there's no way I can afford a 20+ man squad. I guess I might have to win some major comps before my club starts issuing me with a warchest or two.

TBH. I kind of make due with what I have...so if I need to fill a position I usually find 3-5 players that I want, and keep haggling to get the best deal. I usually won't buy them for more than market value, and usually get them at about 2/3 cost. Otherwise I wait til next round...and either find more or try again later.

Also, unless I REALLY don't want a player, I won't sell him and usually get almost double. If you check the "reasonable" offers box. You're guaranteed a decent deal. And usually you can haggle, at first it'll be like 90%, second will be like 73%. If you're not getting a ton of money, forget it, and if the deal goes bad, forget it also...there will always be another buyer.

Be sure to haggle for player salaries too...

I started the season not too long ago, on superstar finished like 37W 9D 0L...with Fulham...and won the FA cup....starting with the default roster.

I just played S2 first game, The Community Shield. I have about 5 players between 85-80. The rest high 70's.

I've 60 Million transfer budget and 11 Million Wage Budget....and I'm all done with transfers a week before the community shield.

Don't really like buying superstars, as it takes away from the fun of facing their teams. I would hate to have Messi or Neymar on my team and play against Barca...would be wretched.

The best players I have are Aymeric Laporte(84), Alex Sandro(85), Mohamed Salah(85), Leon Goretzka(79), and I just bought Schurle 82 rated player for 12Mil, got all those guys for less than 20mil each.

Sold many of my players who were 72-77 rated for between 14-25 Mil each.

For example Lucias Piazon (76) for 23 Mil, Jozabed (75) for 17 Mil, Cairney (77) for 19 Mil...

Since the patch the game has been better for me, but this money thing has been a little too easy to get what you want, buy low, sell high...for me at least.

Hope those examples help.

 

[Kazuki_Ito]

Seems like having the real life Fulham players to sell might have helped you out a bit. There were only one or two of the default ML players I was able to shift for a decent price (>8 or 9 million GBP).

I've tried wheeling and dealing a bit and got used to the first renegotiation at 90ish percent and then the second one at 70ish and then I tend to not push it any further as it gets to about 50:50 whether a deal is made. I always push the negotiations to at least the 70% chance stage.

The highest I've had my budgets at at any one point in the game was about 25mil GBP for transfers and 5.5mil GBP for salary. This was when I shifted 2 or 3 deadwood +-75OVR players.

Budget constraints are the main reason I used the loan system so much - you pay a small transfer fee for a player for a season (or 6 months) and pay no salary). I've managed to wean myself off this now and I think I only have Lamela now on loan and own the rest of my squad outright.

 

[DunkLFC]

Seems like having the real life Fulham players to sell might have helped you out a bit. There were only one or two of the default ML players I was able to shift for a decent price (>8 or 9 million GBP).

I've tried wheeling and dealing a bit and got used to the first renegotiation at 90ish percent and then the second one at 70ish and then I tend to not push it any further as it gets to about 50:50 whether a deal is made. I always push the negotiations to at least the 70% chance stage.

The highest I've had my budgets at at any one point in the game was about 25mil GBP for transfers and 5.5mil GBP for salary. This was when I shifted 2 or 3 deadwood +-75OVR players.

Budget constraints are the main reason I used the loan system so much - you pay a small transfer fee for a player for a season (or 6 months) and pay no salary). I've managed to wean myself off this now and I think I only have Lamela now on loan and own the rest of my squad outright.

I think that small fee you are paying for loan players is their salary, but I might be wrong as I haven't done that this year.

And yeah, there's no way I could afford a squad of 30 either. I had to offload lots of the starting PES players to get in some improvement players. I didn't even have enough to fill the sub's bench for the first season. I have one in addition to that now, but I'm looking to sell him as he's a third keeper.

I buy young players with good form stats. That way, they are getting lots of games and therefore progress faster. This also keeps the Team Spirit up.

 

[valencia5]

Seems like having the real life Fulham players to sell might have helped you out a bit. There were only one or two of the default ML players I was able to shift for a decent price (>8 or 9 million GBP).

I've tried wheeling and dealing a bit and got used to the first renegotiation at 90ish percent and then the second one at 70ish and then I tend to not push it any further as it gets to about 50:50 whether a deal is made. I always push the negotiations to at least the 70% chance stage.

The highest I've had my budgets at at any one point in the game was about 25mil GBP for transfers and 5.5mil GBP for salary. This was when I shifted 2 or 3 deadwood +-75OVR players.

Budget constraints are the main reason I used the loan system so much - you pay a small transfer fee for a player for a season (or 6 months) and pay no salary). I've managed to wean myself off this now and I think I only have Lamela now on loan and own the rest of my squad outright.

I haven't tried that as I don't like using fake players, but I'll sim through a season and test it out.

What happens to the real players of a team if you use the Konami roster, just put in the free agent pool?

One abuse you could do is sign free agents, come to think of it. I made a personal rule, not to sign any free agents until season 2. That gives two transfer windows to offset anything, and at this point I didn't need to. I think I signed a young GK just to fill out the roster, and have one in training.

One thing I absolutely despise is they don't have a loan status for the edit mode.

For example Lucas Piazon on Fulham is a loan from Chelsea, and I wouldn't have had the rights to sell him.

Also in my league I saw that Munir was sold by Valencia to Werder Bremen....when in real life he's at Valencia on loan from Barca...hate it with a passion.

 

[The Dude]

i keep 24 players. i usually play 4-2-3-1 formation. I keep 3 GKs, 8 DFs, 10 MFs, and 3 FWs.

Even with 24 players some players barely get games. I dont know how some people have a squad of 32. Im not in Europe right now but when i do get in i might add another SMF and FW to have 26. Defenders and CMFs dont get tired so i really just need wing players or FWs.

In my opinion ML is too easy. Right now im using Hamburg and i make a rule for myself that my squad has to be at least half German. I also only allow myself 3 signings and 3 sales per window. If a German teams wants to buy a German player from me i must sell them.

Next im going to use Brentford and only use British/Irish players.

 

[Muzak0ne]

My squad depth has varied but i'm kinda settling on the 22-24 range.

3 GKs are essential imo, you defs don't wanna leave yourself with ONE. recipe for disaster when he's out of form
Usually have 2 higher rated GKs competing for the spot and then a backup incase the other 2 are badly out of form


Regards budget
I find the best way to make funds available is to use the youth players and sell them on.
I will normally sign 5 or 6 each window, use 2 or 3 in areas of need (some will stay and turn into stars) and sell the others on or add to swap deals to reduce the cost of a transfer.


I'm on 3rd season in Italy now top player, started with default players for Ascoli Picchio, won Serie B in 2nd season.

So for example..
Summer transfer window of 3rd season i signed L. Lopez 71/72 rated CF from youth team and sold him on for over 3million without him ever kicking a ball, a nice wee bump to the transfer kitty

Done something similar in the same window with a 70 rated defender i signed from youth team, he was used to bring the cost down by 2.5 million when buying Joaquin


As for FREE AGENTS, i have a policy of not actively searching for them. but if a scout finds me one i will certainly consider signing him. Got a nice surprise last night when a scout found a player that i really liked and when i started transfer negotiations i realised he was a free agent and no fee to pay, just wages

 

[DunkLFC]

My squad depth has varied but i'm kinda settling on the 22-24 range.

3 GKs are essential imo, you defs don't wanna leave yourself with ONE. recipe for disaster when he's out of form
Usually have 2 higher rated GKs competing for the spot and then a backup incase the other 2 are badly out of form


Regards budget
I find the best way to make funds available is to use the youth players and sell them on.
I will normally sign 5 or 6 each window, use 2 or 3 in areas of need (some will stay and turn into stars) and sell the others on or add to swap deals to reduce the cost of a transfer.


I'm on 3rd season in Italy now top player, started with default players for Ascoli Picchio, won Serie B in 2nd season.

So for example..
Summer transfer window of 3rd season i signed L. Lopez 71/72 rated CF from youth team and sold him on for over 3million without him ever kicking a ball, a nice wee bump to the transfer kitty

Done something similar in the same window with a 70 rated defender i signed from youth team, he was used to bring the cost down by 2.5 million when buying Joaquin


As for FREE AGENTS, i have a policy of not actively searching for them. but if a scout finds me one i will certainly consider signing him. Got a nice surprise last night when a scout found a player that i really liked and when i started transfer negotiations i realised he was a free agent and no fee to pay, just wages

I sold my third keeper, as I needed the wage budget. My two keepers I.Pop and a (reborn) Buffon are 6 and 7 rated for form, so I've never needed a third. I will get a third from the youth, when a decent one pops up though.

Like you, I apply a restriction on how I play the game to avoid exploiting it. However, mine is the opposite way around to you. ie I do allow myself the option to get in any player I really need even if they are a free agent (that's how I got the reborn Buffon and Huntelaar), but I don't bring them in for resale purposes. Which I guess is why I have a 17 man squad.

 

[valencia5]

My squad depth has varied but i'm kinda settling on the 22-24 range.

3 GKs are essential imo, you defs don't wanna leave yourself with ONE. recipe for disaster when he's out of form
Usually have 2 higher rated GKs competing for the spot and then a backup incase the other 2 are badly out of form


Regards budget
I find the best way to make funds available is to use the youth players and sell them on.
I will normally sign 5 or 6 each window, use 2 or 3 in areas of need (some will stay and turn into stars) and sell the others on or add to swap deals to reduce the cost of a transfer.


I'm on 3rd season in Italy now top player, started with default players for Ascoli Picchio, won Serie B in 2nd season.

So for example..
Summer transfer window of 3rd season i signed L. Lopez 71/72 rated CF from youth team and sold him on for over 3million without him ever kicking a ball, a nice wee bump to the transfer kitty

Done something similar in the same window with a 70 rated defender i signed from youth team, he was used to bring the cost down by 2.5 million when buying Joaquin


As for FREE AGENTS, i have a policy of not actively searching for them. but if a scout finds me one i will certainly consider signing him. Got a nice surprise last night when a scout found a player that i really liked and when i started transfer negotiations i realised he was a free agent and no fee to pay, just wages

I like your policy on Free Agents. I don't sign them either, unless I'm looking for something in particular pops up in the search thing among all the other players who fit the parameters. And I have very very specific parameters when I search.

I might sign one or two or loan a couple of my youth team to get experience....or use one if he's very very good.

But I try to maintain some sort of realism, by not signing and selling a bunch of 16 year olds, and then fielding a bunch of them, as it would rarely ever happen except for 1 player here and there....

I'm thinking Martial and Rashford but they were like 20 and 19. Christian Pulisic the American from Dortmund he was 17 just turned 18.

Messi and Rooney in the past but I think they were a little older than 16 as well.....

Then there's Freddy Adu...who was like 14

 

[Kazuki_Ito]

Interested to know what difficulty those finding ML too easy are playing on?

I'm not trying to be elitist and I'm not obsessed by difficultly level but can I assume you're playing it on Superstar before you are saying it's too easy?

Personally I find Superstar enough of a challenge so I don't impose any made up rules on myself. I think I'd go through a control pad every few weeks if I found the game any more tough (unjust ).

 

[valencia5]

Interested to know what difficulty those finding ML too easy are playing on?

I'm not trying to be elitist and I'm not obsessed by difficultly level but can I assume you're playing it on Superstar before you are saying it's too easy?

Personally I find Superstar enough of a challenge so I don't impose any made up rules on myself. I think I'd go through a control pad every few weeks if I found the game any more tough (unjust ).

I'm playing on Superstar, I think I wrote typed that before bro. On full manual, except for sliding and teammates on semi auto....

With the directional arrow, but been trying without it as of late....

The game has been a bit tougher, I like the challenge a lot, except for the defensive issues....I've talked about before..