Cobbler

(Playing CM 01/02)

I've never really paid much attention to my reserves (which mainly tend to be youngsters, I try to clear out any players over 23 who can't contribute to the first team squad), leaving it to my "trusty" assistant to look after matters and looking out for any players consistently impressing to promote to the seniors. However, in my current save, I have been controlling the reserves and it seems to have had a very beneficial effect - I have much more of a handle on how players are progressing. I can look at which players I want and ensure that they are playing an identical system to the first team, so I can see how the play in certain positions. This seems to have resulted in reserve players generally playing better than I have been accustomed to and to several youngsters moving up to the first team.

What do others tend to do with their reserves. Control them yourselves or leave it be? And, do you agree with me that there are definite benefits to taking the trouble to control the reserves as well as the first team?

sfi

Even without controlling the reserves you can ensure that certain players are used. Just select them in the reserve lineup and they will be there next game.

ThunderCelt

Ideally I'd always control my reserves, but as it lengthens the game I tend not to. The one time I did for a season I got to know my reserves almost as well as my seniors, which was obviously beneficial.

Now the only time I control my reserves is when I first take over a club for a couple of months so I'm at least familiar with their manes, if I've got fixture congestion so I can be sure the better reserves are 100% for first team action if my first teamers aren't, or if I've fot nothing to play for at the end of a season, when I'll make sure selected reserves are at 100% so I can give them first team experieicne.

Robbo#

I usually put everyone in the first-team squad anyway, even if I have 40+ players.

I tend to forget to move players in and out of the reserves otherwise, so when it comes to an important match and I have an injury crisis, you find your promising backup has a fitness of 77%. It means I have more players as 'Lacking Match Practice', but what can you do?

Juanseba

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Robbo#:
I usually put everyone in the first-team squad anyway, even if I have 40+ players.

I tend to forget to move players in and out of the reserves otherwise, so when it comes to an important match and I have an injury crisis, you find your promising backup has a fitness of 77%. It means I have more players as 'Lacking Match Practice', but what can you do? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I'm then opposite - I only keep my actual first team squad in the seniors, which is often only 20 or so players...

I then keep and eye on my reserves fixtures and check every match after wards and check players conditions reguraly... everything except managing them - which I'm happy to trust my assistant to do.

Juanseba

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by sfi:
Even without controlling the reserves you can ensure that certain players are used. Just select them in the reserve lineup and they will be there next game.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Until the assistant subs them after half an hour. Undermining me.

Robbo#

Having read everyone else's responses about the reserves, I can't help thinking I've been going badly wrong over the last 4 or so years of playing CM.

Robbo#

Yeah, true. I've had plenty of good youth players I've developed, but generally only when they've been good enough to get a game straight away. Not many go from being crap to being good, so maybe I should give them a few more reserve games.

I think the reason I don't bother is I always used to play in Scotland, there was the old bug where reserve games just used to stop, so it wasn't worth leaving them there.

That and the fact I'm a lazy git.

Taipan

I did it in my now dead defunct CM4 Argentinian game. It does make the game a slow process, but I think the rewards for doing this are huge.

Stats are not everything but unless you have a hands on approach with the Reserve side, stats are all you can go on when working out who should be promoted to the bench for the top team.

Taking that dead Argentinian game as an example, I had a young striker who started as reserve for the Reserve side. He played very well when brought on, and climbed the ladder quickly to become a regular Ist teamer. He just seemed to be in the right place at the right time, and although his stats didn't justify being promoted to the top team, once there he killed them and banged in 15 goals in the latter half of the season.

That alone has made me take a much more active involvment in handling the Reserve side.

Dalimyr

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ThunderCelt:
Now the only time I control my reserves is when I first take over a club for a couple of months so I'm at least familiar with their manes<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Is your reserve team full of lions or somethin'?