Summary
Managing any team inFootball Manager 2024comes with many trials and tribulations, from style of play, transfer dealing, or even keeping promises. Keeping players happy inFootball Manager 2024is one of these challenges, and can be very detrimental to a team’s performance if players get unhappy.
Players can get unhappy in many different ways too, which makes this task even more difficult. Some examples include the manager not delivering on their promises, not giving players fair playing time,playing players out of position, or offering players out for transfers. That’s whyFootball Manager 2024players must know how to keep their players happy.
1Offering Realistic Contracts
Don’t Sell False Dreams To Players
When players are discussing contracts with managers inFootball Manager 2024, they will request a certain role in the team, ranging from Youngster to Star Player. This is an element that managers inFootball Manager 2024often overlook, as they are more focusedon getting their target player to join their team.
However, a player will get very angry in a short amount of time if their role isn’t the same as on the contract, so offering a realistic role to the player is the best move for keeping a squad full of satisfied players. This may mean that managers will miss out on certain signings, as some players will want a role that isn’t realistic. However, managers will see that in the long run, it’s better to have committed and devoted players, even if that means having a squad of slightly less quality.
2Smart Transfer Business
Avoid Forcing Players Out
Having players who are surplus to requirements is never an ideal situation forFootball Manager 2024managers, especially when they don’t want to leave, or they are not wanted by any other club. One of the worst things a manager can do is turn that already awkward situation into a toxic one, by relentlessly offering the unwanted player out for a transfer away from the club.
This is sometimes what managers do inFM24, in a bid that some club out there will eventually gain interest in a player and be the savior to the situation. However, managers will quickly realize that this is not the right way to go about business. The best way to sell an unwanted player is to generate interest. How can managers do that? By playing the unwanted player in less important games like cup matches or friendlies. This will give the player exposure to other teams, while also making them lessunhappy about their lack of playing time, changing the situation from a manager forcing a player out, to the player simply being bought by another club.
3Fulfilling Promises
Losing Track Of Promises Can Be A Manager’s Downfall
InFootball Manager 2024,players can request certain things from a manager, which can create a situation where the manager must deliver on their promise and keep their players happy. For example, a player may ask for the squad to be streamlined, or for the squad depth at a certain position to be improved. This can sometimes be an outrageous claim or inconvenient claim, where it may just be worth annoying the player to keep the squad how the manager wants it.
However, in the case where it’s an important player or a team leader asking for a change, it is worth taking their advice, even if it’s not ideal, to prevent any chance of losing a big asset to the club and that player turning the other players against the manager. Therefore, managers must deliver on their promises. Also, fulfilling the promise will mean a lot to the player, meaning the relationship between manager and player will improve, increasing the chances of that player wanting to remain at the club long-term.
4Balanced Group Of Mindsets
Something that is a recent addition toFootball Managergames is the dynamics of players, which categorize players' personality and mental traits into one of four categories of mindsets: Relaxed, Hard Worker, Thinker, or Leader. It is important to keep a healthy balance of mindsets in the squad, with a strong avoidance of having one dominant dynamic. This can lead to clashes with players, for example, if the squad has too many leaders, then picking who will be captain or vice-captain will lead to some more players being upset at not getting chosen.
This buildup of mindsets should also reflect the managers' chosen play style, as certain mindsets work better in certain play styles. Take hard workers, for example. They will most likely thrive in roles that require more selfless acts such as pressing often, off-the-ball movements, and possession-based play. On the other hand, relaxed players will likely thrive in more expressive and technical roles that are more fun for the player, as opposed to intense running for 90 minutes. The best way to build a squad will be to have hard workers in positions that require hard work, such as center midfield or wing backs, leaders in positions of high tension,such as center back, striker, or goalkeeper, and thinkers and relaxed players in creative roles, as they will thrive in less stressful situations.
5Hierarchy Of Players
Keeping An Eye On Who’s Popular In The Dressing Room
Players playing for a team will naturally have the more popular characters in the squad, even if those players are not as gifted as others. It is an underrated aspect inFootball Manager 2024that managing players based on how influential they are to the rest of the squad can seriously affect performance. If, for example, managers have a bench player who doesn’t play often and is one of the weaker players in the squad, the manager may look to sell that player.
However, offering that potentially popular player out for a transfer will run the risk of annoying the rest of the squad, as they will all have positive relationships with that player. Managers inFootball Manager 2024can monitor who is popular and who isn’t by looking at the Dynamics tab and scrolling to the Hierarchy section of the page.
This shows a pyramid of the players, with the leaders at the top and the less influential players at the bottom. Getting rid of disliked players or non-influential playerscan also improve the squad’s happiness, so make sure to regularly monitor the Hierarchy.
6Talking To Players
Words Can Have A Huge Effect On A Relationship With A Player
Whether it be team talks before important games or discussions over playtime, managers inFootball Manager 2024will find themselves having to pick from dialogue options in a dating simulator-like format, where what the manager chooses can positively or negatively affect the relationship with the player or players. Although at the time these situations may not seem important, it can be the final straw for some players if the manager picks an unsatisfactory response to their chat.
For example, if a player approaches the manager about a lack of game time, managers should be careful and analyze the player’s situation before giving a response. If a player is seen in their contract as an important player, they will take great offense if managers select the suggestion of loaning out the player or selling the player, as they would expect to be given a chance. On the contrary,if the player is a young talent for the future, they will most likely appreciate being offered a loan spell. These situations can be difficult as the player could simply have a big ego and will be annoyed at any response. However, it is a good idea to base the response on each player’s situation, while also factoring in their importance in their opinion.
