2015 Age in Football Manager Handheld 2015

[Dec]

While it is ever so difficult to resist the lure of a wonderkids XI with amazing attributes and potential it would actually do your results more harm than good in most cases. Too young and the team can suffer from being too volatile, too old and they can suffer from problems regarding fitness. It is of utmost importance to having success in FMH2015 to have the right balance of experience and youth in the team.

 

Youngsters:

Everyone loves a youngster and if a youngster has the attributes to be in your team then there isn't a negative influence about this. Too many youngsters though can suffer from many things

 

• Inconsistency
• Struggle to get out of a bad run of form
• Complacency

 

If too many youngsters are played then these become more obvious and be frustrating due to the lack of experience to overcome the problems.

 

Older Players:

If a player is near retiring then his body will go, physical attributes and his all round play will drop. They will struggle to maintain fitness and this can lead to massive squads if the balance isn't correct. Playing too many older players can lead to

• Struggling to play games in quick succession
• Hard to play high pressing games/high stamina roles
• Players with very little all rounded abilities

   

  Players on Peak:

  Firstly let us define "Peak". The Peak is a player at his best, while this varies between each player it is often relative to position. While this can be maximum possible Current Ability as related to Potential Ability but this is not always the case and is often is not however it is the highest Current Ability of the player before they decline again. Players on peak often have the balance of experience and skill to allow them to play well and be the most dangerous players on the pitch; given they have the skill to be so, in which is exactly what you want on your team in every game. While the age ranges for each position will never be exact due to the difference in each player the majority will comply to these rules. Being off peak doesn't mean they won't perform though as they will, but they won't be performing at their maximum level possible.

   

• Goalkeepers - 28-33
• Defenders - 27-32
• Midfielders - 25-30
• Attackers - 24-29

 

How to achieve the balance:

The balance of a squad is important, while there is no specific right answer there are some wrong answers. If the majority of your team are too young or too old then they will suffer from the aforementioned problems. Try and base your spine (1 or 2 defenders, 1 or 2 midfielders and a forward) around players on their peak and then use a mixture of youngsters and older players.

 

While there isn't a maximum age that players lose anything as each player dips their physical attributes differently anyone above 35 is generally a good rule of thumb. On the other hand the youngsters will often find their feet at around 21 and have enough experience to not be as volatile as before. Though not suffering from the problems earlier on can be rare some youngsters can do this; Wayne Rooney being the prime example of real life player. Yet when paired with the right balance as mentioned above they will suffer from their flaws less as there are players influencing them and guiding them. If you want to improve your youngsters' performances and therefore growth playing them in a team that have players whom can be consistent will be more than beneficial to this.

 

In Conclusion:

While older players and youngsters are good they cannot dominate the team, so it is important to have players on peak or around their peak through their peak.

Youngsters will suffer from being inconsistent and complacent as well as struggling to get out of bad runs of form. Older players will be struggling with the physical side of the game including playing games in quick succession.  Also players' all rounded ability will drop making him very specific for a certain role.

[LordArcoDW]

Great guide, but tbh I don't agree with GKs peak age point.

[UKFootballScore]

Don't just say you disagree haha what do you reckon then? I'd say that's spot on

[fmhaberdeenfan]

Brilliant guide. I would've put the keepers at 27-32 rather than 28-33 Dec. But brilliant guide anyway

[LordArcoDW]

26-35 ,that's my pick. The biggest example is Rogerio Ceni.

Then Petr Cech and Muslera as well as Starke and Weidenfeller I have seen them performing all at the later half of the game.

[JustM1kePlays]

Don't think a year either side really make a difference. However IMO the from a keepers point of view I think the peak Age range is the widest. I do think keep ruler can play well in to their late 30s but Dec is on about their peak of thier stats.

Nice guide Dec.

I always think it is good to get a good balance in terms of age in the team.

I find its good to have an experienced/older player an a younger player in the same position so you have good rotation.

When the older player stamina is low you can play the young lad am help them develop an in turn if the youngest isn't playing so well you can bring in you more experienced players

[DutchTony]

I normally sell my players when they get to around 28-29. Definitely by 30 they are shown the door.

I'll gave to rethink that now.

[BatiGoal]

One of the most underestimated / overlooked aspects in the game.

Couldn't have said it better, Dec.

[Dec]

Brilliant guide. I would've put the keepers at 27-32 rather than 28-33 Dec. But brilliant guide anyway

I went to and fro from it but goalkeepers are normally on peak in their 30s. Look at Cech, Casillas and Buffon, they are all 32 and older and still play well for top clubs.

[Ashez]

Great points Dec and as Bati said it's something often overlooked by players.

[Eliseo10]

I use defenders in their 30s early 30s and they seem to be by far the most solid and reliable.