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7 ways to improve squad happiness in Football Manager 2020
A happy squad is an effective squad, and keeping your dressing room happy is key to any title-winning team
When you think of the ingredients that make a winning football team, skill, teamwork, and tactics rank highly - but you’d be surprised at how much a squad’s dynamics can make or break your budding dynasty in Football Manager titles.
Since dynamics were introduced in Football Manager 2018, many managers have fallen foul to dressing room bust-ups and unhappy squad members that can throw tactical planning and training out of the window.
To stop that happening to you, we’ve put together a handy primer of how to spot and fix any grumpy faces you find peering up at you in your team talks.
Use the Dynamics Screen
Pay attention to your influential team members, and you'll be okay
© SEGA
The dynamics screen is, as you’d expect, where you’ll find a lot of your information - particularly the Hierarchy screen. Not only does it give you a very basic temperature check on the dressing room atmosphere at the top of the screen, but it’ll give you staff advice on points of contention amongst the players.
Most actions a manager can take will influence this screen, especially if those actions affect anyone towards the top of the pyramid-like hierarchy on the main panel of the screen.
That means, in our Arsenal example above, selling Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang would likely upset just about everyone (as it would in real life).
Once the “Team Leaders” are upset, they’ll need to be placated - before you end up with a mutiny on your hands.
Be warned, too - the rot also spreads upwards through the pyramid, so disregard the concerns of even the poor “Other Players” at your peril.
We’re all friends here
Your team will cluster into social groups - but you're not invited
© SEGA
Aside from the hierarchy screen, Dynamics is also home to the Social group - and it’s exactly what yet sounds like.
Essentially a bunch of players that get on well, upsetting one could cause a chain reaction. Many of the players in each group will have similar personality traits - which you can use to help you identify players that will settle in quickly when making new signings.
Be consistent, but adaptable
Many new Football Manager players have a tendency to spend all of pre-season tweaking their squads, rebuilding tactics, and preparing for the opening day of the season - only to throw it all away after a bad result, or even when losing at half time on Matchday 1.
While a big part of beginning your career is learning which tactics counter others, when to focus on offence and when to focus on defence, players will become disillusioned if their setup is too fluid.
With that in mind, it’s worth keeping multiple tactical plans up your sleeve (the game allows you to train three at once). This means you can switch things up, but there’s some structure for players to follow.
Winning games will help the players buy into your philosophies, so make sure those philosophies are easily imprinted on them.
Treat everyone as individuals
This sounds like a strange point to make about groups of virtual players, but each will have a personality type (Spirited, Ambitious, Professional, and plenty of others) that can be found within the “Information” tab of their individual player screen.
Different players will react differently, meaning while giving your squad a rendition of Sir Alex Ferguson’s hairdryer treatment might inspire your strikers, your defence might crack under the pressure.
If your more introverted striker is going through a goal drought, they might react better to you praising their overall contribution in a match, rather than you telling the world they’d struggle to hit a barn door.
Similarly, the “softly softly” approach is unlikely to work on your battle-scarred goalkeeper who chews bullets for breakfast but can’t seem to claim a cross. Some players simply need a firmer hand.
Promises, promises
The info tab will let you know what's what about your players
© SEGA
It’s very easy to get carried away trying to beat a rival to a signing and offer everything under the sun to get them to sign - like promising a goalkeeper he can take your free kicks, and other daft moves.
It’s also easy to cave when your star player demands to know why he’s not being picked, despite his 18 year old understudy scoring hat-tricks in consecutive games.
Don’t forget that in Football Manager 2020, you have more options to choose from than ever before - so you can promise a wage increase after two seasons, and an increase in playing time after one to keep them happy until then.
Set your promises low (or avoid them if you can), to avoid the team picking itself.
Keep your hands to yourself
It’s very easy to talk up the abilities of other players, particularly those you’re looking to sign, but doing so can leave your poor squad feeling a bit forlorn.
When asked about players you’re linked with in press conferences, its best to only confirm interest if you really think you’ll be able to get the deal over the line. Otherwise, your players end up feeling like second best for nothing!
You’re not alone
Football Manager 2020 encourages you to know your role
© SEGA
While the buck stops with you as far as results go, it’s worth keeping more senior players onside (no pun intended). This gives you the option to ask them to step in and back you up when needed.
You’d be surprised how many times a young starlet thinks he needs more game time, only to be talked down by a club veteran that’s two days from retirement.
