When to sell, when to keep training?

Discussion in 'Hattrick' started by kopiteinkc, Apr 14, 2004.

  1. kopiteinkc

    kopiteinkc Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 1, 2000
    Shawnee
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    One of the hardest things I find in hattrick is when to actually sell my trainees.

    How high do you let your trainee go before you sell him? How old do you let him age before selling him?

    There is no perfect answer to this. I'd be interested to know at the higher levels at what point the improvements in skill level don't bring you that much more money.
     
  2. Helghallen

    Helghallen Member
    Staff Member

    Apr 16, 2003
    Raymore, MO
    I too would like to hear what the others say about this.

    I presently have a 19 year old excellent. Will pop to formidable before the end of the season. I'll keep him a while longer. I have some other players that I am currently trying to pop so I can upgrade their age. Both are 19, but neither are solid yet. In the future I plan to keep them longer, but until I get the quality of player to start with, my plan is to continue doing what I'm doing, except Mikael.
     
  3. johno

    johno Member+

    Jul 15, 2003
    in the wind
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    what is the size of your squad? If You are selling off promising players I assume its because you have better ones on the bench... then, u are selling them to avoid paying wages as well?


    Sorry bout all the annoying questions guys... I am dying to start playing this game...
     
  4. kopiteinkc

    kopiteinkc Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 1, 2000
    Shawnee
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    How long before you get your team? We are all ready to give you lots of really good advice ;)
     
  5. Helghallen

    Helghallen Member
    Staff Member

    Apr 16, 2003
    Raymore, MO
    No, ask away. We don't mind answering questions.

    My roster presently has 18 players on it. I have a full slate of midfield/wing trainees: 6 midfielders and 4 wingers. I have to play my goalie in both games and one forward and defender in both games.

    I don't have better players on the bench, just younger ones. I'm trying to get younger with my trainees, that is the reason I have sold off the two players I did recently.
     
  6. johno

    johno Member+

    Jul 15, 2003
    in the wind
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--

    Thanks for the vote of confidence (ie, not seeing me as an idiot for all the questions).

    I registered late Monday night/ early Tuesday morning...

    The last group of 26 players joined on yesterday after applying 2004-04-11 23:57:00
     
  7. Craig P

    Craig P BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 26, 1999
    Eastern MA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Right now, I have 21 players who get time most weeks when they're not injured, although I shortened the squad considerably over a couple of weeks in the Cup when I needed to win both matches.

    When I sell a trainee, I generally don't have a better player on the bench. I do have a player who's about a season behind, so two or three levels of skill, which isn't all that much of a drop. It's not so much about paying wages as cashing in my training investment so that I can improve other areas of the squad.

    As an example, at the start of this season, I sold an outstanding keeper for $2.5 million. His backup was actually pretty close in skill because I started training the backup at solid and the guy I sold at inadequate, a season apart. That wouldn't be the case if I did the same thing now, my backup is excellent and my primary is outstanding going on brilliant.

    Anyway, I did want to save the wages, but he was getting too old to train and I also needed to upgrade my squad to compete -- I bought an outstanding midfielder for $1.5 million, an excellent forward for $400k, a new trainee (18-yo solid who was only a week or two from excellent) for $180k, a solid/poor coach for $270k, and a 10k stadium expansion. The middie and the forward have been important components in a team that currently sits atop the series (albeit only on goal differential) -- I doubt I'd be in the same position if I hadn't cashed in my trainee.
     
  8. Craig P

    Craig P BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 26, 1999
    Eastern MA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't like to train past 20. I haven't hit on the rolloff point on the high end of keeper training yet -- I know that outstanding keepers sold for $2.5 million at the start of the season, but I don't know about the higher levels. I suppose I should start keeping an eye on it so I can make that kind of a judgement.
     
  9. johno

    johno Member+

    Jul 15, 2003
    in the wind
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Thanks very much... so insightful... so you wont sell a good player unless you have abundance in that position or, enough in that position and he can earn you enough to benefit the team in the long run... kinda like selling Ruud Van Nistelrooy to buy Henry, Totti, and Ballack right?

    Thanx
     
  10. Craig P

    Craig P BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 26, 1999
    Eastern MA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There are two kinds of sales that I make:
    1. Selling a trainee -- when one of my trainees gets to the right age and/or ability, it's time to sell. I'll get diminishing returns, and the cash is better spent on a new trainee and improvements to the club. The nature of selling trainees is that there's always someone else to step in, albeit usually a season or so behind in skill. This would be (in my case) like selling Oliver Kahn to buy Rio Ferdinand or David Beckham.
    2. Selling an obsolete player -- my squad is to the point now that I don't really need more depth. I could maybe add one more player to get a full "B" squad, but I'd have to be careful to make sure it didn't hurt my tactical flexibility. So if I buy somebody to improve (as with that outstanding middie I mentioned), I'll also sell the weakest player at that position and move everyone else down the depth chart.
     
  11. Kevin in Louisiana

    Kevin in Louisiana New Member

    Feb 7, 2003
    Metairie, LA
    Here's a question I have:

    I sometimes see people quote figures about how much money you can expect to get for a player at a certain level at a certain skill at a certain age. Obviously in a game played by humans these figures will vary and there will be exceptions. But what are these figures, on average? Is there any site with the figures laid out nicely in a table or list? It'd be a nice table to have so somebody could try to weigh the decision of when to sell that playmaking trainee.
     
  12. johno

    johno Member+

    Jul 15, 2003
    in the wind
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--

    Ok... so I have my team... I have an abundance of wingbacks but just one winger, which is fine because a few of my wingbacks make decent wingers... my strongest trait is probably defense and I have just 2 strikers... I was considering what I should train... as it is I have only 1 CB who is 17 and trash... should I train wingers?
     
  13. Deuteriumoxide

    May 27, 2003
    Rockville, MD
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No matter what you train you're going to have to buy some trainees.... so I wouldnt worry about trying to go off of what you have.

    You need to get a better coach also.
     
  14. johno

    johno Member+

    Jul 15, 2003
    in the wind
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    I spent about 40,000 on a coach already and I bought 3 assistant coaches

    And by trainees you mean players under 20 right?
     
  15. AAGunner3

    AAGunner3 Member

    Feb 14, 2002
    Atlanta, GA
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Preferably 17-18 year olds, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do... You might not be able to afford 17-18 year olds.

    And preferably passable or better skills. But once again, you might have to settle for an inadequate.
     
  16. Craig P

    Craig P BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 26, 1999
    Eastern MA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The only source of this information that I'm aware of is Loke's TPE for HAM (that was also used, for a time, by Hattrick Buddy, although of late I haven't been able to pull that information). However, the last I knew, Loke didn't plan to continue it unless he could pull that information from the user's transfer history, because it's not accurate enough when the users are prompted to enter the data. I also think it was causing a lot of server traffic for him.

    Anyway, to an extent, the data is a moving target. The best way to get a handle on where the market is right now is to watch it for a week.
     
  17. kopiteinkc

    kopiteinkc Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 1, 2000
    Shawnee
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    As Craig said, watch the market for a week

    To do this I punch in the same age and skill levels my potential sale has and bookmark a few players and watch what they go for. Sweden tends to be high priced market IMO.

    In Hattrick Buddy (dunno about other software) it gives you a price evaluation each week for each player that I find helpful too.
     
  18. Helghallen

    Helghallen Member
    Staff Member

    Apr 16, 2003
    Raymore, MO
    I like this feature of Hattrick Buddy. Usually pretty accurate.

    A suggestion for training. Since you don't seem to have any trainees in any areas, you might consider training keeper. Startup costs are minimal (2 trainees) and it will give flexibility in your formations. Keepers also train the fastest.
     
  19. johno

    johno Member+

    Jul 15, 2003
    in the wind
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Dear god you might have lost me but i hope not...

    If I wanna train gk's then i need 2 17-19 yr olds who are gks, and a gk coach - thats all right?

    Edit: Actually I was just able to snap up 2 young innermidfielders and I have a couple of not so old ones in my squad anyway who are passable so I can deal with selling the youngsters if they get old... quick question.... Training Playmaking = Innermidfield right?
     
  20. AAGunner3

    AAGunner3 Member

    Feb 14, 2002
    Atlanta, GA
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The market is constantly changing. I'm expecting prices to decrease over the course of the season. That being said, due to last year's HT economics upgrade, I'm expecting prices to be above last year's going rates.

    Capital Spending Indicators for arena expansions are high due to the influx of money into cash starved clubs. Expectations are that clubs will use the arena expansions to collect more revenue.

    Bankruptcies in Hattrick are on the rise due to the increased interest of potential managers, but will likely stay at historical percentages.

    The demand for coaches will continue to increase, but due to HT contract constraints, the salaries of coaches will remain the same. The advantage here goes to the clubs hiring a coach since the clubs are making more and more money, while the coaches salaries are unadjusted.

    Doctors and support staff will continue to find positions, but should see some positive change.

    Expect the big change to be clubs investing the max of 20k into their youth squads, despite the concerns that it may not be worth it. Clubs are desperate to keep up with the Jones' and do not want to fall behind.

    and finally...
    Wingers are undervalued,
    Defensemen are overpaid,
    Middies are on the upswing,
    Goalies are dropping slightly but still highly valued and
    Strikers are in high demand despite most teams only needing two.

    This has been your daily HT economic outlook.. :rolleyes:
     
  21. AAGunner3

    AAGunner3 Member

    Feb 14, 2002
    Atlanta, GA
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You need 10 coaches (assistants on the Club menu).

    GK training teams need - 8 GK coaches and 2 Assistant Coaches
    Other teams need - 8 Assistant Coaches and 2 GK coaches (or even 9 and 1)

    Correct me if I'm wrong fellas...
     
  22. Helghallen

    Helghallen Member
    Staff Member

    Apr 16, 2003
    Raymore, MO
    Yes. Playmaking = innermid. and to answer your 1st question. You'd want 8-9 GK coaches and two young keeper trainees.

    As for training PM, excellent choice. Just remember to use a formation that has 5 players across the middle. 3 inner mids and 2 wingers. That way you have 10 people training.
     
  23. johno

    johno Member+

    Jul 15, 2003
    in the wind
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    10? how so?
     
  24. Helghallen

    Helghallen Member
    Staff Member

    Apr 16, 2003
    Raymore, MO
    3 inner mids and 2 wingers in each game (league and friendly)

    Wingers only get 50% of training though.
     
  25. junjunforever

    junjunforever Member

    Feb 18, 2002

    excellent decision to train gk's. i believe its the most profitable and the easiest to train in the beginning.

    When you buy keeper trainees, look for high passables. Take form into account. Use the keeper tool in hottrick.org, and you can buy a high passable keepers who will turn solid in 1 or 2 weeks.
     

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