Subject: [NT] Lakay

1st, I want to thank the following users: Cats, Fro and Billy for the wonderfull experience of playing against them. Tough competition is the only way to learn and these great teams have helped me build my understanding of this game.

I have a lot of experience with tactics and I would love the opportunity to coach the best players of the USA.

Major League Titles: 1 Gold, 1 Siver
USA Cup Titles: 2 Gold, 1 Bronze

I'll answer only serious questions, :-)
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In your opinion, what does the National team need most and how could the public fill that need.

What does the NT needs the most?

More Users investing in youth, more top teams with magical youth coaches leaving 6 free spots every week. We need those "Magical" talented youths trained by top coaches. Youth training pays for itself if managed properly.

Talented High quality youths with proper training will greatly help the USA in the long run.

YS is a massive drain early on...it doesn't begin paying for itself until a good 20-30 weeks in, at least for me it hasn't.

Actually it still hasn't come close ot paying for itself, but last week I actually sold my first player for more then 50k.

The most common mistake is to keep the youths that will come out "solid" or even "very good". Young teams can't afford those worthless youths so the bar should be raised to at least "excellent".

I have a magical coach, a nice stadium and ML sponsor money and I will not pull a "solid" youth. If my minimum is "very good" a new team's should be at least "excellent".

You also can't afford to keep those "outstanding" or "incredible" youths when you are a new team. You must sell the youth and invest in two things:

1) Stadium
2) Winning

This will help you afford better coaches.

The most common mistake is to keep the youths that will come out "solid" or even "very good". Young teams can't afford those worthless youths so the bar should be raised to at least "excellent".

True, I figured this out on my own about the end of last season (my first). I trimmed a LOT of fat then, Guac wasn't a huge fan of it but it turned out for the best for me.

VG is 'OK' because you can get lucky with skill distribution, but I use a sliding scale now being I have 'midgrade' YC (outstanding or formdiable, depending on what I'm training the major squad in). In other words, if a player is in YS for 24+ weeks and estimates out to VG I dump them...but if he's in for 15 weeks to start and looks certain to get to VG at minimum, I'll keep him.

I don't really keep anyone who enters the school below adequate to start anymore, unless its average and 30+ weeks. Even adequates I won't take unless they are 16+ weeks.

I need to add this:

I have a talented 22 yo who's taking the same #'s of weeks to pop as a talented 19 yo.

Daryl "The Sponge" Russell (22yo)
Steve "Ace" Ventura (19 yo)
Anton Sheen (19 yo)

Next season I will test the theory that talented youths stay trainable longer by continuing to train Daryl.

That's how I've done it and when you do have a couple of "formidables" lined up to come within a few weeks upgrade your coach before you pull them.

Some new teams can't afford the "Luck" in pulling a "Very Good" youth. I take that chance because I can afford it but keeping a "very good" is a luxury. The main goal should be keeping the door open for the excellent and higher youths that will help you build a strong team.
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I'd like to know what order you rank the individual skills for the different positions?

For a striker:

1) Shooting (Form is also important)
2) Pace
3) Tech
4) Playmaking (Quick reaction)
5) Defending (help support midfield and take advantage of defenders with low PM.
6) Passing (With the new changes) this will be a factor

For a Midfielder:

1) Pace, PM, Passing, Defending, technique
(I'm not kidding)

2) Shooting, helps with free kicks

For Defenders:

1) Defence
2) Pace
3) Tech
4) PM
5) Passing

For a goal keeper

1) Keeper
2) Pace
3) Passing
4) PM (helps with reaction on rebounds)

I disagree on your striker rankings. At least for when the levels start getting higher.

Once a striker gets to formidable striking, I would much rather put my training efforts towards technique and pace. I would take a divine pace, divine technique, formidable striking over a divine striking, with outstanding pace, outstanding technique.

But thats just me. I have foolishly neglected playmaking as a serious skill for strikers. But I'm making due without it :)

From my observations, between Kalita (brilliant Striker) and my other Formidable strikers.

Shooting matters a lot when playing against strong keepers. Strikers will miss the craziest goals when faced with a strong keeper. I've been observing this for a long time.

Kalita and Gomez (my keeper) proved this to me.
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When that happens, do they generally miss the goal more (when facing a stud keeper) or does the keeper actually save it?

One think i notice is that i seem to miss a lot as opposed to keeper saving, and i wonder if this is the reason (ie some "you just didn't score" based on stri/keep comparison shows up as a miss)

It's both,

1) you miss the goal or hit the crossbar a lot.

2) When the keeper makes a save, the rebound is safer and favor the defense.

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Thank you,

Fro has set the bar for 1/4 finals, my goal is to do better.