Team training time is split between general training and match preparation training. In general training your players will mostly work on their attributes, while in match preparation training they will work on gaining tactic familiarity and can also work on specific areas of performance in preparation for the next match.
You can use the scheduling slider at the top of the Team Training screen to adjust how time is split between general training and match preparation training. Underneath this slider you can choose whether to allow rest days for your players before and after matches, to the left you can change how your squad uses its time in general training and to the right you can change how it uses its time in match preparation training.
The training calendar on this screen provides a visual display of how your squad will spend its team training time over the next three weeks and integrates this with your upcoming fixtures, meaning you can easily set training according to your fixture list. The calendar also allows you to directly alter match preparation training for specific matches and, on the left of the calendar, you can modify general training for specific weeks.
Shown at the bottom of the screen is a description of the team training overall workload, an indication of general player happiness with the training level (workload) and a star rating that represents the quality of your club’s training facilities.
Training Workload
The team training overall workload represents how hard your players are being worked in team training. It is increased by making the following changes, and similarly decreased by making the opposite changes:
- Increasing the intensity level of general training.
- Scheduling less time for match preparation training (and therefore more time for general training).
- Not allowing a rest before matches.
- Not allowing a rest after matches.
The heavier the team training overall workload is the more effective general training will be and so the more easily you will be able to improve your players.
However, you may want to tailor the development of your players individually using individual training. The team training overall workload and any individual training given to a player are combined to determine his individual workload. Therefore, you may need to restrict the team training overall workload in order to keep individual workloads at a reasonable level, especially if any individual training is given. Individual workloads that are too heavy can cause issues with training happiness and fitness.
The management of individual workloads is discussed further in the Training Reports guide.
The Quality of Training
The quality of training is determined by:
- The quality of your club’s training facilities.
- The quality of your coaches – this is determined by lead coach star ratings, coaches’ workloads and the background coaching attributes Man Management and Working With Youngsters.
The better the quality of training is, the more likely your players are to perform well in training and the less likely they are to become unhappy with training. Better training performance will speed up the improvement of young, developing players and slow down the decline of older players. The quality of your coaches will affect training performance in the specific training categories that they are assigned.
Club facilities and the effects of the quality of training on the dynamics of player ability are discussed in more detail in the Player Ability guide.
Rest Days
You can allow a rest day before and/or after each match. A rest day before a match will take place the day before any match preparation training starts rather than necessarily being the day immediately before the match, while a rest day after a match will take place on the day immediately following the match. If you do not give your players enough rest days then this will increase the likelihood of them suffering fitness problems or becoming unhappy with their training workloads.
During the season it is particularly advisable to give your squad a rest day after each match as this will help your players to recover. During pre-season though this is not recommended, as discussed in the Pre-Season Preparation guide.
Rest days before matches are less necessary, but can be useful when your players generally have low condition. Alternatively, you can give rests to specific players when necessary as discussed in the Player Fitness guide.
Balancing Team Training
You will need to find a balance between the long-term aims of player development from general training and the short-term aims of better team performances from match preparation training, while at the same time not compromising your players’ fitness or training happiness.
This is achieved by setting up general training and match preparation training as appropriate, which will depend on your personal preferences regarding player development and team performances. This will be discussed in the General Training and Match Preparation Training guides.