International breaks in Football Manager can be tricky to handle. But with some smart planning, you can use this time to improve your team. Let’s look at some ways to manage training during these breaks in FM, and how to make the most of this important time in the football year.
| Key Takeaways for International Break Training |
|---|
| • Check which players are available and make training plans for them • Help non-international players improve their skills • Let young players train with the first team • Try out new game plans • Mix hard training with enough rest • Be careful with players returning from international duty • Get ready for league games to start again |
International Breaks in Football Manager
International breaks happen a few times during the football season. They usually last 1-2 weeks and occur in September, October, November, March, and June. During these times, some of your players might go to play for their national teams. This can change how you train your team.
Knowing when these breaks happen is important so you can plan ahead for your team.
Optimizing Training During International Breaks
Data-driven insights into effective use of time during international breaks.
Key Takeaways
- Focus on skill improvement: Read More
- Test new tactics with low-risk matches.
- Monitor fitness and morale closely.
- Integrate young players into first-team training.
Training Focus Areas (Percentage of Time)
Player Fatigue Levels (Post-International Break)
Checking Your Team
The first thing to do is to look at who’s still with your team during the break. See how well they’ve been playing, how fit they are, and what they need to work on. Think about what you want each player to achieve in the long run and how you can use this break to work towards those goals.
Use FM24’s Data Hub to get lots of information about each player.
Pay extra attention to players who haven’t been doing well or who are close to being in the first team. The break can be a great time to help these players get better.
Once you know who’s available and what they need, it’s time to make training plans. This is where you get to be a real football manager.
Focus on helping each player with specific skills. For example, you might help a striker get better at shooting, a midfielder improve their passing, or a defender work on their tackling. Try different types of training that focus on key areas where players need to improve. Be ready to change how hard the training is as the break goes on to make sure players develop well without getting too tired or hurt.
Key Strategies for Training Schedules During International Break
- Focus on individual skill development
- Balance training intensity with rest periods
- Use friendly matches to test new tactics
- Monitor player fatigue and morale closely
Helping Young Players
International breaks are great for helping your young players get better. Let them train with the first team. This can help them improve their skills and get ready for playing at a higher level.
Bring promising young players to train with the main squad. They can learn from the older, more experienced players by putting them in the same mentoring group.
Watch how these young players do in the harder training sessions. This can show you if they’re ready for first-team football. You can also mix young and older players in training sessions. This can help everyone work together better and let the older players teach the younger ones.
Improving / Changing Tactics and Game Plans
The quiet time during the international break is perfect for trying out new tactics and game plans. You can work on new formations, change your current strategies, or even completely change how your team plays.
Put more tactics programs into two-week training schedules during international football.
Play friendly matches against different teams to test your new ideas without the pressure of a real game. These matches can show you what’s good and bad about your new tactics.
Focus on making specific parts of your game plan better, like how you press the other team, how you build up your attacks, or how you do set pieces.
Handling Players Coming Back from International Duty
When the break ends and your players come back from playing for their countries, you need to be careful with how you manage them.
These players might be tired from traveling and playing matches. They might also feel really good or really bad depending on how they did with their national teams.
Check them carefully when they come back. Look for injuries, signs of being tired, or small problems that could get worse if not fixed. Start these players off with easy training and slowly make it harder. Also, talk to each player one-on-one to see how they’re feeling and give them support or motivation if they need it.
