Develop your players into WONDERKIDS

Storyline / Context

This video isn’t about a traditional narrative storyline. Instead, it’s a career-management guide for Football Manager, focused on developing “Wonderkids” (high-potential teen players) so they reach their full potential—whether that means Champions League glory or simply promotion from lower leagues.

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Core Gameplay Highlights (What to do in Football Manager)

1) Start development with the right age focus (15–17)

• Training is the most effective development method when players are roughly 15 to 17.
• You don’t need to micromanage everything:
  • It’s acceptable to let the assistant manager control training broadly.
  • But for young players, you should take control of individual training to ensure they develop the right attributes and match their role.

2) Train players for the correct position/role

• Pick the role your wonderkid will actually play.
• Common examples mentioned:
  • Advanced Forwards
  • Pressing Forwards
• Avoid “wasted development” by training the player for an irrelevant position/role.

Example walkthrough: James Crosby

• Player: young right winger
• Training setup: set Right Wing → Winger on Attack
• This alignment ensures attribute development matches the player’s real role.

3) Use attribute timing to guide what to train first

The speaker emphasizes an attribute “growth order”:

• Physicals develop quickest at younger ages
  • Example: at 16, physical attributes improve fastest.
• Technicals improve next as the player gets older.
• Mental attributes tend to improve later with age.

Mentors can help, but training still matters:

• Low mentals now can improve faster later, especially if physicals/tech are strong.

4) Add “Additional Focus” to fix weaknesses (training emphasis)

After setting the correct role, use Additional Focus to target weak areas.

Example (James Crosby)

• Strength and jumping reach were low → add focus on screen strength / jumping-type improvements.
• Finishing wasn’t the main area because the player is better suited to technique/dribbling.
  • Added focus on:
    • Ball control
    • First touch
    • Dribbling

Key principle: training should reduce wasted time and emphasize what the player actually lacks.

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Match / Age Progression Strategy (18+)

5) Use the right team level for match ratings (Under-18 / U23 / B team)

Once players are 18+, matches become far more effective for development than training.

• Performance matters:
  • If players are getting low match ratings (e.g., around 6.2), they likely aren’t developing well.
• Recommendation:
  • Keep a strong U18, U23, or B team that can win consistently.
• Target match ratings:
  • Above 7.0 is described as “fantastic.”
• If U18 ratings stay poor, consider moving them up to U23 for better challenge.

6) Avoid “restriction” in youth teams; use loans when needed

Problem described:

• Some wonderkids outgrow youth teams.
• Limited club resources may stop U21s/U23s from performing well.

Solution:

• Use loans to clubs where players can develop through strong match experience and facilities.

Loan process (step-by-step as described):

1. Check coach report to determine current readiness.
2. Set expectations for wage handling
   • Example: youth players often have low wages, so it’s fine if the loan club won’t pay much.
3. Configure agreed playing time:
   • Start with Regular starter and lock it.
   • If clubs don’t bid, unlock it to make terms negotiable.
4. Evaluate destination club quality:
   • Compare league level vs. the player’s ability
     • Ideal scenario: a higher-league club is willing to use the player as a starter
     • Caution: weaker clubs can still produce poor match performances.
   • If sending mid-season: check pre-season previews or the league table.
   • Check training facilities (better facilities generally improve development).

7) Don’t blindly accept any loan bid

The video strongly warns against accepting loans just because a club bids.

Instead, spend time choosing a club based on:

• expected match quality and likely match ratings
• coaching/training environment
• the player’s developmental stage

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Traits and Mentoring (Later-stage development)

8) Add player traits later (after ~20+ on average)

Example (Juan Diego Largo / striker, age 21):

• Strong: dribbling, first touch technique, composure
• Weak: finishing

Proposed solution:

• Add a trait that complements the weakness
  • Example described: “finishing-school” style improvement—improving how he scores (e.g., one-on-one “go around the keeper” finishing approach).

Timing rule:

• Traits reduce training time, so they’re generally not recommended for 15–16-year-olds.
• Recommended start window: around 20–22
  • Exceptions can happen for exceptional players, case-by-case.

9) Use mentoring to transfer mental + hidden attributes

Mentoring is framed as especially powerful once players are around 21+.

• Mentors can transfer:
  • mental attributes
  • hidden attributes

Example mentor selection workflow:

• Use Coach Report to find suitable mentors.
• Look for high scores in:
  • Consistency
  • personality traits such as professional
• Example given:
  • Dion Abello was identified as effective due to high consistency and professional personality.
• Example assignment:
  • Dion mentored Juan Diego Lago and Kiba de Anya

Effect described: mentors influence youngsters over time, boosting mental/hidden development.

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Late Bloomers (Development can be delayed)

10) Some players peak later—don’t force them too early

An experiment described two players with:

• poor current ability
• high maximum potential

Outcome:

• One played lots of games early → reached potential by early 20s.
• The other barely played → reached potential only by late 20s.

Conclusion:

• Some players develop well into their mid-to-late 20s, so loans and patience matter.

11) Use league context to explain underperformance

Example: Clement Pen (striker)

• Looks good on paper (finishing/composure numbers mentioned)
• Performs poorly in the Premier League
• Performs better in the Championship
• Treated as a possible late bloomer who needs more Championship-level match experience.

Example: Muhammad Haidari (midfielder)

• Not ready for the Premier League yet (despite potential)
• Loan example:
  • Sent to Estoril (Portugal) → scored/assisted well
  • Their team secured Champions League football
• Point: the player may simply need more time at the right competitive level and club environment.

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Key Tips / Takeaways (Condensed)

• 15–17: Train heavily (correct position + Additional Focus).
• 18+: Matches matter more—ensure strong U18/U23/B-team performance and move up if ratings stay low.
• Loans: Don’t accept every bid—choose based on coach report, agreed playing time, league reality, and training facilities.
• Traits: Add typically around 20–22 (case-by-case), since traits consume training time.
• Mentoring: Use consistent, professional mentors (often effective around 21+) to boost mental/hidden attributes.
• Late bloomers: Some players need time into mid/late 20s—develop via the right competitive environment.

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Gamers / Sources Featured

• YouTuber / Trainer via Lincoln City save: the creator (example player references from the creator’s saves; no name given in subtitles)
• Twitch source: mentions “James Crosby” came through the creator’s youth intake on Twitch
• Tool/source mentioned: OneFootball app (used to find real international youth teams)
• No other specific real-world streamers/players were named beyond the Football Manager player examples in the video:
  • James Crosby
  • Freddie Draper
  • Juan Diego Largo / Juan Diego Lago (name varies slightly in subtitles)
  • Kiba de Anya
  • Dion Abello
  • Clement Pen
  • Muhammad Haidari
  • (Also referenced as real-world example): Erling Haaland