Player morale has a big impact on performances on the pitch in Football Manager 2024. Unhappy players in your squad won’t usually play as well as they can. To get the best from your team, you must try to keep most of your players happy (or at least content). Team results have a notable impact on morale, but there are numerous things you can do to boost player morale. These are eight ways you can increase player morale in Football Manager 2024.
Play Players in Their Best Roles
Players will complain if you select to play them in weaker roles they’re not well suited for. So, avoid doing that to keep morale up, even if it means switching their positions. Look at the role and duty sections of player attribute screens to see what roles and positions they’re best for and select accordingly.
Give Sulky Players More Playing Time
Playing time is one of the most important variables on players’ morale that’s shown on the Happiness tab. Players’ morale will usually drop if they seldom play any football. How much time you need to give to a player to keep him satisfied depends on the playing time offered for his contract. You’ll know it’s time to start selecting a player more regularly when they express their concerns in meetings.
However, it can be challenging to satisfy all players’ playing time demands since you can only pick 11 of them to start for any game. Rotating your team between league and cup games is one way to offer more balanced playing time for everybody. If you really can’t offer a player much playing time, consider loaning him for the rest of the season.
A team leader meeting about playing time
Selecting honest playing time agreements for contracts is the best way to minimize playing time complaints. Players’ playing time expectations will be lower if you select Squad Player or Impact sub when signing them. Avoid selecting star, important, or even regular starter for any player you approach to sign who probably won’t be a first-choice selection. You can also change the agreed playing time for players after signing them by clicking Overview > Happiness > Change from their attribute screens.
Adjust Individual Training for Players
Ineffective individual training is another thing that can lower player morale in Football Manager 2024. You can address this by altering the training focus for players who want changes. To see how satisfied players are with training, select Dynamics > Happiness. You can change individual training for a player who wants it by right-clicking his name and selecting Training > Additional focus.
Training info on the Happiness tab
Keep Your Promises (or Don’t Make Them)
Not keeping promises lowers player morale in Football Manager 2024. So, try to keep all the promises made to players regarding playing time increases, squad strengthening, role selection, enhancing coaching staff, new contracts, etc. Alternatively, avoid making promises you might not be able to keep. Players will ask to leave if you break too many promises.
Offer Better Contracts When Requested
Players will sometimes request new contracts with better terms. Although this usually means increasing wages, offering players better contracts will usually please them. It’s best to agree to offer players new contracts when requested for the sake of boosting morale. However, try to negotiate salary a little bit when doing so.
The contract options
Encourage Team During Matches
Football Manager 2024 includes numerous shout options you can select during matches. Selecting the Encourage > Entire Team shout option can temporarily boost morale during a match. It’s best to select that option when your team is losing a game to give them a bit of a morale boost when it’s more needed. The Praise option can also raise morale in a match, but that option is more appropriate when your team is winning or at least recently scored to equalize.
The shout options
Give Positive Feedback to Players Who Merit it With Quick Chat
The quick chat feature in Football Manager 2024 enables you to talk to players individually by right-clicking their names and selecting Interactions > Speak About. You can boost a player’s morale by praising recent form or training when due. Select the Praise Player > Recent Form chat option for any player playing genuinely well.
However, don’t get too carried with your praise. Praising players for mediocre displays will likely result in mixed reactions that won’t enhance morale. Some players will get confused and even disagree with your comments if they really haven’t been playing or training that well when you say they have.
The Interactions submenu
Select Higher Collective Player Bonuses
Selecting lower cup, continental, and league bonuses at the beginning of seasons can have a slightly negative impact on players’ morale. Although it’s a more expensive option, selecting high bonuses is best for team morale. If your club’s finances are healthy, select High for better bonuses to have a more positive morale effect.
Managing player morale in Football Manager 2024 is important for better results on the pitch. So, keep a close eye on morale by regularly reviewing the Happiness tab in Dynamics. The eight ways to boost morale above will make your team a happier one, raising average match performance ratings.
