Getting Carried Away When Bidding on Players

If you don't have Plus, you might want to place an early bid on a player so that you can come back to him near his deadline to make the purchase. If you have Plus, I generally think it's a waste of time to place early bids (that is, bids 12 hours or more before bidding ends).

When buying players, bookmark 5 - 10 players that are similar to the player you want to buy, noting in your private notes for the player his skills. Come back and check the transfer history on these players once the bidding ends. This will give you a general idea of the market price of the type of player you want to buy. Before using the transfer list to target the player you are going to purchase, use the range of prices to establish a maximum price you are willing to pay, and then don't go over that price. It's easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment of a bidding war and pay more than a player is worth. You're startup cash is small enough without blowing it all because some Polish guy kept bidding against you for the defender you wanted. There are lots of players on the transfer list.

All things being equal, prices are much higher at the start of the season, particularly for players that lower level teams are likely to be able to afford. This is because end of season bonuses have most managers flush with cash, and the players are the youngest they'll be all season. If you can put off your purchase until the market calms down some, do so.

Don't buy a player just because he has a divine skill and looks like a great bargain. Do you really need a divine pace, solid playmaking, unsatisfactory passing winger? Probably not, unless he's trainable age and you're training playmaking and passing. Most of the time, you're better off with the well-rounded player than the single skilled monster.

Older players can be a great bargain to stick in your non-training positions. However, keep in mind that older players depreciate in value rather rapidly. A 30 year old player that you pay $30,000.00 for today will probably be worth less than $10,000.00 in a season or two. They aren't trainable and their skills can actually decline. However, you can pick up some great bargains this way.