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Oldies, Dregs of Hattrick or Useful Resource?

Written by saintroy16

A criticism of American society is a treatment of our elderly. Some feel that younger generations don't value our elder's perspective and experience. Even the offspring of our blue-haired are sometimes guilty of shuffling them off to a nursing home, just because they forgot to feed the cats for a week. Little do these people know that old people can be fascinating, productive members of society.

It is no different in HT-USA. Oldies can probably still contribute to your Hattrick team, and here is how.

Question: How do I know using Oldies might be right for my team?

Answer: Oldies are great for fast-growing, financially stable teams, who in HT-USA terms, want to promote out of VI or avoid relegation from V. I also believe they can serve a role in teams as high as III or II if paired with a "stamina-sub" as a cheap to buy/easy to maintain quality starter for either series play or at least cup play.

I've used oldies to win three competitive VI series championships, and am on the way to using them for a V title. The idea to use them was first given to me by dovetail when I played in III, and he had been using them on a limited basis on that level.

Q: What kind of player is an Oldie?

A: For me, the kind of Oldie I'll talk about is at least 35 years old and costs anywhere from $100k-1k. I never, ever, ever, pay more than 100k for this sort of player, because at best you can get three seasons of decent performance out of an oldie, and they will have no re-sale value (unless they are a future coach).

The Oldies I'm interested in are perfectly spec'd for their positions (Head spec'd for DF/OIM types, technical for TDFs, Powerful/Head spec'd for CDs and Wbs). The positions they fill are non-training positions.

These Oldies are typically high in experience (brilliant+), and low in stamina (inadequate at best). However, they still have Worldclass-Supernatural main skill, or even that level of skill as side skills, or a unique combination of skills that make them an attractive player (I once bought a quick, triple brilliant player in winger, passing, and pm).

Benefits:

-High experience/sometimes high set pieces.
-High Leadership? Future Coach!
-Cheap to Buy
-Can be bought Perfectly Spec'd for the intended Position.
- Low Risk, High Reward

Many managers used to train set-pieces in the 'off-season'. Seeing as how Oldies have been playing for 15+ seasons by this point, they could have gotten 30 weeks or more of sp training. Paired with the high Experience of starting all those seasons, this makes them deadly pk takers.

High experience has other benefits as well. If your team has a higher total experience in cup/tournament matches, and you are losing or tied, you can make the other team nervous. This lowers their ratings and might be just enough for you to earn the tying goal/winner. With a higher experienced lineup paired with a highly experienced/high leadership captain, I'm more inclined to change training to sp and spring a new formation on an opponent despite my formation experience not being solid or better (where did that 4-4-2 CA come from?). My team will be less likely to become disorganized and lose rating performance, and I'll be harder to scout.

If you manage not to pay an arm and a leg for an Oldie with high leadership, they'll make a great future coach for you, or, can be re-sold as a great future coach for someone else!

I love playing a perfectly Spec'd lineup, and Oldies allow me to do that. I can buy TDFs, Head spec'd Ims, quick wingers, or head/Powerful defenders. My Second team buys only Powerful defenders, allowing me to play a pretty mean pressing game from time to time in cup matches I have no hope of winning (until it gets to pks;)).

Finally, if you're only paying 20k for a starting defender, and he gets a +4 injury, feel free to fire him and buy a new one. At the end of it all, these players really are quite disposable, and when their failing skills or health deteriorates, feel free to chuck them out.

Downsides:

-Bad Stamina
-Skill Deterioration
-Slow Recovery From Injuries
-Higher Wages

First and foremost, stamina is an Older player's worst enemy. They turn a side that looks dominant in the first 15' into a very vulnerable side the last 15'. I've always used this table as a general guideline as to where my oldies' performance will drop:(15917246.1) . As such, I use "Stamina Subs", typically another Oldie, to come in around 65'-70' to prevent a drop in team performance. So, if I have three Oldie IMs starting, I'll have subbed out each one by at least minute 76' so that I can finish the match strong. You can use HO or the 5' minute by 5' minute stamina level on match reports to customize who you want to go in when, but I always prioritize which positions get a sub. It can be summed up to this: Anyone who influences the midfield first (IMs, DFs, WTM), then anyone else still left over. Why give away chances to defend if you don't have too?

It is also true Oldies are always losing skills on Mondays, which is why, eventually, in 3 seasons or less, they are disposable. But consider the fact that loyalty is always rising on an Oldie. This means that as their skills drop, they are getting a tiny boost to counteract that effect. Because of this, even one to two seasons on, I have a player or two who perform as well or better than some oldies I've just bought!

If an oldie gets hurt badly, its very difficult to argue why you'd keep them unless they're a future coach. I'd highly consider looking at that sack button, and just buy a new one.

Wages are dangerous if you don't pay attention to them*. Newly bought, Oldies can appear a little costly to maintain. But every birthday, they get cheaper and cheaper as their wages, in some cases, halve or at least quarter themselves.

*FOR NEW TEAMS PLEASE READ:You can support a total wage bill as high as 15k, but not much higher. Don't go bankrupt your first season upgrading your team. That limit will rise to around 30k your second season, and now I have a team in VI that is very comfortable with a wage bill near 55k.

Best positions for Oldies:

1. Defender
2. Defensive Forward/Inner Mid
3. Winger Towards the Middle/Defensive Winger Types

Why this order? Defending is a skill that deteriorates the slowest of all trainable skills, and as such I can see defenders remaining useful for a longer time than perhaps other positions (close to are at 3 seasons).

I like buying Head spec'd players with high PM and Passing. At the VI to IV level, these players can play either as IMs or DFs and still be well spec'd for either position. You can keep your total # of roster players down by carrying this type of player instead of buy someone who can JUST play IM or JUST play DF. I'm also okay with TDFs, and occasionally playing them at IM if need be.

Wingers are weird. I despise playing naked winger on my team, and if they are proficient in winger, I'd prefer that they can either contribute to the midfield or help defend a side defense. If I'm going to play a Winger towards the middle, I'd rather he have more pm than winger. I'd like either player to be quick.

Worst positions for Oldies:

1. Normal Forward
2. Keeper

Scoring, passing, and winger fall quickly on older players, making old normal forwards an increasingly awful player. I also don't trust old keepers except as back ups, since they are making major contributions to not just one sector, but all three sectors of defense.

In conclusion, I feel oldies, when properly used, can help many teams, whether you are struggling to stay up in IV or looking for a way to break out of a tough V, or even just want to extend your cup run. I'll continue my hands on research using them as my first teams attempts to climbe the HT-USA ladder again.

Bottom line, we should visit the blue-haired ones more often. Even if they pinch your cheeks, mistake you for you cousin or keep putting magazines in the microwave.