This has been debated a number of times before and I am on record as stating that I would prefer a system similar to the Scottish property system where there is a guide price (which already exists in the scouting), where you work out what you think the property is worth, what you can afford and would be willing to pay, and submit a sealed bid. Which is essentially what John is suggesting this time.

However, each time this has been debated managers start paddling their own canoes. The time change from 5 to 6 was a response to managers who couldn't make the 5pm deadline, then managers who couldn't make the the 6pm deadline wanted 7pm, then someone who worked shifts couldn't make that....so in reality there is always someone who will be unhappy. I would suggest running a poll but should managers who don't take part in the scouting option have a say in it? Don't know.

I would add that the current rules exist until they are changed and therefore if you take part in the bidding you know what those rules are - so I do think Adam's response is an unreasonable one in the circumstances. If he wanted the player so much that he was willing to quit the game if he didn't get him then he should have bid more! If he wants him that much I would consider selling him. Overall I would have thought Arsenal have a more reasonable complaint as the Man. United final bid for Pjanic looked late to me!

But if the rules are to be changed they should be done because it is the right thing to do, not just because another manager throws a hissy fit!

Steve

I have withdrawn my complaint so I can not add my name with Barcelona. If I wanted the player more I should have bid more when I put my last bid in but he was near my top price any-way. I was concerned with the time of the bid not being legal but that has been resolved.
If people want a new scouting they should offer a better solution and if you want to quit over it do it before the scouting starts not after it finishes and after you have lost a player. If I had lost my player and I thought the bid was legal when it was made I would have posted the same media exactly the same way because that is a part of the game. Writing a media piece and quiting are quite different.
Good luck to Adam but I hope he realises his mistake and gets Barcelona back like Chris did with ac.

The scouting has two reasons for existing:

1) To bring names into the game who 'make it' at clubs outside of the world of FA. It allows you lot to buy people like Chamakh who come into prominance in real life but weren't around when the original FA squads were put together.

2) To counter balance investment. If chairmen kept investing, money would pile into the game, but money coming out would only be through wages which isn't high enough to balance out. With so much money in the game it'd become worthless having. Also it helps balance out against the development of income revenues ie. club shops, club stadiums, kit releases.

If people wanted secret bidding, with only 1 chance to put in a hidden bid to me it would mean the following:

1) You lose the option to increase your bid.

2) You have to go straight to your maximum and could overspend.

3) The likely outcome, as apposed to 2, is that everyone bids low and the winner is simply the highest of the low bidders.

If number 2 were to happen, we'd constantly see people unhappy with their buys when they found a player they just spent £20 million on for fear of being outbid, was actually worth more like £10 million.

If number 3 were to happen, which I reckon would, it takes away the 2nd reason for having the scouting in the first place (see top list above).

The main positive for doing it the way it is, is to allow people to see whats happening and improve on offers over 2 weeks. The fact its open for 2 weeks seems lost on many though, as everyone seems to log in at 5.30pm on the last Friday, and try and snipe each other with late bids. Thats a choice you all make nothing I've done, as others have pointed out, if you want someone nothing stopping you bidding as high as you'd be willing to go on the first Monday, then if you're outbid so be it you know you wouldn't have gone higher so it can't be helped.

As a final side point, it'd be nice if Adam remained in the game, but maybe people shouldn't make decisions like that at 3am in the morning. Nothing good is ever decided after 2am - FACT.

Richard.

Could you do the bidding E-Bay style where you could put a max down you are prepared to pay but when it is sold it is only one "set" unit above your rival and not the full bid?
The set unit of increase could for instance = 0.5m,  

It shouldn't.
It would be very similar to the current system but the late bidder would have to guess what your top bid was because he couldn't see it.
The sealed bid would have to go to Rich.
The main difference would be that you could get the player for less than your "Bid."

I dont see how people can moan about the system really, its all in the rules, the only thing is uncertain is the actual time you are bidding and I think that needs to be addressed so everyone can see the time of every bid.

Maybe putting a clock or countdown timer of some sort may help with bid times on this board.
But as people have stated above, if you want a player that much to quit the game then maybe you just have to pay more to get him. A simple glance at what other teams that can afford and bidding higher may have helped aswell

and then paid more than you sold him for to get him again 

Luke_C wrote:

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".........you get ridiculed for the rest of your life........"

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 That should read ".......for the rest of your life so far........" 
 
 - as we might get bored of ridiculing you about it at some point in the future.............though  unlikely!

Steve wrote:

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Overall I would have thought Arsenal have a more reasonable complaint as the Man. United final bid for Pjanic looked late to me!

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Cant see how my Pjanic bid looked late, as I posted my bid before the thread closed!!

However, if memory serves me correctly, FA was online to close the threads at the deadline.

We will soon see the outcome of the winning bids anyway

Hence a clock should be on show at deadline time.

CRadford7 wrote:

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FA was online to close the threads at the deadline.

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All threads can't be closed simultaneously therefore there will be a, albeit, short time lag between the first and subsequent threads being closed.

I based the comment on a countback of the time shown when I looked against time passed since the last bid, which gives a figure either before or after 7 p.m. Makes some assumptions about accuracy of timing (raised elsewhere).

Steve

 

Why not restrict to a maximum of 3 bids per team for any 1 player?

That way you won't see increments of 1m at a time the bid will be more tactical.

just an idea.