Stop Signing Talented Assholes: The Real Football Manager 26 Guide to Player Personalities
Potential Ability is a scam. Here’s how to find wonderkids who actually develop.
I'm going to spoil Football Manager 26 for you.
If you're a purist who likes to live in blissful ignorance, click away now. For everyone else who's sick of signing a 5-star wonderkid only to watch him stagnate, demand a transfer to PSG, and never develop, this is for you.
We've all been there. You find a 17-year-old with God-tier stats and "world-class" potential. You spend your entire transfer budget. Three years later, his stats haven't moved, he's a "disruptive influence" in the dressing room, and you can't even offload him.
The problem wasn't his Potential Ability. It was his Personality.
A player's personality is a public-facing label for a matrix of hidden attributes, all rated 1-20, just like Dribbling or Tackling. My job here is to break down those numbers and tell you which ones matter, and which ones are just noise.
The Holy Trinity: The Only 3 Stats That Matter
Forget everything else for a second. When you're scouting a young player, you are only looking for three hidden stats.
1. Professionalism (The Development Stat)
This is it. This is the king. Professionalism is the most important hidden attribute in the game. It dictates how quickly a player develops, whether they show up to training on time, and how they react to setbacks. A player with 1 Professionalism will never reach their potential. A player with 20 Professionalism can exceed it.
2. Pressure (The "Doesn't Crumble" Stat)
We all have that player. Looks great on the stat sheet, but in a real match, he's a ghost. That's the Pressure attribute at work. A low-Pressure player will crumble in any competitive match and perform well below his attributes. A high-Pressure player (15+) will thrive and consistently play at or above his level.
3. Important Matches (The "Clutch" Stat)
This is self-explanatory. This attribute determines if your star striker scores a hat-trick in the cup final or disappears completely. For players over 22, you can actually see this in a scout report, but for wonderkids, it's hidden.
The Double-Edged Swords: Ambition & Loyalty
Two stats sound great but can screw you over.
Ambition is great for development; ambitious players want to be the best. But high Ambition (16+) also means they'll demand high wages, more playing time, and will jump ship to a bigger club the second they get the chance.
Loyalty is the opposite. A high-Loyalty (18+) star will stay with you forever, even rejecting better offers. But a high-Loyalty dud will refuse to be sold, sitting on your wage bill for years. Low Loyalty is great for offloading bad players but terrible for keeping your good ones.
The "Who Cares?" Stats
Sportsmanship, Temperament, and Controversy are mostly flavor. They affect media interactions and team cohesion, but they don't stop a player from developing or performing. A low-Sportsmanship (1) player might be a "dirty" player, but if his Pro and Pressure are high, who cares?
How to Scout This Stuff Without the Editor
So, how do you see these hidden stats? You use the two clues the game does give you: Personality and Media Handling Style.
A player's Media Handling Style is your secret weapon. You find it on their "Personal Information" tab.
If you see a wonderkid with an "Evasive" media handling style, sign him. Immediately. I don't care what he costs. "Evasive" guarantees his Professionalism and Pressure are both 15 or higher. This is the holy grail.
"Unflappable" guarantees Pressure is 15+. "Reserved" guarantees Professionalism is 15+. These are your next best bets.
My Personality Tier List: Who to Sign and Who to Bin
You combine that Media Handling Style with their main Personality to build a full picture. Here's my quick-and-dirty tier list.
S-Tier: Sign at All Costs
These are the kings. They are genetically engineered to succeed.
Model Citizen: The best personality in the game. Guaranteed 15+ in Professionalism, Pressure, Loyalty, Sportsmanship, and Temperament.
Resilient / Light-Hearted / Spirited: My personal favorites. These guys are all guaranteed to have 15+ in Pressure. They thrive in big games. Their Professionalism can be a bit of a lottery (1-17), so this is where you cross-reference. A "Resilient" player with a "Reserved" media style is an S-Tier signing.
A-Tier: The Future Captains
These guys are built for development.
Perfectionist: High Professionalism (14+) and Ambition (14+). They'll develop like weeds but might be a handful, as their Temperament is low (1-9).
Resolute / Professional / Fairly Professional: All of these guarantee high Professionalism (15+). Their Pressure is a total dice roll (1-20), so you must check their media handling style. A "Professional" player with an "Unflappable" style is an S-Tier monster.
B-Tier: The Lottery Tickets
This is where most of your players will live.
Balanced: The most common personality. It's a total crapshoot. Their Pro, Ambition, and Determination are all capped at 14. This player is just... a guy.
Driven / Ambitious: These guys have high Ambition and Determination. They'll train well but will be a nightmare to manage. They will leave you.
C-Tier: Get a Mentor, ASAP
These personalities are flawed but fixable.
Jovial: Great Pressure (15+), but terrible Professionalism (1-10). This is the classic "great in games, lazy in training" guy. He needs a good mentor.
Unambitious / Low Determination / Easily Discouraged: These players have rock-bottom Ambition and/or Determination. They will not train well until you mentor them with a "Driven" or "Perfectionist" captain.
F-Tier: Do Not Sign. Ever.
I'm serious. Do not sign these players, even if they are 5-star potential. They are a trap.
Slack: This player has 1 Professionalism. They will not develop. They will, in fact, decline.
Spineless: This player has 1 Pressure. They will be the worst player on the pitch in every single game.
Casual: This player has 2-4 Professionalism. Just as bad as Slack.
Stop scouting star ratings. Start scouting personalities. A 3-star "Resilient" kid will win you the league. A 5-star "Slack" wonderkid will get you fired.