--- title: "Guide: Your Squad" description: "Guide: Your Squad" url: https://support.goalunited.org/en/articles/170-guide-your-squad collection: "Starter Guides" updated: 2026-10-20 language: en alternates: [fr, de, it, pl, es, tr] --- # Guide: Your Squad Guide: Your Squad Go to Team → Players to see your squad. You start with 18 players, sorted by position. All starting squads have a similar average strength; no manager gets an unfair advantage. Try to understand the individual strengths and weaknesses within your team. ## **Reading the Player List** ![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/gattachments/Hyo1VHNNbdBxgz0P6jPGh62cDV901ZMFsvkqqHWtjY1sNDLrvVs3pB8UsMCG9b40mhrW9XVrwEk.png) One of the most important columns in the list is the Ø column. This indicates each player's average overall strength, the single quickest way to judge who your best-skilled players are. Click any column header to sort by that value.

Stat	What It Means
Ø (Strength)	Average of all relevant skills. The main indicator of a player's quality.
Form	How close to their potential a player performs today. High form = better match performance.
Energy	Available effort for matches and training. Falls with use (matches and training); rises with rest and physio.
Endurance	How efficiently energy is used. Low endurance = faster energy drain per match.
Talents	Special abilities shown as icons. Trigger as bonus events during matches.
Age	One real-world year = four game years. Players age quickly — plan around youth.

> **Info:** Double-click any player to open their full detail screen. You will see all individual skills, personality, contract info, and match history. > **Warning:** Never field a player with very low energy; they will not only underperform but also risk a serious injury. ## **Personalities** Every player has a [personality](https://support.goalunited.org/articles/22) that influences their behaviour on and off the pitch. Check some of them below: - Charismatic → excellent captain candidates; boost team morale. - Aggressive / Spirited → higher match intensity, but more yellow card risk. - Fair → lower card risk in matches. - Introverted → not suitable as team captain. > **Info:** Having 8 or more different personalities in your starting eleven gives the whole lineup a 10% performance bonus. Keep this in mind when building your formation. ## **Contracts** Each player is on a 12-, 18-, or 24-week [contract](https://support.goalunited.org/articles/17). Their weekly wage depends on contract length and value. Key things to know: - Players with long remaining contracts cost more in compensation if sold; check this before bidding on transfer market players. - Long-term commitment cards extend a contract to 40 weeks, useful for key players you want to keep long-term. - At the end of a contract, a player leaves unless you extend his contract > **Warning:** Make sure to check the remaining contract period of your players and extend it for those that you want to keep in your team! Once they leave, they are permanently gone! ## **Player Value** Player value grows through training and playing matches. The more a young player trains and gains experience, the higher their transfer value becomes. This is your main source of long-term income, so it pays to keep all squad slots filled as much as possible. [Starter Guides](https://support.goalunited.org/collections/31)