1. Totally agree.
2. Disagree. I have 24 players in my team, 8-9 of them are "trash" players I use only for bonus training. I don't watch their progress, so automatic availability for negotiation helps me here. Otherwise I wouldn't sell them at all.
And it is a good thing to have a lot of friends, especialy 1-2 levels higher, but it is not a suitable solution for everybody.