Ive explained, "to oversize the internal programming". As I always say, you can buy 11 players that scored 30 goals last season each one, but, once in your team, the game will calibrate the team, and you will not see any team with 11 players scoring 11 goals, been all key players or smilar.
The game adapt the players to make managers manage, usually, there's 1 betetr player for FKicks, 1 for corners, that you can find testing and have clearly a differance during a stable period of time if we compare with others, cause the game is not so paranoid as to change 1 good player pr match, and too the key players that have 10-9's as ratings tend to be stable, as the players that, are aggressive or these who are Man of the Match, and that tend to be more contribtive mostly of matches.
So, basically a 1* friendly will "oversize the virtues and defects" of the team, the key players, can score 3,4,5 goals, one can see too jus looking what player names appear during match, who tend to contribute more, and who do not appear. This is really very lineal in a career player performance, usually a key player always keep this level, a bad is bad, and then are the "variable contributions that changes to make s manage" and make us have a work in this game, for example a aggressive player, a player with + ratio injurie, the best in freekcks, corners is something tha stay of fo a season or for a long period of days, and our job is see this, and then, if a player have bad impact de aggressivity, deal with it.
I watch the games, of course to see who appear, and who do not and what they do. I usually do some friendlies to see if 1 player dominates again and again, to test FK's and etc of things I metioned before. The fact that scored 5 goals is important, then I don't know if, for example you play different formations, or you bought some new player that can have a impact under this. One factor that can make players perform bad for example is the players the AMC have arround.
Sometimes I realized tat when I do sub's during a match and I sack the less contributive player, all changes... let's say that, in the simulations the game determine a individual impact and protagonism of every player, evry match have different scenario, so every game have a different playrs that participe, and are determinant. If a bad one is choosen can eclipse some good players.
I will suggest you try some different players near this AMC(even I dont know ST's conribution, MC's etc... and maybe you go well) if, you don't see during a match he name of a ST or AM'C-R-L you can try sub' him when second half is started to try to see if theres a impact.
Too thnk that, there are the "key players" and the conributive ones. A game never will choose as I said 11, or 8, or 5, or even 3 players to be key continiously every match or almost the 90%, usually theres only 1 that have options to score (if is good) all season matches of +90%. Then the other acors, and maybe is the case of this AMC as is good, the game will choose him to be determinant and participative 1 of every 2-3 matches.
Thats contribtion too, is a litle bit of my old Ryan Giggs, that did the same, some good friendly and then 1 goal every 2 matches aprox.
I suggest test more and prove new tings. But I guess you can count with his player and I think that if something fail is another guy.
Friendlies vs 1* as mentioned will make the things bigger, will increase the differance so, for a key player that in a full 5* leagues have options to appear every match, and been ST score will score often in the friendlies and a lot, look who assist too is something to do, look who appear to know the level of participation too is something to see, look the MC's that are focused in defense or attack too, the agressive players... fails in defense.... DR-DL contribution in attack.... and the MoM is important.
I suggest do more than 1 friendly, of couse to se the consistance because as said some players will b determinant/choosen to be determinant 1 match yes, one don't.
Regarding the ratings, MoM I kep always all players that at least are during a season 1 time MoM. "excellent players" will have 10's, 9's, maybe some 8 but you can see what they do clearly. Then some others participative can be MoM 1 day only and have something like 6-8-6-9-7 thats a example, and if have a 9 is probable, of a player that can help us "somtimes" and be decisive in a chance or a match.
The 5-6-7's even with some 8, we have to see what players do, "contibution is all" so a player full of 7-8's that for example is like ma olf ST Cissé that scored 3 goals in 26 matches, really these numbers say all... and costed me 50T cause was a scout xD
All really is more easy than what sems.. and here in this post i am answering only about "the previous of the match" job to do to see what players we can use, of corse then during the match theres another job to do too, that can make the differance, as sub' players that don't appear, these who fail continously after try 1,2,3 times, if a man fail a FK 2 times I change the man... too I play switching positions as the AMR-ST that both have doubele position and sometimes th simulation is made, to give me the control wih Gorter as ST, and sometimes with Akgun.... and really I can see this, I can see many times that when I switch positins or I lost the bar posesion control, or I win with the other... or sometimes I switch and first score one and then the other.
All is more extense really, but never forget that, this is a game and have a way to do the things.
That's all, fiendlis can be a referance of how determinant can be players.
In my case has worked very well for me... maybe Ive a 6th sense but I usually use very well the friendlies and matches info xD then of course every match have a scenario and the thing is not o simple, but, I keep and want to believ that the game, is not so paranoid. You should try the Gk in a match xD
I remember Lehmann been a scoer from FK's and corners.... never tryed out position eally with GK's but... why not? all are ratios by default... if work, work xD