What role does your Assistant play at your club?

What does you Assistant do at your club? What do you actually pay him for.

A friend of mine literally told me that he had one "because you should", whilst another simply used his for team talks. Before my current save I had mine basically for team talks and telling me how my youngsters were developing. However, in my Honvéd save, having a B side means that I've basically made him into that side's manager. The assistant I have now was my arch nemesis from FM08, Nigel Gibbs (he managed Reading, the second best team in the World for 8 years). He's managed to lead Kispest (what I've renamed Honvéd II to) to 5 consecutive Hungarian second division titles and 3 Maygarkupa finals. He essentially gets my youngsters and develops them for me at Kispest.

My assistant does as much as he is able to as I cannot be bothered with most of the mundane tasks

Just to tell you that the Ass men do so many things that you/we do not even realise. only he existing in the club, affects the team positively or negatively

He reviews the players for me and brings any to my attention that perhaps the scouts may have missed or not bothered telling me about. Then I veto all his suggestions and depending on the quality of the advice I either end up buying tons of good players or we have a quiet transfer window.

No point using him for much else, I've never found "The other team have bigger egos" comments to be of much use.

High JPA and JPP to tell me how good the youth players are and good man management and motivation skills to spot any complacency on the pre-match talk.

Mine does practically everything.

Including playing matches for me when I'm bored of watching the matches.

Mine gives me feedback on the team through backroom advice and also helps me target players to help strengthen the weakest area in my team. Also helps me rate my team.

My assistant takes charge of pre-season mainly, but is more in charge of Youth and Reserve teams. I just let him get on with that. Occasionally I will get in a strop when I lose and he'll do the press conferences, but I generally do them myself.

My ass man:

• Generally gets to manage the reserves, with someone else managing the U-18s
  
• Arranges friendlies if I'm at a big club.
  
• Gives me feedback on players and the effect of team talks, and is allowed to suggest team talks (which I often tailor or overrule). I take everything he says with a large pinch of salt. Feedback on things like complacency going into the game is good. I don't pay much attention to his tactical advice though.
  

Mine does team talks and manages friendly and reserves matches. I never let him do press conferences though.

My assistant is my in-match tactical guru. That's his primary function, and the role for which I headhunt him. I now manage my youth teams myself, and I have a separate B club with its own full-time manager. The other main function he has is to provide a second scouting opinion where I require one. I'll also accept his feedback above that of my other staff, particularly second opinions, unless I have very good reason to do otherwise.

My assistant manager in my first season with Leeds basically does everything. I pick the tactic and do everything up until matchday, then I go on holiday for 1 day and let him control the match. Mainly because the first season with Leeds is always boring, no money for players and a very underrated squad. I then take control in the 2nd season when there's money to be had. I basically am the technical director

I sacked my first AssMan as I felt he wasn't up to the job. I hired adefensive minded AssMan as my attacking side leaked goals. Well, with this appointment my team played unimaginative turgid Egil Olsen rubbish. Sacked him after half a season then in his place hired a former player who's coaching style was adventurous... hey presto, we played like Brazil. That's what mine is for.

He provides the tray of oranges at half-time.

He provides the tray of oranges at half-time.

awesome

I let him deal with the media as I can't be bothered, along with controlling the reserves and U18s. I'd use his team talks more often if he didn't suggest "for the fans" 95% of the time, which is pretty much the one you SHOULDN'T be using 95% of the time. Probably another bug as my other ass man was the same.

I do contracts myself, as I trust him about as far as I can throw Manhattan.

My ass man:

• Generally gets to manage the reserves, with someone else managing the U-18s
  
• Arranges friendlies if I'm at a big club.
  
• Gives me feedback on players and the effect of team talks, and is allowed to suggest team talks (which I often tailor or overrule). I take everything he says with a large pinch of salt. Feedback on things like complacency going into the game is good. I don't pay much attention to his tactical advice though.
  

this. (pretty much)

I adjust his team talks, I play the training matches and handle the contract talks with the first and reserves team. Ass Man does the rest.

Even the press conferences since the last 6 months. Guys, you have to let go. See if he can handle them. My man did.

Mine handles the reserves, though most of my youth prospects remain in the U18s or are out on loan, so he doesn't have much to play with really. However he also gives me good feedback on players progress and team talks. He also handles the opposition instructions for every game, and my national team assistant organises the friendlies. I also occasionally use him to scout my key targets if I've got conflicting scout reports.

initially i thought "mine does nothing", but then i thought about it and he does loads of boring stuff.

manages reserves

provides reports on players (my ass man has 19-20 scouting attributes)

most press conferences

extra pair of hands in training (i have a coach for each training regeme)

some team talks (when being lazy)

arranges inital friendly matches (before i rearrange them)

youth contracts

opposition instructions

and i like to think he provides that tray of oranges too

basically he has lots of responsibility and jobs which i undermine and redo at a later stage. i am the perfect boss, deligate and take the credit.

My assistant normally is in charge of:

-Media

-Arranging friendlies

-Reserves

-Giving me advice that i'll disagree with and still be sort of successful

-Opposition Instructions

-Team talks

Mine is pretty much just an advisor. He's there to give suggestions, but I'm the one calling the shots. I control everything (including team talk, press conferences, etc.) that happens around the club with one exception - the youth team's matches. I don't let him have total control over the youth team though. The youth team must play with the same tactics as the first team. So basically the only thing my AssMan has control over is picking the team for youth team matches and managing those games. And yes, when it comes to FM I guess I'm a bit of a control freak

Squad picker

i like to have an assistant who is primarily a scout so he can give me an accurate assesment of my squad, i also like him to be a good tactical trainer i do use him for other things depending on the team im at.

thinks.....

mine filters players who would be interested in joining in player search menu

picks incorrect teams for low rounds of cup ties (eg i pick mostly reserves and he plays my stars instead when i holiday the match :S)

ruins my team morale with bad team talks if i let him do them

PS - i agree Nigel Gibbs is awesome, always try sign him if im given job in Prem, Champ (i like Asst to be from same nation as the league eg italian asst in serie a)

High JPA and JPP to tell me how good the youth players are and good man management and motivation skills to spot any complacency on the pre-match talk.

This.

And depending on his skills he can manage the reserve/youth team too

Depends entirely on the level of the club I'm at. If I'm at en elite club, he would have the following responsibilities:

-Handle roughly 60% of the press conferences

-Sort out the opposition instructions

-Take over the teamtalks roughly 10% of the time

-Coach reports for my players

-PPM advice occasionally

-Motivation during training

-Cover every part of training (basically overview all training)

-Manage the reserves and u18s

He provides the tray of oranges at half-time.

I sadly had to sack Gibbs now, nearly a decade after he joined the club. Whilst managing Argentina for about 8 months (I had one qualifier and the World Cup) I offered him the position of assistant. He decided to take that up full time so I had to replace him.