AI job progression. Suggestion

I don't believe the system of ex-players becoming staff works as well as it could do.

Players get trained or graded with the bar in different staff positions but it should work better.

I find players choose what they will do at retirement and that is it. If they want to be a coach they go in as a coach. An assistant an assistant and a wannabe manager goes straight into management.

Playing in 2026 I find a large amount of very young managers. 35 or so. In reality this isn't what happens, and most managers begin older.

The coaches are not so problematic.

The managers however, should look to gain experience, as a coach first, then perhaps as an assistant before management. This is more akin to real life.

So lets say a retiring Rooney wants to be a manager. He may first sign up as a youth coach, stay on for 5 years but at the end of his contract be not willing to re sign as a youth coach and may look to become an assistant manager at the same club or if not move. After some time he may apply for an internal promotion to management or being applying around.

I rarely believe my assistants ever look to apply for management jobs elsewhere.

In reality we know that players like Tony Adams went to be an assistant at Portsmouth before looking to manage, wherever he did end up somewhere in Azerbaijan?

Brendan Rogers was a coach at Chelsea before working up ranks before management.

I think this could be better replicated in the game. Instead of players doing their dream job straight away.

I was of the same opinion but now that I'm 30 seasons into my save I am seeing a lot more former players going through the coaching systemn as Youth Coach > (First Team) Coach > Assman > Manager.

My current assman is Messi who has had 2 YC roles, a Coach role & 3 Assman positions, I fully expect him to be picked up as a manager in a season or two.

The manager of my former team is Rene Adler who took on a GK coaching role after he retired, then worked his way up the German league system as a manager & the current FC Bayern manager who after packing in playing started his coaching career at Juventus before taking a coaching role at Bayern which led to his promotion to the big seat.

One thing I have noticed is that quite a few big clubs appear to hire one of their existing youth coaches as their next manager which is something I am keeping an eye on & that doesn't seem all that realistic & does result in there being some very poorly paid managers in my game.