FM12 Suggestion - Your own agent...

...Was thinking it might be a good if you can get a agent to represent you!

A bit like players agents some will try to move their client all the time while some will be happy for them to stay at their current club, it will be the same for your own agent.

You should also be able to tell the agent to work discretely or indiscretely! So if you are looking to move at the end of a season you tell him to make enquiries quietly but if you have a falling out with board or want to move upwards quickly he will publicly go round looking for you.

You should also be able to say "look I would like to work in this region/country, go see who is interested in me." Say you started in eastern europe and wanted to move to western europe, etc.

Or you could say "I want to try my hand at international management." '

Or even as your rep improves you can say "look I want to move but only to X club, go approach them quietly and see what they say"

Just a couple of ideas of it as a starter, sure there is hell of a lot more it could be opened up to!

I know it is fairly easy to apply for new jobs as it stands, but thinking would make it more realistic if you had own agent who could look for a job without you having to annoy your current board by publicly saying in the press "I want this job." Also it is possible to miss when a job becomes free, but this way if it something that might interest you your agent could say "I have had an enquiry from X club would you be interested in talking to them" etc

And out of curiosity - what football manager nowadays, or in the past, has or had an agent?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/4966270/Jose-Mourinhos-agent-denies-Inter-coach-wants-Manchester-United-job.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1265792/Rafa-Benitezs-agent-denies-talking-Juventus--Spaniard-leave-Liverpool.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/feb/17/luiz-felipe-scolari-manchester-city

I can go on and on

I like the idea of an agent too

If you "declare interest" or respond that you would be interested in a particular job, if asked, the board and fans of your current club crucify you.. You can't actively look to move on in your career without being forced to move on, the only way to move forward is "out of the blue" contract offers or resign/get fired which isn't really how it works in reality. I'm sure that there won't be too many Bournemouth fans who begrudge Eddie Howe choosing to move to Burnley, for example, (though given the current state of affairs they may wish he'd stayed), but in FM he'd be a pariah...

If we have an agent, like you said, that we can instruct to find us a suitable club then we can still "deny interest" in a job and still get it!

+1 from me

+1 for me too

I've also been asking for contractual clasues that allow you to speak to other clubs (basically declare interest/apply) that are in a higher division or listed as your favourite without risking the wrath of the board.

Alrighty then - it seems that it would be a good idea.

I like this idea, although the Jose Mourinho article did say Agent in title, then adviser in the article. I think it's a novel idea for the game.

I didn't think that they had agents, but more advisers than agents. Which I think is a bit of a difference. Might be interesting to getting certain advisers approaching you offering their services, and you hire the one you think would suit you.

So what would stats of an adviser be, if we were to feel out this idea (sorry don't have FM on this computer to look up agent stats)

Surely though the stats for Agents for Managers should be slightly different than those for players, perhaps?

It's an ok idea but it has too many holes in it to be honest. I'd rather just sort out my own contract, i mean whats the agent going to do, get me more money that i can't do anything with?

I always just give myself a $1 a week contract to keep the wages down. Wouldn't really need an agent because personal wealth means nothing in FM, but for those looking for jobs I can see it would be handy. Sort of a scout, but looking for jobs instead. I always find it hard to get into international management so I suppose an agent would be good for that.

The agent could be the buffer in applying for jobs. You go to the agent and get a list of jobs that are available. You apply through your agent who keeps it on the downlow, your board doesn't get upset and the fans aren't upset. The club you apply for then approaches you knowing that you're interested, that is if they want you.

Something else to push the game in the direction of 'Soap Opera Hell'. Won't be long before there's a thread wanting Club Agents in FM, and to get you started, they are actually allowed under the regulations, and recognised as 'Agents'!

I hate agents.

I always just give myself a $1 a week contract to keep the wages down. Wouldn't really need an agent because personal wealth means nothing in FM, but for those looking for jobs I can see it would be handy. Sort of a scout, but looking for jobs instead. I always find it hard to get into international management so I suppose an agent would be good for that.

they way I look at it (or reason I suggested it) is not so much to get a better contract, money wise, but you can use them to find you jobs on the "down low" without having to annoy current fans/board!

As I said if u decide you want to work in X country/region he can go try and get clubs interested in you.. Or maybe even you can say "I want to move to a club who is playing in europe, dont care what country" and your agent will see what he can do!

And you have the option to have your agent go about it quietly or just ASAP and not worry about the current club.

From another forum I am on

I like that idea! It could be something to actually spend your own money on, better agents for better managers

Its very true that if you want a different job but are also happy with the one you've got now, you've got to actually be offered the job or else you risk being rejected for it and having your current club hating you

I like this a lot

Its also optional, you don't have to get an agent if you don't want to. I've been trying to think of things to spend your wages on, and this could well be it!

I like this idea, I mentioned it 2 a mate of mine a few weeks ago but if I'm honest I can't see it being the dsort of thing that will b added despite how handy it can be for certain things such as finding a nee job on the downlow like already suggested

i hate agents, but i like this idea. +1 from me.

Wouldn't it be a better idea just to actually make the money managers earn worth something ingame? At the moment, dirtyscarab's idea of $1 per week is pretty much the best way to save money, and without any drawbacks...

EDIT: Oops, I forgot to say that if the money were worth something ingame, and didn't just take money away from the wage budget, it'd be a pretty cool idea! +1

Be a nice feature if it was implemented perfectly.

It's a cool idea. +1 for me.

But I wouldn't hire one. Last thing I need is an agent getting a percentage of my virtual wages.

Lots of managers/head coaches have agents. Well over here with our North American professional sports anyways.

Would anyone be offended if I said I'd prefer an ample chested secretary instead of an agent?

[video=youtube;NzbhbetwYFU]

I'm not sure how well the agent thing would work but I have to agree that the manager's interaction with potential clubs has to improved. I'm a Juve fan so, ultimately, my goal is to work for them. I started off at Everton on my current save then moved to Valencia. There's no way I can even hint at being interested in a move to Juve in the future without being crucified by the fans/board.

What about press interviews? You already have the usual set of interviews, why not a couple at various stages of your career where they try to get an idea of your ambitions as a manager?