Assistants : Is yours any good?!

[Sussex Hammer]

My Assistant "always" says "Let's do it for the fans" at the start of a game no matter who I am playing, home or away, whatever the situation is, whatever competition it is, always the same. Has anyone actually seen their Assistant say anything else before a game? He has really good stats but he is a total bufoon! I have just won 6-0 in the Champions League to qualify for the Knockout Stages and at the end he says "Nothing we can really say about that performance". Really,,, mmm!! Of course we all know what that means after a win if you say it to the players so I changed it to the "good win lads" routine and fortunately they reacted well bar one player who is always asleep when I talk to him!! Gawd only knows what my Assistant says in Press Conferances because I don't bother as they are so painful to go through time after time.

I know generally Assistants are pretty awful but has anyone actually had one that is any good?

[phidelta42]

I really like my current assistant, he has stormed out of at least half a dozen press conferences so far he must find them as tedious as I do

[robertcornell68]

For the fans seems to be the default. Mine isn't too bad but I really only want him to cover the - yawn - press conferences for me.

His team talk suggestions are a bit soft, so I nasty them up a notch or two.

[BamBamBam]

Just use my Assistant for the press and assessing the squad.

[TheFiesty_One]

Get Tony Coton, he's my favourite and starts unemployed

[themadsheep2001]

I have Di Salvo and he is excellent

[telV7]

My Assistant "always" says "Let's do it for the fans" at the start of a game no matter who I am playing, home or away, whatever the situation is, whatever competition it is, always the same. Has anyone actually seen their Assistant say anything else before a game? He has really good stats but he is a total bufoon! I have just won 6-0 in the Champions League to qualify for the Knockout Stages and at the end he says "Nothing we can really say about that performance". Really,,, mmm!! Of course we all know what that means after a win if you say it to the players so I changed it to the "good win lads" routine and fortunately they reacted well bar one player who is always asleep when I talk to him!! Gawd only knows what my Assistant says in Press Conferances because I don't bother as they are so painful to go through time after time.

I know generally Assistants are pretty awful but has anyone actually had one that is any good?

Mine is pretty good and his pre-match match comments do vary from time to time. Half time they vary a good deal and full time also.

The 'do it for the fans' , whilst it may seem repetitive is not altogether a stupid thing to say. It should be relatively uncommon to say things like "expect a win" or "pressure is off" as both are at the extreme ends of the spectrum, so would expect to be in extreme situations if you are using those two.

The "nothing really to say about that performance", I have always took to mean that the team has done what is expected of them. So reputation, odds etc have all been met. Sometimes I have just left the match and it angered a couple of the players, other times as you have done with "good win" and a number of players switched off. As the comment (to me) means that expectations have been met, I tend to choose the complacency comment if it is available, and I find that gives me pretty good reactions across the team

[dafuge]

Mine got the England job

[Stonedroses]

Mine got the Wolves job!
Oh no! this was reality, not FM...

[jeyjey07]

Just use my Assistant for the press and assessing the squad.

+1
Def agree

[Magnakai Haaskivi]

Get Tony Coton, he's my favourite and starts unemployed

Second this, I think he's been on my staff now for the last three versions. I have no idea who he is in reality, but in FM he's fantastic.

[Coentrao]

Does he have high man management? My assistant recommends the team talk i would usually use.

[Falahk]

I mostly have mine to talk to the press, take care of the tactics training category, set up a few pre season friendly, and help me trying to figure out how much potential my current youngsters have

club icon Aitor Karanka is doing that part well enough these days after City poached my former assistant Oleg Luzhnyi

[themadsheep2001]

Does he have high man management? My assistant recommends the team talk i would usually use.

I have Di Salvo, who is excellent at man managment, even though I do my own talks, i always have a look at his recommendations, and we usually have the same thoughts.

[The_1191]

I had Cotton for about four years, I was on his favoured personel list, would give me good suggestions and as has been mentioned he started unemployed and was quite cheap. All went wrong when Stoke came sniffing around for him, I missed the message acted too late and he left for Stoke who had just returned to the premiership. Was gutted. Now I have an assistant that keeps recommending for the fans all the time, but is good at evaluating my team so isn't all bad (will find his name when I can), still miss Cotton though

[arsenalthebest]

i have Terry Mcdermot as my assitant and he's excellent -unfortunatly he retire at the end of the season going to be hard to finda good replacement

[scott MUFC]

i dunno, he beats man city away all the time but that is about it really lol

[Sussex Hammer]

Mine is Danny Gabbidon. An ex player brought in as he is an ex Hammer. In other words he was cheap!! But his stats have grown. Man Management 18, Tactical 20, Technical 20, Judging Player Ability 20, Judging Player Pot 20, Tactical Knowledge 20. Maybe he is let down by Motivating 13, Discipline 13, Determination 13, Mental 13. Team Talks maybe come under Man Management, Motivating and Determination? I don't know.

[themadsheep2001]

Mine is Danny Gabbidon. An ex player brought in as he is an ex Hammer. In other words he was cheap!! But his stats have grown. Man Management 18, Tactical 20, Technical 20, Judging Player Ability 20, Judging Player Pot 20, Tactical Knowledge 20. Maybe he is let down by Motivating 13, Discipline 13, Determination 13, Mental 13. Team Talks maybe come under Man Management, Motivating and Determination? I don't know.

Di Salvo, who has been excellent for me has

spoiler:

Man Management 20, Motivation 20, Determination 19, but then he also has discipline 10

Go to your assistant manager, and click on the information tab, have a look at his man management, and squad management bars

[mufctimmyg]

mine is terrible. so pleased when mike phelan went but he was actually alright. cant get rid of this one. board wont let me sack and he wont take mutual termination. pain. i know who i want to replace him as well and he will agree to come atm. got 6 months of contract left. cant wait to get rid

[Ackter]

My assistant acts as my manager so I always make sure to hire the best I can get.

[Mikal]

Tassotti for me, seems very good, usually gets a good reaction in team talks other than when there's a high scoring game and he doesn't individually praise the top performers. His Judging player potential is a bit too low for my liking, but until someone better comes along I am more than happy with him.

[Ackter]

I've currently hired Mark Bowen, Mark Hughes' often assistant, after John Carver's contract expired at the end of last season. Carver had been rather successful but I believed someone else could be more so and Bowen ticked all the boxes I look for in my managers (man management, discipline, motivation and tactical knowledge - he also has good ability judgement which is a bonus.)

[telV7]

Mirko Reichel for me. I am still very early in my save (2014) so hoping I can hang onto him. Has good stats across the relevant areas and is still developing as an assistant, if I could get a couple of extra points in his tactical knowledge I would be very happy. In time, maybe.

[MeesterCat]

I used to have Stuart Gray, on the basis that he was the only one I could afford. I've just moved clubs and inherited Martin Keown.

[jimbobBRFC]

Eric Black for me, done a wonderful job for me at Blackburn for the past two years. Had a few clubs sniffing around him but im on his favoured personel list and his contract is shall we say generous.

Use him for team reports, picking the squad for routine games and the odd press conferenece when Im in a bad mood.

[bolulu]

I also like one with high "discipline" & "motivation" ratings, so he will get the blokes suitably occupied.
Also like him to have high scouting ratings too as I always use him to get a 2nd. opinion on any of my proposed future signings before I jump in.

[scott MUFC]

mine is steven thomson
main stats are
technical - 17
level of dicipline -17
motivating - 16
tactical knowledge -16

[gipsy]

Hey Ackter, if your assistant acts like your manager, what do you actually do? pick up balls after training?

[Ackter]

Scout and sign players, negotiate contracts, pick starting formation (this is my way of replicating the tactical advice a DoF would give, as soon as the match kicks off its all in the hands of my assistant) etc.

[vilks]

I always do pressers and team talks (That "100% record" thing is the prime reason, for some reason I don't want to lose that) but my Ass Man has tactical knowledge of 20. Makes setting up the opposition instructions much quicker as he is usually spot on.

Tactical knowledge is pretty much the only attribute I'm interested in when it comes to my ass man.

[SFC_Jordi]

I have Andy Crosby, decent stats across the board, only problem is we seem to differ on playing styles.

[Chrisss!]

Di Salvo, can't go wrong with him.

[BiggusD]

Tombolini. Hasn't noticed anything wrong with his press conferences, but he is a bit soft on the team talks so I mostly do those myself (unless I agree, which also happens).

[boingboing]

Hi there ,

I can see where I get my assistant to do team talks etc , but where do I set it up so he arranges friendlys , takes control of friendlys , and does the press conferences

[Millar]

Hi there ,

I can see where I get my assistant to do team talks etc , but where do I set it up so he arranges friendlys , takes control of friendlys , and does the press conferences

Can be found in the "Team Policy" menu of your Club Overview.

[phidelta42]

Mine is Jair Ventura, he has 19 for motivation/man management, 17 for tactical knowledge and doubles up as a 4.5 star attacking coach.

[boingboing]

Can be found in the "Team Policy" menu of your Club Overview.

ahhh thanks alot mate