FM19 Mentoring

[Banditman]

I really want to like the changes to mentoring.  Really, I want to like it!  However, while many aspects of FM19 move toward a more realistic simulation, this one actually doesn't and it really bothers me.

Overall, the idea of mentoring groups is probably pretty good.  However, it's taken away the real "reason" mentoring is good - namely the ability to have an older, experienced player mentor a younger one.

Let's say I have a promising 17 year old striker in my youth team, but he's a little bit lacking in ambition or determination . . . something that can be the difference between fulfilling promise and becoming a former player.  In prior version of FM, you simply had one of your older players begin mentoring the youngster.  Perhaps it took mentoring him a few times over the course of two or three years, but you could eventually take that promising young player and turn him into a solid player.  This seems realistic to me.  Exactly the sort of thing you'd hope for from an older player and younger potential player.

But now I can't do that?!?!?!  What?!?!?  It doesn't make sense.

Sure, I could put that youth player in the senior squad.  But now he's getting coached by coaches who are not effective at all for him since my senior squad coaches have almost no WWY attribute at all.  And remember, for that youth player, coaching is everything.  Ok, so I wait until he's 18 . . . well, that sucks too.  All that wasted time for the 16 and 17 year old players.  Why even have a youth team?

This also completely trivializes, in fact, effectively, it eliminates the Reserves team.  Why would I want to have a Reserves team?  If I put a senior player or three into the Reserves specifically to mentor the up and coming players, those senior players get upset.  Rightly so!  So of course, the solution is to move everyone to the first team.  That seems . . . wrong.

Dear SI, please allow us to create mentoring groups among all squads at the club.  It's the only thing that makes any sense at all.

 

[plcarlos]

It's aimed at being more realistic, and i think it is.

The previous mechanic allowed us to create super teams, and tutoring 1-1 was easy. We could argue that it was almost overpowered.

Here's how i see it now, and I'll use the fact I support Spurs as a real life example

The First team is established, and train together. The best U18's get game time for U23 squad if doing well, and can get moved up in doing well - So far almost exactly what FM does.

Now at Spurs, we have KWP, Skipp to name a few that are training with the first team squad. We can achieve this in FM by adding them to the training units. Just because they are there, does not mean they will all make it, otherwise we'd have a player dubbed the English-Messi tearing the league up right now. Same goes for CCV, who has been dubbed one of the best defenders we produced since King.. This also should serve to show that just mentoring, or training with a squad is not a guarantee in real life, so why should it in FM?

The first team jump should be for those we are looking at pushing for a place, or who we bring in during an injury crisis - again, very much like real teams do.

Current save, I've got 3 players we could put in this bracket, but they all can come on and get game time to relieve a main player when i have injuries, or fatigue. The rest are in U23\U18 squads according to ability then age

BTW - I've created mentoring groups for all 3 squads in my save, and I've seen some great results - So you don't actually have to bump them up all the way to first team squads to get the benefit. As my reserve\youth get better players and better personalities, this will only grow. I've seen a lot of personalities grow, determintation growing and a few PPMS transfering - just int he U23's alone.

There is one frustration with me on mentoring though, which is the passing on of negative traits, such as dwells on ball. I can confirm this is something I've not trained, and I manage the individual training.

[phnompenhandy]

All way over my head. How do I set my assistant manager to sort out the mentoring groups and take charge? The option in the top right corner is greyed out for me.