Staff

Overview

The Staff Overview screen displays the senior staff in charge of running each department of your backroom team, and provides quick-access links to customise the remit of their day-to-day activities.

Staff Attributes

The following details and describes how the ratings model for non-players works in Football Manager™ Touch 2020. All attributes work on the 1-20 scale where 20 is the very best while 1 is the lowest possible value, in the same way as Player Attributes do.

Coaching Attributes

Attacking

Their competency and interest in coaching attacking football. This will be used to determine how likely a manager is to adopt a suitable attacking approach from game to game, how likely certain Player Traits are to be successful under their coaching, and a general attacking bias towards training, backroom advice and player evaluations.

Defending

The ability of the staff member to coach the defensive side of the game. Higher ratings indicate an interest and a proficiency in working well on the defensive side of the game. If the non-player in question has a higher Defending rating than Attacking, their bias when undertaking match preparation will be skewed towards the defensive side of the game, for example.

Fitness

This reflects a coach’s ability to work on the fitness side of the game, and to recognise potential issues before they arise during matches.

Goalkeeper Distribution

This reflects their ability to competently coach a goalkeeper in the quality and effectiveness of their distribution. Their technical attributes – Kicking and Throwing in particular - will govern the success of their delivery, this attribute primarily deals with identifying the right player to distribute to, and the method of getting the ball there.

Goalkeeper Handling

This reflects their ability to coach a goalkeeper’s Handling attribute as well as impacting upon their Aerial Reach, Command of Area and Communication.

Goalkeeper Shot Stopping

This reflects their ability to coach a goalkeeper’s ability to stop all types of shots. A better coach will see improvements in a goalkeeper’s Reflexes and One on Ones in particular.

Mental

The ability of the individual to provide the right help (particularly in backroom advice) when appraising the players with which he works.

Tactical

How tactically astute they are. More tactically astute coaches will not only be able to coach the tactical side of the game more effectively but any advice they may offer is likely to be more accurate and informative.

Technical

The ability of the coach to teach the technical side of the game; i.e. their work with the ball. It plays a part in the recommendations given concerning the individual attribute focus for player training, as well as the intensity of the training sessions they run.

Working with Youngsters

How successful a coach is at working with younger players – those aged 19 and under in particular. A non-player with a high rating here will improve players they work with if given a youth team training assignment, while the quality of an annual youth intake is affected by the rating of the person responsible for bringing them through. It is also used to determine an individual’s interest in young footballers overall, such as Chairmen when asking the Board for improved youth facilities.

Mental Attributes

Adaptability

Adaptability refers to how well the non-player adapts to living in a country that is not theirs. It will affect their interest in moving to another country too.

Determination

The mental desire of the coach to succeed. This isn’t a coaching attribute in terms of coaching a player’s mental approach – this is the coach as an individual and their own innate drive to better themselves and the players they work with.

Level of Discipline

This reflects the level of discipline the coach is likely to take in their approach. A higher attribute means that the coach will take up a harder line in his approach and keep things strict (which in turn discourages players from raising complaints in private chats and other similar aspects of managing players). A lower one means the coach is a little more relaxed but also easier for players to exert a little more power and influence over.

Man Management

How well the member of staff is able to deal with those around them and particularly below them. This is a mental aspect; a high attribute indicates a coach who is capable of organizing and keeping people happy, with particular regard to interaction, morale, coach reports and backroom advice, as well as scheduling appropriate rest periods during training.

Motivating

The mental ability of a coach to motivate their players. This has an impact in player interactions, team meetings, team talks and training.

Medical Attributes

Physiotherapy

This attribute is predominantly for use with Physiotherapists. In general, a high attribute here indicates a more accomplished Physiotherapist, but the rating is also used for fitness tests, player transfer medicals, and assessing injury proneness.

Sports Science

This attribute is also predominantly used by members of the medical team and governs the competency of the individual to accurately manage every player’s fitness level and injury risk in such a way that they are able to keep them in condition to play regular football.

Knowledge Attributes

Judging Player Ability and Potential

When employing a scout, these two attributes are the first things you should look at, but it remains valuable for all non-players, particularly coaches too. High attribute ratings in these two areas will most likely result in more accurate scouting reports and player evaluations. Judging Ability is important if you have assigned a scout to watch players you intend to bring in, are scouting upcoming opponents, or ask a coach to provide reports or advice on players in your squad. Judging Potential does much the same, but concerning the player’s long-term outlook, rather than his current situation.

Tactical Knowledge

The tactical knowledge possessed by a non-player. This has many uses; from opposition and team scouting to training and match preparation focus and backroom advice, a higher rating will result in both more accurate and more detailed information being passed back to you.

Negotiating

This attribute simply comments on how successfully they negotiate transfer and contract deals. A higher rating will represent strong dealings; a lower one less so.

Data Analysis Attributes

Judging Player Data

The ability of a Data Analyst to understand data concerning an individual player and interpret it in a manner useful to the manager.

Judging Team Data

The ability of a Data Analyst to understand data concerning a team and interpret it in a manner useful to the manager.

Presenting Data

The ability of a Data Analyst to present their data in an efficient and easily digestible manner to the manager and to the players.

How does each attribute impact a player’s performance or development?

A high attribute will typically deliver success more often, and more consistently, than a lower one. That means a scout with 20 for Judging Player Ability and Judging Player Potential will submit top quality reports on players that can be relied upon wholly; it means a coach with 20 for Tactical Knowledge will provide the best tactical advice, and it means a Physiotherapist with 20 for Physiotherapy will be proactive and responsive in their treatment of injuries.

That much should be relatively clear from the outset, but what about staff who score 10 in these areas? How does that affect my players?

In short, they become less reliable, but with that comes a few caveats. For example, if you have a Physiotherapist with 10 for Physiotherapy but the league average for staff employed in that role is 7, you have a significant advantage. The advice and treatment dispensed might not be the best it can be, but it could be the best it can be for your club, for your level and at this current time.

Numbers become relative to the standard you’re playing at. A top-quality coach working with players ostensibly below his ability is worth their weight in gold; the effect they can have on your squad will be more tangible and obvious than someone working at the level suitable for their ability; you’ll be able to see it in the development of your own players, the insight you’ll have into other teams and players if it’s a quality scout, and so on. Conversely, if you have a sub-par member of staff working at a level they’re not qualified for, and is below the average for your club, for your level and at this current time, then you’ll be somewhat handicapped by their work until you’re able to upgrade that job.

Staff Roles

Each member of the backroom team can be assigned to train at least one squad at the club, with some roles allowing more freedom, and greater flexibility. As Manager, you can assign yourself to any of the teams at the club, while First Team Fitness Coaches and Goalkeeping Coaches can do the same. First Team Assistant Managers and Coaches, however, may only work with the senior squad itself, as is the case for all Reserve, Under-21, Under-19 or Under-18 staff; they may only work with their assigned age groups with one exception. If two or more squads share facilities – for example a First Team and a Reserve Team train at the same site, then the assignments are opened up for anyone from any squad to move around freely.

Fitness Coaches may only work with the Strength and Aerobic categories while Goalkeeping Coaches may only work with the Handling Shot Stopping and Distribution categories.