[Page 1] [Page 2]

How to get the most out of your ‘Old Boys’ (2/2)

Obviously, to make all this work best you also need decent coaches. Coaches I find you should distribute equally amongst the core skills. But one of your main decisions is whether or not you are going to specialise.

By Specialising I mean that you are going to get 5 Coaches and an Assistant Manager all doing the same thing. Either General, Technique or Fitness. Tactics and Goalkeeping are completely different matters and I'll go into them in a minute.

Now I don’t specialise. Because typically you may get a benefit in certain areas, but somehow you never get your players to be the finished articles. However, if your team is showing an obvious lack of finishing ability, it may be time to bring in a group of General Coaches who know what they are doing even if it means your flair players aren't given the same level of treatment.

General Coaches specialise in General skills. They are the most common coach type and the most versatile. A General Coach can teach Skills and Fitness if you wish, but that isn't their best area. Shooting is their area. So it may be best to turn them off your other areas so that your real Fitness or technique coaches can do their jobs.

Technique Coaches are useless at Fitness, and vice versa. They are completely opposite coaching skills, and although a Fitness coach can do Skills, he won’t benefit your players as much as a Specialised Skills coach.

Personally I try to have 2 Technique Coaches, 2 Fitness and 2 General coaches, but I always make sure I have at least 1 Fitness and 1 Technique, preferably with high scores in training Outfield players and Youngsters.

Then you have to identify Specific Coaches to do certain jobs.

For Fitness (Fitness obviously) Coaches Primary skills are 15+)
Discipline
Determination
Coaching Outfield

Secondary skills are: (10+)
Working with youngsters
Motivating
Coaching Outfield

Now good Fitness coaches are hard to come by, so if you find one, stick by him and keep him at your club until you can get a better one, or another club poaches him.

Tactics Coach Primary (Any, Preferably General):
Tactical Knowledge
Discipline
Coaching Outfield

Secondary:
Man management
Motivating
Working with Youngsters.

Shooting Coaches (General):
Coaching Outfield
Coaching Youngsters
(Few Requirements which is why there are so many coaches for this position so take your time to find the best one you can)

Skills (Technique):
Coaching Outfield
Working with youngsters
Discipline
Motivating
(Good Skills coaches are hard to find at least the very best ones are anyway)

David Challoner

[Page 1]