The Chairman
When perusing clubs to manage always take a look at the Chairman's attributes � particularly patience, ambition, and, business acumen. Often those are the deciding factor between one club and another.
Those expectations are not randomly generated. They are related to the reputation of the club, ground size and training facilities, and, finances. The expectations of some clubs in the same division can vary considerably. The expectations of a club newly promoted would be worlds apart from those of a club that just missed out on promotion the previous season.
From your name on the Managers Menu Bar go to Board Confidence and click to reach the following screen.
Clicking on Board Request or FA Request will present you with a choice of requests that you can make. In the first season at any club most requests will be rejected until your reputation substantially increases.
What the Board says What they Mean
Improve the squad - The board anticipate relegation and want you to improve the quality within the squad to enable a quick return to the current division.
Battle bravely against relegation - The club should not be relegated and you should finish the season in the lower half of the table.
Stay clear of relegation - To finish the season clear of any relegation battles, including play-offs, with a mid-table position.
Respectable league position - To finish the season in the upper half of the table.
Play off position - To achieve a promotion play-offs position but not necessarily gain promotion this season.
Promotion - Be promoted via an automatic promotion position, or, achieve promotion via the play-offs.
Serious Championship challenge - Win the current league championship.
European Qualification - Achieve entry to any European competition by any means cup, league, or invitation but, in any event, finish in a high league position
Keeping your job
Keeping your job at a club depends to a large extent on the calibre of the club you select to manage. Join a lower league club and, even if you screw up in the first season, you might just be allowed to keep your job and turn things around at the second attempt. Selecting a Premier club in one of the better leagues and you have just got to perform well to survive. The big difference in the two scenarios is the amount of time a club will tolerate you without any visible signs of success. The time allowed shortens as you progress up the league ladders.
The signs of an immanent change in your employment status are many. Reports in the news about unhappy fans or players are early warnings and the consequences of a vote of confidence from the board are well known. Looking in the job status screen and seeing your own name will give you some idea of just how little time you have available unless you can quickly improve the situation.
The formula to keeping your job
? Win games
? Have a good Cup run
? Achieve the Board's expectations
? Stay in the black, or return to the black, the club finances
Equally simple is the formula to lose your job.
? Lose games
? Free valuable players, or those valued by the board
? Overbid in transfer buys
? Ignore fan pressure and player displeasure
? Apply consistently for other jobs
? Bombard the board with requests
Your reputation.
When you join a club in a new game your reputation will be set at a very low level compared to other managers within the chosen league. The lowest level is �Unproven�.
Although your reputation can, over the course of several seasons, go down as well as up the factors effecting those changes never alter.
The reputation is obtained, after the initial setting, by a combination of matches played, won, lost, League standard and position, and the quality of the clubs you play against etc. � particularly during a successful cup run.
If you guide a lower league club to the quarter or semi-finals of a high standard cup competition beating First and Premier Division opponents on the way then, your reputation will rise even to the extent where higher division clubs will �head hunt� you. Also if you relegate Manchester United or Barcelona then, well you can guess whats gonna happen to your reputation.
The grades of reputation, starting with the lowest, are, in order, Unproven, Very Poor, Poor, OK, Good, Very Good, and Superb.
