Mentoring

[coolguyrko]

I'm playing as Ajax and as usually have a few young players who need to be developed. I was just wondering when is the best time to mentor a player since they have to be in the same squad as the tutor. Is it better to wait until they are first team ready or call them up immediately making them available for U18 matches? The only downside in calling them up is that my U18s coaching staff is much better than ,my senior team staff at the minute.

What do you normally do?

 

[Ultras500]

I always have them in the first team but available for reserves/U18. My thinking is always first team training & facilities will be more beneficial (and I cannot be bothered switching between first team and U18 tabs).

 

[WJ]

I always have them in the first team but available for reserves/U18. My thinking is always first team training & facilities will be more beneficial (and I cannot be bothered switching between first team and U18 tabs).

The facilities will be the same.

Whether the training is better will depend on the coaches.

I would disagree in general though. You're messing up the training schedule for the youngster. He's training on the same days as the first team players who, for example, play on a Wednesday and Saturday so the training is built around that. Now your youngster plays (again, for example) on a Tuesday and Sunday, so he'll only really be training on a Monday and Friday.

If it's a player with loads of potential and he desperately needs the mentoring, maybe, but give him sub appearances etc. If the personality isn't horrific, I'd wait a year or so until he's better so I can give him more game time in the first team.