My view has always been there are plenty of situations that football throws up when our relationship with players and benches is challenged. Although being repeatedly asked can be a ballache, it's an easy opportunity to build a bit of rapport and show a human face. Being an a**e really doesn't help & if it's appropriate I'll try and respond with a bit of empathy - to the striker chasing an equaliser or the knackered centre-half dying for the final whistle. Just don't sell yourself up the swanny :
- Don't look at your watch when you should be looking somewhere else - 'just a second mate' or whatever suits your style / situation works
- As others have said, don't be too accurate toward the end of a match. I do go with time left, but will always say '10 plus added', rather than give an all-in response
- Anything less than 5 minutes and I'm going with 'we're inside the last 5/4/3 as appropriate', not an exact time. Big mistake I made when I first started was being too precise. I think I said something like '20 seconds to go' at a free kick and then had the bench counting down out loud. Of course sods law then intervenes and the ball is pinballing around the 6 yard box when they get to zero. Don't do that !