Jack Ross admits he is having to plan for all eventualities with Sunderland unsure when their season will end or in which division they will be competing next season.
The Black Cats go into the final week of the season still with an outside chance of clinching automatic promotion, although it is far more likely that they will have to take their chances in the play-offs.
But that means they do not know if their season will end on Saturday, in mid-May if they lose in the play-off semi-finals, or on May 26 if they make it to the final at Wembley.
Nor do they know whether they will still be in League One next season, or if they will be making an immediate return to the Championship - and the issue may not be decided until that play-off final date.
The uncertainty affects the date the players will go their separate ways, when they will return for pre-season training, and the club's pre-season programme, to say nothing of the club's recruitment plans and even the contract situations of some players.
Ross said: "I've got three different schedules at the moment for May and beyond, because if we do end up in the play-offs we don't know what days we would be playing.
"Then for the summer we have to have different plans in place depending on when the season finishes for us, and beyond that which league we are in.
"It's not ideal in terms of that uncertainty. There are elements of it that I can control to a degree, but there are elements where there are conversations to be had with other people at the club.
"It's just a case of trying to do that while trying to prepare and win games at the same time."
Ross can at least console himself with the fact that the situation this summer will be a major improvement on that he walked into when he took the post almost a year ago.
Back then he was getting to grips with a new job, working under new owners, with a depleted squad that would have to be completely rebuilt ready for the League One campaign.
"We had a difficult summer in that respect," he said. "We were way behind and we don't want to be in that situation again, although we are not aided by the fact that our season may be extended.
"I'm still expecting us to be farther ahead than we were last year, just not quite as far ahead as we would be in an ideal world."
Stewart Donald bought the club from Ellis Short a year ago yesterday, but in recent days and weeks there has been talk of another takeover which - if true - would add another layer of uncertainty.
But Ross says he will not let the rumours affect him or his players as they prepare for their final two league games, and potentially a play-off campaign after that.
He said: "Because I've got a good relationship with Stewart, I'm just working on the basis that if he has anything important to tell me, he'll tell me.
"It shouldn't affect me as manager.
"I've been keen to have a bit more structure about things on the football side and Stewart knows that and my ideas and the thinking behind it, so it's just trying to move that along and get it in place."
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