Football Manager 2006 Review

Overall Rating

Updated transfer lists up to January transfer season, realistic simulations, proper in depth management including referee statistics as well now, tutition mode now.

Difficult if you've never had a simulation manager game before (like me) at first.

Football Manager 2006 is the latest game in a long stream of football management games released by Sega every single season. This one promises to be the best so far. It needs to be with Fifa Manager and Championship Manager breathing down it's neck (mostly the latter).

First impressions are good, clear main menu helps you to get used to the game fast, shame there is no one off friendly match management option but apart from that everything that you want is there.

Once you have clicked on the 'start new game' button, you are asked to pick what leagues you would like your career to be in. I would recommend clicking on the 'recommended amount' button since this gets the computer to estimate the amount of leagues that your computer can run without getting slow. While this may seem a shame at first, you only really need the big leagues, not for example, the Polish leagues.

You can then choose the team that you would like to start off with. You may choose any team that you want to start off with, including the international teams. While purists may be a bit put off by the fact that you can start with Barcalona or Chelsea, it is not recommended that you start with a big team since you will struggle. Common sense will tell you to go with a smaller team.

There is an endless amount of features in the management of the game, I am not going to bother listing them all since it would take too long, but only the ones that I think stand out.

Manager - includes news (e-mail simulation section), what the fans of the team think of you, what the directors of the club think of you and your achievements so far in your career.

Your Team (e.g. Liverpool) - includes your team selection, formation, tatics (includes telling which people are your target men, how 'extreme' you want your team to be in time wasting etc), your reserves and under 18 teams.

Stats - referee, team, player and a host of other statistics which may be helpful when considering what tactics you want to use for the game ahead.

Transfers - Transfer market (if open). Transfers are really hard to pull off with the bigger clubs, Chelsea have the most money at the start of the game with 90 million to spend but some of the bigger clubs will not get as much money as you think they would e.g. Liverpool will only get 10 million.

Graphics - Very good, you can either watch the match on a radar style screen, which is better than it sounds, or you can instruct the assistant manager what you want him to do and then go on holiday for the day or week! You can now give half time talks to players as individuals as well as a whole team talk now as well.

Addiction - Hard to get into straight away if you have never had a management game before but once you are on your way, you will find this game hard to stop playing.

Multiplayer - No, unless you count internet play as multiplayer which I suppose you could.

Value for Money - Fantastic, full 10 stars, only £17 on Amazon.co.uk plus free delivery!

Overall - The best football management game around at a moment - until FM07 comes out.

Members' Comments onarianne's Review

• Anonymous101 on 23rd Feb 2007

  Football Manager 2006 is a great game. I agree, and I would recommend it!