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Football Manager 2011 (Mac)

It's that time again, and as we don our suit and tie for FM2011 there's a hint of trepidation.

Tonton Zola Moukoko. That either means something to you, or you're one of those strange types who doesn't feel the need to book off a Friday from work every year to take in the latest instalment of Football Manager.

It's that time again, and as we don our suit and tie for FM2011 there's a hint of trepidation. Can Sports Interactive improve what, in effect, has become the only kid on the football management sim block? Last year they saw off their own creation with a crushing blow to the Championship Manager series, meaning that this time round there's little need to do more than tweak the squad. As Sir Alex might put it - there's little value in the market.

It's these 'between' years that often disappoint the fans, but underneath the bonnet there are new toys that make a serious difference. A real time negotiation system for contracts, complete with money grabbing agents, is infinitely improved on previous takes, while actual conversations with staff, players, press and the board
give man management that more personal touch. There's match preparation, to make sure your squad are ready for the big game, and more training options in general to mould the kids into world beaters.

So is it enough to shell out again? It's a question of commitment. Being blunt, updated squads and leagues alone are enough to get any obsessives vote, but the feature set does change the game significantly.

Match preparation and the tactics creator, complete with tools to mess with set pieces, make it easier to chalk up your own killer formations and set plays instead of just downloading one from the internet. Granted, it's selecting from a list of standard commands, but it's a start. And yes, if you were wondering, there's still the odd corner exploit available.

Player management is another area where you'll need to rip up your previous rulebook. With real interaction you can read the riot act to your very own Wayne Rooney, or try to fix the problem face to face with a quick Q&A format chat. Be warned though, you can make things worse rather than better, but either way it feels a step on from simply playing the disgruntled party until they lighten up.

This gets even more fun when negotiating transfers and contracts. For big deals you can set the board to sort it for you, sometimes meaning they'll break the bank for that headlining signing. Otherwise Football Manager welcomes the agents to the table. From push overs to money grabbing swindlers, you'll need to pay what a third party thinks their client is worth and offer them a significant fee for the pleasure. Negotiations take the format of a real time back and forth, and even then you'll probably find yourself gazumped by Manchester City. Bastards.

At the end of the day, Football Manager always wins on one important truth - we're all transfer muppets. Without it, we'd have no idea who the Brazilian wonderkid linked to our club actually was. It's responsible for every Blackpool fan secretly wanting to sign Aguero, and every 12 year old Watford supporter sure that, if given half a chance, they could get their club into the Champions League. One day we'll find the new Tonton Zola Moukoko, and then Messi - he'll be sorry he turned us down.

Football Manager 2011 is available now for PC, Mac and PSP.

Rating: 9/10