Football Manager 2007

By Kristan Reed Published 29 September, 2006

The pre-match build up starts here.

Another year, another Football Manager. Or so you might think.

It's easy to roll your eyes at the prospect of another incremental update to the world's favourite footy management sim. As one respected journo remarked to me this morning, "it's just prettier fonts, innit?"

The PR fluff can often be counterproductive to the message, with exaggerated boasts about '100 new features' that 'add more to the game than ever before'. Scouring the vast amount of information on the blogs, most of these new features are little more than tweaks to existing ideas, so it's no wonder some of the old hands get a tad cynical during these annual update phases.

But once you wade through the quite torturously in-depth explanations of the nuances of each improvement, you discover more meaningful new additions than you might imagine. The key point isn't so much the quantity of subtle tweaks and enhancements, but how fundamental some of them could prove to be.

Warm up

Having been given the opportunity to take the game for a spin over the past few weeks, we thought we'd put some of the claims to the test.

Perhaps the key new feature this year is Player Interaction, which effectively extends last year's manager interaction process to all the players as well - and not just your own, but the those on rival teams too. Essentially, you can conduct your little 'chats' face to face with members of your squad or conduct your communication through the media, giving rave reviews of potential targets to unsettle, flatter, or just plain tap them up.

'Football Manager 2007' Screenshot icons

Spot the new icons!

The really interesting side effect of these player interactions is how rival clubs respond to your meddling. Every action has a reaction, and not everything you say or do will be well received. For example, players may well come and join your club on loan or sign for you after some flattering comments, but the strategy could backfire if a disgruntled rival club decides to return the favour by raiding your own squad or refuses to have any dealings with you in the transfer market as a result.

Somewhat less controversially, you can simply choose to get advice from your players to get their opinion on the threats posed by your next opponents, discuss a contract situation or give your verdict on their current form as a means of motivating them. The senior players can be encouraged to help bring the youngsters up to standard, recommend future signings and sort out any morale issues within the team, and can even be coaxed into coaching or management as their playing career comes to an end, increasing the persistent nature of the game universe no end. The best thing about this extra layer of micromanagement is that you can quite easily choose to ignore it if it's not something you're interested in

Through ball

And now that we're onto the third revision of Football Manager, we're finally moving into that phase that SI always enters once it has managed to squash the bugs and minor issues that blight entirely new versions of its games. As a result we can expect more optimisation for creaking machines as well as the multi-core beasts at the top end. Despite encountering a silly bug that crashed our build when we dared to insert a mugshot into the profile set-up, the game ran solidly throughout, at a consistently high speed regardless of multiple programmes running in the background and numerous alt-tabbing interruptions. To really test the claims, we ran it on a relatively low spec laptop, so most desktop machines should have no problems whatsoever.

As they point out every year, FM 2007 will be "easier to use, navigate and control and all the options are more obvious to players". Most of the time this is definitely true, thanks to clearer icons, customisable bookmarks and a vidiprinter spewing forth tons of interesting snippets of information, as well as tweaks to the already clean layout. Rarely will you get stumped over how to find something - and even if you do the 300 hints and tips and the updated tutorial should help out in no time. Usefully, delegating the growing layers of micromanagement to your back-room team seems more obvious (and beneficial) than ever, giving the more old school players the chance to switch off a lot of the stuff you might otherwise consider unnecessary.

'Football Manager 2007' Screenshot barcharts

And now: bar charts!

For those that really like to dig deep into what the game has to offer, you now get much better feedback from your entire backroom staff - but whether you listen to the opinions of your assistant manager is up to you. Scouts and agents, meanwhile, play an even bigger role. For example, the agents now offer advice on who might be the best players to use as makeweights in player-exchange deals, while scouts are great for giving you a decision on whether someone you're interested in is actually better than you've got.

It's abundantly clear that a player's personality can be just as crucial as their ability. No longer can you simply rely on scouring their stats when you're making a transfer decision - now you have to consider how much of a bad or good influence they may have on the team as a whole, or on certain individuals. It's when you start exploring these sides of Football Manager 2007 that the player interactions and listening to the scouts become much more useful, and the game forces you to start to think much more like a real life manager would. Sometimes, taking on a Craig Bellamy type character might be worth the risk of him spouting something to the press, or taking his frustrations out on members of your team.

Stadium of blight

Other improvements this year include being able to build a new stadium - particularly useful to those of you wanting to turn Gretna into a world footballing power, proving you've built up the required funds of course. Another vital improvement is how the board interact with you, and the kind of things that can happen as the game progresses. For instance, in the business of transfer wheeling and dealing, they might decide that an offer from a rival club is simply too good to turn down. This happened quite early on for us - albeit in reverse - when we decided (as Norwich) to poach Luton's promising attacking midfielder Rowan Vine. Despite Mike Newell issuing a hands-off warning, our 825k offer was more than enough for the Hatters' board to take the money and run.

As before, wage limits play a crucial part in deals, but you can now arrange pre-contracts (for example, with star youth players) to ensure you can secure their services. On the flip side, you might end up getting unexpected foreign investment and finding that your transfer budget has skyrocketed to allow you to go on a spending spree. But just as in real life, board reshuffles or takeovers might result in you having the rug pulled out from beneath you, and left looking for a new club.

'Football Manager 2007' Screenshot media

Lots of new media messages to cycle through - but you don't have to read all of them if you can't be bothered.

Sports Interactive has also fleshed out other areas of the game; such as the way the youth teams regenerate. For example, poor youth facilities might limit the number of future stars coming through the ranks, while a new feeder club system allows you to set up an affiliate scheme with another club. On a basic level it could be an agreement to send a player out on loan, get first dibs on their best players, play friendlies, get around work permit laws or even as a means of increasing your marketing reach. Such are the evil ways of football these days.

This year's version also makes a bigger deal out of controversial decisions - just like real life. Refereeing errors are now something you can take issue with via the media, both for and against your team - but with the very real prospect of the FA coming down on you like a ton of bricks and banning you from the touchline. We didn't manage to see what affect that has on your ability to manage during a match, but we suspect it means having to place the decisions during the match to your assistant. In addition, you have to be mindful the consequence of your responses to the media on your team. For example, team members might feel let down if you allow the ref to get away with it, so it's a big balancing act.

Dug out

As with every version of Football Manager, it's a very personal experience, and no amount of previewing can possibly unearth all the cool new things there are to know about the game. So far, it looks very promising in that the core experience is just as good as it ever was, but with subtle tweaks improvements that make you think about your familiar day-to-day actions in a different way. Some might not particularly enjoy the amount of extra messages they now have to read and respond to, but on balance it's a fun addition to the core brilliance.

If you're still feeling cynical about whether you should shell out for yet another version, then try it for yourself. There are two versions of the demo being made available this weekend. The full game is released on October 20th on PC and Mac, with PSP and Xbox 360 versions to follow shortly afterwards.

Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (27) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Zomoniac #1 5 years ago

    "Other improvements this year include being able to build a new stadium".

    Great, so basically they've broken it. The thing that always set CM/FM apart from the crowd was it focused purely on being a football manager and everything that it entails. A manager does not, ever, dictate anything with regards to stadia, sponsorship, ticket prices, advertising and all the bullshit that comes with it, yet PM, LMA, FSM et al felt the need to include these features. Previous versions of FM allowed you to make a request to the board for increased capacity, which was ok. This is just stupid.

    Oh, and first \o/

  • X #2 5 years ago

    Sounds OK, but I really think we're starting to see the limitations of new 'features' on management on a computer.

  • TipTop #3 5 years ago

    Still waiting for this to embrace multiplayer leagues, team blogs and all other stuff the wonderful interweb can provide. Great game but lets move it forward a little ...

  • T4RG4 #4 5 years ago

    Actually I think all the new stuff is great. Recently I'd started to worry about FManager not adding much each year, but this sounds like a load of well balanced additions have been made. Having some say in increasing your stadium/building new, whilst not entirely realistic (I havent tried it so dont know how the option plays out) is a welcome addition IMO and in no way can be compared to all the 'fake' extra controls other management games have.

    Bring it on!

  • w00t #5 5 years ago

    w00t!

  • MetalJoe #6 5 years ago

    Nice... a new version of FM and Pro Evo out on the same day!

  • Miles_SI #7 5 years ago

    Zomoniac - you don't personally build a new stadium. Your board might decide that one is appropriate if you suggest an expansion (the latter being a feature that has been in our games for many years), but means that teams who do go through the divisions are actually able to maximise on their promotions when planning permission might not have let them. So we haven't broken anything in that respect, and we have no interest in adding non managerial tasks to the game.



  • Fl0yd #8 5 years ago

    No bung option?

  • Zomoniac #9 5 years ago

    Miles, thanks for clarifying on that one. Good to hear, I was worried that next year's feature would be choosing the ad hoardings around the pitch! That seems like a good feature, I kinda assumed it was a FIFA Manager "I want a 3-tier section in this corner" malarky.

  • Lonestar #10 5 years ago

    Can you type in codes to enable cheats?

    RAFA = God mode.

    HARRY = Yor personal bank balance mysteriously rises. It happens to coincide with the arrival and depature of players.

  • Wash #11 5 years ago

    Cant wait....

    would love to see a push towards proper net play... my cable connection struggles playing with more than couple of ppl over the net with a decent sized database.

  • Yossarian #12 5 years ago

    sounds just super, I can't wait. all the new features are the kind that humanise the stats and numbers, and that's my favourite aspect of the game sometimes

  • RiverMan #13 5 years ago

    Anyone got any ideas how spicy your pc will need to be to run this? I'm a filthy nerd completist so I'd want to get as many leagues as possible running at once...

  • marc_si #14 5 years ago

    "Great, so basically they've broken it."


    To clarify with the stadium stuff you DONT get to build the stadium or do a little sim city style scenario where you set hot-dog prices ...

    This simply means that your BOARD may opt to move to a new stadium (with the cash problems such a thing sometimes brings) if you are unable to expand things further at your current ground.
    Edited by 2 at 29/09/06 @ 15:45

  • Yossarian #15 5 years ago

    but if I remember rightly there already exists an option to request an expansion to the stadium. how is this different?

    I could never get Palermo to expand their stadium even when we won both Serie A and the CL back to back. it was always blocked by planning permission. :(

  • Yossarian #16 5 years ago

    also SI guys: is this going to be even slower on my 800mhz/512mb RAM pc this year? :''(

    oh well, I've been meaning to buy a laptop

  • Neil_SI Verified Producer, Sports Interactive #17 5 years ago

    Yossarian: Expanding the existing stadium is different to moving to an entirely new stadium. Some clubs cannot expand on their existing grounds due to spatial limitation or opposition from local residents. It's not as easy as just expanding all the time which is also why a lot of clubs move to new stadiums in real life.

    You do have a very low spec machine but we've made some additional optimisations to the game and there are further options to customise the Match Engine and how much detail it retains per competitions which should help.

  • T4RG4 #18 5 years ago

    What about the text bugs? My fave is 'Congratulations on reaching the!' Final ;)

    Hope every team in the EPL doesnt get super rich after a season or too as well... Anyway, I'm just moaning and anyone who's a dev knows how fecking annoying it is when you read moaning comments :)

    Oh and one more thing - I wish I could STORE my history and take it from game to game (Titles won, games won, reputation blah) Not in detail, just the basics because obviously I might finish 2006 in year 2050 and start 2007 afresh. I just hate starting as a nobody (unless I wanted that) and feel as though using the editor is cheating.

    Really looking forward to this version. It sucks away far too much of my life though!

  • Yossarian #19 5 years ago

    "You do have a very low spec machine but we've made some additional optimisations to the game and there are further options to customise the Match Engine and how much detail it retains per competitions which should help."

    I find FM2006 runs surprisingly well given my lack of processing power; 512mb of RAM makes the loading/saving times bearable, at least. I do find that the whole experience gets a little more unwieldy after a season or two, and I presume this is because of all the data being stored for individual games. if this is the case then the option to have the game forget (i.e. delete) the results/match data of inessential games would be nice (by inessential I mean anything that doesn't involve a) the team I'm using, b) the Champions League, and c) international tournaments).

    and tone down the English bias! within five years of starting a game anywhere in the world I can expect England to have won a major tournament (seems to be a strange correlation between their winning one and Paul Jewell being in charge -- not sure what you're trying to say...), and at least one year when the last four teams in the CL are English. it's not right, and it's about my only remaining complaint about your games. keep up the good work! ;)
    Edited by 1 at 29/09/06 @ 17:05

  • vane101 #20 5 years ago

    I like the sound of it but I hope it's not getting too complex. It looks like you'll be having to take on board comments from scouts, the assistant manager, senior players, the board and the target players themselves, when buying new players.

    Personally, I'd just settle for an accurate detailed scout report, which tells me more than whether someone might be a decent signing.

  • Neil_SI Verified Producer, Sports Interactive #21 5 years ago

    vane101: Why don't you give the Gold Demo a whirl and see how you feel the game's come on. I think you'll like the new Scout Report additions based on your comments and as ever with our game, it's a balancing act. There's plenty of new stuff in there that you do not have to use if you don't want to. You can dip your toes in or dive right in and that's something we always look to maintain with our game.

  • vane101 #22 5 years ago

    Ok Neil. I'll see how it goes!

  • SomaticSense #23 5 years ago

    Yossarian - "I find FM2006 runs surprisingly well given my lack of processing power; 512mb of RAM makes the loading/saving times bearable, at least."

    Neil-SI - "You do have a very low spec machine"

    Christ! I guess I can count this version out then. What with my 'massive' 866mhz, 192mb ram PC and all.
    I knew my PC was pretty low spec, but if a 512mb PC is now classed 'a very low spec machine' then mine must be absolute sewer quality shit all of a sudden, despite being able to run a few leagues with bearable (only just mind) load times on FM2006.

    So with this in mind, and not being all that computer savvy, could anyone tell me what kind of price I would be looking at for a laptop that could run this at decent quality? £500/600?

  • marc_si #24 5 years ago

    If you were happy with the speed of last years version then you'll be more than happy with this years version as its faster (and there isn't any more memory overhead in it than with last years).

    Neils right in that compared to machines you purchase today yours is fairly low-spec, but then again not all of us upgrade every few months like Neil .... ;)

  • qtip #25 5 years ago

    I've bought every version of SI's CM and FM since the first one and I really am sick of the treatment Celtic get, and lately it's been getting worse.
    This version has a Celtic team that is pretty far removed from reality, now I know you had problems with the researcher, but the other scottish researchers obviously have problem with the tic and are sticking the boot in.
    A few small points, you have Scotlands player of the year starting in the reserves, seriously there is no need for this nonsense.
    Please take the time to sort the Celtic squad as your Scottish researchers are doing your company a great injustice and it reflects badly.

  • SomaticSense #26 5 years ago

    Thanks Marc :)

    That's good news. I might still get a laptop though, as the PSP version really whetted my appetite for FM on the move, and the thought of the more detailed and in-depth PC version on a laptop wherever I go is just too good to true. Plus there would be no complaining over hogging the family PC all the time!!!

    Only problem is, I worry that it would then become quite a serious addiction, as there would be literally nothing to stop me playing it all the time........

  • Xune #27 5 years ago

    I think that you'll find, as in real life, if you do the same thing day in day out the opposition will twig on and find weaknesses in your formation and strategy.

    If there was one winning formation and strategy football would not be the game it is.