Championship Manager 5 Solo

There is a strange tribe of gamers who will dedicate dozens, nay, hundreds of hours glued to the screen of their computer or games console and stare at a list of statistics, numbers and names. This might not seem like much to entertain anyone, but place it all in the context of managing a football team and the picture becomes clearer. Championship Manager is just one such game that places you in the grey business suit and questionable hairdo of a manager of a football team, such as from the English Premier League. Position accepted, it’s up to you to mould a team that’s capable of climbing to the top of whichever league you happen to find yourself in (in this instance it’s the Premiership), by transferring and signing players, implementing training regimes to build on your squad’s abilities, and then put it all into action as you oversee your club’s matches against the competition. It’s a game that you either click with or fail to see the point of entirely, and it’s not a decision that balances on whether you’re a football fan or not – the fact that you don’t control any of the players directly, like you would in FIFA or Sensible Soccer, means it’s much less directly involving.

However, if you’re a fan of this sort of thing, you won’t find it any less fascinating and you’ll be pleased to hear that Championship Manager, the daddy of football management simulations, is arriving imminently on mobile phone. Called Championship Manager 5 Solo, it manages to squeeze in nearly all of the elements of the full computer and console game. All of the real-world teams and players are included and from these you’ll need to build a squad, choose your tactics and watch them play. However, with an array of playing styles to choose from (including strategies used by the various world cup-winning teams of the past half-century) and regular feedback from your players, your board and the media, you’ll need to be savvy and balance every aspect of your team’s game to avoid getting the sack. Of course, you’re not on your own – there’s a dedicated staff at your disposal, the most important of which are the talent scouts. These chaps will go out and see who’s on the market and which of these available players will suit your team’s requirements. You can specify how much money you want to spend, how old a player you’re willing to take and how good they are at their given position. Then its simply a matter of making an offer and hoping that it’s accepted.

So, still awake? If you are then £5 for a game that could consume as much of your life as sleep itself represents exceptional value for money. Look out for a full review from our football-obsessed editor, Chris, soon.