The Story: Hmmm not exactly an appropriate title for this game, its not exactly a story per se more like a challenge. You the aspiring male or newly included FEMALE manager are given the option of managing like a billion different teams (ok its not that many but it's a lot FM 09 would have to have the most comprehensive, detailed an

d just plain huge database of any football management game). After selecting your team you take control of training, finances, tactics, transfers, the media and a boatload of other stuff and most importantly matchday...or you can leave it to your assistant manager to take care of...or download other peoples training and tactics and player suggestions which, I...may have. Ultimately your goal is to take that team to the highest league and play in the best competitions available or if they suck at least do well enough to be picked up by a better team.

What it Does Well: Football Manager 2009 crafts the best experience of what th

ey call the best job in the world. The sheer size of its database and the options this gives in regards to teams, competitions and players is just amazing. I can spend hours trawling through team lists of random nations I didn't even know existed trying to find a gem young player. It's a game where success comes from the details, requiring you to select where players go for corners, when they push up, cross, shot etc. just like a real football manager. Unfortunately I'm not t

hat detailed and as yet haven't found a winning formula for FM 09 and get beat a lot, but that's beside the point because my managerial skills aren't on review here. The game looks really nice, the layout is simple and easy to navigate and I'm actually a fan of the preset colour scheme this time. Finally the transfers seem to be a lot better now with the computer not always holding me for ransom over players and actually improving their bid when I decline one.

What it Doesn't: The 3D match engine. Probably the biggest edition this year was the 3D match engine, so hyped was this edition that I think me and everyone else had high hopes. Well personally I think it is crap, just utter bollocks. I realise this is their first try and it will get better, hopefully, but it's just not that good. Also FIFA manager has been doing this for years, I can remember playing FIFA manager 03 or 04 and it had a 3D match engine and it was probably better than this. I still prefer the lil

circles running around in the 'classic' view. Now this isn't something bad but I couldn't think where else to put it, this time round the game seems a lot harder and more frustrating. The amount of times I play a game and have 21 shots, 3 clear cut chances compared to the computers 4 shots and 1 clear cut chance and draw 2-2 or lose 3-2 is ridiculous. At least in FM 08 I'd have 20 shots but win 3-1 or something. Now this can't be my tactics, and my players are really good (I cheated to find them so I know they are) but they just can't win unless I let the assistant take charge and then they roll to 5-0 wins it's madness!! Also players are a lot more temper mental, always complaining of squad disharmony for some unknown reason and always wanting to move a lot quicker.

Memorable Moment: So far nothing but that's down to my managerial skill and not the game, I am on the verge of getting my Crewe Alexandra side promoted to the Championship so fingers crossed it happens. We also won the Jonhstone's Paint Trophy but eh I want PROMOTION damnit!

So What Does This All Mean: Football Manager 09 is a great game, whilst the 3D match engine didn't live up to the hype the other stuff should get better as I get better, and it still remains the greatest Football Manager game on offer with its massive database and immersive gameplay. I give Football Manager 09 8 wins in a row out of 10.