This game takes me back. Club Football: The Manager was out around the time that Gremlin launched the "Premier Manager" games and became a underdog to these managment monsters but, nevertheles, Club Football: The Manager was still a good enjoyible game.
It features very easy game play: where you don't need to be stuck at the computer for hours and hours to make any type of headway. This game gives you somewhat of a choice of the leauge that you begin with, mainly the 3rd and 2nd Divisions available on club selections.
The layout is one that was used in majority of the early football management games of that era.
Club scouts, coaches and the easy non complicated tactic and team setups will determine how good a player or a support staff personell is by analyzing a numbered attribute system. The game match is played in text mode with goals being flashed in what can only be described as early highlights and a possesion bar to show possesion of play.
The in-match choice of having up to four tactics at a click in your tactical box on the top of the screen is an effective tool but if you alter your tactics too dramatically, you will end up with the team's star midfielders in defence or your big
center back up front. This is not a good soccer situation.
The match speed can be increased to super speed and you can finish the match in matter of minutes and the long sessions can be completed in a matter of hours. The transfer market is fairly simple, offering contract lengths, wages, and transfer fees with a very handy scout valuation that safeguards you from paying over the odds for a banana foot winger or a fifty pence head striker.
Success comes fairly easily, though sometimes the game leaves you feeling a bit robbed, such as when you are up 3-0 at half time and lose 3-4 but that's a typical management sim for you.
Suffice it to say that this is an enjoyable top class old school football management sim that is adictive and one that can claim to being one of the founding members of a group of games that got us addicted to football management games. Today's football management games should bow down and give their respects to the old school games like this one.
Out of 10, I will give this game an 8, so download and enjoy a trip back in time.
