Football Manager 2023is one of the most in-depth sports games available, giving players a definitive experience in running a professional football team. Unlike games likeFIFA,eFootball, and the upcomingEA Sports FC,Football Manager 2023provides players with the ability to control nearly every part of the team, from improving facilities such as the stadium and training grounds to hiring the right staff, including coaches, scouts, physiotherapists, and assistant coaches. All the options available to the player allow them to mold the team in high detail, instilling their own philosophies and tactics to achieve great success.
Ultimately, games likeFIFAandeFootballhave often fallen short, choosing to give players the experience of controlling players on the pitch, with the off-pitch decisions having little consequences. As a result, every single game played in these types of football games gives pretty much the same experience, and as long as the player is adept enough, they will win.On the other hand,Football Manager 2023forces the player to not only perfect the tactics they put forward, but also try and predict the tactical setup of their opponents and train their players to counter those tactics.
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Staff Management
Arguably one of the best features inFootball Manager, and also one that sets it apart from nearly every other football game, is the ability to hire backroom staff that can help improve the abilities of the team on matchday. WhileFIFAand other football games tend to focus less on the backroom staff, giving players the ability to only hire scouts,Football Managerincludes coaches, training staff, a director of football, and more. All these options give players a better understanding of the team they are controlling, and allow them to set up their team exactly how they want to.
FIFAandEA Sports FCneed to take this and add it into their future games, and while it may not be as in-depth asFootball Manager, it can help add depth totheFIFACareer Mode. Requiring players to manage the staff of a team and hire the best coaches and trainers around can help boost player attributes and improve certain aspects of play. Further, the backroom staff can be used to make changes to the team’s facilities, giving players a sense of progression as they build up their team and take them to new heights.
Career Mode Options
As soon as a player starts up a career, they are given a few choices before they dive into the huge number of reports, menus, and options available to them as managers. One of the most interesting options that players can use is starting off unemployed, which means that they usually have to start with a lower league and build up a reputation before moving to one of the big teams. They can also create a club, choose to enter into a fantasy draft, or even start a career mode online. WhileFIFAhas finally reintroduced Create-a-Club, it still is not up to the level that is provided inFootball Manager 2023, especially with all the customization options available.
Furthermore, games likeFIFAencourage players to pickthe best available team in Career Modeand stick with them, but this is not always the best for the game. Doing so can make the game grow stale very quickly. Instead, motivating players to start small and build a reputation to get hired by the best teams in the world could improve Career Mode’s progression and entice players to sink countless hours into a single save.
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Tactics and Training
After a player has selected their team or accepted a job offer, they are plunged into the many pages of reports, tactical analysis, team sheets, staff reports, and much more. However, the most important part is setting up the team andinstillingFootball Managertactics the player wants, either working to improve aspects of the team’s default tactics or adding new ones. It is up to the manager to ensure that their players are given the right tactics for their positions and are trained to perform that role.
FIFAhas been in need of a tactical and training overhaulfor some time now, with the tactics barely having a major impact in-game, and the training doing nothing but simply slowing down progression through Career Mode. Revamping the training should be the primary concern, and more importantly, having daily training, will not only make it more realistic but can also be easily automated. Tactics in these types of games need to have more of an impact, and each player should start following the tactics given, ensuring that having the right tactic is critical to setting up chances on one end and defending well on the other.
Football Manager 2023is showing the world what a great football simulator looks like lately. The wealth of content might overwhelm players at first, but once they can navigate the menus and understand what is needed for success, it is one of the most rewarding sports games players can pick up.EA Sports FCandFIFAneed to look closely at howFootball Managerhandles certain key areas, especially things that are done off the pitch, toimprove game modes like Career Modeby giving players meaningful options and forcing them to make tough decisions.
Football Manager 2023is available for Mobile, PC, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The PS5 version will release at a later date.
