Football Manager 2006

One of the many fan-inspired features to make it into FM 2006 will be that, for the first time, managers will be able to negotiate with their board of directors - not only for a better contract for themselves, but also for improved player wage budgets and increased transfer budgets or even stadium expansion. Be aware though, if you push too hard and don't reach the heights that the board specify, you'll soon be looking for a new job.

Half-time team talks add the ability to tell your players individually or collectively exactly what you thought of their first half performance, via the tactics screen. Will you be able to keep your players motivated, or will you cause a collapse in the second half?

Another welcome feature is the ability to manage players on a personal level. Unhappy players can cause huge morale problems for the whole squad and result in bad performances, so the new Player Interaction feature will help you to manage your team more closely.

A completely revamped training module simplifies training schedules and players' training progress, with your coaches becoming far more important members of backroom staff. New media items and expansion of the media module have been implemented, including but not limited to, cup draw news and man of the match news.

Want to know how many yellow cards the ref looking after your Saturday match has given in the last few matches? Now you can, with referee profiles and league tables, which add an extra element to tactics of the game. Maybe hard tackling is not a good idea for this Saturday's match!

Also adding an extra tactical element to FM 2006, the player positions feature has been taken one step further. A player position indicator will not only show you the best positions for your player and where to play on the pitch, it will also show player preferred moves for those players in your team. As well as this, the Player Positions display format has been upgraded, making it easier for the manger to pick the team.