Grab a beer, stick on some tunes...settle down to an evening of Champ Manager! (Championship Manager 00/01 (PC))

Member Name: COBRAKING

Product:	Championship Manager 00/01 (PC)
Date:	04/12/00 (99 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You'll constantly be happy while playing this game. Massive amount of stats...never gets boring!

Disadvantages: Seems a bit easier than the previous versions. Even though i'm a dedicated Chelsea fan...they seem a bit overated.

Championship manger...now there's a word i'm sure you've heard before. I've never seen an advert for it but most of the people i know know what it is. It is the best football management sim ever!

As i woke up one morning the thought suddenly hit me...CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER COMES OUT TODAY! I rushed to the nearest Electronics Boutique and was relieved to see they had copies left! Most of my friends had the game pre-ordered because they thought it would sell out too quickly. This might sound a bit sad but as i handed over my £25.00, i felt at last, complete. I had been waiting for months to get this update and had not stopped playing 99/00 up until the day i purchased 2000/01 season.

I arrived home, almost giggling with joy as i carefully placed the CD into my computer. As the installation programme flashed up on the screen...my heart was pounding. An then, finally, after months of waiting and 2-3 minutes of installation, up came the start game menu. Hooray! At last!

After i had set the game settings and finally loaded up a new season (there are now 26 leagues as opposed to the 16 in the previous version. These are Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Turkey, Greece, Russia, Poland, Croatia, Finland and Australia - this amazed me!). I got down to business. I appointd myself Chelsea manager and within two seasons i have won the treble (league champions, league cup holders and FA cup holders). I am currently top of the table (2001/02 season), 17 points clear with a game in hand to Newcastle and am through to the semi-finals of the champions league - this trophy is my aim for this season but i face Barcelona! (Alex Ferguson, eat your heart out!) The amount of players in the game is also phenominal. Accurate profiles and histories for over 50,000 players, managers, and coaches. What more could you ask for?

The game itself has so much more in it than the previous version. This includes the following:

*Full internat
ional simulation featuring all the major tournaments plus B-team and U-21 management opportunities. Now includes the 'Olympic Games U23 tournament'.

*Data Editor, allowing you to change and modify the stats used in the game. Keep your teams squads up to date or even add yourself into the game.(This is great for adding yourself and even friends into the game. I have created a team including all my friends!...an exellent addition)

*Local and National media involvement, you can now read and reply to media stories about the clubs and players and events in the game. This part of the game, in my opinion, is the biggest addition and difference to the previous version. It allows you to build up praise about certain players or basically slag them off for poor performances. Be careful what you say though, the chairman has to always be happy -he's the one that pays your wages. He may become a little annoyed if you start slagging off a £24 million striker!!!

*Added player statistics (including shots on target and pass completion ratios), to aid your player analysis.

*A live league table on match day allowing you to plot how your club's position in the table will change as the goals fly in.This is very good for things such as Champios league, nearer the end of the fixtures. As the goals fly in from other teams the pressure builds for you to make a bigger goal difference!

*Improved staff feedback on the current squad and potential signings via the news and player profiles. Now includes coach and physio reports. This is also a very good addition to the game. If you are not sure about a player, ask you colleagues. This will let you decide whether to keep him or show him the door.

*Managers now have the chance to approach the Football Association to request the postponement of fixtures and to complain about the referee. I found that this never works. I played a game aginst Nottingham Forrest in the league cup and
lost 7-2. It sounds embarrasing, i know but i had three penalties disallowed, a goal disallowed and four players sent off (incluiding both my goal keeper and my sub keeper!). They just said 'we know results can sometimes go against you and it can be frustrating' (basically tough!) TOO RIGHT IT CAN BE FRUSTRATING! I did manage to beat them overall though with a very convincing 8-0 win at Stamford bridge (Elber scored 6 goals in that game!).

*Manage international and domestic at the same time. Do a Kevin Keegan if you like. This is brilliant. I mange England and Chelsea. I could never be more happy with the position i'm in.

Thats basically it. Well, all that i think is imortant apart from the obvious updated stats and database. My advice to you...BUY THIS GAME! I suggest you don't purchase it if you have heart problems or a family to look after...you will abandon them for your computer screen and if results don't go your way...you'll be leaving in a wooden box! £25 is the cheepest price you'll pay for something that you will have constantly on your mind...CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER 2000/01. The game of all games.

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