Football Manager 2024 review: With truer football motion, increased tactical details, an enhanced transfer market and a smarter player interaction system, this is another great stride for the FM franchise

It’s that time of year when everyone channels their inner Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho or even Neil Warnock.

Yes, it’s time for the release of the next installment of the legendary Football Manager franchise with FM 24.

It feels like SEGA announces a host of improvements to the game every time, and this year is no different.

A complete overhaul of the set pieces has been implemented, giving you more control over your team’s tactics.

You can now also fire players through agents, giving you more money to rebuild your team.

Meanwhile, there are also a number of ways to set and encourage goals, allowing for another method of motivating players.

But what does the game’s latest model look like overall? Below, Mailsport examines various aspects.

GAME

Firstly, this year’s improvements provide more complete control over the club you decide to manage, but you can still adjust your level of control.

You can even dictate whether you want to include pending transfers in your game file. There’s ‘FM Original’ mode – which includes updated selections from the start, ‘Real World’ – which tracks transfers by date, so if deals happen in January they’ll continue in save mode. at that point.

Finally, there is ‘Your World’ – this is a mode where there is a blank canvas and no transfers will take place in the future. This mode is intended for players who are looking for a different reality.

The biggest upgrade is the option to transfer your save data. So when you open FM24 for the first time, you can take with you 10 years of savings from taking Bromley from the National League to the Premier League, opposite FM23.

But when it comes to in-match gameplay, FM24 sees huge improvements, especially in the way players behave.

The new match structure increases the tension leading up to kick-off, while player movements and rotations are even more realistic and you are sure to notice differences with a huge amount of positional fluidity.

This is particularly relevant with the introduction of an inverted full-back role, with those in that position becoming increasingly important attacking weapons these days.

It is noticeable that the players fulfill their roles as you would expect them to in the real world, which is a welcome boost.

There are also other general upgrades to ball physics and lighting, and the realism of matches only increases.

TRANSMISSION REVISION

If you previously thought it was easy to sign players, those days are now over. Following this year’s transfer market overhaul, be prepared to battle rival managers for star and staff signatures.

This could even lead to you missing out on your key transfer targets as you battle against increasingly intelligent AI managers.

The aforementioned use of intermediaries as essentially third-party brokers is another intriguing addition.

They can be used to generate interest in your unwanted stars, or to sell other players if you want to raise money.

A new partnership with TransferRoom – a true subscription player trading platform where clubs can list players and interact with other clubs through transfers – has also been added to the game.

Again, this helps generate player interest, while also allowing you to see which players from other teams are available to sign.

On a separate note: the J1, J2 and J3 competitions have now been added. This will be greeted with joy for Japanese fans, as they have been added as an in-game competition for the first time in history, while also giving you the chance to pick up the next Karou Mitoma!

TACTICS

The overhaul of tactics and player interactions are probably the biggest changes to FM24.

We’ve already talked about the in-game movements via gameplay above, but a particularly welcome addition is the introduction of permanent coaches.

It’s all the rage in the Premier League these days and it gives you one less thing to worry about, while also ensuring your dead ball deliveries are as effective as possible.

Likewise, if you do want to control them, you can now easily select the priority of the tasks you want to be assigned in attack and defense, and your coaches will automatically choose the best players for each role.

For example, which players are best suited to attack the front post, who should stay behind and who floats on the edge of the area. This is very welcome as you no longer have a scenario where a few substitutions ruin the rolls and your 6ft centre-back ends up outside the area or even takes the corner.

The details of how to implement your specific tactic – whether it’s a slow, possession-based build-up, gegen pressing or a direct style – are as impeccable and realistic as ever.

Player interactions have also been vastly improved. If a player comes to you with a problem, such as complaints about his lack of playing time, you can now set him goals to meet.

This can be a certain number of goals to change the team status, and can also be used when loaning out young players.

For example, if you are manager of Manchester United and Facundo Pellistri is on loan to Wolves, you could say to the young Uruguayan: “give me ten goals and assists during the season and you will be a first-team player next season”, and this ability to interact enhances the immersive experience of the game.

The interactions are much more realistic, both from a verbal and body language perspective, which means you can have really constructive conversations with players and staff.

PRONUNCIATION

As someone who goes back and forth between having full control of the club and just wanting to focus on games, FM24 offers a game for players of all ages.

Whether you want to embark on the next Wrexham project, win the Treble again with Man City, or take your boyhood club back to their glory days, there’s a mode for everyone.

There’s a reason the Football Manager series continues to enjoy high popularity.

The numerous upgrades, combined with various customizations to meet the needs of players, whether you’re a novice or an FM pro, means that SEGA has provided fans around the world with a go-to game.

With more realistic football movements, match authenticity and tactical details, this is another big step for the franchise.