Author: Chris Fuller

The State of Football Manager 26

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It’s time to discuss the state of Football Manager 26 – and the series as a whole.

After a launch period that was nothing short of a PR disaster, and a full release that alienated much of its core audience, Sports Interactive’s long-running franchise is at its lowest ebb for over 20 years. The community has been firmly split on FM26 – with many players pointing their fingers at SI or SEGA for producing a pile of rubbish, and other players putting their fingers in their ears and insisting that everything is fine.

How did this happen? Can SI turn their fortunes around? And what does the future potentially hold for FM? Questions, questions, questions… Continue reading “The State of Football Manager 26” →

Alternatives to Football Manager 26

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For God’s sake, Sports Interactive…

Football Manager 26 has been out for a few weeks, and… mmm, yeah. It’s still a mess, isn’t it?

While many FMers are still wrestling with the new interface or complaining that their favourite franchise has been turned into a mobile game, some will be looking for something else to play. But I know what you’re gonna say: “FM has no competition.”

Yes, it’s true that Sports Interactive don’t have as much direct competition as they did in the 1990s and early 2000s. FIFA Manager, LMA Manager, Ultimate Soccer Manager, Premier Manager and even Ally McCoist’s Director of Football have all fallen by the wayside – emphatically beaten by FM’s superior game engine and extensive database.

These days, if you’re looking for a non-FM football management game on PC, you will likely have to scrape the bottom of the Steam barrel for low-budget indie titles that don’t have anywhere near as much depth.

But there are still some good FM26 alternatives that allow you to play through the 2025/2026 season (or 2024/2025, at least) with a reasonable amount of realism. In this post, I will look at seven of those games – each with their pros and cons – and tell you how you can update them with all the latest data. Continue reading “Alternatives to Football Manager 26” →

My thoughts on Football Manager 26

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After the longest wait, Football Manager 26 is finally here… but is it any good?

That’s a question many people have already answered with an emphatic “no”. FM26 came out on 4 November to unprecedentedly negative reviews on Steam, with a 27% approval rating as I write this. Even the professional gaming critics who consistently heap praise on FM have been much more divided this time around.

So it was with some trepidation – and a little excitement – that I installed the FM26 demo to try out the new game for the first time. I’ve spent half a season managing Walsall in EFL League Two, while also dabbling around with Arsenal in the Women’s Super League.

Is FM26 a massive step forward that will bring the game to a wider audience? Is it a raging dumpster fire that risks the entire future of the Football Manager franchise? Or is the answer somewhere in between? Here are my thoughts… Continue reading “My thoughts on Football Manager 26” →

Review: Soccer Manager 2026

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It’s the game everyone has been talking about in recent weeks… and, oh boy, hasn’t it been divisive?

An experienced team of British developers have been working on their latest football management simulation for years – and the reception has been quite mixed. Some people think the new graphics engine is a huge step forward. Others think the devs have completely sold out to the mobile market, and that they only want to grab your money instead of giving you the full managerial experience.

Well, folks. I’m sure you’ve been waiting to read my opinions on this… so here they are.

This is my review for Soccer Manager 2026. Continue reading “Review: Soccer Manager 2026” →

Women’s football – What to expect on FM26

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In 2021, Sports Interactive announced that they were planning to incorporate women’s football into the Football Manager series.

After four years of extensive research and development, those plans will finally become reality on Football Manager 26. Last week saw SI reveal the first major details of what we can expect from women’s football on FM26, including which leagues will be playable.

Having first discussed this topic after SI’s original announcement, I think it’s time for me to jump back in and discuss what we know so far. I will also try to answer any other questions the FM community might have – some of which are sincere, some of which are… less so. Continue reading “Women’s football – What to expect on FM26” →

Blog Update #9

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Hey-ho, folks. It’s time for my annual Fuller FM blog update – my ‘state of the union’ address, if you will.

Another year of FMing has been and gone, and it’s been the weirdest one yet. With Football Manager 25 turning out to be just a few dodgy Photoshop mockups, we’ve had to carry on with Football Manager 2024 for another season.

I will now look back on everything I wrote on Fuller FM this year, including my 15-season career at Nacka FC. I will also discuss my content creation plans for Football Manager 26, which is absolutely definitely probably maybe being released in the next few months.

But first, I need to draw myself away from Civilization VI for long enough so I can actually write this damn blog update. Just one more turn, and then I’m done…

I’m sure negotiations are fairer than this on FM…

Continue reading “Blog Update #9” →

Retro Review: Premier Manager Ninety Nine

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I moved into my new home one year ago today… and what better way to celebrate my first anniversary at New Fuller FM HQ, than with another of my Retro Reviews?

As a computer nerd with a particular fondness for the 90s, I enjoy revisiting old football management games and seeing if they can still hold up today. The game I’ll be looking at today has been on my shortlist of a very long time, so I’m excited to finally tick it off.

I’ll tell you, honestly, I will LOVE IT if we play Premier Manager: Ninety Nine… LOVE IT. Continue reading “Retro Review: Premier Manager Ninety Nine” →

My FM Content Creator Pet Peeves

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While we have been waiting for the next Football Manager to be announced (any time now, Sports Interactive…), I’ve been trying to think of some fresh new ideas for FM content.

So… why don’t we have a little discussion about FM content?

Alongside writing my own Football Manager stories, I’ve watched hundreds of YouTube videos and streams, and read goodness knows how many blogs from other FM aficionados. While I appreciate that nobody is perfect (though MaddFM comes pretty damn close), I have developed some pet peeves that have been bugging me for a while.

And that’s what this is all about – discussing some of those little annoyances I have when it comes to FM content.

To be clear, this article isn’t supposed to be entirely serious. Think of this as some constructive but light-hearted advice from a long-time FM blogger whose website gets literally TENS of page views every day. I also won’t be critiquing how other FMers play the game – just how they present or write about it. Continue reading “My FM Content Creator Pet Peeves” →

FM Logic: Managerial Movements

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Football Manager is the most realistic sports simulation video game out there. We all know that. But it’s not perfect.

Welcome back to another edition of this Fuller FM series… wait, can I call this a series? It’s is the third part now… so yeah. I think I can call it a series.

Anyway, it’s time to take a look at some more weird ‘FM Logic’. We’ve previously discussed bizarre media interactions and press interviews that make a White House news conference look like a place of sanity… and we’ve also touched on the game’s issues with transfers and player development.

Now it’s time to focus on managers – specifically, the logic that the game uses when moving AI managers between jobs. Whether they’re swapping jobs with another coach, taking over a hated rival, or being parachuted into a Championship club without any previous coaching experience, football managers in Football Manager are definitely known to make some peculiar moves. Continue reading “FM Logic: Managerial Movements” →

Nacka’s Yard: The Final Whistle

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So here we are… it’s the FINAL chapter of “Nacka’s Yard”.

For the past eight months or so, I have been managing Nacka FC – a young but ambitious part-time team from the suburbs of Stockholm – on Football Manager 2024. Starting from the 4th tier of Swedish football, I led them all the way to the top (and into Europe) over the course of 15 in-game seasons.

I will now recap my time at Nacka, before taking one final look at the squad who brought us so much success in the 2038 season. If you want to relive the full experience, you can find links to every chapter of this story right here. Continue reading “Nacka’s Yard: The Final Whistle” →