Premier Manager 08

If you've ever looked at the genre of football management games as something of a minefield, then you are not alone. Some publishers take things to the edge of gaming pleasure: never mind the sheepskin, feel the stats! Some take every aspect of a football game - good and bad - and merely toss it in there, hoping for a result, Brian. This attitude to making a really playable footy management game has never worked either. Luckily for those who like to keep it simple but challenging, Zoo Digital has been perfecting the Premier Manager brand throughout the noughties, wheedling out any 'Gremlins' that may spoil the big matchday, and Premier Manager 08 is here for the start of the 2007/2008 season proper.

With more than 400 clubs to choose to manage, and a database of around 12,000 players, budding managers are not short on options, and with a plethora of competitions to go at, your first season in management will be as intense as you like. Finding your way around the game is a cinch, thanks to the new game's interface which enables you to go to your preferred screen with minimal effort. The home screen, for example, gives you a snapshot of everything that is affecting your chosen club, including the state of your finances, the condition of your players, and the morale around the whole club. Premier Manager 08 keeps you informed of all the important stuff that goes into a successful team, and largely dispenses with the peripheral elements that certain other management games include Willy Nilly*.

It all may sound a little too uninvolving and simplistic but, if you are a veteran football management fan whose head is slowly turning into a shiny 32 panel spherical object (it starts on the back of your head, kids) and you have already lost years to other games in the genre, Premier Manager 08 may just be the answer to your control freak needs. Who knows, it could be the one that means that, when you're staring into space and your girlfriend asks, "What are you thinking about, darling?" you won't feel the need to tell her that you have your doubts over zonal marking, or about signing Keiron Dyer, thus exacerbating what's already wrong with your relationship. Premier Manager 08 will not take over your life like that, and for that you should be grateful to Zoo Digital, the soccer-loving sweethearts of South Yorkshire.

* Last seen playing for Twente Enschede.