LMA Manager 2002 - PlayStation

Fortunately, given the challenge facing you, the game is easy to get to grips with thanks in part to the easy-to-navigate menu system. You can hire and fire staff, trade on a realistic transfer market and chop and change your tactics with consummate ease. The best bits though are the matches themselves, which play out in front of your eyes. Those fed up with the text-based approach to match action will appreciate the graphical representations LMA Manager 2002 serves up, as it makes it far easier to spot your tactical flaws (which you can attempt to correct as the match goes on if you like).

Okay, the in-game graphics are little to shout about, and arguably this isn't a huge improvement over last year's effort. But nonetheless, if you're a PlayStation armchair footy fan who fancies taking charge of your team, this is currently the best your money can buy. That it's been released at a low retail price makes it even more of a must-have. --Simon Brew