Your boys, your tactics

Play Championship Manager 2007 for PlayStation 2 and PSP to manage your club the way you want to.

Championship Manager returns to PS2 and PSP (PlayStation Portable) with the 2007 edition featuring updated teams and added features.

As well as enhancements to existing features, additions include expanded team talks, a set piece editor and the inclusion of lower division teams.

Management your way

The main aim of Championship Manager 2007 is to gain Manager Points. During the course of your elevation to greatness, you should also look to become the biggest earner in the managerial world.

Setting up the game includes gaining your coaching badge qualification. This will represent your level of expertise and go some way to influencing the way players and directors interact with you.

This is part of an enhanced media system where media reaction affects the way events unfold based on your managerial decisions. The reactions of players within a team are complex and their mental well-being is as important as their physical condition. Whether a player is kept in the Reserves or promoted from the Youth Team for a chance to play in the cup will affect how he is feeling and therefore his performance.

A new addition is the set piece editor. You can put your mark on the team as you create your own corners and free kicks. Creating the set piece is done using an easy icon-driven timeline that creates possible movements or actions for players.

Searching for the perfect player to suit your patented set piece will require all your skill as a manager and the new navigation in the game allows you to move smoothly through the information.

New to 2007

During a match, there are a number of options for getting reports. The standard commentary-only option is available as is the traditional 2D top-down view. Now there are also isometric views that mimic virtual replays, similar to those of certain sports channels, and these enable you to see how different areas of the pitch are affecting the players.

A good assistant manger is a key component of a successful team and you can select from a number of applicants when making the vital appointment.

Apart from the main game there is a challenge mode which contains short bursts of gameplay that set up survival and promotion scenarios.

As an added challenge, PSP players can have head-to-head matches with a rival manager in Ad Hoc Mode. In this one-off match there can be no disputing who is the best manager.

Overall, Championship Manager 2007 has great features that allow you to tackle the prima donnas of Europe or gain success in the lowest footballing leagues.