LMA Professional Manager 2005

Something of a fixture on the PS2, the LMA Manager series is firmly established as the default football management game for that platform. However, the PC is a different bag altogether, overshadowed by the behemoth that is Football Manager 2005. While LMA Professional Manager 2005 claims to be a more in-depth affair than its console counterpart, it's unlikely to cause any distress at Sports Interactive, despite commentary by Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen and Barry Davies, and the somewhat optimistic claim that "it's the only football management game you'll ever need!" Those words appear on the back of the box, and the fact that we're reading them is testament to their falsehood, with the lack of early review code damning the game before we've even had a touch.

Codemasters' reluctance would appear to have been well-placed, as it's a cumbersome affair hampered by an interface that is aesthetically and ergonomically bankrupt. There's no satisfying way of watching a match, with the 3D action proving stilted and over-long, the 2D version offering little by way of information or excitement, and both of them ignoring key features such as instant feedback on your players. As for realism, let's just say a player who was recently transferred for $10,000 in the real world here commands a fee of $1.8m. Also on the back of the box is Alan Hansen's considered opinion that it's "The most exciting football management game ever!" The man is a liar.