FM Fat Sam vs FM Dodgy 'Arry

If Sam Allardyce played Football Manager, he'd be like I used to be. Sam is a legend for his scientific approach to football management. He's pioneered all sorts of initiative such as sports scientists, psychologists, dieticians and number-crunchers. In FM term for me that's a bit like how i used to study the deepest analyses of training schedules, all mathematically calculated to ensure each slider is at just the right notch, and tactics that had been scientifically tested to death to squeeze that extra little drop out of the Match Engine. Then there'd be ScoutGenie to pour over the numbers before deciding which 16 year old kid had slightly more potential than another.

The irony is that Sam also has a less than legendary reputation for playing the most one-track, boring football on the planet.

Harry Redknapp is quite a different animal. Yes, there's the wheelin' 'n' dealing spiv with the dodgy tax record, but I'm thinking of his tactical approach - or rather, lack of. The 'Arry whose tactical talk to his striker amounts to "Just f***ing run about a lot", the one whom van der Vaart talks about when he says there's a clipboard on the dressing room wall - with nothing written on it. 'Arry gets the players motivated and tells them to go out there and enjoy themselves.

'Arry's 'Otspurs are playing very attractive attacking football these days.

Okay, I still put a lot of care into setting up my tactics, but I play more by intuition these days rather than by formulae. I faff about adjusting the training sliders every few weeks - as a result my players probably lose an attribute point of two over 5 years compared to the dry mathematical approach, but it feels more real to me. If I don't look for ME exploits but plan my tactics as i would in real life, even if I drop a point or two along the way, it's a far more satisfying experience.

In addition, I do it the Arsene way. I refuse to spend bundles on a transfer and wages if I can spend 5 years nurturing a kid through the academy into my first team. Like Wenger, even if it costs me titles, it's a far more satisfying experience to see the kids you invested so much time if not money in, come good.

If other famous real-life managers played FM, how would they go about it?

I think Fergie would tell the media no more signings then sign players youve never heard of before. He would also spend the transfer budget given in FM as hes apparantly not got any cash at the moment.

Roy hodgson would add new manager to Fulham and sign all there players for Liverpool for pittance.

Tony Pullis would use the corner cheat so his big lumps could take full advantage and have shawcross and huth banging 35 goals a season each.

An Ancelotti manager would have his assist manager suggest tactics, opposition instructions and teamtalks. Once the assistant leaves, he would have no idea what to do and see his team crumble.

An Ancelotti manager would have his assist manager suggest tactics, opposition instructions and teamtalks. Once the assistant leaves, he would have no idea what to do and see his team crumble.

Very true! And A Hughton manager would be doing a brilliant job getting the best out of players with attitude problems he didn't buy, only to get sacked by an idiot chairman.

An Ancelotti manager would have his assist manager suggest tactics, opposition instructions and teamtalks. Once the assistant leaves, he would have no idea what to do and see his team crumble.

Ancelotti definitely had an 'ask assistant' button

Some of the comparisons here have given me a chuckle

If Tony Adams played football manager, he would do awful, right up until a really hard match that he's expected to be smashed at, then come so close to stealing a victory, drawing only by conceding a last minute goal, then go awful again.

Mick McCarthy would fill his team with high work rate/team work players, create a tactic that provides lots of chances but watch on in bewilderment as his strikers that will gladly run around all day can't finish to save their lives.

Mark Stimson would get to the year 2234 without winning an away game.

I actually think the AI is based on Rafa Benitez in that it will take over a good squad and quickly destroy it from the inside.

Ossie Ardiles wouldn't budge from his 4-2-4 formation even though the AI found him out ages ago and his team is going nowhere.

Mark Stimson would get to the year 2234 without winning an away game.

If only there was a like button