What is the best Football Manager to date

Hiya.

I apoligize if the thread is somewhere else.

As I think that Football Manager 11 is too comprehensive for my brain and mind, I'm looking for advices regarding the other Football Manager games.

Which version do you think is the best? Make a top 3 if possible

I thought the final patch of FM07 was the best version yet. Definitely the most enjoyable, anyway. 05-07 were my most addictive years and since then I've been quite frustrated with what has been released.

If you are looking for a nice and simple game that is fun to play then have a look at CM 01/02. It was great fun at the time although it might feel a bit dated now.

Simply put, the lower the number (i.e 05, 06, 07), the simpler the game should be.

I actually skipped out on a lot of FM's but got back from FM10 onwards, but I did play FM08. Regardless, FM08 had a much more different feel from FM11 no doubt.

FM10 is the best for me.

Only ever played the demo of FM2010 but didnt like some of the layout, however for FM2011 the layout and graphics are top notch. The Match Engine is awesome and the fans from different teams - differing based on the attendance is something we could only dream of years ago...but I just cant get into it. Tried a second game with Sheff Wed. but still got sacked in my first season and now i can only get a job at Blue Square North Teams so decided to start yet another new game with Roma and my experience set to Professional Player. Then thought sod it and loaded up FM2008. Compared to '11 the graphics look positvely ancient but everything back then was done in moderation. You didnt have to attend a press conference after every game - i know you dont have to do this in FM2011 but then you have to trust your assistant - I want SI to acknowledge that this is still a game deep down and try to deviate from real life once in a while. Maybe have Press Conference thresholds so you can set one press conference a month, or two or three. 100% of the time, 75% and so on and so forth - if you only had one of them then it'd be for the most important game of the month.

A part of the reason for the charm diminishing is to do with the game itself. With FM being a simulation it's holding up a mirror to the game itself - replete with agents overtaking the game, players who are throwing hissy fits when you fine them for awful tackles (really frustrating when managing a lower league club and you havent got another decent player to fill his boots, and the extortionate wages. I remember SI saying during the first season clubs wont buy many players due to the real life financial crisis but why? This is a game after all. Maybe they then tweaked it slightly which resulted in the transfer bug? i dunno.

Another reason for myself and i feel this applies to all of us, with every FM release the game has become more complex, other things to bear in mind before playing a game and if you'v devoted large amounts of time to a previous release you'r going to be loath to go from one game where it's taken you 30 seasons to get to the top to start back at the bottom...and fail miserably.

For now im going to go back to enjoying FM2008 where things like player conversations dont get in the way of the game, you can actally refer to another managers press conference (in FM2011 a manager says something about me and all i can say is whether i like him or not?)

toss-up between FM07 and FM10, but from the entire series (inc. before the split) it has to be CM0102. when my old computer died a few years ago and we only had a rubbish laptop i started playing CM0102 again for over a year and still loved it. i couldn't go back to playing fifa 98 after playing fifa11 regularly for example so to me, this shows how good the game was as it has survived the test of time

Of the recent stuff its a tad hard to say.

I always liked FM07. FM08 was bugged to hell and there were countless problems, but it was okay still. I definitely wouldn't play it again though given a choice. FM09 was a step forward and FM10 was better than that. This years is good, if a bit bugged. Hopefully they'll fix that in the last patch though.

CM 01/02. The best SI product EVER.

CM 01/02. The best SI product EVER.

that's the one that got me hooked, was easy to play and understand as I managed when I was 10 years old

I'm still playing 2010 , until they sort out all the niggly annoying bits in 2011. The best games i had and enjoyable moments were in 2005, with the likes of Freddy william thompson and Daniel Braathen.

Although nostalgic about all the previous releases, right back to the very first CM, I always think the newest release is the "best". Purely my opinion of course though.

i would like to say cm4 if that counts its what started my addiction off:thup:

I started playing from the first FM Series, not the CM.

My Top 3:

1)FM2010

2)FM2008

3)FM2007

FM09 was the worst IMO. I only played the game for 1 month and 2 months after the last patch was out 'cause it sucked.

CM 01/02.

FM11 is way down on my list, the list of bugs this game has is almost absurd.

I started playing from the first FM Series, not the CM.

My Top 3:

1)FM2010

2)FM2008

3)FM2007

FM09 was the worst IMO. I only played the game for 1 month and 2 months after the last patch was out 'cause it sucked.

I'm still playing my FM09 save... I didn't have any problems with it, ever... weird :/

well, it's just my opinion. even my brother said that the game sucked. We don't really know why but it's just the way it is from our angle.

Thanks for all the answers so far

FM11 is by far the best of the series imo, then followed by FM10 and FM07.

1. Fm07

2. Cm01/02

3. Fm2011

For me 2010 was the best by a long way. I'm actually gone back to it since Christmas Eve. I can't wait for the final FM11 patch. If that fixes most of the annoying problems then 11 will be the best. Just my opinion.

that's the one that got me hooked, was easy to play and understand as I managed when I was 10 years old

Same.

Got a free demo with my cereal, and gave it a play and absolutely loved it!

I loved CM more than I did FIFA.

Was easy and simple, and my knowledge of football at 10 grew as well!

7.0.2

10.3

8.0.2

11.2.1 by far.

FM10 is my favourite.

For me Cm01/02 is the best one, it was soo adictive, Couldnt stop playing. fm10 was great after all the patches, tho i "only" played it 220hrs. Fm07 was also very good.

Imo, if Si sort out the bugs in fm11 it could be the best one

The best - CM 01/02!

For me fm2010 was the best. For some reason I am just not enjoying FM11 as much.

FM07 was really good. In FM10 I had good saves. These two are the best for me. Right now FM11 has too many bugs to be as good as these

CM 01/02 is brilliant.

CM01/02 stole a lot of hours of my life.

So did FM2010.

If you'd want to go the simple way and for the fun i'd say CM01/02. But if you're used to the newer games, it might feel a bit off and odd.

If you want to go more in-depth i'd say FM10 with the last patch. Brilliant game, me thinks.

Still having a hard time deciding which one i like the most, of those 2 games.

Yes, 2010 my favourite too! Playing 2 big career games with 15-20 season each.

in 2011 playing 3rd season and i bored...Can`t get in a game at all

For me it has to be FM2011. This year's edition made me addicted once more and I've been playing since CM3.

Fm 2010 but with 2011 match engine would be awesome

07 for me , 01/02 very good too

06 is probably the worst ( havn't play 11 but i listen to my brother screaming when he does , looks like an awful experience)

10.................

Ian Holloway would be my guess; entertaining and seems like a gentleman. He'd probably take you to see a funny film and then buy you dinner - and you'd spend all evening laughing. But I think he's married, so you might want to try someone else.

FM11 is / will be with the 11.3 patch

I enjoyed FM09 the most out of all the FM games I have played.

Still occasionally play CM 03/04 aswell.

FM11 is the best for me, i think the new ME is amazing, FM10 was very good as well, i am one of those who enjoys the new releases and features each year so i dont tend to look back too often, i would still go back to FM10 tho and enjoy it as much.

cm 03-04,then fm 11,fm05..

2009 was awesome, not sure why anyone would complain about that version, but thats just how it is. This is mainly based on pitch performance, the manager role is still a bit dull. It's getting better though, so if they tweak this up it might be for the better. The balance in the tactics needs just about everything, just to add that one.

fm 08 is when i started playing and had the most fun on that one, 09 was close put in a lot of hours on that 10 wasnt that amazing to me but really enjoying this one

FM2007

FM2005

CM04

FM08 and up are made for people with no lives.

I have spent so many hours/days on cm/fm games over the last decade. I'm going to decide on my memorys of my best saves.

So in 3rd place is CM 01/02 (edited for my own team) & (My Charlton Athletic save, managed to sign viera and had offers of 50million for him)

In 2nd place is CM 00/01 (My leeds save, had so much fun on this one, this started my addiction and will never forget it)

And is 1st place is FM '07 (Did a save where I started at Swansea, moved to Atalanta and finished off at Spurs, still remember that game now)

FM10 with the 10.3 patch.

No love for CM97/98?

Did not have all the bells and whistles that the later editions had.....and did not need them either.

No love for CM97/98?

Did not have all the bells and whistles that the later editions had.....and did not need them either.

Was about to post the same thing.

CM01/02 was definitely the better title though.

If we're strictly speaking of FM's, then fully patched FM07 or FM10 takes some beating. Just avoid FM09 like the plague.