In a tactical move that would make Jose Mourinho proud, Championship Manager 17 has hit the App Store just ahead of the start of the new Premier League season.
It joins an increasingly busy football management game league on the App Store. In fact, with such big hitters as Football Manager and PES Club Manager already on there, it's a management face-off worthy of this year's Jose vs Pep vs Conte vs Klopp.
So, which football management game is the favourite for the title? Let's take a look at the contenders.
As already stated, Championship Manager 17 is the newest contender for the football management game title. It's got the illustrious name, all the proper team and player licenses, and the backing of publisher Square Enix. Of course, it's also got the Barcelona of footy management games to overcome...
Let's no beat around the bush here - if you have to choose just one footy management game on iOS, it should be Football Manager Touch 2016. It's essentially a conversion of the core PC game that has swallowed thousands of hours and ruined many a marriage, with way more tactical sophistication and depth than any other game on this list. The only reason you might not go for it is if you don't have a fairly recent iPad to play it on.
If you don't have the necessary equipment to play Football Manager Touch 2016, or you simply want something that won't threaten to occupy your every waking hour, Football Manager Mobile 2016 is a lighter and more mobile-friendly alternative. It's a less involving and, let's face it, just plain inferior game to Football Manager Touch 2016. But it's also a far quicker and more instantly gratifying experience.
When you've got the two Football Manager games (and Championship Manager 17), why go for any other footy management game? Maybe because you want some real competition rather than simply taking on a series of algorithms. That's what Top Eleven 2016 provides. It's not the deepest or most tactically astute game of its kind, and there are no real teams or players. But you get to pitch your skills against real humans, which is worth a great deal.
Maybe you want to take a crack at footy management, but with the colour, sound, and slick 3D engine of your favourite console footy game. If that's you, check out PES Club Manager. It's a spin-off from Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer footy sim, which is the Borussia Dortmund to FIFA's Bayern Munich. No, PES Club Manager isn't as deep as the FM games, but its 3D match engine is lifted straight from the aforementioned console game, and it looks divine.
