Football Manager 2021 is here and since we’re all staying a bit longer than normal these days, you’ve got even more time to challenge yourself.
Don’t just take control of Barcelona and let Lionel Messi do all the work for you, give yourself a real test.
If you really want to know if your scouting is up to par, you can train a player in some world-class talent, or you can work on a tight financial budget, we might just have something to suit your taste at all. levels of the world. game in Europe.
We all have our Football Manager stories, whether it’s helping Jonathan Blondel become an elite attacking midfielder at Tottenham, bringing Grays Athletic to the Champions League or beating Barcelona with Southend United.
Now is the time to make your mark on the latest iteration of the game, which is now available on Xbox, and which also comes with many new features.
If you can’t wait for your new tactic to be named after you, then jump into one of our 12 leadership roles you might enjoy, below.
Burnley (Premier League)
It’s not easy being Sean Dyche. And now you can experience it for yourself.
The Clarets have a minimal budget, a small squad, and you not only have to get them out of the relegation zone, but also propel them onto the table.
Dwight McNeil can help, if you don’t have to sell England’s Under-21 ace for other team improvements.
But will you continue with Dyche’s proven 4-4-2, or will you try to reshuffle your team?
Coventry City (championship)
The Sky Blues left the Premier League in 2001 and haven’t returned since.
It was the first time they had come out of Premier League since 1967 and you might just be the coach to get them back to their place after so long.
Last season they won the League One title and Matt Godden remains their goalscorer, while they have a host of other young talent at your disposal.
Can you build on last year’s success and seal an exceptional promotion?
Southend United (League Two)
Confession, the Shrimpers have always been the team I start with, except for the campaigns where Grays Athletic was in a playable league.
I’ve helped them beat Barcelona in the Champions League for the last few years and led them to Premier League glory with Brazilian sensation Abuda, the star of the show in 2003/04.
Now, as they crumble through the divisions – not for the first time in living memory – it’s time for you to bring Southend back to life.
If you do a good enough job, you’ll live on all the fish and chips and Rossi ice cream you can handle. Living the dream.
Salford City (League Two)
Want to have the class of 92 as bosses? Why not go up to Moor Lane and try to meet their expectations.
You’ll probably need to adhere to a few philosophies, but that hasn’t stopped you before, has it?
Playing attacking football, fighting for promotion and bringing in young talent will likely be part of your immediate tasks.
Wrexham (National League)
Taken over by Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny, the Welsh outfit is now the team to watch.
Already contenders for promotion in the Football League, the ambitions will be high for you – can you handle the pressure?
“They are the third oldest club on the planet and we don’t see why they can’t have global appeal. We want Wrexham to be a global force, ”said Reynolds.
Meanwhile, there will also be a documentary about the club – hope you’re good on camera as well.
Athletic Bilbao (LaLiga)
It’s way too easy to just be Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico in Spain. You have to make it complicated.
Why not become a boss in Bilbao?
You will need to be an asset to deal with young stars, as Athletic Club can only recruit players of Basque origin or Spaniards under the age of 16.
The talent of Inaki Williams, Iker Muniain, Yeray and Inigo Martinez will get you started.
Vaduz FC (Swiss Super League)
WHO? Well, we’ll educate you a bit.
Vaduz is the capital of Liechtenstein, a small European principality with a population of 38,749 people – they could all fit into Stamford Bridge.
The nation is too small to have a professional league so Vaduz has always played in neighboring Switzerland and this year they were promoted to the Swiss Super League.
They do, but have a cup competition in Liechtenstein, which means they’re almost always in the Europa League qualifying rounds to represent their home country.
So why should you play at this tiny club? Well, they cannot represent Switzerland in European competitions. So the only way to be a part of the Champions League is to be able to go all the way and win the Europa League.
Now that’s a test, if you feel like it!
Schalke 04 (Bundesliga)
The Germans were regulars in the Champions League not so long ago but have just had two bad seasons.
The 14th and 12th finishes are not good enough and the signs are that they will struggle again – at the time of writing, they are winless in their first nine games.
Defensive talents like Ozan Kabak can be built around, midfielder Amine Harit also has a pedigree, while Rabbi Matondo should be a familiar face to you as well.
Can you turn things around for the Bundesliga giants and bring them back to the Champions League where they excelled at the start of the last decade?
Paris FC (Ligue 2)
The French capital currently only has one team in Ligue 1 – but you can make two.
They started life in 1969, merged to form Paris Saint-Germain and this current iteration exists after their split in 1972.
Paris FC haven’t been in the top flight since 1979, but there are some players you might recognize in their books, like Gabriel Obertan and Mamadou Sakho.
Oh, and you don’t have to worry about signing a big name – they signed Moustapha Name this summer… We’re going to get our coat.
Pisa (Serie B)
Last year we recommended that you take over Venezia, which was in Serie C, but maybe we had a little too much Aperol Spritz on the canals.
This time around, why not explore Italy a bit more and give yourself the reins of a city primarily known for its Leaning Tower.
This is Galileo Galilei’s birthplace, and we’re pretty sure he would approve of your scientific approach to tactics and scouting.
Oh, and you would follow in the footsteps of Gennaro Gattuso who ran the club, while Diego Simeone, Leonardo Bonucci, Dunga and Cristian Vieri have all played for them in the past.
Rangers (Scottish Premiership)
Steven Gerrard is currently trying to end Celtic’s reign at the top of football in Scotland.
The Rangers are doing everything they can to prevent their fierce rivals from winning their 10th straight title, a statistic that won’t go well at Ibrox.
Can you, in the place of Liverpool legend Gerrard, get Jermain Defoe and the guys to the line and stop that from happening?
Also, as a bonus task, try to make sure Alfredo Morelos doesn’t get a red card all season. In fact, this is perhaps the biggest challenge of all.
Willem II (Eredivisie)
We understood. Everyone loves Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven so why not make it difficult for the Netherlands by heading to Tilburg for your next management role.
They have won three Dutch titles, but not one since it was renamed Eredivisie in 1956.
That’s not too surprising given the prowess of the country’s top clubs, but just check out some of their former players.
Virgil van Dijk, Sami Hyypia, Frenkie de Jong, Jaap Stam, Marc Overmars and Mousa Dembele have all played a role for the club, but not in their prime.
Can you get them that Eredivise title?