Football Manager: The Addiction

Any FM'ers here? There has to be at least another one. For anyone who hasn't played FM I wrote this up:

It is difficult to explain why we play FM to someone else who just doesn’t understand. They wouldn’t understand the feeling of that decisive buildup to an important FA Cup match, when you complete a big name signing, the pain and anger of having that said signing injured and out for the rest of the season, spending hours looking at prospects and methodically plotting the next signing, brainstorming and day-dreaming about tactical systems and frameworks and reliving the glory days of your managerial career. They don’t know the glory you can feel, even if it isn’t real football, or the feeling of accomplishing something after spending weeks and months working for it or saving your team from relegation at the last second with a last gasp goal. They don’t know the anger of your defenders becoming the next duo of Titus Bramble’s or your striker choking on a clear cut chance. But you will feel the tension of a derby match and they might here your rage as you get upset 5-0 by some random team. You know why we do it?

Because were Football Managers. We do it even if its one of the greatest inventions and the worst addiction of all time. Nothing beats it. And sometimes you just want to declare war on the game. Eventually your saves will die and you will rush out and buy the new copy of FM even if you know it might be a complete waste while pirates get free copies. You eagerly tear off the plastic and hold the box in your hands like a child. You dream about the possibilities and the glory you will have and ignore the futile attempts, short-comings and aggravations that stand in between.

You eagerly await the game to load and after choosing your predetermined team and, well at least I did, meticulously set up a formation and tactical framework before getting out onto the proverbial pitch. Then the injury bug and slow GUI make their main appearance and you realize that SI needs to sort it out.

The life of a Football Manager...