FIFA Manager 10 Walkthrough – Getting Started

As with most football management sims, FIFA Manager 10 begins with some personal information. In order for the game to proceed, you need to select a league, decide whether you're going to pick your own club or go for a random option, and decide how large the game database will be by selecting leagues from around the globe.

You also need to build a manager profile. This can range from the basic name/age/preferred club to having a family or relationship that can be incorporated into the game for that added degree of real world manager simulation.

Your in game character can also purchase a new car or even amass a collection, as well as invest in the money markets, buy luxury goods and even buy a new house or two - it all depends on how successful you are as manager. Watch out for your wife or girlfriend spending all of your hard earned money though - it could all end up in divorce!

Once you are confirmed as the manager of a team, it's time to find out a bit about the club. FIFA Manager 10 will provide information on the club's best player and what the objectives for the coming season are, based on those set by the club's board of directors. As manager however, you can set your own objectives, as well as propose some changes to the budget. These demands can either be lower or higher than what is currently available, and depending on the resources of your club will be met favourably or dismissed.

Following the board's reaction to this, it is time to enjoy your first day at your new club!

The News Centre is the hub of FIFA Manager 10. It is here that you are introduced to the main menu areas – Team, Transfers, Club, Career and Options, as well as your news alerts. News alerts could be anything from injury news to alerts informing you that a player contract is due to expire.

Other menu items that are available (via the top-right icons) are Website, Stats, MAT (Match Analysis Tool), European Stats, Player Search and Search History.

The Website link takes you to an in-game version of Sky Sports News, while the Stats and MAT include quite extensive information that you can use to analyse your teams performance.

On the first day, you might have the chance to negotiate new sponsors. You can either choose to do this yourself, or use the Assistant button to make an automatic choice.

Also on the first day the club chairman takes the opportunity to outline the season's objectives. These might be qualification for the continental competitions or avoiding relegation, depending on the status of your club.

The Home button (found in the top left, beside the Back and Forward buttons) is probably the most vital throughout the game, and this is certainly true when you're just getting started.

Any important club tasks are highlighted here, such as arranging training sessions, engaging with contract negotiations, negotiating ads around the pitch or managing your personal life.

The importance of these tasks is signified by exclamation marks, either in a red octagon for high importance or in a yellow triangle for medium importance. It is a good idea to deal with the items of high importance as early as you can, in order that these items aren't left to cause problems later on. After each has been dealt with, click the back button in the top left of the screen – only when each task is complete should you click on the green Play button in the lower right.

Your first interaction with your players takes place when you click on the green Play button. It is here that you can outline your plans for the current season, and instill in them an idea of where you see the club going under your leadership.

These statements are based on the Season Objectives, the club infrastructure, and how you plan to run the Team – possibly the most vital part of the job.

A squad likely to struggle or under-perform can be told quite clearly that below-par players are out of the team – similarly, a big team with many star players can be told about plans to rotate the players in and out of the team.

Once you have outlined your intentions, click on the green Play button – it's time for the game to proceed!