After the split between mega publisher Eidos and the developers of the Championship Manager series for over a decade, fans of the series had a difficult choice to make. Either they could stick with the continuation of the same game engine that had enthralled fans and ruined relationships for a large portion of their lifetimes, or they could stick with the brand name that Eidos lumped on the shoulders of the aptly named Beautiful Game Studios.

Most took the sensible option of waiting to see what both development teams could conjure up and then make their choice accordingly. And it was Sports Interactive who proved the winners, taking a mess of an engine they'd created for Championship Manager 4 and polishing it up a treat for Football Manager 2005. Championship Manager 5, the first in the series created by BGS turned out to be a complete mess of a game and was rightly panned by the majority of critics. Still, a new year means a new iteration of our favourite management simulators and with Football Manager 2006 now available on Xbox 360 and PSP, in addition to the long released PC version, Championship Manager 2006 has a lot of catching up to do.

The big selling point of the BSG developed Championship Manager games has been the sheer speed at which you can fly through a season. A huge criticism levelled at these footie management sims has been the huge amount of time spent staring at a screen displaying something along the lines of 'now loading'. There's not much chance of that happening here; rapidly progressing through time happens almost instantaneously - pressing the continue button pushes you straight on to the next piece of interesting news or match, whichever comes first. The level of obsession placed upon this one feature is quite alarmingly high of course, especially odd considering the numerous hours required to get the kind of worth out of such a title is fantastically high in the first place. But of course it certainly helps keep frustration at bay and there's little opportunity to scream blue murder at your PC when it proceeds to crawl along at the speed of an asthmatic slug that's been weighed down by a lifetime supply of grapefruits.

The Beautiful found in the name of the development studio has absolutely no correlation with the game, as you'd expect. Like every other management sim out there, it's a brutally ugly beast even at the best of times. While the menu based nature of these games isn't one to be fawned over, the delightful design and implementation of most areas in Championship Manager 2006 has to be praised. It all takes some getting used to, but you'll be flying to the info you need in a matter of a mouse click or two within an hour of play.

It's out on the pitch where the real beauty could stand out. Opting for a variety of different camera angles to allow you to witness the action played out on screen - though the main side-on 'TV' style is probably the best choice for most - your players are represented by what resemble Subbuteo players. It's certainly an aesthetic plus for BGS over Sports Interactive, but it's akin to comparing a ZX Spectrum to a Commodore 64 title; both are ugly buggers.

The match action itself is a huge improvement over last year's effort but still a long, long way from at least giving the impression of realism. Goalkeepers concede from shots that fly past a few inches from their static figures, and miscontrol, leading to possession being lost is the instigating feature for the vast majority of goals. In fact, if you happen to merely watch the highlights of each game, realising that one of your players intends to turn 180 degrees with the ball is the time you realise that you're just about to concede. It seems that no matter what level, all players are incredibly eager to give the ball away in this ridiculous manner. It just doesn't feel at all like football, nor is it even remotely enjoyable to witness the vast majority of the time.

One nice touch is the information you're given as matches progress. You'll bear witness to which players are trying their damndest to help the team and which are having an off day. Same for the opposition, perhaps hinting at which player you need to mark. Considering the lack of feedback you'll receive from the disjointed action onscreen, it's nice to have this kind of information right at your fingertips.

Where the 3D match engine fails to really push the envelope, scouting proves to be an area that's obviously been lavished with attention. Upon scouting a particular player, your scout gives you a report, including both the plus and minus points of each player. The level of detail makes signing the correct players to slot straight into your starting line up a much easier task.

There's a lot hidden away in Championship Manager 2006 that makes it seem like the very pinnacle of the genre. The scouting, interaction with your players and a transfer system that prevents you making ridiculous signings are all up there with the very best. It's a damn shame then that the match engine itself is both a severe letdown and a crippling miss by the development team. However, considering the huge progression made from last year's iteration, CM 2007 could be an absolute stormer and a real challenge for Sports Interactive to compete with.

Reviewed by AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).