For many of the hardcore video game-playing legion of football fans the name Miles Jacobson sits up there alongside Brian Clough and Roy of the Rovers. Football Manager 09 is the next star performer to emerge from the watchful managership of Jacobson and his Sports Interactive label.

Once upon a not so long ago, you'd need the grunt of a fully fledged PC to get into the intricacies of a good football management game. Well, Sony's PSP can, for the first time deliver the on-pitch action in ... more >>

For many of the hardcore video game-playing legion of football fans the name Miles Jacobson sits up there alongside Brian Clough and Roy of the Rovers. Football Manager 09 is the next star performer to emerge from the watchful managership of Jacobson and his Sports Interactive label.

Once upon a not so long ago, you'd need the grunt of a fully fledged PC to get into the intricacies of a good football management game. Well, Sony's PSP can, for the first time deliver the on-pitch action in glorious 2D, providing zoom to the action and two camera angles to get the best idea of how your players are performing or – as ever with your luck – under-performing on the day and over the 90 minutes.

That's if you're going to have time to watch the on-pitch action while you are trying to juggle with the 5,000 clubs in the 51 countries with the 350,000 players and staff you've got to organise – this is what you get when you put 1,500 researchers into one football management game. And that's what Sports Interactive has done.

In-depth, up-to-date and just about the footy – the PSP version also comes with two brand new skins to keep the frustration levels down as you try one last time to get up the leagues and onto bigger and better squads. << less