CM4 Wishlist

Sports Interactive have a chance to once again redefine the entire management genre with the release of CM4, and literally hundreds of thousands of obsessive fans, myself included, are hoping they don't make a mess of it. The game definitely needs an overhaul, as the later improvements do feel a bit bolted-on, but here's hoping the integral CM gameplay remains unmolested.

Interaction

One aspect of CM which I feel sets it apart is the interaction with your staff and the media. I would love to see the media play a more active role in CM - in real life a manager is interviewed after every game, and sometimes on radio or in the papers during the week. A screen showing current media, fan and board opinions of your managerial prowess and recent outbursts (if any) would be a nice touch. If there is a penalty, red card, or other contentious incident during the match, the post-match interviewer should ask about that, with an option for you to review the incident before committing yourself to one of several possible responses. The relevant media should also track the form and antics of your players more closely - in real life, the local rag have a lot to say about the local side's recent exploits.

Transfers

The way that transfers work could easily be made less frustrating. AI clubs take far too long to respond to your transfer proposals, whereas you have to respond to theirs immediately. This also goes for transfer negotiations - it can really become a chore if you're rushing to sign players before the start of the season. Also, the media should question new big-money signings, as well as ask you to justify selling first-team players. Questions could revolve around what you expect the new player to bring to the club, whether it be to shore up the defence, score some goals or increase midfield dominance. If these targets aren't met, questions should be asked about your ability. The fans and local press should get upset if you attempt to sell a former fans' player of the season, or the club's leading scorer.

Training

The training section of the game is in dire need of a good overhaul - at the moment, a player's trainable attributes are lumped together in broad categories such as 'Tactics' and 'Attacking'. It would be better to have a player concentrate on two or three specific abilities, on top of a more general training routine. This would allow your players a much greater degree of specialisation, and also allow you to fill the gaps in your player's repertoire. A good application of this would be when developing youth players. As well as being able to complain if they aren't happy with a routine, players should be more specific and be able to request that you stop/start training them in specific areas.