Five improvements to expect in Football Manager 2024

Lovers of the Football Manager franchise are still digging into the new features in the latest 2023 edition, but they are already buzzing with excitement and anticipation about the upcoming instalment.

Although the Football Manager 24 release date is still tightly guarded, it is expected to launch in early November, which has become a typical release pattern for the game developers Sports Interactive.

FM23 delivered several refreshing enhancements to chew on, but FM players are already itching to see what’s in store for the new edition, as there are always areas to improve upon.

FM is an ever-improving game, but it is far from perfect. Here are five much-needed improvements we think will make for an even more immersive, engaging, and groundbreaking Football Manager experience.

Introduce Women’s Football

Sports Interactive have gone public about their plans to introduce women’s football into FM, but they have also insisted that it is still a work in progress.

However, integrating women’s competitions into the FM universe is long overdue, especially with the growth of women’s leagues and their increasing prominence in the footballing world. 

This new feature would allow for more diverse gameplay and inspire a new generation of fans and players.

Improve National Team Management

It’s tough being in charge of a national team. But it can be even more frustrating for FM players, and a system overhaul would be a refreshing development.

Placing more emphasis on youth development, scouting networks and improved interactions with club managers would make the game more engaging and rewarding than ever before.

Improving offside decisions

The offside calls in FM23 are still very predictable, which can be annoying. But it is fixable with one quick update, which is what fans will be keen to see in the latest edition.

Tight offside decisions that are supposed to add suspense and drama to VAR calls now have a giveaway that allows players instantly know when a goal will stand and when it won’t.

Goals are sometimes ruled offside when the lines are drawn from a player in an offside position but is clearly not interfering with the action or not the one who scored. This can dampen excitement at times.

Overhaul the set-piece system

FM players have recently been placed under more pressure regarding set pieces, both in the attack and defensive phases.

Set pieces are an important part of every football game, but recent FM editions have seen the burden of tactics and routines lie heavily on the manager, which can be laborious and sometimes turn out to be ineffective. 

However, introducing set-piece coaches to take charge of setting up and practising different routines and combinations for attack and defence would reduce this burden on managers while giving an idea about what to expect before matches.

Director of Football (DoF)

The purpose or objective of a Director of Football (DoF) is defeated when recommended players do not tally with the club’s objectives or the manager’s tactical plan.

The DoF should be able to provide a more extensive list or range of talents or established players for managers to choose from while directing scouts on areas, countries, or continents to scour in their search for football’s next big thing.