Despite concerns last year that stripping down Football Manager for a handheld version would be a fundamental betrayal of the game's central ethos from some quarters, it was a triumph of the format, and a wonderful way to spend many engaging hours. This year, SI have released another parred down version of the main game for iOS and Android devices, and once again it's an entertaining game, and well worth the slightly elevated cover price. But then what else would you expect from the kings of football simulation? Yes, the main version has some unfortunate breaks in it, but the iOS version is a great departure and a means to distract while the developers get themselves sorted and release a fixing patch. Inevitably, again, you don't get the full experience, but you should know that coming in, but the dilutions don't feel like too great a compromise, and it's still possible to get a massively immersive game experience. Even more inevitably, because of the culture of scouting communities that exist dedicated to the main game, iOS Football Manager gamers will no doubt be searching for handy hints on who to sign and how best to invest. So with that in mind, here are the Essential purchases you should consider...
