Football Manager 2016: 10 Ways To Make It More Realistic

4. Rivalries

It's impossible to program emotions, but SI have to strive closer towards that in order to recreate the atmosphere, tension and drama surrounding a sport based upon passion and rivalries. Some derbies will always remain intensely fierce. Sunderland-Newcastle, Celtic-Rangers, Manchester United-Liverpool, Fleetwood-Morecambe, they're all set in stone, but other rivalries develop over time due to competition, or in some cases transfers. When Fernando Torres made the switch from Liverpool to Chelsea, it sparked an enormous rift between the clubs, with the two clubs fighting hammer and tongs ever since. A rivalry was born, something that should be able to happen on FM16. Obviously it would have to be done with the right balance seen as not every team who loses a game 1-0 will suddenly develop a nemesis for life. For those who make it beyond the current decade and venture into the far-flung future, ancient history and old feuds could be hyped up again, adding another layer of realism to the game once most modern-day players have retired with their reputations and storylines. Fanzines, features, interviews, and polls could be used to gage fan opinions ahead of derby games - and throughout the season - rather than just relying on a 'confidence bar' to measure.