THE MANAGER DOCS ---------------- IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ THIS FIRST! Before playing, please make sure you have made your own backup copies! The original disks should be stored for future reference. Please use the copied disks in order to play the game. 1991/92 Software 2000/U.S. GOLD. This program is protected under UK copyright law, and may not be copied, hired or reproduced, or otherwise modified without the consent of the copyright owner. It is a criminal offence to sell, hire, offer or exhibit for sale, or otherwise distribute copies of this computer program and persons found doing so will be prosecuted. CONTENTS ======== Preface: Page 3 Chapter 1: How to start the program Page 4 Chapter 2: Instructions for THE MANAGER Page 8 Chapter 3: Further Specialities and Features Page 38 Chapter 4 End of Season Page 42 Chapter 5: Comments Page 44 Chapter 6: The Main Programme PAge 46 Appendix: Credits Page 49 Page 3 1 ) HOW TO START THE PROGRAM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE MANAGER supports installed memory expansion as well as any existing external disk-drives (i.e. DF1:) or hard disk. 1.1 AMIGA WORKING CAPACITY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have an AMIGA 500 with only 512K of memory, you cannot really enjoy all the functions of THE MANAGER. Attention: If you are using an Amiga 500 with 512K remove all external drives! For reasons of space you would have to forgot the marble background, the animated sequences and the subsequent newspaper headlines. Apart from that, this program is exactly the same as the 1 MB version. You just have to load menu items from disk from time to time. If you have 1 MB of memory, all the necessary data are loaded into the memory before you start; you will not have to reload during the game. The only exceptions are the animated sequences and the newspaper screens, although the latter are also loaded into the memory if you have more than 1 MB at your disposal. While loading, the program automatically recognises RAM capacity of more than 51 2K. It then loads the appropriate version of THE MANAGER. 1.2 STARTING THE GAME WITH ONE OR TWO FLOPPY DISK DRIVES OR A HARD DISK DRIVE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have more than one disk drive, this will be recognised and supported by THE MANAGER. You only have to insert Disk 1 into drive DF0: and Disk 2 into the external drive. But even if no other disk-drive is available, you'll never be asked to be a disk-jockeywhen using the 512K version, as the data is organised on the disk in such a way that very few changes need to be made. If you have only one drive, please insert Disk 1 until you are asked to replace it with Disk 2. If a change of disk is necessary, THE MANAGER will inform you. As soon as you have changed the disks, the program will automatically continue loading. There is, of course, also a hard disk installation program on Disk 1, so you can easily copy THE MANAGER onto hard disk. To do this, click on the hard disk installation icon from the Workbench; (the hard disk must be turned on). 1.2.1) HARD DISK INSTALLATION (AMIGA) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It is possible to install THE MANAGER on to hard disk. Start as usual by booting your hard disk. Then insert the Manager Disk 1 into drive DF0: and use the Workbench by clicking on the HD Install icon. The program will then ask you for the name of the directory on your hard disk in which you want THE MANAGER to be loaded (e.g. DH0:Games). IMPORTANT! Make sure that the directory exists and there is enough space available. Press the mouse button (with Disk 1 still in drive DFO:) and the data will be transferred. After this is completed the program will request Disk2. Another click on the mouse will start copying Disk 2 onto the hard disc. THE MANAGER is now installed on your hard disk and can be started by simply clicking on its icon. 1.2.2) HARD DISK INSTALLATION (PC) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You will find the program in a compressed form on your disks. To play THE MANAGER you will need a hard disk. First switch on your PC. At the DOS prompt, insert the Manager Disk 1 in your disk drive (for example A) and type: INSTALL (source drive): (target drive): (e.g.: INSTALL A: C:) You can replace drive A and C with other valid source or target drives according to your machine's configuration. IMPORTANT! You need to type in both drives (source drive and target drive)! If not, your PC can't install the program correctly! If installation was correct THE MANAGER starts automatically. To restart THE MANAGER later on, type BMP when in subdirectory BMP. 1.2.3) GENERAL HINTS FOR PC USERS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use the program CHKDSK to check the available memory. Your machine needs a minimum of 565K free memory to start THE MANAGER. Deactivate all memory resident utilities from CONFIG.SYS if there is not enough free memory available. THE MANAGER supports SOUNDBLASTER music card only. You will hear different sounds during animated game scenarios. The program will start the Soundblaster card automatically. If you happen to have problems with your sound card load, load the game by typing: BMMain 0 The sound will be switched off. 1.2.4) LOADING A SAVED GAME ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you wish to load a saved game directly after loading THE MANAGER, click on the Title of the Selection screen. You can now load a saved game as described in Chapter 2.3.5 on page 32. 2) INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE MANAGER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE MANAGER has a clearly laid-out, attractive and easy-to-follow user interface. It uses graphic symbols (or icons) for all the important operating instructions, so that there are no confusing lines of text. The positioning of the menu icons allows the user to choose options in a much more efficient way. 2.1 START SELECTION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After loading, you'll see the selection screen , where the numbers (1 to 4), and names of the Managers and their clubs are to be entered. First enter the other players by clicking on the black space below the Managers' heads, type in the names and press the Return key. The logo is selected by clicking on the arrows on the edges of the logo menu bar, or by clicking to the left or the right of the emblem in the middle (i.e. the currently selected logo). The logos will be scrolled through horizontally. If you now click on the black rectangle above a Manager's head, the logo in the middle will move to the corresponding Manager (provided that he has already been given a name). If you should like the look of one Manager more than another, that's no problem. First click on head A, then head B, and there you are with the head you wanted. Have fun! And to avoid letters to the editor enclosing passport photos, may we advise you that we will ignore all requests for a specially personalised version of TH E MANAG ER with your digitised head in it! If you are a fan of a 4th Division team which isn't in the selection, you may purchase the Editor Disk (see Chapter 6, Editors). With this you can insert your special club or team, for example, with its own logo and team members. Click the right mouse button to complete the Selection. This is the point of no return.... The following shows the selection of the different modes (beginning at the top): a)Level 0-5 ------------ Choose a low number if you are an absolute beginner or love success without having to do too much for it. The Manager has an easy job here, partly because of a higher starting capital, 'amicable' team management, and a lenient attitude towards beginners' mistakes. b)Continuous game ------------------ Managers start in the 3rd Division and have to struggle forwards through many tough seasons to get up to the 1 st Division. As the name implies, this mode has no time-limit! c)1 season game --------------- The 1 -year mode starts in the 1 st Division, but you have much better teams, so you aim for the Championship. These teams are also represented in the European Cup (UEFA-Cup). In the 3 season or 1 season modes, the Manager's achievement at the end of the game is judged according to various criteria and will appear in the High-Score Table (if he was good enough to get there...). d)3 season game ---------------- Managers start in the 1st Division and have to stay in this league for 3 years. As the teams' strength is relatively low at the beginning, this isn't always easy. One more click on the right mouse button completes the selection. The computer now takes the real names of players in the League and enters them in your team. The teams' strengths are read from a file, converted and entered, so that the strengths of your teams in THE MANAGER correspond more or less to those of actual divisions. The topical interest depends on the file 'mana.dat' on Disk 2. The players' names, clubs' strengths, logo, etc. can easily be changed and topicalized with the help of an Editor program (see Chapter 6, Editors) This means that at any time you have the opportunity of reproducing the current League events on the screen. If you choose a club from the Second or Third Divisions, but start in the First Division (1 or 3 season modes), a team from the First Division (instead of your club) will be relegated to a lower division to restore the proper League structure. 2.2) FA-CUP/EUROPEANCUPDRAWS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For these events see Chapter 3. 2.3) MAIN MENU ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Main Menu which now appears on the screen is divided up as follows: ________________________________________________________________ | T H E M A N A G E R (A) | |________________________________________________________________| | ________________ | | | (B) | | | _____________________ | | | | | (C) | | | | | |_____________________| |________________| | | ______________ ______________ | | | (E) | | (E) | | | |______________| |______________| | | ______________ ______________ | | | (E) | | (E) | | | |______________| |______________| | | ______________ ______________ | | | (E) | | (E) | | | |______________| |______________| | |________________________________________________________________| Figure 2: Main Menu a) Title Click on the title to display the Credits. b) Calendar (top right) This is a real time calendar in so far as it follows the rules of a normal calendar (i.e. 31 days in January; 30 days in April etc.); but you cannot use it to look for the actual day of the week corresponding to a certain date, as it will probably not be accurate. The calendar is very useful for estimating the interval of time between fixtures. The date is also important for preparing for the end of the season . Within the scheme of realistic match programming, you have to remember that while there are no matches at all within the period from the last day of play in the first season to the first day of the second season, salaries still have to be paid and training has to carry on. c) Manager's head, League Position Graph, Club logo The head and logo will be your identification throughout the game. The League Position Graph shows all the previous positions of the season as a line graph representing the global trend. d) Messages By clicking on the empty marble field in the centre of the screen you can call up news items that occur during the game (see also Chapter 3d Messages). e) Main Menu items: on the left: 'Manager', 'Clubs', 'Players' on the right: 'Cups', 'Disk/Div', 'End' If you click on the Main Menu icon, the screen will show you nine sub-menu items that can also be activated by clicking with the mouse. Cobwebs indicate an empty sub-menu box. If there is a cobweb over a sub-menu item that is normally filled, this means that it cannot be selected for the time being, (for example, after visiting a training camp), or that it is blocked in the the current game mode (e.g. the High-Score Table in the continuous game mode). f) Continue game You finish your turn by clicking on the calendar (see b in fig. 2). If there are other Managers waiting, they can play now; if not, the next day's play will begin. 2.3.1) MAIN MENU ITEM MANAGER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As soon as you activate the Manager menu item, the following sub-menu items will appear on the screen. a) Statistics This menu item provides all kinds of statistical information about your club. The 'runs' (on the upper left) indicate your team's results in sequence: won/lost/drawn/not won etc. The number in brackets represents the record from the start of your game, the number before it shows the present state of the match. T, H, A indicate the columns Total, Home, Away. For example: '4(7)' in the 'No goals conceded' line and in Column A means that for a series of four away matches the opposition did not score a single goal. The record is seven matches. These runs refer only to ordinary league matches, not to FA Cup or European Cup matches. Your record results from the start of the game are kept under Records; both opponents and results are saved here. For example: '5 versus X' in the line 'A goals' means that you have scored your highest number of away goals (5) against the team X. Income/Expenses indicates the income and outgoings currently handled each month. Some of these sums are fixed and can be only indirectly modified by you: (e.g. travelling expenses, donations, money from TV- broadcasts). They can be altered only indirectly, because here your team's strength and your current position are also taken into consideration. The 'floating' part of your money, which is determined by you, consists of footballers'salaries, expenditure on youth work, advertising costs, income from sponsorship, loans etc. Outgoings are usually much higher than income. The deficit has to be made up by admittance fees. Under the heading Spectators (on the right), you will find, amongst other things, how many spectators you must have to make up the difference between income and expenditure. The average crowd needed to break even might appear rather high, but you have to consider the summer break with no takings from the gate, but continuing outgoings (salaries, loan interests, etc...) The average given is totally reliable, as all expenses/income including interest on loans and credits at the bank are balanced over a one-year period. Another important aspect is the admission fee which you determine for your stadium. (See also 2.3.1 d, Stadium.) With higher admission prices, the average number of spectators decreases, since more money is paid per person. Conversely, the number increases as ticket prices drop. The other spaces below Spectators indicate the total number in the crowd (adding all home and visiting spectators), the average number for each match and the figures for record attendance as well as for worst attendance. Cup matches are not analysed, as this would give a false impression of the League matches. In the space below Worst attendance abar graph indicates the number of spectators on all days of play. The horizontal bar displays the home matches in order and the vertical bar indicates the number of spectators at a single home match . The display is approximate: i .e. a full bar means 100% (completely full attendance) and serves as the top measure for subsequent days of play. In the column Finances, you can see the statement of your own account as well as your debts to all creditors (the bank and other Managers). The state of your finances is presented to you in one more way: the further the vertical bar falls into the red zone, the worse they are! b) Previous League Table/Results so far (fig. 3) This table indicates your long-term achievements in THE MANAGER. As well as your position in the League, other successes in the FA Cup, European Cup, championships, etc. are taken into account. After each season this table is up-dated. The 'Past Data' column shows you at a glance all the championships and cup matches you have won since the start of the game. In addition, you can constantly see in which Cup matches you are still playing: a red circle around the current Cup (bar on the left) means'You are OUT';a green circle indicates that you still have a fighting chance. Immediately below this you'll find the total scores, goals, wins, defeats and draws, added up from all the seasons and divided into Total, Home and Away. In the long term you can observe the 'home strength' of your club merely by analysing the 'Home' section of 'Past Data'. c) Victories The menu item 'Victories' also gives you a long term estimate of your club's development. The upper (blue) window indicates what division you are in and what rounds you have reached in the League, as well as the FA Cup and the European Cup forthe respective season. The lower (black) window has a bar graph giving you an idea of how you've done in the League so far. The horizontal one shows the current season, the vertical one the position you have reached in the League. The significance of the bar colours are as follows: dark brown - 3rd Division mid brown - 2nd Division light brown - 1st Division The height of the bar indicates your league position in the current season. All wins from the past 50 years have been recorded. You cannot see all seasons at once, so click with the mouse to move onto the next one. If you have been in the league for more than 50 years, the first entry will be replaced by the most recent season. d) The Stadium When you play THE MANAGER you can enjoy looking at your own stadium on the screen by choosing the Menu option Stadium. As well as different figures for stadiums, flood-lighting and score-boards, their current state of repair (from very poor to excellent) is graphically portrayed. In this menu item you can chose from the following options: Extending stadium capacity (with either seats or terraces) Roofing in the already existing seats or terraces Installing floodlights or an electronic scoreboard Improving the stadium's condition and facilities Determining the average entrance fee You just have to click on the items you wish to select (which are then displayed at the bottom of the screen). In the upper left window a dialog box appears, along with information on improvement costs and your current financial possibilities. ('Max. Size' means the maximum credit you are able to arrange. Underneath, in brackets, you find the estimated costs.) If you should change your mind because of the unexpected costs, press the right mouse button to return to the previous selection. But if you decide to go ahead with the extension, enter the number of seats by clicking on the upper (+ 1,000) or lower (-1,000) triangle of the input box. The maximum number of seats in the stadium is 130,000. When you have reached the number you wish to erect, click the right mouse button. Your instructions will now be displayed once more, and you learn the expected construction time. You simply orderthe renovation/reconstruction by confirming the 'Safety inquiry'. If you change your mind, the contract is cancelled - but you are not allowed to carry out that kind of construction work for a certain time (as the construction company is no longer interested in dealing with indecisive Managers like you!) When installing floodlights or scoreboards, or improving the general state or facilities of your stadium your selection options are slightly different. Instead of the dialog box you find the different degrees of expansion ('small', 'medium', 'large' for scoreboard and floodlights; 'very poor' to 'excellent' for the state of the stadium and its amenities) with the financial alternatives highlighted on the screen. Click on one of these options to continue as described above. If you have signed a contract with a building company, the new value will appear under 'After reconstruction' in the lower window in light blue characters. You can always survey all current building activities; only the date of completion is not available, since this cannot be precisely calculated . By clicking on the last line you can decide the average entrance fee which should correspond to the average value of seats, standing places or covered areas. The prices range from œ1 to œ6 in steps of 50p, but changing them even slightly may have disastrous consequences on the attendance numbers. The rule of thumb is: the stronger the next home opponent and the better your own side, the more people will be prepared to dig a little deeper into their pockets for a match. If your team gets promoted to the next division, you should think about increasing prices, as increased fixed charges demand higher takings from spectators.The furnishment of your stadium will be paid for by the increased number of spectators and better sponsorship, even when this is not immediately apparent. e) Loans Of course, in THE MANAGER, you can borrow either from the bank or from other Managers. The upper left window shows the different interest rates for the various options. Interest rates are only favourable if you have raised a loan from the bank; they can also change during the game. You can choose where to raise the money by clicking on the appropriate space on the right-hand side of the screen. If you play by yourself, naturally the bank is your only option! If you'd like to raise loan from the bank, click on the duration/interest rate you have chosen and enter the amount of money using the keyboard. The details of the contract appear in the lower window on the left: the date of the loan, amount, interest rate, due date and interest per month. Raise a loan from another player (if there is one) by clicking on the chosen Manager's head at the right-hand edge of the screen. Just click on the upper window on the right-hand side and enter the amount of the loan, its duration and interest rate. The maximum loan from a bank would be £1 million, from a Manager £250,000. In the loan window (bottom left), you will see the total amount borrowed as well as the total interest for each creditor. Warning: Interest is deducted monthly, not annually! This may not seem very realistic, but when playing for high stakes you would otherwise scarcely notice the interest payments. A Manager is paid 1.5% interest on surplus capital. If the account is overdrawn interest rates are high at 10%. If a repayment is due, this is announced before the other player starts a new round. The money will be debited, even if this causes a deficit. f) Sponsorship/Advertising Contracts This is not available in the 1 season game. Sponsors are automatically assigned to the Managers, since the duration of the contract with them has no importance in this mode (as everything changes after one year anyway) so negotiation of advertising contracts would be distorted. Advertisements can be assigned to six billboards inside the stadium or the team's shirts. Good sponsors are extremely important for the club, as much of the budget has to be financed by advertising. You choose these sponsors by clicking first on the footballer (for ad on shirts) and then on one of the six stadium ads. The chosen object is edged in white. Now click on the brown rectangle in the middle, and the logo of the relevant company will appear. Using the arrow symbols to the right you can scroll through the list of the ten available advertising firms. If a sponsor is interested, you will see their offer (monthly payment and duration of contract). You accept the offer by clicking on OK. A signed contract cannot be cancelled during the period of the agreement. Once you have made a contract, you can always find out how much longer it has to run (in months) by clicking on the relevant hoarding or shirt. If an advertising contract expires, the billboard/shirt becomes available again but you receive only a tenth of the previous amount that the ex-sponsor still has to pay you for any remaining stickers, torn posters etc. On the right-hand side of the screen you can examine all costs and income from advertising. Revenue comes from the shirt and stadium ads as well as from TV broadcasting rights. The latter cannot be directly controlled - it depends on the general public interest in your club. You can decide the cost of advertising within certain limits. Click on the figure beside the 'Advertising costs' box. These expenses are fixed at œ625 intervals: you can choose from œ1,250 to œ12,500. If the cursor is in the left half of the black field, the amount is reduced; if it is in the right half, the costs will increase each time you press the key. Money spent on advertising improves your club's public image and can therefore be thoroughly beneficial to the team. Every four weeks or so you can reckon on new offers from advertising agents, so you should try to sign on with the very best sponsors as quickly as possible. On the other hand, bad advertising contracts might harm your financial situation in the long run. Sometimes it is worth waiting for a really good offer. 2.3.2) MAIN MENU ITEM CLUBS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As soon as you activate the the item, the following sub-menu items appear on the screen; ________________________________________________ | | | | | G | D | A | |_______________|_______________|_______________| | | | | | H | E | B | |_______________|_______________|_______________| | | | | | I | F | C | |_______________|_______________|_______________| d-f) Program schedule of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions h) Strength chart 2nd Division c) 3rd Division Table Figure 4: Sub-menu items in Main Menu Item Clubs a) 1st Division Table b) 2nd Division Table c) 3rd Division Table The menu item League Table provides the Manager with detailed information at his/her request, besides indicating the current positions in the League. The columns show the following (from left to right): -- League position -- Name of club Results so far: the last 8 matches have been saved; Home matches: 'W', 'D', 'L' = Won, Drawn, Lost Away matches: 'w', 'd', 'I' = Won, Drawn, Lost (the last match is shown to the right) Matches played so far Won, drawn, lost matches of the current season --Points, goals, goal difference The coloured background of some league positions mean the following: light green - Championship position dark green - UEFA Cup position (1 st Division only) - Promotion position (2nd and 3rd Division) red - Relegation position The league table can be set to 'Home', 'Total' and 'Away' using the three lower buttons. With 'Home' and 'Away', only the relevant matches are taken into consideration, so you can see yourteam's position with regard to home and away matches. d-f) Programme Schedule of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions The programme schedule of the relevant divisions indicates who plays when against whom. As well as the team names, you can check their current league table positions and learn more about each club's strength. This is shown by four figures, the first of which gives the average, while the three in brackets break the information down according to fitness, skill and form. With the help of the arrows on the bottom left, you can page backwards and forwards through the match days. g-i) Strength charts of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd divisions This menu item allows you to make a direct comparison between the relative strengths of the clubs in a Division . The teams are graded according to their average strength (max. 99, min. 0). Individual assessments are broken down into the three columns: Fitness, Skill and Form. By clicking on the lower button you classify the charts by Total, Defence, Midfield or Forward strengths, as in points a-c in 2.3.2, League Table. As well as giving important information on the League, the information about your own club provides useful tips to overcome potentially weak areas in the team (for example, obviously weak defence). It is up to the Manager to do away with these negative aspects, by buying a stronger defender or by varying training, perhaps. 2.3.3) MAIN MENU ITEM PLAYERS As soon as you activate Players, the following sub-menu items will appear in the centre of the screen: _________________________________________________ | | | | | A | D | G | |________________|_______________|_______________| | | | | | B | E | H | |________________|_______________|_______________| | | | | | C | F | I | |________________|_______________|_______________| a) Selection of players In this menu item you can position your team and decide the formation for the next match. The information in the columns means the following (from left to right): Player's number Numbers 1 to 11 show that the player is selected in the current team, numbers 12 and 13 indicate the substitutes. Type of player (goalkeeper, defence, midfield or forward) ---------------------------------------------------------- If a player is on loan from another club, the words 'on loan' appears. Player's name -------------- In the status line (lower edge of the window) you can see his age and whether a player is a left-footer ('1'), a right-footer ('r') or an all-rounder ('I + r'). This is important for positioning the players (see below). Completed matches (league and cups) ------------------------------------ Strength (Fitness, Skill, Form) - The number in brackets gives the average. Status: Scored goals (league and cups) Yellow and red cards Selected - the player is selected Substit - the player stays as a substitute Injured - the player is injured. The diagnosis is displayed in the status line, too. Depending on how serious the injury is, the player will not be available for anything from a week to several months. Suspended (x) - the player in unable to play because of a red card. The number 'x' in brackets gives the number of days for which he is still suspended. This indicates whether the player is on a physical high ('+'), or if his biological rhythm predicts that he's going downhill ('-'). A '0' means that his form is developing normally. The different colours in this item mean the following: Form red The player is pretty exhausted. The exact degree of tiredness can be ascertained from Players' Info (see Chapter 3 f, Players' Info). To reduce exhaustion, give him a recreation break or adapt his training to his needs (see Chapter 2 d, Training). A high degree of exhaustion makes injuries more likely. Player's name in white He has had an offer to move to anotherclub. The club's bid can only be seen in the transfer list (see Chapter 2 c Transfer List) Blue number - Indicates a substitute. Status Red - Suspended owing to red card or injury. Eleven players will be picked and a maximum of 2/4 players nominated as substitutes (2 for League matches and 4 for European Cup matches). You can select players for your team by clicking the left mouse button, and substitutes by clicking the right button. If a player has been incorrectly positioned or placed on the reserve list, you can reverse the selection by left-clicking again. The dedication of your team can be graded with the bar on the upper right of the screen (but the higher the dedication, the higher the probability of injuries, cards or exhaustion). If you want to keep the exact formation of the selected players, press the second button on the top right-hand side of the screen (pitch). Now you can see the players on the pitch. During this display, players can be changed, replaced or tactically positioned (see above), and only the status and the trend from the eleventh player on are no longer visible. At the beginning of a match an automatic setting (AS) is activated. You can see this because one of your AS symbols at the lower left-hand edge of the screen is highlighted. The Manager can now set one of three Auto Settings with the help of these AS symbols: 1) 2-4-4 (2 forwards, 4 midfield, 4 defenders = defensive play) 2) 2-5-3 (2 forwards, 5 midfield, 3 defenders = normal play) 3) 3-4-3 (3 forwards, 4 midfield, 3 defenders = offensive play) If AS is activated, the computer will pick the strongest and most useful players, regardless of his positioning. At the beginner's level this doesn't matter much, as mistakes in the setting are of no consequence. But at the normal level you should at least keep in mind the following rules that are not always fully taken into account by the AS option (otherwise it might all be too simple...): Left-footers should play on the left and right-footers should play on the right. Vertical rows in the setting should be not be left empty. Always place the goalkeeper in the middle of the lowest line, otherwise the goal would be wide open to the opponent's shots... Place at least 2 players in defence, 2 in midfield and another 2 as forwards. If AS is activated, no more changes can be made. By clicking on one of the ball icons or on the marble background, this option will be de-activated. You will see the message 'Auto-Team selection is deactivated'. Now you're in charge again... The manual positioning of a player is done as follows: First you click on the particular ball icon on the pitch, (outlined in blue), inside which you find the number of the player who appears in the window on the left. Then you choose the desired position. If the position is already taken by another player, they simply swap places. b) Contracts (fig. 5) The Contracts Sub-menu item can also be selected from Selection of players. In the same way, the symbols or icons on the right allow you to go directly to the menu option Selection of players. Now it is time to negotiate. Each player has a fixed duration contract with the club (of between one and four years) and a monthly salary. After clicking on the player you can choose the length of contract and specify his monthly salary. Click on the relevant figure in the lower Contract window and enter the new data using the keyboard. This is confirmed by clicking on New contract. Abort finishes your negotiations (as you might have guessed). You will then be informed whether the player has accepted your offer. If the player has rejected it, he won't be interested in any further negotiations for a few weeks. But if you wish, you can try negotiating with him again later in the season. A lengthy contract ensures that a player will stay in your team for a long time. If you then wish to sell him, (because of poor performance or financial problems), your proceeds from the sale will be greatly reduced, due to the compensation you have to pay to 'release' the player. In addition, the longer the contract, the higher the salary demanded, (it increases progressively, not proportionally!) as the player's performance also improves. The Manager will soon learn from experience exactly what leeway he has when negotiating contracts; the first salary can serve as an initial, minimum basis for negotiation. If you wish to extend a player's contract, the computer will help you to some extent. After you have entered your chosen period of time, an appropriate salary will be suggested in the line above. (This can only act as a fairly generous guideline - the player may have different ideas!). The player's salary is determined according to careful calculation of his age, strength, etc. After each season the length of the contract is reduced by one year. For example, if you sign a two year contract on the 38th day's play (in the 3rd Division) with player 'A', he will be 'bound' to the club for one (the last) match day of this season plus the whole of the following season. At the end of the season you are automatically allowed to re-negotiate a new contract for each player individually (see also Chapter 4, End of Season). If there's no positive agreement and the contract expires, the player will leave your club and you will receive only a modest transfer fee. You should therefore be sure to: arrange extended contracts as early as possible; be generous in offering good salaries to players you definitely want to keep. The different colours in this menu item symbolise the following: Red line After his contract expires, the player will retire, i.e. you can no longer count on him; Blue line The player doesn't want to negotiate at present. This occurs when a player has rejected a bid - (see above); Player's name in white The player himself offers to extend his contract. c) Transfer List (fig. 5) The Manager can buy/hire new players, or sell/lend his own players, when they are on the transfer list. You can alternate between the two modes with the help of two buttons 'Loan' and 'Buy' in the upper right-hand window. In the 'Lend' mode the price of a player on the transfer list is be divided by 3; the player on loan will leave your club at the end of the season. There is never any further negotiation with players on loan: the computer fixes the monthly salary according to the player's ability. -> Buying or hiring players Those players offered by other clubs can be seen in the upper right-hand window (the transfer list). After clicking on your chosen player, you can make an offer to his club. The 'asking' price will be shown on the transfer list, along with the type of player, his name and strong points. The sum of money shown is not a definite offer, more of an estimate. This means that an offer of this amount will not necessarily be accepted. To be quite sure of acquiring a player, you should a bid a little more than the suggested figure. If the player's former club agrees, all you have to discuss with him is the length of the contract and his monthly salary. If you accept the default terms given under 'New contract', you can be fairly sure of the player being under contract now (although it is always possible for him to change his mind) . You can also try right from the start of negotiations to fix the contract for more than one year at a higher salary. If the player doesn't accept the contract despite these terms, the contract falls through. In that case, the player's club won't accept any other bid you would like to make for the next few days (so, please be careful with offers and contracts). The maximum number of players in your squad is 24, including those on the transfer list. Selling or lending players: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you click on a player in your squad he is put onto the transfer list. Each Manager can have up to three players on the transfer list. A transferred player is indicated by a small dot in front of his name. In the lower status line the Manager's name, the player's age and his 'strong foot' will be given. To cancel a transfer, click on him again and he'll return to your team. If you really want to sell someone who is on the transfer list, you have to wait until another club makes a bid for him. If there is currently such an offer, it will be announced within the next few days of play (see also: Chapter 3 d, Messages). Loaning out is only possible between Managers. At end of a season all players on the transfer list will be automatically returned to your squad. When there are negotiations between Managers about transfers, the Manager of the player to be transferred has to decide whether or not he is going to accept the bid. To ward off dishonest Managers, the bid must comprise a reasonable offer (e.g. selling for œ3 is inadmissible). d) Training (fig. 5) The best is yet to come... Weekly training sessions are advisable and essential for your team to improve. You may follow the information in the 'Strength chart' (see also: 2.3.2, g - i, Strength charts) to provide the best plan for efficient training of your team. According to your needs, you can emphasise fitness, skill, shooting or tactics (left hand side of the screen). On the right hand side of the screen you'll find specific players in your team (goalkeeper, defence, midfield, forward) who you can train as necessary. For both training sessions, a limited number of balls is available to represent the training session. On the left you have twenty balls, on the frighten, to distribute as you please. Click on the appropriate space within a particular row. The value of a setting can only be raised if balls are 'free' (displayed in the vertical tubes at the sides of the screen). More balls are released when a value is lowered. The intensity of the training (the bottom row on the left) depends on how many balls you put into it. The range is from one ball (lax) up to 10 balls (10 hours per day). But remember, the harder you train, the more exhausting it'll be for your team, and the greater their susceptibility to injuries. On the other hand, though, it can be advantageous in the short-term for the abilities and strength of the whole team. The three green bars below left represent: -> F/S - Fitness and Skill These two bars reflect the relationship between fitness and skill in your team and make it easier for you to adapt their training accordingly. This correlation should be more or less balanced, although a certain advantage in skill is desirable from time to time. IMPORTANT: If the Fitness bar extends much beyond the Skills bar, there will rapidly be greater danger of injuries as well as rougher soccer. Take care that this situation does not last very long, otherwise your team will probably turn into a 'sick bag'!... -> E - Exhaustion This bar displays the exhaustion level of the whole team as an absolute value. So, keep an eye on this bar and don't allow it to get too high (by reducing the intensity of training for example). There is another special feature, labelled 'Youth', which determines how much money you wish to spend on the youth team per month. If you do this properly you may eventually have the chance to integrate talented young (and inexpensive) players into your team (see also Chapter 4, End of Season). The different types of training (fitness, skill, shooting or tactics) each have a special influence on the team's performance and strength. With a little reflection and practice, the Manager will soon be able to establish the most appropriate training program to solve his team's individual problems. The default settings are relatively balanced: i.e., fitness, skill and form are dealt with almost equally. e) Training Camps (fig. 5) THE MANAGER provides you with eight different training camps in which your team can be revitalised. They are not all open all year round, depending on the season. Moreover, you are not allowed to use these camps too frequently to strengthen your team or the menu option will become blocked. Different places have their own specialities such as recuperative atmosphere, fitness-equipment, superior pitch, comfortable accommodation and nutritious food. The grading in a certain category is similar to that of hotels, where the awarding of one to five stars indicates their quality (here balls are used). Your team will be affected (skill, strength, exhaustion, etc) according to the speciality of the chosen training camp. The costs depend on the size of your squad (players on the transfer list do not attend) as well as the type of camp. Training camps represent a successful method of improving the strength of your team. When the players are home again aftervisiting one of the eight camps, the difference should be immediately apparent on the 'Strength chart' (see also 2.3.2, g-i, Strength charts). However, you should bear in mind that a stay at a training camp could waste the players' energy (depending on the type of camp!). --> F) Scorer Table (fig. 5) This item was inserted to draw attention to the most successful scorers in the league. After the player's name and club you'll find the number of goals he has scored so far in the league (cup matches are not included). Next on the right, you can see how many goals he scored per match. Below are two buttons, enabling you to toggle between "League" and "Player". In the first mode all the league scorers are listed, whilst in the second the computer takes only the top scorers of each Manager's team into account, so that they can make a straight comparison. If one of your players is top scorer at end of a season, you'll be awarded a cash prize. 2.3.5) DISK & MISCELLANEOUS MAIN MENU ITEM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As soon as you activate Disk & Miscellaneous, the following sub-menu options will appear: a) Loading a game b) Saving a game Both items are for loading/saving current games. The appropriate window (or icon) allows you to use several devices (e .g. diskdrives, hard disk, RAM disk). THE MANAGER automatically recognises all of them and displays them as the lower six buttons. 7th button, Delete By using this button, you can delete a match you no longer need. Just click on the appropriate game and then click on Delete. 8th button, Root Dir. With this button you can change the current directory. For example, if you are in the directory DF0: currentgame, and click on Root Dlr, you'll now be in the directory "DF0:". The colours of the file icons in the top part of the window represent the following: dark blue Directory light blue File orange THE MANAGER THE MANAGER Game ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When there are more entries than can be shown on one page, use the button on the right to go to pages 2 and 3. You go into a sub-directory (shown in dark blue at the top of the window) by clicking on it. You can Load/Save either by entering the name (click on the space next to 'Filename', then type it in) or double-click on one of the file-names in the window). A MANAGER game always has the suffix ".MAN". The program will automatically add this for you. When saving a game, you'll need Disk 2 of THE MANAGER (unlock it first). IMPORTANT NOTICE! Please make copies of the three disks before you start playing. Remember to use the copies - save the originals and keep them for future reference! THE MANAGER has an in-built security system: i.e., you are not allowed to change a saved game. Any cheating, such as copying games, manipulating games with disk editors etc, will fail. 'Honesty is the best policy'. You should try to earn your success as a Manager, rather than get it by cheating! The Manager does an autosave every third year. The name of this saved game is AUTOSAVE.MAN (so don't use this name for your own saved games and have a blank, formatted disk ready). If you are playing from hard disk the game will be saved there. If a program error occurs it will try to save the current game as ERROR.MAN. Correct saving cannot be guaranteed. If you wish to continue playing one of your saved games with a friend or colleague, you'll need the original Disk 2 of THE MANAGER as well as the floppy containing the saved match. c) High scores (fig. 7) A High scores table is available for the 3 Season mode. In the Highest scores 'Hall of Fame', are the names of the best twenty Managers who have ever played THE MANAGER. Points are awarded according to several important categories, such as improvement in theteam, cup successes, league position, financial situation, etc. The name of the Manager, his club and their score are saved in the High scores table. In addition, the number of championships, FA Cup victories and European Cup wins are shown in brackets after the scores. There are separate Highest scores tables for the three modes, as there are different start conditions for each mode. All modes are sub-divided into levels 1-5, so you'll have 18 separate High Score tables. You can even clear these tables by deleting the corresponding file on Disk 2 (see also 2.3.5, Disk). The names of the High Scores tables have the following meaning: HlGH.xy "x" = 1 for 1 Season mode, 3 for 3 Season mode, 0 for continuous mode. "y" = level (0 - 5) Caution: Deleting this file will irretrievably destroy all the records achieved so far! d) Settings (fig. 7) This menu item helps you to choose a variety of settings that will allow you to switch most of the available information displays on or off at will. For example, you probably won't be interested in the state of the 1st and 2nd Division as long as your club is only in the 3rd Division. If so, you simply 'switch off' the display of the half-time results, full-time results and league tables of those divisions. Furthermore you have the possibility of deciding whether you would like to watch animated highlights (instead of just an announcement), or a display of FA Cup matches, European Cup matches and replays. Although if your team is taking part in any of these matches, that game will always be shown, no matter what the setting is. 'News' switches the newspaper report at the end of each match on or off. 'Fading' refers to the transitions when transferring to a different screen. Fade in means that fading in or out is occurring, Fade out switches off the screen for a while between menu items and then on again. At the lower right of the window you can continuously vary the speed of the game. In very thrilling matches, for example, you may wish to choose a slower game. On the upper left side of the window appears the year when the game finishes, so you can tell the game mode. The selected mode is also indicated here: '0 - 5' gives the level, 'NEV' indicates the continuous game mode. e) New Manager (fig. 7) This item allows you to welcome a new Manager later in the game. He is entered in the same way as described in 2. 1, Start Selection. There is only one handicap for the new Manager - the newcomer is initially not allowed to participate in Cup matches. 2.3.6) QUIT GAME (SEE ALSO FIG. 2 ON PAGE 12) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Right-click on this item and you will be asked to confirm that you want to quit. If you do, you will be released once more into the grey, dreary, every-day world you inhabited before THE MANAGER existed... 2.4) IT'S MATCH DAY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When all Managers have finished their turn, the match day (League or FA Cup) will follow. If one of the Managers' teams is taking part in a match, the relevant encounter will be shown 'live'. If not, the program continues with the first Manager's menu options (e.g. after a match day for the 2nd or 3rd Divisions in the 1 Season mode, when 1 st Division teams have a day off). For each match in which a Manager is involved an electronic display appears on screen with the names and logos of both sides, as well as other current information. This would include the number of yellow and red cards, players' injuries, selected players and the number of scoring chances. If the clubs of two Managers are playing against each other, this information will appear for both teams, with the home team on the left and the away team on the right. In the lower left corner of this display board you'll see the number of spectators, if the Manager's team is playing at home. If the number of the crowd is given in red, you have a full house. NOTICE: If you've decided to watch the animated games, you can find out the name of the designer of each animation by clicking the right mouse button after the final whistle. Substitions or tactical changes are possible by clicking on the logo of your club. You now have the opportunity to position or reposition players by clicking the pitch icon on the right-hand side of the screen (see also 2.3.3 a, Position Players). Similarly, you can vary your team's dedication by clicking the appropriate bar. These are sensible measures to take when you're down by a narrow margin before the final whistle and staking everything on more offensive tactics (but, as in real life, there's a certain risk...) On the other hand you can, of course, decide to strengthen your defence in the hope of retaining your lead until the end of the match. A further possibility of intervening in your team's game is provided when you substitute a player. You do this as follows: first of all, click on the player to be substituted. He'll now be marked as a substitute. Then click on the player on the substitutes' bench who will replace the one in the team. He is now marked 'selected'. To position him correctly, click on the pitch icon (third button) and assign him his place on the field. In accordance with Football Association laws, only one goalkeeper and two other players may be substituted. NB: "AS" (Automatic Selection) can't be chosen during the match! During the match you will be kept informed about scored goals, yellow or red cards as well as players' injuries that prevent you from continuing the game. If a player is injured, the program will automatically return to the 'substitution screen' giving you the possibility of replacing him immediately. If a player has been given his fourth yellow card (disqualifying him from the next match), it will be shown by a 'right arrow' in the message box. After 45 minutes the half-time scores are displayed. At the end of the match you see the final results of your division as well as the current league table. 2.5) NEWSPAPER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After each day's play you will see headlines from the Sports section of your local paper, commenting on your team's performance. The players will also be assessed, with marks ranging from 1 (excellent) to 6 (poor). 3) FURTHER SPECIALITIES AND FEATURES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As a very special feature, the program will supply you with lots of information about all the English clubs and teams, at all stages during the game. a) Team info ------------- Information on a certain team is always available when the name of the club is highlighted (e.g. in the score-table, programme, Cup matches, not including the Historical league table). Left-click on the club's name and you will now see an amazing screen, showing: Position and current division of the team Home/away results as well as the results of the past eight matches Average goals scored/conceded per match Best Worst result Highest score/worst defeat Results of the last three home and away matches with details of the opponent. Points the club has scored so far in the League table In the item, Runs, you are presented with especially valuable statistics; e.g.: '3 matches in a row with no goals conceded'; or: '438 matches in a row not won at home'. All data in this window refer to either home or away matches of the club in question. This depends on whether the team is listed as home or away on the screen of your present menu item. For example: in the item schedule, if you click on the first club in the line 'Manchester United vs Arsenal', the information in the Team info window will refer only to the home statistics of Manchester United. If you go into Team info whilst in the league table, you'll get all the required information (home, away, total) for your team. So it is guaranteed that you'll always get the best and most useful information. If you choose the button Rest of Season, your club's remaining opponents are shown in chronological order. After their name, and whether These messages are extremely useful for your tactics in the current round. You can, for example, ease off on the training of the team, let someone relax or have a different line-up if you are in the UEFA Cup and the championship is along way off. d) Messages At the beginning of each round, the computer gives you the latest news about your team on: * Players injured during training * Bids for your players by other clubs * Offers from your own players to extend their contracts on the same terms as before. * Notice given by your own players thay they wish to end their contracts. Renovation of the stadium completed/Hooligans in the stadium The latest news will be displayed in the top line of the message window. Previous reports can be seen by using the arrow icons. e) Cancelled matches --------------------- Occasionally matches are cancelled, particularly in winter. This is indicated in the Schedule, where, instead of a result, you find the new date of the postponed match. If your team is lining up for a postponed match, this is displayed in the main menu. You can find out who your opponent is as follows: look in the item Match Schedule for the date of the rescheduled match. You can also trace your opponent using Team info. f) FA Cup ---------- Thirty-two teams qualify for the first round of the Cup in THE MANAGER. If a match is drawn after 90 minutes, there are 2 periods of extra time, each lasting 15 minutes. After extra time, if the match is still undecided, you'll go for penalties. The rules are as follows: each team competes with five players, who shoot alternately. If there's still a draw after that, one more player from each team carries on the attempt until one of the opponents wastes his penalty kick and the other converts it into a goal. You can experience the FA Cup Draw 'live' on screen (but be careful, the suspense can reach dangerous levels!) The first draw is made as soon as your game starts. After that, it follows each FA Cup day. A 3rd Division team always hosts a match when playing a 1 st Division, n club. The income from a Cup match will be equally distributed between the two parties. g) European Cups ----------------- There are three different European Cups: Championship Cup Cup-winners' Cup UEFA Cup In contrast to the FA Cup, there are first and second leg games in the European Cup. If the results are equal (e.g., first leg: won 2-1; second leg: after 90 minutes 2-1 for the opposing side) there will be extra time. If after 120 minutes the score remains the same, you go for a penalty shoot-out (see also FA Cup). If the score is level after the two matches, the decision will be based on the number of away goals scored. For example: If you win the first round 3-1 (at home) and lose 0-2 away, you are out of the Cup, because the opposing team scored one goal on foreign soil. The individual strengths of the European Cup teams are based closely on the real teams - for example, it is much easier to defeat Malta's Cupwinner than AC Milan. The European Cup, like the FA Cup, provides a welcome source of income for the Manager, since it attracts large numbers of spectators. This naturally has a positive effect on your financial situation... h) Income/Expenses ------------------- Monthly income and expenses are added to, or deducted from, your account on the last day of the month. There will be a temporary increase in your account balance during the course of the month, owing to spectator admission charges. But this is often deceptive, and is evened out again after the end of month when the expenditure is deducted. 4) END OF SEASON ----------------- a) League Position First of all you'll learn the league position of your team and its division, as well as special events, which may be any of the following: Promotion/Relegation Licence revoked (either because of debts of more than £500,000 or relegation from the 3rd Division. Both events lead to a new game with œ125,000 in the bank). You won the championship (cash prize) One of your players is top-scorer (cash prize) Promotion of a player from your youth team b) Retirements --------------- After you have pressed the left mouse button, the time arrives at last to say Farewell to those players who have formally announced their retirement. These players, leaving the club because of advancing years, are indicated one after another. If you should be lucky enough not to have any elderly players in your squad, THE MANAGER skips the item Retirements. c) Contract negotiations ------------------------- At the end of the season there are again talks with those players whose contracts have ended. This is the last chance for you to keep the player in your squad. If your offer is not accepted, the player leaves your club, and you get only a very modest transfer fee for him. If no contracts are about to expire, THE MANAGER leaves out the item Contract negotiations, too. 5) COMMENTS ~~~~~~~~~~~ 5.1) A FEW COMMENTS ON THE CALCULATIONS ---------------------------------------- The excellent analysis capability of THE MANAGER provides detailed and precise calculations. So, the individual 'value' of a player on the transfer list, for example, depends on various factors, such as fitness, skill, form, age, goals scored, matches completed, yellow/red cards etc. Of course, there is also a random factor, but it reflects the trials and tribulations of real life. The success of a team depends largely on the qualities of the Manager. We are proud to claim that the difficulty level has been finely tuned by months of 'test matches'. This game is very addictive and is sure to retain your interest for avery long period of time. 5.2) ASSISTANCE --------------- If you encounter any difficulty loading this game, please call U. S. Gold on 021-625-3366 and ask for our Helpline staff who will be happy to assist you with any queries you may have. 6) THE MAIN PROGRAMME ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the following list you'll find all the match dates of the year in chronological order. During the game none of the dates can be altered. There might be some replays or postponed matches, but they are not dealt with here. Figures in columns refer to the match days. Date 1st Division 2nd Division 3rd Division --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------- 29th July 1 1 1 2nd August (European Cups First round - First leg) 5th August 2 2 2 12th August 3 3 3 16th August (European Cups First round - Second leg) 19th August 4 4 4 23rd August 5 5 5 26th August (First round FA Cup) 2nd September 6 6 6 9th September 7 7 7 13th September - 8 8 16th September 8 9 9 20th September (European Cups Second round - First Leg) 23rd September 9 10 10 27th September 10 11 11 30th September 11 12 12 4th October (European Cups Second round - Second Leg) 7th October 12 13 13 14th October (FA Cup Second round) 18th October 13 - - 21st October 14 14 14 25th October - 15 15 28th October 15 16 16 4th November 16 17 17 11th November (FA Cup Quarter Finals) 15th November (European Cup Quarter Finals - First leg) 18th November 17 18 18 25th November 18 19 19 29th November (European Cup Quarter Finals - Second leg) 2rd December 19 20 20 9th December 20 21 21 7th February 21 22 22 10th February 22 23 23 17th February 23 24 24 24th February 24 25 25 3rd March 25 26 26 7th March (European Cup Semi-Finals - First Leg) 10th March (FA Cup Semi-Finals) 17th March 26 27 27 21st March (European Cup Semi Finals - Second Leg) 24th March 27 28 28 31st March 28 29 29 7th April 29 30 30 14th April 30 31 31 21st April 31 32 32 25th April (European Cup Final - First Leg) 28th April 32 33 33 5th May 33 34 34 9th May (European Cup Final - Second Leg) 12th May 34 35 36 19th May 35 36 36 23rd May 36 - - 26th May (FA Cup Final) 2nd June 37 37 37 9th June 38 38 38 (END OF SEASON)