To say that Football Manager 26 might be the most anticipated release in the series’ history would be an understatement. Following FM 25‘s cancellation earlier this year after a lengthy delay, the Football Manager faithful have had high hopes for Football Manager 26 and the multitude of changes it’s bringing.
For one, there’s the new graphics engine. Sure, the visuals in Football Manager 26 won’t be rivaling those of the EA FC series any time soon, but it’s certainly a big step up from the 2000s mobile game graphics players had to put up with before. On top of that, the inclusion of women’s football and a fully licensed Premier League (including Manchester United) are also reasons to be excited. However, there’s one thing that was shown in the game’s most recent trailer that has fans pretty excited.
In-Possession And Out-Of-Possession Tactics Are All But Confirmed
Last week, Sports Interactive unveiled improvements that will be coming to the matchday experience in Football Manager 26. For the most part, the updates were small, but they’re certainly welcome. However, at a certain point in the trailer, we see what’s shown in the image above.
If you look at the Formation tab, there is something that says “IP” directly next to it. This is almost certainly a reference to “in possession.” This means that in-possession and out-of-possession tactics are almost certainly coming to Football Manager this year. And I’m stoked!
Don’t get me wrong, the tactics builder in FM is one of the deepest in sports, but it’s long lacked true options for defining shape in and out of possession. And the fact that it is likely coming to FM 26 is a true game-changer for the series, for beyond whatever graphical improvements are made.
In the trailer, the narrator can be heard saying that tactical overhauls will be revealed at a later date. So we’ll definitely stay tuned for that!
