Sports Interactive today confirmed further details for the “hugely-anticipated” (if staring at numbers on your computer monitor at 4am is your kind of thing) Football Manager 2006 ahead of the big Premiership kick-off on the coming weekend.

Once again a host of improvements are promised across the board. Match commentary benefits from a significant increase to the number of lines, greatly adding to the atmosphere and to easily identify what’s happening on the pitch. Enhanced “Player Form” and “Player Stats” will increase the pertinence of data and its accessibility.

Quick tactical changes allow wannabe-managers to change tactics from the sidelines, barking orders to make small or full tactical changes without having to stop the game. Following on from the confirmation of half-time talks (a big thumbs up), SI has also included the ability to comment on team or player performances after a game.

The entire experience has been enhanced to become more accessible to newcomers, opening the chance for thousands of more people to recognise the definition of “addiction”. Player injuries no longer require a specific visits to the physio, who automatically provides feedback on injuries including the various treatment options available. The user interface has undergone a number of changes to make it easier to navigate around the game and remove the amount of mouse clicks; while a new ticker bar allows players to filter specific goal updates and news from across the globe or locally.

Finally SI promise an overhaul to the media system including club landmark news, better feedback on a manager’s start, increased celebration of success and more information about players in media articles. FM consultant and ex-Liverpool star, Ray Houghton, has once again joined the team, as SI look at every aspect of the match engine to make improvements and continue to further FM as the most realistic replication ever.

We’ll have more on Football Manager 2006 soon.