Once he's scrawled his moniker across the box and donated a horribly posed photograph, the manic sports personality, Emlyn Hughes, plays no further part in this game. Instead you're treated to a football-cum-management bit of entertainment that's simply brimming with menus and options.
If you want a straightforward game, you can give every player equal skills, but, for the more ambitious manager, there's plenty of scope for strategy. The football game itself is also pretty nifty - you can kick in up to five directions, with three shot heights and a nifty back-heel option. With a bit of practice, you can jink around the screen with the best of 'em.
This is proof positive that soccer games can be fun. Emlyn succeeds at the not inconsiderable task of being fun to play as both a management sim and a dash-about arcade game. Because you can control both aspects of the game, you develop a real affinity with all the members of your team. It can be quite a traumatic experience when you have to take old Swonnicker out of goal because he's died, or something equally sad. Involving, excellent fun.