There are basically two football management game franchises fighting for supremacy right now: Sega's Football Manager and EA's FIFA Manager - with a small share on the market being held by Championship Manager or LMA Manager. However, none of these popular franchises comes with a handheld version, and that's a huge loss for aspiring managers all over the world. Don't worry, though, things are about to change, as Sports Director will soon release the Football Director management game for the Nintendo DS.

The game will be designed by Roger Womack, who previously worked on titles like Championship Manager, FA Premier League Manager and Football World Manager and who promises to bring us the tactical and strategic depth that's expected from a next-gen title - everything with an official Football League license.

"The release of Football Director plugs one of the very few gaps in the Nintendo DS' extraordinarily broad software roster... and it does it in some style," says Peter Sleeman, Managing Director of Pinnacle Software, the worldwide distribution partner for Football Director DS. "This game has been beautifully conceived and executed and, as a result, will appeal to anyone with an interest in football, from the casual armchair fan to the hardened management simulation aficionado looking for a mobile 'fix'."

The title promises to bring us an easy to pick up and play gaming experience, without cutting on the tactical or strategic depth of the title. We'll be able to take control of our favorite team, choose our players from the game's database of 3,800 names and develop a winning unit using the game's training and tactics functions.

Football Director DS also allows players to choose the non-playing staff, control the youth team and take care of the club's finances by controlling wages, contracts and dealings with the bank. Lots of statistics will allow you to keep track of the team and the individual performances of the players, while the stylus-driven interface will make browsing and game control easier than ever. And all of this soon, since the game is expected to be released in September 2008.