            TACTICAL MANAGER Italia  Serie A  and  Serie B
            ==============================================

(c) 1994 Black Legend and Talking Birds
                                                 TYPED BY SHARD - DTL
Welcome to a different ball game !
----------------------------------

The pre-requisite for fully appreciating this simulation is to be in charge
of a club.  Without any human manager the game will merely run in automatic
mode.

To  become a manager, you'll have to apply for a job, initially with one of
the  smaller  clubs.  You can manage any club whose class is equal or below
your own rating.

As  all  human  managers  start with a rating of 3, most clubs in the lower
division  are  accessible  straight  away.  To manage better clubs you will
have to win at least 4 matches on the trot.

The   game  will  run  perfectly  without  a  single  human  manager.   But
considering this game is capable of handling up to 38 human managers, there
is little point in that.

To  apply  for a job, select the ACTION MENU.  Then click on managers.  Now
choose  one  of  the human managers.  Say FRED.  Click on JOIN.  Now select
the  club  you would like to join.  If you are accepted, a logo will appear
and confirm your appointment.

Have fun and... good luck!

For more details about keyboard action press F10.

The File Menu.
-------------

LAST SEASON
will  load the fixtures and results from the last complete season.  On your
disk, this file is recorded as fixt_00.dat

Once  LAST  SEASON  is  in memory, the current season is put on hold.  Only
friendly  matches  may  now  be  played.   Many functions will be disabled:
save,  new, kick-off, top scorers, etc are no longer available.  The cursor
will also change.  We are now in REVIEW MODE.

The  whole  idea  of  loading an old season whether from the LAST SEASON or
from  the LOAD SEASON boxes is to quickly view past results, maybe to check
how you did against your next opponents.

The obvious path to follow, in this mode, in to click on TABLES, then click
on SELECT ANY WEEK.  Full records will now be at your fingertips.

Another  useful  feature  is  to  load any logo in, click on it, and select
FIXTURE  LIST.   You  will  be  presented  with  the  full  history of that
particular team during the season under review.

Once  in  'REVIEW MODE', the LAST SEASON box will now say RESUME.  You have
to  click  on  RESUME if you want to exit REVIEW MODE and carry on with the
default mode.

The  next  box in this FILE MENU is SAVE.  If you want to save your records
click  on  this one at any time during the championship, except at the very
end  of  the  very  last  day,  when  it will instead appear as NEW SEASON.
You'll  have  to  click  on  NEW SEASON to save the ENTIRE championship for
posterity.  It will always be saved as FIXT_00.DAT.  All fixtures will then
be reset and a new season may commence with bank balances, skill levels and
squads left unchanged.

SAVE  does  a  complete save of all squad and club records, replay list and
results so far.  But the week pointer will remain as it is.

Whenever you click on SAVE, do make sure that your disk is NOT protected

The next entry is NEW.  This is an uncompromising feature.  Everything gets
reset to the original standard.  You are in effect overwriting your records
with  the  default  files  always  held  on  disk.   Needless  to  say full
confirmation  will  be  asked  for  and  you  will  have to answer with the
keyboard only.

EDITOR  ,  the  next entry, gives you access to all 920 players.  The names
can be changed but skills and valuations require a password.

LOAD SEASON is similar to LAST SEASON except that here you may choose which
particular  season  you  want  to  load:   0 is the one just gone.  You may
retrieve  up to 21 seasons.  Once this feature is active, you are in REVIEW
MODE  again,  as  confirmed  by the rectangular cursor.  A new box will now
appear just underneath:  SAVE AS.

The  season  you  have just loaded may be re-saved under any name from 1 to
20.   Make  sure  you  do not overwrite a season that you were particularly
proud of.

PROMOTIONS  is  only  active  during the early part of the season.  It will
re-arrange  the  two  division  as per entries shown under HONOURS.  As all
master files will be changed use with care.

The Action Menu.
----------------

VIEW CLUBS.
This  will  show  all  clubs  in your division together with their managers
humans or otherwise.

MANAGERS  is  a list of 46 ready-made user names.  These are fully editable
and  have individual ratings according to their achievements.  Money earned
by these managers is also shown as well as their records.

SELECT  CLUB  is  one  of  the most used options in this game.  You have to
select  a  club  in  order  to examine its squad and make the selection and
strategic decisions that will win or lose a match.

REPLAY  is  one of many options UNIQUE to this simulation.  It gives access
to  the  matches  played last saturday in both divisions.  Ideal to analyse
your  last  game and see what went right (or wrong) and also to see how the
other teams performed.

CLASSICS  is  another replay facility except that here only selected golden
matches are shown.  In order to store a famous match in the classic section
you need to call the archive routine further down.

KICK OFF gets the ball rolling!  All matches will be played in turn.  Those
involving  no user-managers will have their result flashed for two seconds.
The  others  will  be  played  in  full.   First the relevant logos will be
fetched  from  memory,  then the match will start at a speed defined by the
option  menu.   You'll  have  access  to  the  two logos where substitions,
marking,  and  change  of  tactics  may be made.  If you want to change the
clock speed, press ENTER, - or + on the keypad.  All matches will be played
in  a  totally  realistic  way,  whether  they  are shown or not.  Computer
opponents  will organise their squads, change tactics or make substitutions
according to the run of the play.

KICK  OFF may also be activated by clicking on the centre circle.  Equally,
once  all  the  week's  events  have  been  reported,  KICK  OFF will occur
automatically.

Friendlies  are  played  by getting two logos in the windows and hitting F.
If  any  of  the  two  logos  showing  is a user-manager, the match will be
reported  in full, otherwise only the result will show.  Even so, the match
will have been recorded .  To replay it, press R on the keyboard.

ARCHIVE  shows the state of the three recording banks.  If you click on any
of the 36 matches, the mouse will jump to the permanent section where up to
five matches may be stored for good.

VIEW  REFS  will  list  all  88  referees in the league together with their
toughness record.  Nine is deadly.  One is a softy.

The TABLES Menu.
----------------

TABLES
In  STANDARD  mode, this box may be clicked to reveal a full division table
except when the season hasn't started yet.

In  REVIEW  mode,  when the cursor is rectangular, this option is inactive,
but league tables are then called from the SELECT WEEK option further down.

FIXTURES
Next week's fixtures are stored here.

RESULTS
Last week's results are shown here.

TRANSFERS
This  is a complete list of all the players on the transfer list.  Although
the  players  ratings  are  shown the list does not reveal whether they are
injured,  suspended  or  with a low morale.  Buying a player with rating of
100  may  result  in  its  new rating jumping to 107 simply because his old
morale  was  low.   To avoid buying a player with a long suspension or some
bad  injury,  you  are  recommended  to  check  his  club logo first.  This
transfer list changes constantly.  Computer players may put a player on the
transfer list and remove him a few weeks later.

Squad levels are not allowed to drop below 17.  You'll find that if a squad
is too depleted, a club will go into the transfer market automatically.

TOP SCORERS
This  is  where  your  players  should  show up if you're doing well in the
league.

SELECT ANY WEEK.
A  very useful option.  You may view any week in the season.  If you choose
a week already played, you will see the results and the full table for that
particular  week.   If  you choose a week not played yet, only the fixtures
will appear.  This feature is active in both STANDARD mode and REVIEW mode.

HONOURS  shows  the major winners from the last completed season.  It shows
at  a  glance  who will be promoted and relegated should you decide to call
the promotion routine.

THE   CUPS  All  local  and  european  cup  entries  are  shown  here.   EC
mini-leagues now operational.  Cup draws vary from season to season.

EURO POOL Players may be bought from this pool.  Equally you may dispose of
your unwanted players by giving them a free transfer.

The OPTIONS Menu.
-----------------

Most boxes under this menu are of the toggable type:  ie they merely switch
certain conditions on or off.

Default settings will be saved to disk automatically.

The  NEWS  option  allows you to determine the amount of mid-week activity.
Between eight and twenty four events including possible transfers will take
place depending on the setting.

SPEED
The  speed  of match action is either slow, in which case each ball contest
takes  about  two  seconds,  or  normal, which lasts half a second, or fast
which  lasts  1/50th  of  a  second.   The effective duration of the action
depends  not  only  on  this  setting  but on how many illustrations appear
during  the  match.   Offside  flags,  penalties, etc..  take a while to be
displayed  and slow things down a bit.  You will find that intervening with
the  mouse  during  a  match  set to fast is not that easy.  Press - on the
keypad  (repeatedly  if  necessary)  to slow things down, then click on the
logos.

HIGHLIGHTS  is  another  variable  affecting  the way a reported match will
look.   The  default mode is HIGHLIGHTS which will report all major events:
goals,  shots,  fouls,  corners,  penalties,  injuries and tactics changes.
When  set  to  FULL  COMMENTARY, the players names will be reported all the
time.   Home  players  will  be on the left Away players on the right.  The
player  actually  controlling the ball is shown in blue.  The other setting
is  GOALS ONLY which will only report the goals scored, who scored them and
when.

TRANSFERS  amongst  computer  teams  may  either  be automatic or off.  You
should  remember  that  if automatic transfers are allowed, a great deal of
player  movement  will take place, particularly if you have chosen the full
weekly  NEWS  option.  To reduce excessive player migration, you may either
select BRIEF week events or turn TRANSFERS off periodically.  Teams managed
by  user  players  will  not embark on automatic transfers unless you allow
your squad to be unduly depleted.

The LOGO Menu.
----------------

The  LOGO  menu  may  be  accessed both during the week and during a match.
Some  functions  will  be  active  all the time, others will be specific to
either of these possibilities.

SELECT  gives you access to your squad (or to the opponent's squad!) During
the  week,  all  players  can  be reached and reshuffled (unless injured or
suspended).   During  a match, only the first eleven may be reshuffled, and
up  to  two  substitutes  may be brought on.  Click on the player's name to
activate  a swap with another player.  Some players have variable roles and
may  be  switched  from midfield to attack or midfield to defence.  Or they
may  be played as wingers, or sweepers...  Click on these columns to change
the  players  roles.   If  you start a match with two goalies, or none, the
program will rectify this anomaly automatically.

BUY  allows  you  to  view  the  transfer  list  and  buy  a  player, funds
permitting.  You can have up to 20 players in your squad.

APPROACH  allows  you to approach any player from any club.  There are some
costs  involved.  And the player's market value will probably go up.  There
is  no  guarantee  that the player will join you.  You may have to approach
him several times.

STRATEGY.   You  have  a choice a eight different strategies, each one with
its  own  merit  (and drawback).  Consult your manual.  The strategies are:
Normal,  off-side trap, high crosses, quick counters, through balls, steady
build-up,  sweeper  system  and  break rhythm.  Going for through balls for
instance  is  only  of value if you have one or two real attackers up front
(ATT)  with  an above-average speed.  On the other hand, they may be caught
offside a few times...

TACTICS  have a significant bearing on the way the match progresses.  Rough
playing will knock the opposition but land you a few yellow cards.  Falling
in  the  box  may  earn  the  odd  penalty,  but also a booking and loss of
possession.  Again, see your manual.

FORMATION is a non-accessible box.  It merely confirms the current set-up

NEXT  WEEK not only informs you of your next opponents, but clicking on it,
will  load  their  logo  and squad.  Access to the opponents' squad will be
allowed  at  any time, but, in match mode you will not be able to interfere
with it.

SELL  allows  you  to put any of your players on the transfer list.  Expect
morale  to drop when you try to sell a player.  To remove a player from the
transfer list, you'll have to click on UNLIST.

INFO gives you historical information on your club.  FINANCIAL displays the
current  bank  balance and the various trading accounts.  You will still be
allowed to play if you go in the red, but purchases will be denied

FIXTURE LIST is a useful option showing the entire season at a glance, with
results  for  matches  played.  You can not only examine your own list, but
that of any club in your division.

In MATCH mode, some of the above options will be disabled , but one new one
will  appear:  MARK OPPONENT.  Marking an opponent will severely reduce his
performance, but it will be at the expense of your overall rating.

The LOGO Menu.
----------------

The  LOGO  menu  may  be  accessed both during the week and during a match.
Some  functions  will  be  active  all the time, others will be specific to
either of these possibilities.

SELECT  gives you access to your squad (or to the opponent's squad!) During
the  week,  all  players  can  be reached and reshuffled (unless injured or
suspended).   During  a match, only the first eleven may be reshuffled, and
up  to  two  substitutes  may be brought on.  Click on the player's name to
activate  a swap with another player.  Some players have variable roles and
may  be  switched from midfield to attack or miedfield to defence.  Or they
may  be  played  as  wingers,  or  sweepers...   Click on the RIGHT ROLE to
activate  the  changes.   The  left role is the default position and is not
accessible.   If  you  start a match with two goalies, or none, the program
will rectify this anomaly automatically.

BUY  allows  you  to  view  the  transfer  list  and  buy  a  player, funds
permitting.  You can have up to 20 players in your squad.

APPROACH  allows  you to approach any player from any club.  There are some
costs  involved.  And the player's market value will probably go up.  There
is  no  guarantee  that the player will join you.  You may have to approach
him several times.

STRATEGY.   You  have  a choice a eight different strategies, each one with
its  own  merit  (and drawback).  Consult your manual.  The strategies are:
Normal,  off-side trap, high crosses, quick counters, through balls, steady
build-up,  sweeper  system  and  break  rythm.  Going for through balls for
instance  is  only  of value if you have one or two real attackers up front
(ATT)  with  an above-average speed.  On the other hand, they may be caught
offside a few times...

TACTICS  have a significant bearing on the way the match progresses.  Rough
playing will knock the opposition but land you a few yellow cards.  Falling
in  the  box  may  earn  the  odd  penalty,  but also a booking and loss of
possession.

FORMATION is a non-accessible box.  It merely confirms the current set-up

NEXT  WEEK not only informs you of your next opponents, but clicking on it,
will  load  their  logo  and squad.  Access to the opponents' squad will be
allowed  at  any time, but, in match mode you will not be able to interfere
with it.

SELL  allows  you  to put any of your players on the transfer list.  Expect
morale  to drop when you try to sell a player.  To remove a player from the
transfer list, you'll have to click on UNLIST.

INFO gives you historical information on your club.  FINANCIAL displays the
current  bank  balance and the various trading accounts.  You will still be
allowed to play if you go in the red, but purchases will be denied

FIXTURE LIST is a useful option showing the entire season at a glance, with
results  for  matches  played.  You can not only examine your own list, but
that of any club in your division.

In MATCH mode, some of the above options will be disabled , but one new one
will  appear:  MARK OPPONENT.  Marking an opponent will severely reduce his
performance, but it will be at the expense of your overall rating.

The LOGO Menu.
----------------

The  LOGO  menu  may  be  accessed both during the week and during a match.
Some  functions  will  be  active  all the time, others will be specific to
either of these possibilities.

SELECT  gives you access to your squad (or to the opponent's squad!) During
the  week,  all  players  can  be reached and reshuffled (unless injured or
suspended).   During  a match, only the first eleven may be reshuffled, and
up  to  two  substitutes  may be brought on.  Click on the player's name to
activate  a swap with another player.  Some players have variable roles and
may  be  switched from midfield to attack or miedfield to defence.  Or they
may  be  played  as  wingers,  or  sweepers...   Click on the RIGHT ROLE to
activate  the  changes.   The  left role is the default position and is not
accessible.   If  you  start a match with two goalies, or none, the program
will rectify this anomaly automatically.

BUY  allows  you  to  view  the  transfer  list  and  buy  a  player, funds
permitting.  You can have up to 20 players in your squad.

APPROACH  allows  you to approach any player from any club.  There are some
costs  involved.  And the player's market value will probably go up.  There
is  no  guarantee  that the player will join you.  You may have to approach
him several times.

STRATEGY.   You  have  a choice a eight different strategies, each one with
its  own  merit  (and drawback).  Consult your manual.  The strategies are:
Normal,  off-side trap, high crosses, quick counters, through balls, steady
build-up,  sweeper  system  and  break  rythm.  Going for through balls for
instance  is  only  of value if you have one or two real attackers up front
(ATT)  with  an above-average speed.  On the other hand, they may be caught
offside a few times...

TACTICS  have a significant bearing on the way the match progresses.  Rough
playing will knock the opposition but land you a few yellow cards.  Falling
in  the  box  may  earn  the  odd  penalty,  but also a booking and loss of
possession.

FORMATION is a non-accessible box.  It merely confirms the current set-up

NEXT  WEEK not only informs you of your next opponents, but clicking on it,
will  load  their  logo  and squad.  Access to the opponents' squad will be
allowed  at  any time, but, in match mode you will not be able to interfere
with it.

SELL  allows  you  to put any of your players on the transfer list.  Expect
morale  to drop when you try to sell a player.  To remove a player from the
transfer list, you'll have to click on UNLIST.

INFO gives you historical information on your club.  FINANCIAL displays the
current  bank  balance and the various trading accounts.  You will still be
allowed to play if you go in the red, but purchases will be denied

FIXTURE LIST is a useful option showing the entire season at a glance, with
results  for  matches  played.  You can not only examine your own list, but
that of any club in your division.

In MATCH mode, some of the above options will be disabled , but one new one
will  appear:  MARK OPPONENT.  Marking an opponent will severely reduce his
performance, but it will be at the expense of your overall rating.

These scouts reports are here courtesy of PREMIER SUPREMOS the Play by Mail
group based in Colchester.  Thanks to Adam Marshall, Gary McDowell & Co for
permission to reprint.


D.Bergkamp   23  A     10 8  7  8  7  7  9  20 9  3  8  8  2  8  8  10

Dazzling Dutch striker signed by Inter in 1993 Has been a regular scorer in
Holland  for  Ajax  and has continued to find the net for the national team
including  three strikes in the 1992 European Championships.  Valued by his
club at 20 million.

R.Keane      21 MD 116  6  7  7  8  6  7  6 20  6  7  7  7  5  7  5 10

TURBO-charged  midfield  dynamo who has been targetted by all the big names
from  England  and  Europe.   Is  useful in defence as well as in his usual
position  of  midfield  for  Forest.  Looks set to be a Republic of Ireland
international star for several years to come.

R.Prosinecki  24  M     8  6 10  6 10  7 10 20 10  4  7  6  2  3  3  1

OUT of form midfielder with Real Madrid after earning a big-money move from
European  Cup  winners  Red  Star Belgrade.  Troubles in his homeland could
have affected his morale as he has struggled to fit in to the Spanish game.
Free  kick  expert  with  an  excellent  touch and immaculate ball control.
Unhappy but unlikely to want to move to England.

M.Dahlin      22 MA     8  6  7  7  5  7  5 20  5  2  9  8  2  4  5  7

FAST  striker  who  plays  his  football  for  Borrusia Dortmund in Germany
following  a  move from his native Sweden with Malmo.  Made a big impact on
his  Swedish  international  debut with a double strike against Austria and
has  done  well  for the national side.  Appeared in the impressive Swedish
side in the European Championships in 1992.

A.Goram       28  G     0  0  0  8  7  8  8 20  8  7  7  7  0  6  8  8

SCOTLAND'S  number  one  who  has been starring for Rangers in the Scottish
Premier.   Started  his  career  with  Oldham  but  really made his name at
Hibernian,  where he even managed to score a goal with a long punt from his
goalmouth.   Joined the Gers for 1 million and is worth a lot more to them
now.

A.Pele        25 MA     7  5  9  7  8  7  7 20  9  4  8  8  5  6  7  7

GHANAIAN  international  with  real  flair and excellent ball control.  Was
part  of  the  fabulous  Marseille  star trio that reached the European Cup
Final,  along with Waddle and Papin, and was voted man-of-the-match against
Spartak  Moscow  and  AC  Milan  in the qualifying rounds.  Possesses silky
skills and is a big favourite in France.

D.Pancev     25  A     10  7  6  7  7  8  7 20  7  2  6  8  2  7  5  3

SHARP-SHOOTING  Inter  Milan striker who is struggling to make an impact in
Italy.   Was voted European Player of the Year and also won the Golden Boot
in  his  time with Red Star Belgrade.  Scores goals from inside the penalty
area  frequently  and did so at international level for Yugoslavia as well.
Despite  not being played regularly for Inter, the club say he cannot leave
until  the  end  of  the  season at the very least but he should stay for a
minimum of two years.

E.Scifo       26  M     8  5  9  7  9  8  9 20  9  3  6  7  3  6  7  8

TALENTED  Belgium  international  playmaker  with  great  vision  and truly
remarkable  shooting  power.   Had  a  nightmare season with Inter Milan in
Italy  but  regained  his confidence during a spell in France with Auxerre.
He  has since joined Torino in Serie A where he has continued to shine with
his outstanding natural ability.  Now with Monaco.

G.Pagluica   27  G      0  0  0  8  7  9  7 20  7  6  6  8  0  5  4  7

ITALIAN  international keeper who is the current number one at Sampdoria in
the  Serie A.  Came of age during the 1990/91 season, when Sampdoria became
Champions,  including  a  tremendous  display  in the crucial match against
Inter  when  he  saved a penalty from Matthaus.  Is noted for making daring
and acrobatic saves but is inconsistent.

D.Platt      26 MA      8  7  7 10  7  9  8 20  7  6  7  9  6  8  8  2

UNHAPPY  at  Juventus  but  is  said  to  be still keen in playing in Italy
following  a  year  at  Bari  where he was a real star in a relegated side.
Loves to get forward from midfield and this has seen him losing favour with
Juve boss Trappattoni.  Is England's top scorer since Gary Lineker departed
from  the  scene, following goals in the 1990 World Cup Finals and the 1992
European Championship Finals.

A.Shearer    22  A 122 10  8  8  8  8  7 10 20  7  3  8  7  3  4  7 10

BRILLIANT  England  international  striker who has come on leaps and bounds
since  his  early  days  at Southampton.  After smashing a hat-trick on his
debut  for  the  Saints,  he failed to live up to expectations until he was
really given his head in the top flight.  Since then, the goals have flowed
and he has earned a big-money move to Blackburn.

M.Hateley    31  A      7 10  6  7  6  9  7 20  6  3  6  8  4  8  8 10

ARCHETYPAL  centre  forward who is excellent in the air but has added a lot
more  to  his  game  following  a  spell on the continent with AC Milan and
Monaco.  Now displays a neat touch that he never seemed to have at Coventry
and Portsmouth.  His world changed when he headed a goal against Brazil for
England and is now shooting Rangers to European Cup glory.

A.McCoist    30  A     10  7  6  8  6  8  8 20  6  3  7  8  3  9  8 10

THE golden boot holder who is threatening to retain the award in 1993.  Has
been  criticized  for  scoring  goals in a poor Scottish league but Rangers
blasted  that  myth when they powered into the European League past English
Champions  Leeds,  in  real-life.   Scores  goals  consistently and forms a
lethal partnership with Mark Hateley at Ibrox.

D.Latorre    21 MA      8  6  8  6  8  7  8 20 10  3  7  7  2  6  7  8

IN the process of signing for Fiorentina after deciding to leave his native
Argentina.   Has  starred  for  Boca Juniors but he has ruled out a move to
Britain  recently  and  is  destined for a career in Italy.  Fiorentina are
likely to loan him out to another Italian club.

T.A.Dahlum   25  A 105  7  6  4  6  4  7  4 20  6  3  7  6  2  7  6 10

NORWEGIAN  international  striker  who  has  shown  some pace and finishing
abilities  both  for  the  national  side  and at club level for Rosenborg.
After  helping  them  to  a  win  in  the  Norwegian Cup Final, he was made
available  for  trial and several clubs showed interest in snapping him up.
A 500,000+ bid might clinch a permanent deal.

I.Durrant    26  M      6  6  9  8  9  7  8 20  9  4  7  7  6  7  7  9

CLASSY Rangers midfielder who has recovered well from a career- threatening
injury  and  playing  only 12 games in three seasons between 1988 and 1991.
Now  back  in  the  Scotland  international frame and starring in the Gers'
midfield  with  his passing ability and excellent vision.  Rated at over 2
million by his club who want to keep him.

T.Brolin     23 MA      8  6  8 10  8  8  8 20  8  3  8  8  3  9  7  8

SUPER  Swede  who  is  really  doing the business for Italian side Parma in
Serie  A.   The cheeky forward started his career with GIF Sundsvall before
moving  on  to IFK Gothenburg where he belted in a debut hat trick followed
by four goals in his next five matches.  He also found the net twice on his
Swedish  debut  against  Wales and claimed another brace against Finland to
further  enhance  his growing reputation.  A well taken goal against Brazil
in  the World Cup helped earn him a move to Parma and the Italian side made
Europe for the first time after his debut season.

S.Effenberg  24  M      7  7  8  8  7  7  7 20  7  5  6  7  7  6  7  7

GERMAN  international  now  starring  for Fiorentina in the Italian League.
Made  his  international  debut  as  a  substitute against Wales in 1991 in
Cardiff  after  bagging  nine  goals  that  season for German giants Bayern
Munich.   Is  something of a free kick expert but has failed to impress the
critical  Italian press and could already be on his way out of the club, it
is rumoured.

B.Laudrup    23 MA      8  6  9  7  8  7  9 20 10  3  8  7  3  6  7  8

YOUNGER  brother  of  Barcelona's  gifted  Dane  Michael  Laudrup, Brian is
proving  to  be  every  bit  as good as his brother.  He usually plays just
behind  the  strikers  and  he  managed to notch five goals in his first 22
games for his country.  Bayern Munich signed him from Bayern Uerdingen only
for  Italian  side Fiorentina to snap him up thus allowing him to grace the
best  league in the world.  He has exceptional skill and balance and, after
agreeing  to  play  again  for his country, he starred for Denmark in their
1992 European Championship triumph.

G.Signori    24  A     10  6  7 10  7  7  8 20  8  3 10  8  3  8  8 10

NOW has the football world at his feet after toppling Marco van Basten from
the  top  scorer's  position  in Serie A.  Has banged the goals in for Paul
Gascoigne's  Lazio with frightening regularity and he has rightfully earned
a  call-up  for  the Italian national side.  Possesses outstanding pace and
stamina  and, allied with an unerring finishing ability, 'Beppe' is set for
soccer stardom.

H.Stoichkov  27  A     10  9  8  6  8  8  9 20  8  3  8  7  2  1  7  8

AFTER  a  wonderful  season  with  CSKA Sofia in 1989/90 when he shared the
Golden  Boot  award  with  Hugo Sanchez, the temperamental Bulgarian joined
Sanchez's Real Madrid side's arch rivals Barcelona.  After a silly incident
in  which he allegedly stamped on a referee's foot, Stoichkov settled in to
score  in  every  round  of  the 1991 European Cup Winners Cup, including a
double  against  Juventus in the semi-final, only to miss the final against
Man.United  through injury.  To make things even more remarkable, Stoichkov
was banned for a whole year in Bulgaria in 1985 and yet was still second in
the  1992  European Player of the Year award which shows how quickly he has
progressed.

Romario      27  A     10  8  9  6 10  8 10 20 10  3  8  7  2  1  7  4

TRULY  brilliant PSV Eindhoven striker who has plenty of critics who say he
is  lazy,  only works for himself and is a bad influence on his team-mates.
However, his record speaks for itself-he is regularly top scorer in Holland
and  this  despite  not  yet  playing  a  full season due to injuries.  His
average  of around one goal every game in Dutch football cannot be equalled
in  the country's history and he possesses superb skills and a deadly right
foot.  Has now fallen out with his club and the 'Brazilian Maradona' is now
destined for Italy.

M.Lacatus   27  MA      8  5  7  6  8  8  7 20  8  2  8  6  2  1  3  6

ROMANIAN international who is known as having something of a playboy status
in his home country.  His attitude seems to have cost him a great career in
the  game  as  he failed to really cut it in Italy with Fiorentina, scoring
only  three  goals  in  15  starts in 1990/91.  His record at international
level  was  eight goals in his first 48 appearances.  Now at Real Oviedo in
Spain,  Lacatus  is trying to rebuild his reputation and earn another crack
at the Italian league.

T.Berthold   29 MD 113  4  7  7  6  6  7  7 20  7  9  6  7  9  3  7  6

GERMAN  international  famed  for  being  the man who made Paul Gascoigne a
millionaire  and  household  name  in Britain.  It was his over-reaction to
Gazza's  tackle  during Italia 90 that led to the Geordie star being booked
and  crying  in  full  view  of the TV cameras.  Has fallen out with Bayern
Munich  and  is  desperate for a move with Bayern so keen to get rid of him
that  they  have  agreed  to  let him go on a free transfer.  His wages and
personal  terms  are,  however,  sky-high  and  he  would prefer to stay in
Germany if possible.

G.Stevens    29  D      4  6  7  7  6  9  7 20  7  8  7  7  7  7  7  9

FORMER  England  right  back  who has fallen from favour with Graham Taylor
after  struggling  to  reproduce  his  club  form  at  international level.
Comfortable  in  possession  and a solid tackler, Stevens has suffered from
some  unfair criticism following a couple of poor displays for his country.
Was  a key member of Everton's successful team of the 1980s but moved north
of  the  border where he has helped Rangers sweep the board in Scotland and
progress in Europe.

E.Cantona  26  A 116  7  8  7  8  9  8  9 20  9  4  6 10  3  5  5  8

BRILLIANT  French  international  striker snapped up from Nimes in a master
stroke  by  Leeds  manager Howard Wilkinson.  His innovative and expressive
forward  play  boosted  Leeds' title challenge and he became an instant hit
with  the  Elland  Road  faithful.   Has  got  a big question mark over his
attitude  though which earned him the nickname 'Enfant Terrible' in France.
Formerly with Marseille, he is prolific for the French national side.

B.Boli       26  D      4  9  6  7  4  8  8 20  5  9  7  8  9  5  7  6

HOT-headed  central defender who is currently starring for Marseille in the
French  League.   A  full  French  international,  Boli is known throughout
Britain  for  his  infamous head-butt on Stuart Pearce in the 1992 European
Championships.   Brilliant in the air and tenacious in the tackle, Boli has
expressed a desire to move to England-preferably with Manchester United but
he would not be a popular player over here.

J.Collins    25  M      6  4  8  7  8  7  7 20  8  4  6  7  4  7  6  6

CELTIC  playmaker,  who  alongside Paul McStay, forms a formidable midfield
line-up  for  The  Bhoys.   A  quality  passer  who  is  very  good when in
possession  of  the  ball,  Collins made his name at Hibernian where he was
tipped  as  one  of  the  hottest properties in the Scottish game.  Despite
interest  from  Liverpool, Spurs, Man.United and a host of foreign clubs he
opted  to  join  Celtic for 1 million.  After scoring on his international
debut  against  Saudi  Arabia, he has found chances few and far between for
the national side but he remains a good performer in the Premier Division.

R.Koeman     28 MD      7  6  7  8  7 10  9 20  7 10  6  8  9  6  9  8

BARCELONA  captain  who won the Spanish side the European Cup for the first
time  in  1992  with  a  typically thunderous free kick shot which defeated
Sampdoria.   Came  to  prominence  when  starring  for  Holland in the 1988
European Championship winning side as a sweeper although he can also appear
in  midfield.   A dead-ball expert with a ferocious shot on him, the Koeman
left  foot  is  feared  by goalkeepers throughout the world.  Inspirational
player who is still not past his best.

P.Gascoigne  25  M      7  5  10 7  10 9  10 20 10 5  6  7  6  8  8  9

PROBABLY  the  best  British  player  in  the  game and definitely the most
talked-about.   Gascoigne's  strengths  are his superb ball-skills, supreme
confidence  and  a lively outlook to the game.  His passing ability is also
superb  and  he would get into any team in the world.  Moved from Newcastle
to  Tottenham  for  a British record fee before going to Lazio, eventually,
after  recovering from a bad knee injury sustained in the 1991 FA Cup Final
against Notts Forest.

M.Van Basten 29  A    10 10  9  8  8 10 10 20  9  2  8  2  2  5  8  3

CURRENTLY  recovering  from  injury, Van Basten is the world's best striker
and  the current European Footballer of The Year.  He won the award for the
third  time  after a series of scintillating attacking displays for both AC
Milan  and  Holland.   Is  quick,  strong  and skillfull and, allied with a
deadly  touch  in  front  of  goal, this makes the former Ajax attacker and
Dutch skipper a brilliant player.

M.Sammer       M       7  7  8  7  7  7  7 20  7  6  6  7  3  6  7 10

THIS  flame  haired  German  International  has just returned to his native
country  to  play  his football with Borussia Dortmund after a bad spell in
Italian  football.   He  was never really a fans favourite with Inter Milan
and  ended  up the scapegoat for some average performances which eventually
prompted  Dortmund  to  bring him home.  A very good passer of the ball who
can  belt  in  the  odd  goal or two.  Was one of a few East German's to be
included in the national side after the reunification of Germany and should
feature in the National side in the '94 World Cup.

A.Yeboah    28 A       7  7  6  7  6  7  6 20  7  4  8  6  2  7  7 10

ANTHONY  is  currently  playing  his  football  for  German  side Eintracht
Frankfurt  where  he  has  consistently been one of the top scorers for the
club.   Not  one  of  the more glorious sides in the German league although
better  in  the  cup,  Frankfurt  have  sold  some  of their major stars to
overseas  teams.   Yeboah  is  not one of the more noticable figures in the
side,  although his performances are fairly consistent and he figures quite
prominently in the team.

D.Pancev     25  A    10  7  6  7  7  8  7 20  7  2  6  8  2  7  5  3

SHARP-SHOOTING  Inter  Milan striker who is struggling to make an impact in
Italy.   Was voted European Player of the Year and also won the Golden Boot
in  his  time with Red Star Belgrade.  Scores goals from inside the penalty
area  frequently  and did so at international level for Yugoslavia as well.
Despite  not being played regularly for Inter, the club say he cannot leave
until  the  end  of  the  season at the very least but he should stay for a
minimum of two years.

R.Giggs      19 MA 115  7  6  8  7  7  3  6 20  9  6  9  8  6  6  4  9

EXCITING  young  talent, almost certainly the best teenager in the country.
Manchester  United  will  want  to  hold  onto  their  star  turn and it is
difficult to put a price on such a talented youngster.  Has pace, awareness
and  brilliant  ball control and is the youngest Welsh international of all
time.   Has  shown many signs of maturity this term which has attracted the
interests of a certain AC Milan.

D.Maradona   30 M      8  6  10  7 10 10 10 20 10  4  7  7  3  4  7  8

AFTER  an  action  packed  career  which  saw  him  lift the World Cup with
Argentina  in  1986, Diego's footballing life fell apart around him when he
was  reported for using cocaine and was apparently sent death threats while
at  Italian  side  Napoli.  This culmination of effects had Maradona banned
from  football  and saying he would never go back to Naples, even though he
was  still  under contract.  After a lot of wrangling, Seville finally were
allowed  to  take him to Spain buying out his Napoli contract and Diego has
recently  been  putting  in  some  vintage displays which has also seen him
return to the Argentinian national squad.  Now on the move again.

A.Serena     30  A      7 10  6  7  6  8  6 20  6  3  7  8  3  7  6  7

ALDO  is  a prolific marksman who is reputed to be the best headerer in the
Italian  game.   Formly  with  Inter  Milan  he has switched to their Milan
rivals  AC,  after some lean times in Serie A.  Played in the '90 World Cup
but  never  really  got  a  chance to prove anything as Schillaci stole the
limelight.   Scoreed  5  times in his first 24 caps for his country but has
slipped out of the international scene.

M.Emmers     28 MD      6  7  6  8  6  8  7 20  7  7  6  7  7  8  7  8

MARC  is  a  Belgium  international  who  has played both as a defender and
midfielder  for his country.  More of a runner than a cultured passer but a
very  handy  asset  for  title  chancers  Anderlecht as they pursue another
title.   Formerly  of  Mechelen, rivals to Anderlecht he has turned in some
resounding performances for both club and country.

W.Zenga      30  G      0  0  0  8  8  9  8 20  7  6  7  7  0  3  6  1

HIGHLY  capped individual who used to be the first choice for both club and
country  but  has  since  fallen  out of favour with both and has found his
career in tatters at the moment.  Walter has always had an attitude problem
throughout  his career, always being the boss, but he fell out of favour on
the  international front to Sampdoria's Pagliuca, and following a series of
terrible  mistakes  in  the Inter goal he has been dropped from their first
team,  being  sub-ed  at  half  time during one match.  When he is focused,
probably in the top three keepers in the world.

F.Rijkaard   28 MD      6  9  7  8  6  9  6 20  7  8  6  7  8  4  8 10

BAD  boy  of Dutch football who is currently playing his club football with
Italian  giants  AC Milan.  Frank is most remembered by most people for his
spitting  incident  during  the  1990  World  Cup  which saw him and Voller
dismissed.   A whole hearted player being used in the centre of midfield by
Milan where he is playing brilliantly.  He is an international defender who
has  carried  his attributes into midfield and added some more to his game.
Commanding  in  the air, and a great tackler he now possesses a eye for the
spectacular  goal  and  can  run  all  match.   Has an attitude problem and
generally makes players know of his presense.  Back with Ajax in 93.

J.P.Papin    30  A     10  8  7  8  7 10 10 20 10  3  8  8  3  8  8 10

CURRENTLY  enjoying a great run of games in Italian football with giants AC
Milan  following  his 10 million move from French champions Marseille last
term.   Papin  didn't settle into the Serie A life very well, not combining
to  the best effect with Van Basten, but since the Dutch strikers long term
injury  Papin has bagged 19 goals in 25 games.  He is currently the hottest
attacker in the world as displayed with a recent exquisite half-volley from
just outside the box into the top corner of the net against Lazio.

E.Jess       22  A      7  6  7  7  7  5  7 20  8  3  8  0  3  7  7  0

HIGHLY-rated young striker who joined Aberdeen from Rangers S Form, a youth
by-product  of the Glasgow giants, as he opted to move further north rather
than  stay  with  Scotland's  best  side.   Instead  he  is  playing for an
exciting, young Dons side and he has even managed to force his way into the
Scotland  full squad after appearing for the Under-21s.  Recently broke his
leg  which  may  hamper  his  career  seriously,  but it all depends on his
determination  and confidence, especially on return to the bruising Premier
League.

D.Ginola     25  M      7  6  8  8  7  7  6 20  7  5  6  7  3  7  7  8

DAVID  is  now  playing  his  league football with Paris St.  Germain after
previously  being  part of the Brest Armorique squad.  A midfielder of good
quality  who knows how to pass the ball around and has a sharp eye for goal
with  an  impressive goal tally over previous seasons.  A player of quality
was  bound  to  get noticed at little Brest and so he has joined one of the
largest but not most successful clubs in the French league.

D.Amokachi   23  A      8  7  6  9  6  7  6 20  6  2  8  9  1  7  6 10

A  young  man  at  a  big club, Daniel has been gradually introduced to the
Belgium  style  of  football over the last three years making his debut for
the  giants  during  the  1990/91 season.  Kept under close raps until this
term Amokachi has raw power, pace and finishing style that has made him one
of  Belgium's top scorers and a feared man in the European Champions Cup as
he  helped to shoot Bruge into the final stages of the tournament.  Often a
little  wayward  in  his finishing, Daniel creates enough opportunities for
himself to at least put one away nearly every match.

G.Lineker    32  A     10  7  7  7  8 10 10 20  8  1  8  7  2 10  9  8

NOW  a  player with Japanese side Grampus Eight after a money spinning move
to  set  Gary  up  for life now that his international and British domestic
football days are over.  Contracted for two years at a reputed 1 million a
year,  Gary  has  found  the  Japanese life somewhat strange and perhaps is
missing  home  a  bit,  but  like  a true professional he will complete his
contract  and  return  a  man  set  for  life.   A truely prolific striker,
probably  the  best  British  football  has ever seen and it was a shame he
could break the England scoring record.

(c) 1994 Black Legend and Talking Birds