Gaffer 26/27
Gaffer is a football management game in the spirit of the classic early-2000s manager games, built for the 2026/27 Premier League season. Pick any of the 20 clubs, from title favourites Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool to newly promoted Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City. Then try to meet the board's expectations before they lose patience.
What's in the game
- Real 2026/27 squads. Every Premier League squad after the summer 2026 window, including moves like Morgan Rogers to Chelsea, Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernández to Manchester City, Sandro Tonali to Tottenham and Bradley Barcola to Liverpool.
- Live matches. Text commentary, a mini pitch, a crowd that roars at goals and groans at misses, the referee's whistle and an air horn when you score.
- Touchline control. Change mentality, make up to five substitutions, switch formation and shout instructions during the game.
- Transfers. Bid for players at any Premier League or Championship club, stars abroad or free agents. Clubs counter-offer, agents demand wages, and rival clubs bid for your players.
- The FA Cup. A knockout run alongside the league with live draws, extra time, penalty shootouts, giant-killings and a final at Wembley.
- Matchday drama. Derbies with extra bite, weather that changes games, pre-match press conferences, half-time team talks, live scores from the other grounds and a momentum graph.
- Seasons that carry on. Injuries, suspensions, morale, fitness, player development, retirements, youth intakes, promotion and relegation, and getting sacked.
Free to play, with an optional Gaffer Pro upgrade
The full Premier League career is free, with one save slot. Gaffer Pro is an optional one-time upgrade that adds:
- Four save slots to run several careers side by side.
- A name and club editor to rename clubs and players and change short names, colours and kit patterns.
- Three extra leagues with fictional clubs and generated squads: the Highland Premiership, Liga Costa and Nordic Ligaen. Each has its own cup, second tier, continental competitions and local derbies.
How to play
- Choose a club. Each one shows the board's target and your transfer budget.
- Set your formation and starting eleven in Tactics. Tap a position on the pitch, then tap a player to put him there.
- Press Continue to move to the next matchday, then watch it live or get a quick result.
- Keep an eye on your Inbox for injuries, offers for your players and messages from the board.
Tactics explained
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| Mentality | More attacking creates more chances but leaves gaps at the back. |
| Pressing | High pressing wins the ball back and creates chances, but tires players faster and earns more cards. |
| Passing | Short passing keeps the ball. Direct passing gets it forward quickly and creates more, lower-quality chances. |
| Training | Light training keeps legs fresh. Intense training sharpens the team and speeds up young players' development, but means slower recovery and more injuries. |
| Out of position | Players are less effective away from their natural position. A red badge on the pitch means a bad fit. |
Sound
All music and sound effects are generated live in your browser. There are no audio files. The music and sound buttons are in the top bar, and the game remembers your choice.
About the data
Squads reflect the Premier League after the summer 2026 transfer window closed on 1 September 2026. Player ratings, attributes, values and wages are the game's own estimates. They are not official data and don't come from any other game. Clubs and players in the Gaffer Pro leagues are fictional. Your career is saved only in this browser.