How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

[indiblue]

@Simppu Great job to be top of the table, one foot in the door for the cup final as well. EMCM looks like he's been a great signing. How does he play for you? Dribbler? Poacher? Link-up?

@Keano Yep, not a great month, but the cup loss will prove a blessing in disguise. We're already in a great position on the table, so we can now focus on the league. If we can pick up 25 points by January, we can then have a good run in the FA Cup. Already played through October, mind. Without giving away too much, let me say I'm very proud of my boys.

[Simppu12]

Quote: Originally Posted by indiblue

@Simppu Great job to be top of the table, one foot in the door for the cup final as well. EMCM looks like he's been a great signing. How does he play for you? Dribbler? Poacher? Link-up?

Thanks! I must admit that I don't want to be the leader and I'll simulate a bit more games than usually to drop points so Juve can overtake me. It just doesn't feel right to have that team win the league at this point, you know? Choupo-Moting plays as a dribbler/finisher in the 4-4-2. He's usually at the edge of the box (maybe because of his workrates, I don't know) and I try to get inside the box and shoot. He's good in counter attacks, as well and his strength is very useful.

[moose141]

West Ham United - Episode #43: Who Wants Out?

In this episode, we head to snowy Leicester City for a Capital One Cup tie before leaving to Portugal to take on CD Nacional in our fifth Europa League group stage match. Also, we see some potential rumors about players potentially on their way out in the January transfer window.

My apologies for the Leicester footage, the PVR had some minor issue causing the footage to run slowly.

[indiblue]

Not sure if it's the FT Control or the Pass Error, but one of the user sliders is making it so that I can rarely beat anyone with dribbling. Marking is fine; I've played around with that to the point that I'm satisfied.


Or perhaps it's simply because I have a team of mostly Championship-quality players. I should do some testing using big teams in Kick Off. If the players are the cause, I may use a financial takeover in the summer.

[moose141]

Quote: Originally Posted by indiblue

Not sure if it's the FT Control or the Pass Error, but one of the user sliders is making it so that I can rarely beat anyone with dribbling. Marking is fine; I've played around with that to the point that I'm satisfied. Or perhaps it's simply because I have a team of mostly Championship-quality players. I should do some testing using big teams in Kick Off. If the players are the cause, I may use a financial takeover in the summer.

It could just be the quality of the players, but also you may just not be used to the FT control depending on how much it changed from what you were using. The first few times I used it it was very harsh, but I've gotten used to it now because it offers a lot of variety in play, but still lets you see who the top dribblers/players are because they will have the best touches (i.e. the Ox, Downing, Valencia for me).

Also, great update COYI!!!! Haha, but all seriousness some very tough results but they were away from home, so not too harsh on yourself. Still sitting strong in the table, and like you said being out of the Cup could be a blessing in disguise to let you get to safety in the league before getting engrossed in the FA Cup. As for the takeover, I'm against it! Only because it always feels like the easy way out, but if you work a storyline in with it then hey, it will definitely be a bonus for you, so fair play any move for you to enjoy your own career mode more is fair game.

[indiblue]

If I get another ludicrously low budget i.e. anything short of £10 million, I'll definitely consider the takeover. But you're right. Using it would pretty much guarantee the title in a year or two tops.

[Cruzerr]

Spoiler

Right, I decided to not write a storyline and just post games the old fashion way. If you still want me to write the storyline then let me know , but at this moment, I feel this is more enjoyable for me personally. I have time to play and post but writing takes a bit more since I don't want to write poorly.

Arsenal Career Mode
Part 8 - January

Page 894 - Part 1 - The arrival
Page 896 - Part 2 - Pre-season
Page 901 - Part 3 - Me against the world
Page 918 - Part 4 - August, September, October
Page 927 - Part 5 - The Interview
Page 932 - Part 6 - November
Page 941 - Part 7 - December

Transfers Out

Kieran Gibbs - Arsenal -> Inter - $15.000.000
Tomas Rosicky - Arsenal -> Schalke - $4.700.000
Carl Jenkinson - Arsenal -> Leeds United - Season Loan
Jon Toral - Arsenal -> Juventus - Season Loan

Transfers In

Toby Alderweireld - Free Agent -> Arsenal - Free
Alex Sandro - Porto -> Arsenal - $15.000.000

Games



Premier League
Matchday 20

Arsenal 0-2 Southampton
34' Osvaldo (PEN)
49' Mane (Rowe)

We started January against a really tough team that we just beat last time - Southampton. This time we went to St. Mary's Park, and it was a very tough game. The Saints looked really good and moved the ball around nicely, we couldn't stop them. They didn't create any chances that lead to a goal, but McCarthy took down Osvaldo in the box - penalty. Osvaldo himself went to take it and put it straight in the top right corner.

I put in Welbeck and Özil after the goal, so we could create more chances, yet it didn't make much of a difference. Özil wasn't given any space to actually play around with, so we were in a bad situation. And when Rowe got a good pass into the box, Sane was the only one to it and he scored. The game ended 2-0, a loss we deserved, but obviously did not want.

Premier League
Matchday 21

Swansea 1-3 Arsenal
47' Welbeck (Ramsey)
62' Welbeck (Chambers)
84' Welbeck (Flamini)
90' Ki

Now things were serious. We were really poor our last game, so infront of our home fans, we had to bounce back against Swansea, even if the game was two days after the last one. We looked a lot better early on, as Wilshere got a good chance but hit the post. A few minutes later he got tackled in the box, but no penalty. However, he did get injured, so we had to sub him out for Flamini. We couldn't break through, but in the second half, Ramsey gave a pass to Welbeck who got past the defense and shot it. Khune got his hands to it but it bounced in from the post and gave us the lead.

Danny did not stop there - a through ball by Chambers got him 1-on-1 again and he put it past with ease this time. We looked like a completely different team from last game. I wanted to take out Danny to put in Giroud, but something told me that he wasn't done yet. And when a cross in by Flamini came, he was on it and put a great header past the keeper - hat-trick!

I was hoping to finish with a clean sheet, but a cross in from Montero was fumbled by Szczesny. Ki had an easy shot to take - straight into the open net. However, a 3-1 victory is really good and it was obviously good to bounce back after a loss.

F.A Cup
Round 1

Bolton 1-0 Arsenal
69' Trotter (Clayton)

So, our first FA Cup game was against Bolton, a team we should beat pretty easily. It was also the debut game of Alderweireld, but things did not go well. We were holding the ball, yet somehow, the chances did not come. Even if we got a shot, it wasn't a good one - the only one that actually was decent was when Cazorla got past the defense and hit the post.

Then, their only chance, they break through in a counter and play a good 1-2 between Trotter and Clayton - Szczesny is nowhere to be found, so Trotter took a shot past everybody and hit it in.

We were down against Bolton, I couldn't believe it, and the way we were playing, we couldn't actually come back to it. The game ended with a 1-0 loss, and just like that, we were out of the cup. I guess the English cups are not meant for us, sadly.

Premier League
Matchday 22

Norwich 0-2 Arsenal
9' Gibbs
31' Welbeck

After the poor FA Cup game, we had two games left in the month and we had to bounce back in them to be strong in the league. Now, against Norwich, I fielded our strongest side and knew that we had to win it. We looked good early, Welbeck got a shot at goal but it got saved by Ruddy. Norwich did not look bad either as they attacked right after our first shot, luckily, they didn't create anything dangerous.

Then, some good passing from the back and a good overlaping run by Gibbs got him in the box and put it past Ruddy - a very nicely hit volley aswell. We had the momentum just after that, as it didn't take us long to score another one - a usual one for Welbeck, as he scored a header from a cross that got fumbled by Ruddy. Norwich did look like they would bounce back in the second half, yet a red card took them completely out of the game and put us in the drivers seat. The final score was 2-0.

Premier League
Matchday 23

Norwich 1-3 Arsenal
11' Welbeck (Sanchez)
61' Barkley (Baines)

Last game of the month against a team that we dropped points again the previous time we faced them - Everton. Always a tough side, I felt pretty confident going into this game. However, when Lukaku got the first shot of the game and hit the bar, I quickly then realised that even if we were playing at the Emirates, the game was not going to be easy.

We broke through the old fashion way - Sanchez passed the ball to Welbeck, who time and time again, beat his player and put it past Howard. We took a hold of that game, yet Everton kept coming at us. I made a sub during the second half, putting in McCarthy to play more defensively, yet when Baines crossed it into the box, Barkley was the one who got to it first and hammered it in. After that, they went defensive and we simply couldn't break through to get the win. Another game against the Toffees - another 1-1 draw.
[center]

Barclays Premier League Table

So there is that, the month of January. Both Gibbs and Rosicky wanted to leave, I felt that no replacement was needed for Rosicky, kinda sad that I had to get rid of him. Gibbs forced his way out and we sold him to Inter on the last day, so I went for gamble and got Alex Sandro on the last day. How will it play out, I have no idea.

I hope you enjoyed it, thanks for reading! Comment if there is anything!

[sportsfreak96]

Quote: Originally Posted by indiblue

If I get another ludicrously low budget i.e. anything short of £10 million, I'll definitely consider the takeover. But you're right. Using it would pretty much guarantee the title in a year or two tops.

If you do end up using the takeover Upgrade your Youth Scouts it'll benefit you in the long run and you wont have to do it after that