How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

[vrabbit]

Quote: Originally Posted by texasbum06

Tactics So I mentioned in a reply to Vrabbit last week that I would try to post a tactical update since I plan on overhauling my system starting with this next transfer window. I'll start with what my current system looks like and then wrap it up with what I am trying to switch to and what types of players I want to bring in for each position. Spoiler Current Formation The squad given to me didn't have a whole lot to work with in regards to what I wanted, so after looking it over I decided to run with the above formation. My biggest concern was in the midfield where the team was loaded up with attack minded midfielders and not one true CDM on the roster. I wanted to get the 3 man midfield so that I could have some cover to make up for their lack of defensive ability to start with. Idea was to work the passing triangles and control the possession. Up front I wanted three attackers since none of my strikers seemed like the type to handle the duties alone, so I wanted to get the wingers involved working the outsides and cutting in where my striker could hopefully find one of them rather than trying to do it all himself. The defense was lucky enough to have solid back line players. The outside defenders have done well for me so far, but I could definitely use a bit more pace out there to get them involved more in the attack. Center backs didn't give me much height, with the best rated one being Brayford who is only 5'10, but extremely quick for a CB. I've essentially just made this work for now and it was enough to earn promotion in the first season, but I am realizing that it might not be good enough for the success I need in the Championship. Planned Formation Now, here is where I plan to move to as I start bringing in the right players. At the front I want a striker that can do a bit of everything, but mainly, I want him to function as a target man who can go up in the air and win balls. The center forward will be the key playmaker for my team. I want him to have tight dribbling, good passing, and great vision. He will be tasked to connect everything for the attack. Townsend will be slotting into this role and I think he will play it perfectly. I moved the wingers back to be more like outside midfield players instead since I want them to focus on playing more outside and providing outlets that can then send crosses in for the target man in the middle. The midfield will be reduced to just a duo with one playing the role of a true defensive midfielder winning tackles, using his strength to hold off the other team, and providing all around cover for the back line before the ball can get there. The other midfielder will ideally be a box-to-box guy who can get up and down the field all game and help connect the ball between the defense and the center forward up ahead while also still getting back to help out defensively. When it comes to the defense I want my outside defenders to have tons of pace and be able to send crosses into the box after working the overlap with the outside midfielders since they are sitting further back on the field now instead of acting as wingers. The central pairing I want to consist of two types of defenders. I want one to be a big towering brute who can hold off anyone and dominate anything that comes through in the air. His partner I want to be a quicker type of central defender who has some ball skills in order to be the first outlet for the ball to start moving up field once he picks out his pass. What Am I Missing? So what is keeping me from transitioning now? I don't have a striker who can play up front and provide any kind of threat in the air meaning I have to rely on my wingers getting inside. There are also no defensive midfielders on my roster which will be a must to bring in if I want to drop to only a 2 man central midfield. And lastly, the outside defenders are okay, but I want more pace and attacking ability from them in order to give the team an added outlet to get the counter attacks going. I am trying to move from a possession style of play to a high pace attacking style where everything is constantly flowing forward. [/center]

But yes let's talk tactics, let me take you into what I (try to) run.

sharemytactics calls it a 4-1-3-2, I call it a 4-4-2 diamond wide, the name is irrelevant really. I'm trying to space my opponent out and work the passing angles. Look at the teams I'm playing with: Central Coast Mariners, Dorados de Sinaloa, Newport County ... even Kayserispor has limited talent so I need to implement a system where everyone can contribute and come together as a team to get the job done.

Defense

My gameplan is to evenly split the field players between offense and defense so unless we're heavily backed up we're relying on our back 4 and our CDM to handle the opponent's attack. The wide midfielders and the CAM will come down near the CDM's default area if the attack is heavy. The fullbacks are key here because I do get them involved on offense (as noted by the red lines) so they need to be able to recover and go box-to-box (stamina is a big deal here). My CB's need to be able to mark and stand tackle well, I'm not looking to do a whole lot of sliding unless I absolutely have to. I need an all-around CDM that will more often than not halt the attack or at least significantly slow it down while the rest of the defense settles in. The green lines denote how easy I try to make it for my defense to come out playing, there should always be a window for the ball to get out. I'm not trying to be Tony Pulis and ask my CB's to make long passes up the field.

Offense

Oh it's LIT. When we're right we can come at you in so many different ways. We're forcing you to commit either inside or outside and if you're not disguising it well (you can't be everywhere at the same time) we're gonna make you pay. It's a big deal for me to have a CAM I can trust and when I have him he has the green light to free roam which means it can easily turn into 3 attackers so I enjoy using the wide midfielders/fullbacks to come down the wing and cross the ball. Doesn't matter if they're not great at crossing or if the guys in the box aren't world-beaters in the air, the amount of bodies I get into the box means the ball has a good chance of finding someone. The wide midfielders are directed to run into the box on crosses from the opposing side. If I choose to attack on the inside that's where the CAM shines, he needs to be able to pass, I am a wiz at putting through passes mostly because I'm always looking to make that pass. That's why I get so many assists. That's where I played when I played regularly from the ages of 6 to 19, a midfielder always looking to move the ball.

You can sort of get the same ball movement in a 4-2-3-1 but there's an added dimension to your offense when you have 2 strikers. Again the passing is key here. Also from time to time if in rhythm the wide midfielders will be in the winger position and can cut inside with the ball which can surprise defenses.

any questions/comments/suggestions?

I don't know why there aren't any lines between the CDM and the wide midfielders but there should be obviously.

[Cruzerr]

Quote: Originally Posted by indiblue

Sorry, you're on your own again. Just pummeled Reading 4-0 and I figured out the problem. My controller setting somehow got changed to two-button!

First off, Rabbit you are a don. Second off, I feel sorry for you, Tex, haha.

[vrabbit]

Have to give shoutouts to Keano for calling my youth academies a highlight of our updates and Simp for giving love to my old Dagenham/Alcorcon CM's. I feel the love. I'm glad you guys enjoyed the extra highlights on one of the recent updates, I won't always have that many but I'll try to have at least one or two in every update or at least pictures (which I sometimes hide in spoilers to not make the pages long).

Quote: Originally Posted by _ChicoBass

First off, yes Mexico is very much coo-coo. Especially the people running their football. And second, wtf! I don't see why they would fire you if you made it to the playoffs in both league tournaments. I'm sure your objectives were something like "avoid a bottom of the table finish" or something like that since it's Dorados. And by the way it's remarkable you were able to achieve that much with that club. This year they managed to secure relegation well before the season was over. Plus with half their squad being loanees I bet the transfer window was tough for you. Sorry I wasn't able to give you a heads up about the Libertadores. If you're in the top 4 of the Apertura you qualify and the tournament starts after the Clausura transfer window with zero notification. I have my fingers crossed that EA will fix that on 17 and of course make some very much needed additions to the tournament. How many seasons were you at Sinaloa?

I was in Mexico a year and a half. Right away won the first league (clausura) which was shocking, then had an even better showing in the following apertura and just choked in the final after I had gotten a lead on the first leg on the road (gave up two goals in the last 20 minutes or so). Then in the following clausura I again had a very good regular season but lost in quarters of the playoffs, lost in the semis of the Libertadores to Boca (who are a monster) and was let go at the end of the season. Makes no sense. If you look at my most recent GT update they finished last or second to last in the tournaments this past season. Absurd. But hey, I found a stud CB through the academy there whom I brought to Turkey. Too bad he's Mexican though lol, I could really use someone like him the Venezuelan NT.

Spoiler

and since some of y'all did it I'll do it too. The wife and I at Machu Picchu last November

[vrabbit]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cruzerr

First off, Rabbit you are a don. Second off, I feel sorry for you, Tex, haha.

[texasbum06]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cruzerr

Do you guys not use sliders? I feel like my game is just a lot more enjoyable with them. Oh, and Rabbit: I don't like the guys WF, that is about it.

I use the OS ones I believe, but they might be outdated possibly even FIFA15

Which ones do you use/recommend?

On second thought I really need to check since I bought a new laptop and converted all my saved files over through the Origin Cloud, but it may not have brought my settings with it.

Quote: Originally Posted by indiblue

Sorry, you're on your own again. Just pummeled Reading 4-0 and I figured out the problem. My controller setting somehow got changed to two-button!

Wonderful, I'm going to have to take a look and see what happened. Maybe something got messed up with the settings when I converted my saves over to the new laptop.

Quote: Originally Posted by vrabbit

Tex - at first glance I wasn't impressed with the Dickenson signing but after reading your thoughts on it I agree it's a good addition. Davis is just a great fit for what you're trying to run, very good find. I already touched on Odubajo but you're really going to love his pace and he's also pretty decent at crossing. Train him on defense and he's gonna turn out nice. Abraham is a raw and I like the buy option on the loan but you're gonna have to develop him. Other than that you know I was glad to see Cameron and Townsend score in early November but watching that December hurt. You still have time to turn it around but unless you get on a hot streak you may need to battle in the playoffs for promotion. I'll respond to the tactics convo on a separate post. Spoiler oh, and your wife is puuurtie

Yeah Dickenson leaves a lot to be desired at first look, but I decided to start bringing in players to fit the system and not worry about the Overalls at first. But I will say I think my eventual plan is to have him be the bench option behind a better starter to be bought in the future. Davis was another guy I found while scouting and he just seemed to fit everything I was looking for and I couldn't pass him up. He's been playing really well so far and has not disappointed. Im excited for Odubajo for all the reasons you said. I will be sure to continue to develop him and turn him into the perfect fullback I was looking for. Abraham could be a future star for me if I can use him right. I'm hoping he lives up to what I was looking for up front.

And thanks! I somehow fooled her into getting stuck with me for life

Quote: Originally Posted by vrabbit

But yes let's talk tactics, let me take you into what I (try to) run. Spoiler sharemytactics calls it a 4-1-3-2, I call it a 4-4-2 diamond wide, the name is irrelevant really. I'm trying to space my opponent out and work the passing angles. Look at the teams I'm playing with: Central Coast Mariners, Dorados de Sinaloa, Newport County ... even Kayserispor has limited talent so I need to implement a system where everyone can contribute and come together as a team to get the job done. Defense My gameplan is to evenly split the field players between offense and defense so unless we're heavily backed up we're relying on our back 4 and our CDM to handle the opponent's attack. The wide midfielders and the CAM will come down near the CDM's default area if the attack is heavy. The fullbacks are key here because I do get them involved on offense (as noted by the red lines) so they need to be able to recover and go box-to-box (stamina is a big deal here). My CB's need to be able to mark and stand tackle well, I'm not looking to do a whole lot of sliding unless I absolutely have to. I need an all-around CDM that will more often than not halt the attack or at least significantly slow it down while the rest of the defense settles in. The green lines denote how easy I try to make it for my defense to come out playing, there should always be a window for the ball to get out. I'm not trying to be Tony Pulis and ask my CB's to make long passes up the field. Offense Oh it's LIT. When we're right we can come at you in so many different ways. We're forcing you to commit either inside or outside and if you're not disguising it well (you can't be everywhere at the same time) we're gonna make you pay. It's a big deal for me to have a CAM I can trust and when I have him he has the green light to free roam which means it can easily turn into 3 attackers so I enjoy using the wide midfielders/fullbacks to come down the wing and cross the ball. Doesn't matter if they're not great at crossing or if the guys in the box aren't world-beaters in the air, the amount of bodies I get into the box means the ball has a good chance of finding someone. The wide midfielders are directed to run into the box on crosses from the opposing side. If I choose to attack on the inside that's where the CAM shines, he needs to be able to pass, I am a wiz at putting through passes mostly because I'm always looking to make that pass. That's why I get so many assists. That's where I played when I played regularly from the ages of 6 to 19, a midfielder always looking to move the ball. You can sort of get the same ball movement in a 4-2-3-1 but there's an added dimension to your offense when you have 2 strikers. Again the passing is key here. any questions/comments/suggestions? I don't know why there aren't any lines between the CDM and the wide midfielders but there should be obviously.

Love the way you described everything. The Diamond really does give you the chance to have a perfect balance between offense and defense. I remember I used to run that with Portsmouth and loved it. I was tempted to move back to it, but I wanted to mix it up and try something different this time around. Offensively I'm impressed at the way you set it up to where you get to read the opponent and decide how you want to attack. A lot of people choose a style and stick with it, but your formation allows you to be completely adaptable without having to change anything up.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cruzerr

First off, Rabbit you are a don. Second off, I feel sorry for you, Tex, haha.

Welp, time to play on amateur I guess

[Cruzerr]

I wish I could talk tactics, my tactics are:

1. Pass it to Barkley
2. Pass it to Lukaku
3. Score?

[texasbum06]

Quote: Originally Posted by indiblue

Sorry, you're on your own again. Just pummeled Reading 4-0 and I figured out the problem. My controller setting somehow got changed to two-button!

To make this even more depressing my last name is pronounced the same as Reading, just spelled differently. So basically you just said you pummeled me 4-0 and left me on my own.

[Josh4]

Career Update: 1

First, let me say sorry for letting you all down. I have decided to start a career with Hull City and not Tottenham. I know everyone here was excited about Spurs updates (especially all you Gooners ) but after looking at the roster and thinking of transfer ideas, I realized I cannot sell anyone. Yes, I am one of those fans that loves the club so much, nobody is for sale. So instead of handcuffing myself like that, I went with a random team, newly promoted Hull City.

Preseason

Hull accepted an invitation to play in the European Continental Shield. Being placed in a group with Sp. Charleroi, FC Utrecht and SD Eibar. Deciding to try different formations, tactics and lineups instead of going for wins proved costly for Hull as they were quickly eliminated from the tournament losing 2 of the first 3 matches.

Hull vs Utrecht
0-1 92’ Barazite

Hull v Eibar
0-1 21’ Baston

Hull v Charleroi
2-0 38’ Hernandez(Livermore), 55’ Snodgrass(Powell)

Three things to take away from these friendlies;
1. Speed, Speed, Speed. Hull have no speed on the wings right now and trying to build counter-attacks are impossible with defenders chasing us down.
2. Need for a backup CAM. In match 3, Mohamed Diame went down with a broken ankle and will be out 2 months. This is a great chance for Aluko or young Powell to step up and take the position.
3. A back line of Robertons, Davis, Dawson and Odubajo will be extremely solid and a good building block for Hull.

Transfers

Josh came into Hull with a plan to build a counter-attacking team focused on a solid back 4 and speed on the wings. Doing this means a few players had to be sold as they did not fit the new scheme and their profits would be turned to bring in players who will fit.

Sold

GK Eldin Jakupovic (30yrs old/67 ovr) sold to Charlton for €450,000.
CB Alex Bruce (30yrs old/68 ovr) sold to Blackburn for €500,000.

Loaned out

RB Josh Clackstone(18yrs old/52 ovr) to Swindon Town
ST Jarrod Brown(19yrs old/56 ovr) to Crawley Town
CB Ben Clappison(20yrs old/54 ovr) to Notts County

Bought

RM Andros Townsend(23yrs old/74 ovr) from Newcastle for €7,000,000. Hull are hoping Townsend will be the pacey winger they have been missing. Townsend was valued at €9,000,000 but Newcastle were willing to release for less.

RB Rico Henry(18yrs old/64 ovr) from Walsall for €1,200,000. Henry is an extremly pacey RB who has shown tons of potential. Henry will start making appearances with cup matches and will go through training to try working into the first team.

Starting XI

The following players will be the key to Hulls success this season as they try to win the FA Cup and finish mid-table in the Premier League.
Allan Macgregor - Will get first chance to secure the keeper position. Dusan Kuciak will start as back up.

Michael Dawson and Curtis Davis - Dawson and Davis will be teaming up again this year as the CB's for Hull's defense. Hull will be looking to push ahead with both fullbacks and will be relying on the two CB's to be able to handle any counter pressure.

Andrew Robertson and Moses Odubajo - Two fullbacks with a little pace who have shown they can move up the pitch.

Tom Huddleston and Jake Livermore - Tom and Jake are the midfield for Hull's 4-5-1 and will be key in holding the pace of the match.

Robert Snodgrass and Andros Townsend - Townsend will be expected to step in and produce right away with his Premier League experience as Snodgrass will be expected to lead Hull's attack.

Sone Aluko and Abel Hernandez - With the 2 month injury to Diame, Aluko has been awarded the start behind Hernandez. Abel is coming off a career year and will be counted on to lead Hull in goals.

August Schedule

v Southampton
at Swansea City
at Manchester United
v Arsenal

side edit: thanks for reading, sadly I found out after typing all this up I cannot post pictures until after a few more posts! But I do plan on future posts to include more photos/videos and less wall of text.