How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

[sportsfreak96]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Seems like it's been awhile since anyone has commented on cm's I realize that the game is near the end of it's cycle so not many are actually playing so I'm not too fussed about it.

[indiblue]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

The Magic of 2-5-3

Hey guys, seeing as how it's pretty slow on the forums, I decided to take you through my first Paris FC update in a different way. This is an in-depth analysis of the 2-5-3 formation I've been using to great effect. I will be looking at each position's role and responsibilities, along with the players I have signed. A cursory breakdown of how our season is going so far will follow.

THE FORMATION

At first look, the 2-5-3 seems like Pep Guardiola's fantasy formation – one that is obsessed with attacking. But in truth, this is the only way to make the 4-3-3 play how it should. We all know how EA broke the game with the latest patch, with full-backs playing more like midfielders and always out of position, but this solves those issues for the most part.

The 2-5-3 makes use of two athletic centre backs, a deep-lying playmaker, four energetic midfielders, and three attack-minded forwards. Structurally, this system is little more than a holding 4-3-3 where the full-backs are pushed ahead so that they line up with the two central midfielders. The wingers are also pushed inside (about 50 clicks) to help them play more like forwards.

GK

The goalkeeper isn't really crucial and comes down mostly to personal preference. I like someone 6'2" or taller with at least 75 in Handling, Reflexes and Positioning – Costel Pantilimon and Fraser Forster are my favourites this year. I'm sticking with Alexis Thébeaux, the Frenchman who signed from Stade Brestois for €1.8 million before I took over. He's not old for a keeper at 30 and is doing well with training.

RCB/LCB

If you don't have the proper centre backs in this formation, you're going to get opened up like a can of sardines. Because there are only two, these players have to be powerful, athletic and comfortable on the ball – in central and wide areas alike. Some ideal players are Sergio Ramos, Mats Hummels, Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma.

French defender Stéphane Sparagna was signed from Marseille for €2.6 million, while Josh Meekings of England joined from Inverness for €2.1 million. Both have pace in the 70s, strength in the 80s, and passing in the 60s. Sparagna tends to win headers and link up with the midfield, while Meekings is often exactly where I need him to be. It's a fantastic partnership that has recorded 8 clean sheets in 15 games.

CDM

This is probably the most important position on the pitch. Because of how the midfield functions, your deep-lying playmaker needs to be supremely confident and comfortable in possession. This is where your maestro should play – someone with incredible Short Passing, Long Passing, Vision, Ball Control and Balance. You could go with a physical option who can also offer support for your defenders (Sergio Busquets) or an eagle-eyed wizard (Luka Modric).

I use Englishman Gary Gardner, who was signed on the cheap from Aston Villa for just €600,000. His combination of passing and vision is incredible at this level, his stamina makes up for a lack of pace, and being 6'1" means he's capable of winning headers to support the centre backs. His ability to keep possession and drive the tempo of our play is fantastic.

RCM/LCM

Having a regista who's adept at maintaining possession liberates your two central midfielders. There are plenty of combinations to work with here based on your style of play, but two work best. The first is a pair of versatile, hard-working players – Ramires, Arturo Vidal, Marco Verratti, Radja Nainggolan. The second is pairing one of those workhorses with a creative player – Marek Hamšik, Oscar, Paul Pogba, Andres Iniesta. If your CDM is a world-class regista with exceptional defensive stats, you can probably get away with two creative players here.

My current combination is Tongo Doumbia – Mali international signed from Toulouse for €6.5 million – and Senegal international Mohamed Diamé, who signed from Hull City for €5.5 million and a whopping €70,000 salary. Both are complete players and gifted athletes who can defend, pass, dribble and shoot. Doumbia is capable of playing in virtually any position and is quickly proving to be the next Patrick Vieira with his combination of aggression, strength, power, creativity, vision and passing.

RM/LM

These two are essentially full-backs who have been bumped up into midfield so that they don't suffer from the positioning issues that came with the latest title update. They now play exactly as wing-backs ought to – bombing forward to support the attack and tracking back to help in defence. However, I've found that these positions don't have to be occupied by natural full-backs. Midfielders with High/High work rates can be just as effective as long as they have the pace, stamina, passing and crossing ability that the position demands. So while you can definitely use the likes of Dani Alves and Dani Carvajal, don't be afraid to give Willian or Zlatko Junuzovic a try. Just be sure to avoid wingers labelled as wide midfielders, such as Xherdan Shaqiri.

Currently on the right of my midfield is Timothy Castagne, a Belgian who signed from Genk for €4.2 million. On the left is Massadio Haïdara of France, who is on loan from Newcastle for this season and the next. Neither of them has the sort of pace I would love out wide, but both are excellent at pretty much every aspect of the game. Castagne is better going forward, and Haïdara is virtually unbeatable when defending his flank.

RW/LW

Here is where the structure of the rest of the pitch turns into a medley of freedom, creativity and prolific goal-scoring. Remember that the outside forwards are now playing further inward, so they need to be able to score or create chances. This is where you put your dynamos – the magicians with 90+ Pace and 80+ Dribbling, but 25 Strength. They'll remain high up the pitch, relieved of most defensive responsibilities, so don't worry much about Stamina as long as it's in the 60s or higher. Players like Lionel Messi, Eden Hazard, Alexandre Lacazette and Marco Reus are perfect here – players who combine pace, trickery and clinical finishing. Creative midfielders like Riyad Mahrez, Mesut Özil and James Rodriguez are also great if you give them the right instructions.

On my left, I have British-Congolese forward Britt Assombalonga, who I signed from Nottingham Forest for €3 million. On my right, I rotate between Kingsley Coman of Juventus and Bertrand Traoré of Chelsea – both on loan. Further backup comes in the form of Kwesi Appiah, the Ghanaian who signed from Crystal Palace for €500,000. As you can see, I like pacey dribblers who can create and finish chances to make runs from the outside in.

ST (CF)

This is your main goalscorer, so spend well. He doesn't have to be quick or nimble. But he does need to have great strength, positioning and finishing. If you wish, you can complete the trifecta with a Messi type of player, but be warned. A lack of physicality in the middle means you will probably lose the ball under pressure from the opposition centre backs, leaving you unable to bring the wide forwards or midfield into the attack.

I was very lucky to pick up a French talent like Idriss Saadi from Clermont for just €5.5 million. His combination of speed, strength, aerial ability, positioning and shooting makes him a lethal centre forward. The proof is in the pudding, with Saadi having bagged 13 goals and 5 assists in 15 appearances, including 5 goals and 1 assist in our most recent match – a 7-0 away thrashing of second-placed Sochaux.

PLAYER INSTRUCTIONS

RCB – Conservative Interceptions
LCB – Conservative Interceptions
CDM – Stay Back on Attack, Conservative Interceptions
RM – Stay Wide, Get In Behind, Conservative Interceptions
RCM – Stay on the Edge of the Box
LCM – Stay on the Edge of the Box
LM – Stay Wide, Get In Behind, Conservative Interceptions
RW – Stay Forward
ST – Stay Central
LW – Stay Forward

CURRENT TEAM





DREAM TEAM

Hope we get some debate and discussion going on the back of this!

[texasbum06]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

The Magic of 2-5-3

This is some kind of Frankenstein invention, it's beautiful and terrifying at the same time!

[10cabee]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

The Magic of 2-5-3

This is great! You also beat me to it in some ways as I've been experimenting with unusual formations myself. I've only used one so far because it has been so effective. Behold... the 3-3-1-3 (or the 3-1-2-1-3 but that's a bit of a handful)!

I can't go anywhere near the depth you've put into your post for now, but will be sure to discuss it in my next post.

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Newport County A.F.C.

2018-2019 Roster Review

Starting XI

GK - Emiliano Martinez (72 OVR) - 58 appearances, 16 clean sheets: The 26-year old from Argentina has been a model for consistency since arriving at Newport County three seasons ago and wrapped up his third consecutive strong season at the club. Playing in a much tougher league than last season, Martinez was able to repeat the number of clean sheets he had in '17-'18. And speaking of consistency, he nearly repeated grades of 7.00 or better in every competition he participated in (pre-season, Championship, C.O.C., F.A., and playoffs), coming just short with a 6.8 grade over 4 games in the Capital One Cup. He maintained a clean sheet throughout the playoffs, which was a big part of The Exiles achieving promotion, and even though he wasn't the league's leader in clean sheets few would argue his spot in the TOTS. 9/10

RB - Moses Odubajo(72 OVR) - 55 apps, 1 goal, 2 assists: The 25-year old from England was unable to replicate a very good first season at the club. After collecting a team-best 11 assists last season, he was only able to assist twice while playing in more games. On the other hand, he did remain an asset defensively which led to his listing in the TOTS, but he'll need to do much better than this season when he plays in BPL games. 7.5/10

RCB - Luan (Garcia Teixeira) (75 OVR) - 52 apps, 1 assist: The 26-year old from Brazil had an underwhelming first season with the club. While Sebastian Vegas' struggles grabbed the headlines, Luan was barely staying afloat with his form which never got so bad that he deserved benching but never good enough to even state that his replacing of Juan Komar was warranted. The Exiles will definitely be expecting an improvement in his form next season or he could quickly become a target for replacement. 6.5/10

LCB - Sebastián Vegas (74 OVR) - 42 apps: The struggles by the 22-year old from Chile were well documented this season. After pretty much being the club's only acquisition in the summer, Vegas struggled badly early in the season and was benched within the first couple of months. After being slowly worked back into the lineup, Vegas failed to show good form and found himself on the bench once again before the midway point of the season. The third time might have been the charm for the signing from Audax Italiano as he showed improvements in the second half of the season, highlighted by a 6.9 rating in the playoffs. 6/10

LB - Jerome Binnom-Williams (75 OVR) - 53 apps, 1 goals, 6 assists: Much like Martinez, The 24-year old from England turned in a third consecutive strong season for The Exiles, using his pace to be a pest for opponents on both sides of the pitch which led to a deserved spot in the TOTS. He was the best defender for Newport County this season.8/10

CDM - Rohan Ince (76 OVR) - 52 apps, 5 goals, 5 assists: The 26-year old from England had a very good second season at the club, showing a good level comfort at the Championship level. While he's more of a defensive specialist, he has shown a strong shot from outside the box that makes him very helpful on offense. He was yet another Exile to be named in the TOTS. 8/10

RM - Jack Giles (71 OVR) - 53 apps, 11 goals, 12 assists: This 21-year old academy product from England responded to the news of the team's signing of Jefferson Farfán on pre-contract by turning in the best season of his young-career. Giles continues to perform at top level even when analysts don't expect him to and his form in the F.A. Cup was simply brilliant, leaving him to be named MVP of that competition. Regardless of whether he remains a starter next season, Giles should feature in plenty of games for Newport County. 8.5/10

LM - Bondz Moore (74 OVR) - 53 apps, 3 goals, 3 assists: The 19-year old academy-product from England "showing great potential" was unable to duplicate the production he had in his first season as a starter and saw his performance drop a little bit this season. Nevertheless, he showed improvement in his overall game which is also important for young talent. 7.5/10

CAM - Clark Gordon (76 OVR) - 43 apps, 11 goals, 15 assists: The 19-year old academy product from Scotland (an exciting prospect) wraps up his second season as a pro showing the flashes of superstar potential he possesses. Even though injuries limited him a bit this season (lowering his scoring tally a bit), he showed outstanding progress in his role as a facilitator on offense by more than doubling his assist total. Gordon, who stepped right into a starting role right out of the academy last season, will have a great opportunity to show he can be one of the new young stars of the BPL next season. 8.5/10

RS - Thierry Ambrose (77 OVR) - 53 apps, 38 goals, 11 assists: In just a few months last season Ambrose showed the potential to be the best player in Newport County's roster and he proved to be just that this season. The 22-year old from France was unanimously named The Exiles MVP this season after putting up RIDICULOUS numbers throughout the season. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of his performance this season was the fact that he was expected to be a world-beater and it seemed as if he never felt that pressure, outscoring Burnley's Andre Gray by double-digit goals while netting double-digit assists for second best in the LEAGUE behind Gordon. In all honesty, he should had been voted Player of the Year over Gray. 10/10

LS - Kjetil Ringdal Støvland (69 OVR) - 26 apps, 10 goals, 3 assists: The 18-year old academy-product from Norway, "an exciting prospect" who is the the club's top striker prospect, made a big leap in his second season as a pro by stepping into the starting lineup in the second half of the season. "RS", as he's often referred as, showed a lot of maturity in handling starting duties at such a young age especially considering he didn't get off to the greatest start once in that role. However, he grew in the role as the season came to a close and showed an ability to score in clutch situations for the club. It'll be interesting to see whether the club keep him as a start next season but he has at least put himself in consideration which is an amazing feat for The Norwegian Tank. 7/10

Bench

CM - Hwang In Beom (73 OVR) - 44 apps, 5 goals, 2 assists: The 22-year old from Korea has been useful as a backup CAM for The Exiles but has been a bit underwhelming at the same time. In Beom just hasn't been consistent enough on the pitch and you have wonder if he's really the right fit for this roster, especially considering how many games Gordon missed due to injury. In Beom was transfer listed in the winter mostly so the club could get a sense for how he's valued and it wouldn't be surprising to see him transfer listed once again in the summer.6/10

LB - Nicolai Fernandes (74 OVR) - 41 apps, 1 goal, 2 assists: The 17-year old academy-product from Denmark is a bit of an enigma after two full seasons in the pros. "An exciting prospect", Fernandes is unquestionably the top backup fullback for The Exiles but he's had some trouble with consistency. In the big picture this is all probably nit-picking on someone so young, but those fans hoping Fernandes would soon become a starter will have to wait a bit longer. 6/10

CDM - Hikaru Ichigawa (69 OVR) - 30 apps, 1 assist: The 18-year old academy-product from Japan was able to accomplish something significant this season, which was to separate himself a bit from Cristiano Dall'Oglio as The Exiles' main backup CDM. Someone "showing great potential", Ichigawa will head into next season as a starter for the B-team (which could see a lot of action) while he's also likely to see a lot of minutes as a sub for the main squad. 6.5/10

CDM - Cristiano Dall'Oglio (68 OVR) - 30 apps, 1 assist: The 19-year old academy-product from Italy saw a significant decrease in his playing time (about a third from the previous season) as a result of being out-performed by Ichigawa. However, he remains a prospect "showing great potential" so the club would be wise to remain patient with his development. It wouldn't be surprising to see Dall'Oglio listed for loan in the summer.6/10

LM - Ben Potter (70 OVR) - 26 apps, 2 goals, 4 assists: The 19-year old academy-product from England (showing great potential) showed a bit of regression in his second season as a pro. A prospect "showing great potential", Potter remains a staple of the B-squad and an emergency backup at CAM, and he remains comfortable playing at either RM, LM, or CAM. While scouts rate his potential above Giles', his fellow countryman academy-graduate is vastly outplaying him and Farfan's arrival next season doesn't bode well for Potter's playing time as a backup with the main squad, though his role with the B-squad should see little change.6.5/10

RB - Mehmet Zeki Çelik (68 OVR) - 20 apps, 1 goal: The 22-year old from Turkey saw yet another drop in his playing time due to currently being the 4th choice at fullback for The Exiles. He remains an useful player but he's also in danger of falling further down the totem pole as academy players continue to develop. 6/10

CB - Tyler Blackett (71 OVR) - 19 apps: The 25-year old from England was unable to take full advantage of an opportunity to retain his starting position (during Vegas' struggles) and heads into next season as a sure bet to mostly see action with the B-squad. His grade gets a boost from his stunning opening score against Manchester City in the quarter finals of the F.A. Cup.6.5/10

ST - Patrick Miller (68 OVR) - 13 apps, 1 goal, 1 assist: The 20-year old academy-product from Ireland was unable to repeat his productivity off the bench from last season after a strong pre-season. The Exiles are expected to be on the market for strikers during the summer so it remains to be seen what role Miller will play next season. He also says good bye to his brother, Mark, whose contract expires at the end of this season (the club did not attempt to re-sign him). 6.5/10

The Academy

ST - Liam Taylor (47 OVR, 76-94 POT)*: This 15-year old from England has put himself in the radar for top prospect in the academy. He's raw but young and physically strong, and projects as the best striker prospect in the academy since RS' promotion a couple of years ago.

RB - Márcio Souza (54 OVR, 76-92)*: 16-year old from Brazil who may be tried at CB if his pace doesn't develop properly. Standing at 5'10", 176lbs at the moment, he should grow into a good size for a central defender.

LB - Jeff Cohen (55 OVR, 74-92): 16-year old from England who is the newest addition to the academy. He doesn't seem to have the pace for this position so he may be worked out elsewhere depending on his growth.

CB - Tom Maguire (52 OVR, 72-86): 17-year old from England following on the footsteps of Tafari Hunt and Bondz Laslie. Unfortunately, like his fellow countrymen, he seems to not have been discovered early enough so he's likely to be promoted at some point next season while still being a raw prospect. Hunt and Laslie have been able to develop their skills though, so the club is hopeful that they'll be able to achieve the same with Maguire.

RB - Miguel De Mesquites (48 OVR, 71-94)*: 17-year old from Brazil who is a fullback/centreback prospect as a result of his 6'2", 167lbs frame. He's still very raw and needs to work consistently on his defensive game.

RB - Willem Van Hout (57 OVR, 79-85): The 17-year old from Belgium has spent over 16 months in the academy and shown notable progress over this season, therefore he's likely to be promoted at some point next season. Van Hout doesn't possess the pace the team would like at the position but Marccelino is keeping more of an open mind when it comes to that after watching Fernandes play.

CDM - Daniel Amaral (53 OVR), 74-88): 15-year old from Brazil whose signing has received some criticism since the club seems to be loaded at his position. However, Newport County is still very far from being the kind of team that can pass on talent so we'll just have to follow how Amaral develops.
* Recent addition

Doke Boëtius (CDM, 66 OVR, showing great potential) was promoted near the end of the season and goes into next season as a challenger for Dall'Oglio in the CDM depth chart.

Other notes: Gregorio Miranda (LB, 68 OVR, showing great potential) will be due back from loan at some point next season and is a major threat to Celik on the roster. Taylor Nelson (LW, 64 OVR), the second academy-product promoted by Marccelino (Giles was the first) during his tenure at the club, had a successful return (from loan) to the club in limited action and will be a dark horse for minutes next season. The club's plan for Daniele Martella (CAM, 63 OVR, potential to be special) is to not rush onto the pitch next season but instead focus on developing him and getting him ready for 2020-2021.

Thanks for reading

[texasbum06]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

10cabee: What a fantastic season! Another treble and to do it with 2 clubs in the same career is unbelievable. You didn't leave any doubts in either of the finals you played in and your draws down the stretch added a lot of excitement to the finish of the season but you pulled it off. A very well deserved successful season.

Vrabbit: Globetrotter: I like that you went with the Eredivisie since I've always had a decent fascination with the Dutch league. There are a lot of good players in there and some top heavy teams that should pose a good challenge for you to compete against. Looking forward to see how you do there.

Newport: First of all, that F.A. Cup final was awesome! You did it in a pretty convincing fashion too. As for the league you left a lot of points out there at the end, but you had enough of a cushion to avoid falling out of the playoff race though so it didn't matter too much. Furlong's red in the second leg of the semi-final for the playoffs definitely helped you see it out comfortably to give you a spot in the final. I'm stoked that you won it too since it would have been a huge let down if you didn't! Newport in the Premier League, watch out!

Jagger: Wolves is a solid pick. They always seem like a team that should be better than they really are so you should be able to get them turned around right. Take good care of Jed Wallace! He was a beast for me in my Portsmouth career.

Simppu: Love your transfer windows since you are never afraid to shake things up. You brought in some quality players and covered a variet of positions. You have a crazy knack for getting insane values for your players that you sell too. The results left a lot to be desired, but I'll attribute that you implementing the new players into your squad and getting adjusted to them. I'll be surprised if you don't challenge for the title this year.

Sportsfreak: Yeoville: Interesting choice, but I like what you've done with the squad in your first window. Your results weren't bad for your first month either and 10th place leaves you with plenty of room to still improve which I'm sure you will.

Betis: Interesting to see you play your B team for the Copa Del Rey final, and hell! It almost worked out for you anyway! You capped off the season with the Champions league and the La Liga title meaning you were so damn close to winning 4 trophies this season! Your Betis career has been amazing man, and since you update with several months at a time it's always had a nice build up between each one making it a nice surprise and a little exciting when I see you throw one out there.

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

as committed as I am to my CM's if '17 fixes the stupid gameplay I might just have to start new CM's with that. Players not going for the ball will never not drive me nuts

[sportsfreak96]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

10cabee: What a fantastic season! Another treble and to do it with 2 clubs in the same career is unbelievable. You didn't leave any doubts in either of the finals you played in and your draws down the stretch added a lot of excitement to the finish of the season but you pulled it off. A very well deserved successful season.



Vrabbit: Globetrotter: I like that you went with the Eredivisie since I've always had a decent fascination with the Dutch league. There are a lot of good players in there and some top heavy teams that should pose a good challenge for you to compete against. Looking forward to see how you do there.



Newport: First of all, that F.A. Cup final was awesome! You did it in a pretty convincing fashion too. As for the league you left a lot of points out there at the end, but you had enough of a cushion to avoid falling out of the playoff race though so it didn't matter too much. Furlong's red in the second leg of the semi-final for the playoffs definitely helped you see it out comfortably to give you a spot in the final. I'm stoked that you won it too since it would have been a huge let down if you didn't! Newport in the Premier League, watch out!



Jagger: Wolves is a solid pick. They always seem like a team that should be better than they really are so you should be able to get them turned around right. Take good care of Jed Wallace! He was a beast for me in my Portsmouth career.



Simppu: Love your transfer windows since you are never afraid to shake things up. You brought in some quality players and covered a variet of positions. You have a crazy knack for getting insane values for your players that you sell too. The results left a lot to be desired, but I'll attribute that you implementing the new players into your squad and getting adjusted to them. I'll be surprised if you don't challenge for the title this year.



Sportsfreak: Yeoville: Interesting choice, but I like what you've done with the squad in your first window. Your results weren't bad for your first month either and 10th place leaves you with plenty of room to still improve which I'm sure you will.



Betis: Interesting to see you play your B team for the Copa Del Rey final, and hell! It almost worked out for you anyway! You capped off the season with the Champions league and the La Liga title meaning you were so damn close to winning 4 trophies this season! Your Betis career has been amazing man, and since you update with several months at a time it's always had a nice build up between each one making it a nice surprise and a little exciting when I see you throw one out there.

I plan on doing a Betis CM in 17 so I can play around with their new signings and so I can get a fresh start with that team.

My FIFA 15 Betis CM has to be my favorite cm I've played.


As for Yeovil, the first month was a bit nerve racking to say the least

[JAGGER6223]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

When you really wanna play FIFA but University and work are controlling your life.

I might find some time to actually start the Career Mode tomorrow but I don't know. Just giving you the heads up and apologising in advance.

[JAGGER6223]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

The Magic of 2-5-3

Spoiler

Hey guys, seeing as how it's pretty slow on the forums, I decided to take you through my first Paris FC update in a different way. This is an in-depth analysis of the 2-5-3 formation I've been using to great effect. I will be looking at each position's role and responsibilities, along with the players I have signed. A cursory breakdown of how our season is going so far will follow.

THE FORMATION

At first look, the 2-5-3 seems like Pep Guardiola's fantasy formation – one that is obsessed with attacking. But in truth, this is the only way to make the 4-3-3 play how it should. We all know how EA broke the game with the latest patch, with full-backs playing more like midfielders and always out of position, but this solves those issues for the most part.

The 2-5-3 makes use of two athletic centre backs, a deep-lying playmaker, four energetic midfielders, and three attack-minded forwards. Structurally, this system is little more than a holding 4-3-3 where the full-backs are pushed ahead so that they line up with the two central midfielders. The wingers are also pushed inside (about 50 clicks) to help them play more like forwards.

GK

The goalkeeper isn't really crucial and comes down mostly to personal preference. I like someone 6'2" or taller with at least 75 in Handling, Reflexes and Positioning – Costel Pantilimon and Fraser Forster are my favourites this year. I'm sticking with Alexis Thébeaux, the Frenchman who signed from Stade Brestois for €1.8 million before I took over. He's not old for a keeper at 30 and is doing well with training.

RCB/LCB

If you don't have the proper centre backs in this formation, you're going to get opened up like a can of sardines. Because there are only two, these players have to be powerful, athletic and comfortable on the ball – in central and wide areas alike. Some ideal players are Sergio Ramos, Mats Hummels, Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma.

French defender Stéphane Sparagna was signed from Marseille for €2.6 million, while Josh Meekings of England joined from Inverness for €2.1 million. Both have pace in the 70s, strength in the 80s, and passing in the 60s. Sparagna tends to win headers and link up with the midfield, while Meekings is often exactly where I need him to be. It's a fantastic partnership that has recorded 8 clean sheets in 15 games.

CDM

This is probably the most important position on the pitch. Because of how the midfield functions, your deep-lying playmaker needs to be supremely confident and comfortable in possession. This is where your maestro should play – someone with incredible Short Passing, Long Passing, Vision, Ball Control and Balance. You could go with a physical option who can also offer support for your defenders (Sergio Busquets) or an eagle-eyed wizard (Luka Modric).

I use Englishman Gary Gardner, who was signed on the cheap from Aston Villa for just €600,000. His combination of passing and vision is incredible at this level, his stamina makes up for a lack of pace, and being 6'1" means he's capable of winning headers to support the centre backs. His ability to keep possession and drive the tempo of our play is fantastic.

RCM/LCM

Having a regista who's adept at maintaining possession liberates your two central midfielders. There are plenty of combinations to work with here based on your style of play, but two work best. The first is a pair of versatile, hard-working players – Ramires, Arturo Vidal, Marco Verratti, Radja Nainggolan. The second is pairing one of those workhorses with a creative player – Marek Hamšik, Oscar, Paul Pogba, Andres Iniesta. If your CDM is a world-class regista with exceptional defensive stats, you can probably get away with two creative players here.

My current combination is Tongo Doumbia – Mali international signed from Toulouse for €6.5 million – and Senegal international Mohamed Diamé, who signed from Hull City for €5.5 million and a whopping €70,000 salary. Both are complete players and gifted athletes who can defend, pass, dribble and shoot. Doumbia is capable of playing in virtually any position and is quickly proving to be the next Patrick Vieira with his combination of aggression, strength, power, creativity, vision and passing.

RM/LM

These two are essentially full-backs who have been bumped up into midfield so that they don't suffer from the positioning issues that came with the latest title update. They now play exactly as wing-backs ought to – bombing forward to support the attack and tracking back to help in defence. However, I've found that these positions don't have to be occupied by natural full-backs. Midfielders with High/High work rates can be just as effective as long as they have the pace, stamina, passing and crossing ability that the position demands. So while you can definitely use the likes of Dani Alves and Dani Carvajal, don't be afraid to give Willian or Zlatko Junuzovic a try. Just be sure to avoid wingers labelled as wide midfielders, such as Xherdan Shaqiri.

Currently on the right of my midfield is Timothy Castagne, a Belgian who signed from Genk for €4.2 million. On the left is Massadio Haïdara of France, who is on loan from Newcastle for this season and the next. Neither of them has the sort of pace I would love out wide, but both are excellent at pretty much every aspect of the game. Castagne is better going forward, and Haïdara is virtually unbeatable when defending his flank.

RW/LW

Here is where the structure of the rest of the pitch turns into a medley of freedom, creativity and prolific goal-scoring. Remember that the outside forwards are now playing further inward, so they need to be able to score or create chances. This is where you put your dynamos – the magicians with 90+ Pace and 80+ Dribbling, but 25 Strength. They'll remain high up the pitch, relieved of most defensive responsibilities, so don't worry much about Stamina as long as it's in the 60s or higher. Players like Lionel Messi, Eden Hazard, Alexandre Lacazette and Marco Reus are perfect here – players who combine pace, trickery and clinical finishing. Creative midfielders like Riyad Mahrez, Mesut Özil and James Rodriguez are also great if you give them the right instructions.

On my left, I have British-Congolese forward Britt Assombalonga, who I signed from Nottingham Forest for €3 million. On my right, I rotate between Kingsley Coman of Juventus and Bertrand Traoré of Chelsea – both on loan. Further backup comes in the form of Kwesi Appiah, the Ghanaian who signed from Crystal Palace for €500,000. As you can see, I like pacey dribblers who can create and finish chances to make runs from the outside in.

ST (CF)

This is your main goalscorer, so spend well. He doesn't have to be quick or nimble. But he does need to have great strength, positioning and finishing. If you wish, you can complete the trifecta with a Messi type of player, but be warned. A lack of physicality in the middle means you will probably lose the ball under pressure from the opposition centre backs, leaving you unable to bring the wide forwards or midfield into the attack.

I was very lucky to pick up a French talent like Idriss Saadi from Clermont for just €5.5 million. His combination of speed, strength, aerial ability, positioning and shooting makes him a lethal centre forward. The proof is in the pudding, with Saadi having bagged 13 goals and 5 assists in 15 appearances, including 5 goals and 1 assist in our most recent match – a 7-0 away thrashing of second-placed Sochaux.

PLAYER INSTRUCTIONS

RCB – Conservative Interceptions
LCB – Conservative Interceptions
CDM – Stay Back on Attack, Conservative Interceptions
RM – Stay Wide, Get In Behind, Conservative Interceptions
RCM – Stay on the Edge of the Box
LCM – Stay on the Edge of the Box
LM – Stay Wide, Get In Behind, Conservative Interceptions
RW – Stay Forward
ST – Stay Central
LW – Stay Forward

CURRENT TEAM





DREAM TEAM

Hope we get some debate and discussion going on the back of this!

This is great! You also beat me to it in some ways as I've been experimenting with unusual formations myself. I've only used one so far because it has been so effective. Behold... the 3-3-1-3 (or the 3-1-2-1-3 but that's a bit of a handful)!

Spoiler

I can't go anywhere near the depth you've put into your post for now, but will be sure to discuss it in my next post.

On these formations.

As a tactics man in general sports and FIFA these excite me!!!

Indi: How mental are you? two Centre Backs!!!! Nah just kidding. I feel that the CDM needs to be more of a stronger DM. I understand the reasoning behind having more of a play maker. I'm just worried that if your CB's are stretched on the wings and the striker is a strong target man the DM will need to cover him. Especially with common formations such as the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3. Also if this happens on the counter attack the WB's tend to not track back quick enough. Maybe like a ball playing CB playing as the DM with two CM's with H/H work rates that are good passers could work, with them pushing forward towards the attacking three.

Cabee: The 3-4-3 diamond looks decent but you may lack width on the wings in defence causing the CB's to be stretched. It could also tire your wingers as they track the runs of the opposition FB's. I have tried a similar formations and I feel that defending can be crowded. And for me that can be concerning because control over the defence is limited. I would try the 3-4-3 normal or the 3-1-4-2.


In all of that. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TRADITIONAL 4-4-2!!! Didn't Leicester play this last season and achieve. I don't know... The Premier League Title!!!!!

[Keano16]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Jagger I suppose that's why the CBs are both athletic and physical so they can cover the ground they need to. With a more defensive minded CDM who is also physical you could possibly have a more delicate CB.

[10cabee]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

On these formations.

Spoiler

As a tactics man in general sports and FIFA these excite me!!!

Indi: How mental are you? two Centre Backs!!!! Nah just kidding. I feel that the CDM needs to be more of a stronger DM. I understand the reasoning behind having more of a play maker. I'm just worried that if your CB's are stretched on the wings and the striker is a strong target man the DM will need to cover him. Especially with common formations such as the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3. Also if this happens on the counter attack the WB's tend to not track back quick enough. Maybe like a ball playing CB playing as the DM with two CM's with H/H work rates that are good passers could work, with them pushing forward towards the attacking three.

Cabee: The 3-4-3 diamond looks decent but you may lack width on the wings in defence causing the CB's to be stretched. It could also tire your wingers as they track the runs of the opposition FB's. I have tried a similar formations and I feel that defending can be crowded. And for me that can be concerning because control over the defence is limited. I would try the 3-4-3 normal or the 3-1-4-2.


In all of that. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TRADITIONAL 4-4-2!!! Didn't Leicester play this last season and achieve. I don't know... The Premier League Title!!!!!

The 4-4-2!? You're such a conformist! Only joking! XD

I understand your points, but keep in mind that the 3-3-1-3 has an emphasis on possession-based football which means in most cases the counter attack is the greatest threat therefore width can usually be adjusted depending on how the counter attack looks. This is most probably the case for indi's 2-5-3 which would mean that on the counter attack, the LM/RM would pretty much be wing backs if the opposition is deep within their own half from the start of a counter.

As for the 3-3-1-3; the RB and LB actually play wider than you'd expect and because fullbacks are generally quicker than centre backs, they need less time to move into the middle although that is very much a problem with speedy opposition strikers. Nevertheless, attacks from the wings can usually be combated by using the full backs to usher opposition wingers either into the middle of the park where backtracking CM&CDMs are or usher them into the backtracking RW/LW and because you'll be in possession for most of the match, the LW/RW will already be close to the opposition wide players.

If you look at the formation a little more, you can see that all it is is an attacking 4-3-3 with the pesky gap left by no CDM filled. The CDM is preferably a player like David Luiz, knows how to defend, so can slot in alongside the centre back, thus nullifying the width issue in defence and can also bomb forward and control possession from a deeper role on the attack. I'll coneede that this formation can be a little unsteady at times though.


Alas, I've been experimenting with more...unusual formations. I haven't been able to test any except the one i've talked about so far but if you guys are interested I could show you a few that can actually be used in FIFA.

[indiblue]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

How mental are you? two Centre Backs!!!! Nah just kidding. I feel that the CDM needs to be more of a stronger DM. I understand the reasoning behind having more of a play maker. I'm just worried that if your CB's are stretched on the wings and the striker is a strong target man the DM will need to cover him. Especially with common formations such as the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3. Also if this happens on the counter attack the WB's tend to not track back quick enough. Maybe like a ball playing CB playing as the DM with two CM's with H/H work rates that are good passers could work, with them pushing forward towards the attacking three.

First of all, I'm glad you loved going through this. I enjoyed writing it. As for the highlighted concern, this is why I have two CMs with high defensive work rates. Usually Diame, but also Doumbia when needed, will drop deep behind Gardner and between my defenders. I have never been caught out on counter-attacks for this very reason. That and my insanely active midfield stops most problems before they get to defence. And the fact that I average about 65% possession per game.

Ligue 1 will be something.

[JAGGER6223]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Indi, Cabee, Keano. Thanks for the replies. I enjoy tactics and what you have said makes sense. I'm really looking forward to see how you go!!!!

[Gholdt]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Hello guys,

I'm new here I want to start posting updates about my career mode(s) regularly, if you guys don't mind

I've been playing career modes since Fifa 2010, and I've enjoyed many of them as well.

I've spent most of my Fifa 16 play time on just a few career modes. I had one playing as Pompey, but I accidentally deleted my savefile I tried another career mode with Oxford United, but I made some bad transfers which ruined my fun.

There's one career mode, though, which took a lot of my time. I'm playing as AFC Wimbledon, and I'm currently in the 2027-2028 season. I can make another post and explain about my Wimbledon career mode and show my formation(s) and players. Just let me know if you would be interested to see it.

to end this post, I'm starting a Arsenal career mode after I posted this message. I want to make it semi-realistic as well. I just want to try and see how far I can bring the Gunners, with Fifa 17 around the corner. I'll finish this career mode and my Wimbledon career mode, and that should carry me to the release of Fifa 17.