How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

[Keano16]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Guys I started an AC Milan career with the first window closed. Tell me guys who are some good signings for this team? Let's try to be realistic because the budget for Milan ain't that great. I need some tips on who to get come January because this team is pretty crap.

Sent from my ASUS_Z00LD using Tapatalk

Where do you need to strengthen the most?

[rody2k6]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Where do you need to strengthen the most?

Strikers and midfielders oh boy specially midfielders. Many guys on the squad are 30+

Sent from my ASUS_Z00LD using Tapatalk

[southernmetalhead]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Strikers and midfielders oh boy specially midfielders. Many guys on the squad are 30+

Sent from my ASUS_Z00LD using Tapatalk

Danilo Cataldi from Lazio is a young midfielder to look at.

[sportsfreak96]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Strikers and midfielders oh boy specially midfielders. Many guys on the squad are 30+

Sent from my ASUS_Z00LD using Tapatalk

I don't know how good he is in 17 but in 16 I was a Big fan of Dani Ceballos as a CAM. When you look him up in game it'll say he's a Left Mid but he's more suited for CAM. Another young player who was good in 16 is Ruben Loftus Cheek. Not sure on how good he is in 17 either.

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Newport County A.F.C.

'19-'20 February Update

Spoiler

The Roster

Spoiler

Spoiler

GK:Bill Hamid (75 OVR)
GK: Eiichi Suzuki (67 OVR)*
GK: Hayato Matsuki (67 OVR)*

RB: Yasir Al Shahrani (79 OVR)
RB: Moses Odubajo (73 OVR)
RB: Atsushi Nagatsuka (64 OVR)*
CB: Ron Vlaar (80 OVR)
CB: Harry Maguire (76 OVR)
CB: Sebastian Vegas (75 OVR)
CB: Tafari Hunt (68 OVR)*
CB: Bondz Laslie (67 OVR)*
CB: Tom Maguire (59 OVR)*
LB: Elmir Nabiullin (76 OVR)
LB: Jerome Binnom-Williams (75 OVR)
LB: Gregorio Miranda (71 OVR)*
LB: Jeff Cohen (59 OVR)*

CDM: Rohan Ince (77 OVR)
CDM: Cristiano Dall'Oglio (69 OVR)* (on loan at Wolves)
CDM: Doke Boëtius (69 OVR)*
CDM: Satoshi Kagome (61 OVR)* (on loan at Northampton)
CM: Clark Gordon (78 OVR)*
CM: Gary Woods (67 OVR)* (on loan at Dagenham)
CM: Daniel Seager (66 OVR)* (on loan at Leyton Orient)
CM: Yoshi Ishinomori (60 OVR)* (on loan at Exeter City)
RM: David Fox (71 OVR)*
LM: Ben Potter (73 OVR)*
CAM: Jefferson Farfán (80 OVR)
CAM: Konsta Salo (76 OVR)*
CAM: Andrea De Girolamo (71 OVR)* (on loan at Wolves)
CAM: Daniele Martella (68 OVR)*

RW: Jack Giles (72 OVR)*
LW: Bondz Moore (76 OVR)*
ST: Thierry Ambrose (79 OVR)
ST: Allan Saint-Maximin (76 OVR)
ST: Kjetil Ringdal Støvland (72 OVR)*
ST: Nicolas Gersbeck (71 OVR)
ST: Aaron Leya Iseka (70 OVR) (on loan from Juventus)
ST: Patrick Miller (69 OVR)*
* Academy Graduate.

Starting XI (4-4-2 Diamond Wide)

Hamid (75)

Odubajo (73)/Vlaar (80)/Vegas (75)/B-Williams (75)

Ince (77)

Potter (73) ------------------ Moore (76)

Farfán (C, 80)

Ambrose (79) ------- Saint-Maximin (76)
______________________________________

League Match 24
Newport County - West Ham (2-3)
Uth 16'
Ambrose 22' (Saint-Maximin)
Potter 32' (Vlaar)
Uth 41'
Uth 65'

Mark Uth's hat-trick led The Hammers to a road upset of The Exiles as West Ham United avenged their loss to Newport County back at London Stadium in late December. Uth was a man possessed, unforgiving with every shot he took including his game-winning header in the 65th minute which was tightly contested by Sebastian Vegas. This was a highly-entertaining game with West Ham taking 10 shots (6 on goal) while Newport County took 14 (8).

F.A. Cup - Round 4 replay
Blackburn Rovers - Newport County (3-3, 1-3 PKs)
Rhodes 31'
Koita 43'
Fox 51' (Boëtius)
Maguire 90++' (Fox)
Miller 114' (Ringdal Støvland)
Zungu 117'

With the way the schedule had played out Marccelino was going to have to go to his B-squad for a game around this time of the month and the youngsters got tabbed for this game which turned out to be one of the most exciting matches in Great Britain this season. At halftime it looked as if Blackburn would be able to take advantage of Newport County resting their core guys but David Fox's goal early in the second half kept the pressure on Rovers who then crumbled under pressure deep into stoppage time as a corner kick from Fox was poorly defended, allowing Harry Maguire (who had subbed in at CDM for Doke Boëtius) to calmly head in the equalizer and send the game to extra time.



In ET both times were understandably cautious and it wasn't until the second half that a team finally broke through when Kjetil Ringdal Støvland made the right play by making an extra pass to Patrick Miller who didn't miss with a finesse shot near the small box. When beat reporters were starting to write about The Exiles' exciting come-from-behind win, Bongani Zungu brought the home team back to life with a goal resulting from overall team grit and the match headed to a penalty shootout. It was then when Newport County's academy-graduate goalkeeper, Hayato Matsuki, flashed his promising skills with the mere presence of his 6'7", 196lbs frame as Rovers misfired on their first two shots (first high, then off the crossbar) then had their third shot (down the middle) saved by Matsuki. Marccelino had his best penalty-kicker on the pitch, Nicolas Gersbeck, kick third in the order and oddly enough he was the only one to miss for Newport County with a chance to wrap up the shootout at 3-0. After Blackburn Rovers finally scored on their next shot, Ringdal Støvland put an end to the exciting match to put The Exiles into the Round of 16.


The thrill of victory (front) and the agony of defeat (back).

League Match 25
Newport County - Newcastle Utd (3-0)
Saint-Maximin 10' (Farfán)
Potter 23' (Moore)
Saint-Maximin 35' (Moore).

In the days leading up to this game Newport County players and coaches did a great job of downplaying questions regarding their controversial loss to Newcastle early in the season (on a highly questionable PK awarded to them) but they made a LOUD statement on the pitch to solidify their positioning above their opponent on the standings. After turning down a move to La Liga in the winter transfer window, Allan Saint-Maximin is trying his best to show he is right where he belongs.

League Match 26
Aston Villa - Newport County (2-1)
Ambrose 27' (Farfán)
Westwood 67'
Kozák 90++'

Libor Kozák scored a back-breaking goal late at the end of the game and former Exiles' goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez showed out with his new club to help Aston Villa defend their turf in a narrow win. Martinez, Newport County's starting GK during the previous three seasons, bounced back from Ambrose's goal in the 27th minute to pitch a shoutout the rest of the way with a bit of help from his back line. It had to have been a good feeling for the Argentinian as he makes his case to be the full time starter for his new club.

F.A. Cup - Round of 16
Newport County - Crystal Palace (2-1)
Ince 34' (Potter)
Bolasie 49'
Moore 60' (Binnom-Williams)

No replays this time around for The Exiles as they had just enough to edge Crystal Palace on a snowy day at Rodney Parade. For a change it was the defense that helped seal the deal in this one as the visiting team was held to just two shots (both on target). With an increasingly busy schedule it was very important that Newport County kept yet another F.A. Cup replay from being added to their schedule.
______________________________________

The F.A. announced that the Burnley v. Newport County match originally scheduled for 3/1/20 was moved to 2/29/20.
______________________________________

Euro League - Round of 32, 1st leg
AZ - Newport County (1-1)
Henriksen 11'
Binnom-Williams 22' (Farfán)

Markus Henriksen scored for the third time in as many games but Jerome Binnom-Williams equalized the score before the first quarter of the game had taken place and The Exiles escaped AFAS Stadion with a draw but only one away goal to show for. By all accounts this was an evenly-played match and there's no clear favorite at this point. Newport County will have to hold AZ scoreless in the second leg to use their one away goal as an edge.

League Match 27
Newport County - Crystal Palace (4-1)
Boëtius 4' (Ringdal Støvland)
Gersbeck 31' (pen)
Diouf 40'
Salo 72' (Gersbeck)
Giles 90+' (Ringdal Støvland)

With the game at Burnley getting moved Marccelino had to turn to his B-squad for this game and they absolutely dominated Palace from beginning to end. The starting striker duo turned into facilitators as they each had at least one assist and Ringdal Støvland in particular was a load to deal with (he may have scored the second goal if he hadn't been fouled inside the box which turned into a PK for Nicolas Gersbeck). The Exiles have done a good job of getting their B-squad a lot of action this season and the extended playing time for that unit is starting to pay dividends with their performance.

Euro League - Round of 32, 2nd leg
Newport County - AZ (2-0, 3-1 agg)
Saint-Maximin 17' (Potter)
Saint-Maximin 71' (Farfán)

Saint-Maximin scored his second brace this month to lead The Exiles to solid victory over AZ and move on in the UEL. The French striker first scored on a contested header off a corner kick from Ben Potter in the 17th minute, then took a pass from Jefferson Farfán at the top of the box in the 71st minute and used the momentum from it to get past his former teammate Luan to fire a crossing shot to seal the deal for Newport County.


Saint-Maximin (5'8") willed himself to this airball to open up the scoring.


Saint-Maximin and Luan: teammates just over a month ago, opponents now.


League Match 28
Burnley - Newport County (3-4)
Ambrose 2' (Binnom-Williams)
Saint-Maximin 9' (Farfán)
Farfán 32' (pen)
Farfán 37' (Ince)
Grimes 41'
van Wolfswinkel 56'
Keane 90+'

With just one day of rest following their last game vs AZ you would had expected The Exiles to be exhausted but they instead came out roaring to jump out to four-goal lead in the first 37 minutes of the game. However, the exhaustion seemingly caught up to them thereafter and they ended up needing every bit of those four scores to escape with a road victory to separate themselves from Burnley in the standings.


Farfán nutmegs Tom Heaton as he scores his 2nd goal of the game to give his side a 4-0 lead.








Barclays PL
Top Scorers
1. Fletcher (Sunderland) - 13
2. Kane (Spurs) - 12
T3. Aubameyang (Manchester City) - 11
T3. Emnes (Manchester Utd) - 11
...
T4. Ambrose (Newport County) - 10
T4. Saint-Maximin (Newport County) - 10

Assists
1. Farfán (Newport County) - 9
2. Lanzini (West Ham) - 8
T3. Gordon (Newport County) - 7
T3. Kane (Spurs) - 7

Clean Sheets
1. Begović (Chelsea) - 9
T2. Adrián (West Ham) - 8
T2. Vorm (Spurs) - 8

Euro League
Top Scorers
1. Gutiérrez (Sporting CP) - 9
2. Bakambu (Sevilla FC) - 8
3. Emond (Standard Liège) - 7

Assists
T1. Banega (Sevilla FC) - 4
T1. Kasami (AS Saint-Étienne) - 4
T1. Insigne (Napoli) - 4
T1. Athanasiadis (PAOK) - 4
T1. Rudy (AS Saint-Étienne) - 4

Clean Sheets
1. Ruffier (AS Saint-Étienne) - 7
T2. Baumann (1899 Hoffenheim) - 5
T2. Rico (Sevilla FC) - 5

Analysis: three wins and two losses in league play isn't exactly a recipe for success but The Exiles managed to move up two spots in the standings into the top-5 so it's hard to be too critical of their performance in February. Newport County has done a great job in the marathon that is a full season in the BPL and they keep moving up the table as the season goes on, to the point they're now a threat to earn a spot into Champions League next season. Could they possibly pull that off in their first season in the top flight of the English Football League? In the UEL, Marccelino's squad had a real solid performances against AZ and deservedly moved on. Saint-Étienne will present a new set of challenges, most notably a formidable defense anchored by the CB duo of Loïc Perrin and Florentin Pogba (the brother of Paul, who will be joining Newport County next season) who have helped Stéphane Ruffier gather up the most clean sheets in the tournament. The defending F.A. Cup champions have also returned to the quarter finals of that competition this season where they will face West Brom, a team they had a lot of success against last season in the Championship.

The notable mention for this month goes to Allan Saint-Maximin who scored 5 goals and also had 1 assist. Much like the club, as the season has gone on Saint-Maximin has settled in and improved his form and (although in more games played) he's tied with his countryman Thierry Ambrose for the team lead in scoring in league play.

In academy news the first scouting reports from Adam Adeyemi (Spain) and Kimmo Räsänen (Portugal) did not result in any additions to the academy. The club also hired a new scout, Dennis Käck from Sweden, who has been asked to scout in his homeland. Here is the youth squad at the moment:

ST - Liam Taylor (56 OVR, 81-87 POT): This 16-year old from England has officially been listed as the top prospect in the academy. He currently stands at 5'7" and 154lbs yet is still young and physically strong, and projects as the best striker prospect in the academy since RS' promotion a couple of years ago.

RB - Willem Van Hout (62 OVR, 79-85): The 17-year old from Belgium has spent nearly two full seasons in the academy and shown notable progress over that time. The club has entered in talks with the youngster for promotion to the senior squad but the Belgian prospect reportedly will only agree to a 1-year deal to start off. The longer he holds that position, the more time will go by and the 1-year deal wouldn't start counting off until next season.

RB - Márcio Souza (59 OVR, 79-85): 17-year old from Brazil who is an absolute CB prospect now standing at 6'5", 194lbs at the moment. He just needs to continue to work on his defensive game.

CDM - Daniel Amaral (58 OVR), 78-84): 16-year old from Brazil who continues to develop well. The club hopes he'll commit to remain in the academy for at least another season as the depth chart at his position is pretty strong.

ST - Sean Hugill (52 OVR, 77-83): This prospect from England is a very enticing prospect for the club who is developing well. His top traits are his aggression (81) and jumping (81) which coupled with his 6'5", 185lbs frame make him a potential nightmare for opposing defenses. His stamina (74) and strength (73) are also notable. He recently turned 18 years old and may be getting promoted soon.

RB - Miguel De Mesquites (55 OVR, 75-81): 18-year old from Brazil who is a fullback/centreback prospect as a result of his 6'2", 167lbs frame. He's still raw and needs to work consistently on his defensive game but may be promoted soon now that he's of adult age.

CAM - Eduard Cardenas (53 OVR, 75-81): 18-year old from Brazil described as a playmaker. He has had some development while in the academy and even though he's still very raw he's likely to be promoted soon due to his age, but he should understand he's far from getting playing time.

CF - Jordan Davies (47 OVR, 73-79): now a 16-year old from England described as physically strong and now measuring at 5'5", 154lbs. He may not be more than a backup in the future but the team was happy to add some local talent at the position.
* Recent addition

BREAKING NEWS

Spoiler

Marccelino accepts role as new Hungarian Manager

Giovanni Marccelino returns to international coaching by accepting to become the new manager for Hungary's national team. The Italian coach has been a hot name this season, receiving offers for international coaching since August. At the time he agreed to become the new Hungarian manager, Marccelino had offers on the table from Northern Ireland, Peru, Venezuela, and South Africa. Earlier in the season he also had offers from Canada and China. Sources indicate Marccelino was holding out for better offers and was persuaded enough by the Hungarian FF. Hungary just finished sneaking into the upcoming Euro Cup.



Marccelino reportedly signed a two-year deal with the second year being the manager's option. It'll be interesting to see if the also Newport County manager tries to help Hungary make a run towards a spot into the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

March's Schedule
3/7: at Arsenal
3/10: at Manchester City
3/12: at AS Saint-Étienne (Euro League)
3/15: vs West Brom (F.A. Cup)
3/19: vs AS Saint-Étienne (Euro League)
3/21: at Sheffield Wed
3/24: at Finland (International Friendly)
3/28: vs Spain (International Friendly)

It's crunch time now for Marccelino. That B-squad riding a hot streak will have to make at least one appearance in March, possibly two, as a result of a lack of days off during a 5-game stretch in an 12-day period from the 10th to the 21st. The Exiles are contending in three prestigious competitions late into them, which is uncharted territory for the club so it'll be interesting to see how they approach it. When that dust settles, Marccelino will get to test his new role with the Hungarian NT by visiting his former international employer and then hosting an European powerhouse. Should be fun to watch.

Thanks for reading!

Previous Update

Newport County A.F.C.

'19-'20 March Update

The Roster

Spoiler

GK:Bill Hamid (76 OVR)
GK: Eiichi Suzuki (67 OVR)*
GK: Hayato Matsuki (67 OVR)*

RB: Yasir Al Shahrani (79 OVR)
RB: Moses Odubajo (73 OVR)
RB: Atsushi Nagatsuka (64 OVR)*
RB: Willem Van Hout (63 OVR)*
RB: Miguel De Mesquites (56 OVR)*
CB: Ron Vlaar (80 OVR)
CB: Harry Maguire (76 OVR)
CB: Sebastian Vegas (75 OVR)
CB: Tafari Hunt (68 OVR)*
CB: Bondz Laslie (67 OVR)*
CB: Tom Maguire (59 OVR)*
LB: Jerome Binnom-Williams (76 OVR)
LB: Elmir Nabiullin (76 OVR)
LB: Gregorio Miranda (71 OVR)*
LB: Jeff Cohen (60 OVR)*

CDM: Rohan Ince (77 OVR)
CDM: Cristiano Dall'Oglio (69 OVR)* (on loan at Wolves)
CDM: Doke Boëtius (69 OVR)*
CDM: Satoshi Kagome (61 OVR)* (on loan at Northampton)
CDM: Daniel Amaral (58 OVR)*
CM: Clark Gordon (78 OVR)*
CM: Gary Woods (68 OVR)* (on loan at Dagenham)
CM: Daniel Seager (66 OVR)* (on loan at Leyton Orient)
CM: Yoshi Ishinomori (60 OVR)* (on loan at Exeter City)
RM: David Fox (71 OVR)*
LM: Ben Potter (73 OVR)*
CAM: Jefferson Farfán (80 OVR)
CAM: Konsta Salo (77 OVR)*
CAM: Andrea De Girolamo (71 OVR)* (on loan at Wolves)
CAM: Daniele Martella (68 OVR)*
CAM: Eduard Cardenas (54 OVR)*

RW: Jack Giles (72 OVR)*
LW: Bondz Moore (76 OVR)*
ST: Thierry Ambrose (79 OVR)
ST: Allan Saint-Maximin (76 OVR)
ST: Kjetil Ringdal Støvland (72 OVR)*
ST: Nicolas Gersbeck (71 OVR)
ST: Aaron Leya Iseka (70 OVR) (on loan from Juventus)
ST: Patrick Miller (70 OVR)*
ST: Sean Hugill (53 OVR)*
* Academy Graduate.

Starting XI (4-4-2 Diamond Wide)

Hamid (76)

Odubajo (73)/Vlaar (80)/Vegas (75)/B-Williams (76)

Ince (77)

Potter (73) ------------------ Moore (76)

Farfán (C, 80)

Ambrose (79) ------- Saint-Maximin (76)
______________________________________

League Match 29
Arsenal - Newport County (0-3)
Ambrose 8' (Farfán)
Odubajo 54'
Ambrose 80'

The Exiles announced to the rest of the BPL that they are for real after a thorough defeat of The Gunners at The Emirates Stadium. Jefferson Farfán set up Thierry Ambrose with a neat through pass in the 8th minute that opened up the scoring and Newport County was in charge from there, taking Arsenal's best shots but handling them. Moses Odubajo was in the right place at the right time in the 54th minute to recoup the ball after Ambrose's shot had been saved by Petr Čech and Ambrose replicated that formula in the 80th minute off a Saint-Maximin shot also saved by Čech. Marccelino's squad totaled 12 shots (9 on target), proving they were constantly a threat for Čech and his defense.


Ambrose fired a crossing shot to his left here to score his first goal of the day.

League Match 30
Newport County - Manchester City (3-1)
Giles 44' (Gersbeck)
Yaya Touré 56'
Ringdal Støvland 84' (Martella)
Gersbeck 90+'
Maguire 27'

The Exiles's B-squad outplayed City's B-squad (with both clubs set to play in European competition within a couple of days) in a highly-entertaining match-up that wasn't decided until the very end. This affair seem destined for a 1-1 draw despite double-digit shots from both squads but Daniele Martella flashed his potential with excellent timing as he assisted Kjetil Ringdal Støvland for the late lead and then Nicolas Gersbeck took advantage of a poor decision by Vincent Enyeama to score the dagger in stoppage time on a beautiful scissor kick.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5zvqjF_N6pM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Gersbeck's scissor kick

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1GSh-1hLKBU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Euro League - Round of 16, 1st leg
AS Saint-Étienne - Newport County (1-2)
Laba 31'
Potter 34' (Odubajo)
Ambrose 57' (Farfán)
Potter 62' (bruised shoulder, out 5 days)

Farfán and Ambrose connected again and the Frenchman scored in his home country to help The Exiles take a key lead into the second leg of this match-up. Saint-Étienne was as good as advertised defensively, making it that much more impressive that Newport County was able to snatch away goals in their only two shots on target (five total). The Exiles' defense got the job done too, holding the home team to just two shots (one on target). Ben Potter was able to play a full game despite his injury but became unavailable for the following game against West Brom.

F.A. Cup - Quarter Final
Newport County - West Brom (3-0)
Ringdal Støvland 62' (Salo)
Salo 74' (Giles)
Saint-Maximin 88'

The Exiles continued their dominance over The Baggies over the last couple of seasons by scoring three second half goals to properly reflect their dominance on the pitch onto the scoreboard. Newport County edged West Brom in possession (60%) and shots (9, 6 on target vs 7, 2) and once they took the lead it was pretty much over. The Norwegian Tank (Ringdal Støvland) has continued to perform outstandingly when called upon and the exciting prospect seems to be starting to break out as a force to be reckoned with.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PiTj7fJOtJw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Euro League - Round of 16, 2nd leg
Newport County - AS Saint-Étienne(1-2, 3-3 agg; 2-0 PKs)
Farfán 4' (pen)
Kasami 9'
Laba 90++'
Ince 22' (bruised rib, out 2 weeks)

Matías Laba gave Saint-Étienne a final shot at victory by sending the game into ET deep into stoppage time but the French club would not score a single time in the penalty shootout and Newport County advanced to the quarter finals of the UEL. Exiles' goalkeeper Bill Hamid was a beast in the PK shootout, making three saves sandwiched in between a shot off his right post to help his side advance. Farfán gave a warrior-like effort to play the 120 minutes to stay eligible for the shootout but he was visibly exhausted and his shot to lead off for his side went over the cross bar. Ron Vlaar and Ambrose would convert for Newport County before Gersbeck's shot was saved, which was of no consequence to the outcome thanks to Hamid:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1zMZLd1zOIs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

League Match 31
Sheffield Wed - Newport County (2-2)
Lees 11'
Lees 22'
Ringdal Støvland 38' (Gersbeck)
Ringdal Støvland 88' (Miller)

The Exiles' B-squad was unable to put another W on the board but The Norwegian Tank would not let his side lose this one and his brace helped Newport County earn a point at Hillsborough Stadium. With this performance Ringdal Støvland completes an incredible month of March in which he scored 4 times in 3 games.








Barclays PL
Top Scorers
1. Fletcher (Sunderland) - 15
T2. Ambrose (Newport County) - 12
T2. Kane (Spurs) - 12
T2. Deeney (Watford) - 12

Assists
1. Farfán (Newport County) - 11
2. Lanzini (West Ham) - 8
T3. Gordon (Newport County) - 7
T3. Kane (Spurs) - 7

Clean Sheets
1. Begović (Chelsea) - 9
T2. Adrián (West Ham) - 8
T2. Vorm (Spurs) - 8
T2. Zoet (Watford) - 8

Euro League
Top Scorers
1. Gutiérrez (Sporting CP) - 9
T2. Bakambu (Sevilla FC) - 8
T2. Stindl (Bor. M'gladbach) - 8

Assists
T1. Kasami (AS Saint-Étienne) - 5
T1. Insigne (Napoli) - 5
T2. Banega (Sevilla FC) - 4
T2. Athanasiadis (PAOK) - 4
T2. Rudy (AS Saint-Étienne) - 4

Clean Sheets
1. Ruffier (AS Saint-Étienne) - 7
T2. Baumann (1899 Hoffenheim) - 5
T2. Rico (Sevilla FC) - 5

F.A. Cup
Top Scorers
1. Lukaku (Everton) - 5
T2. Bony (Manchester City) - 4
T2. Alli (Newcastle Utd) - 4

Assists
1. March (Brighton) - 4
T2. Kee (Accrington) - 3
T2. Ward (Rotherham Utd) - 3

Clean Sheets
1. Zoet (Watford) - 4
2. Schmeichel (Leicester City) - 3
T3. Enyeama (Manchester City) - 2
(7 others with 2 also)

Analysis: It's no longer just a possibility, it sure seems like certain reality that The Exiles are going to accomplish some special things by season's end. After a very good month of March, in which their only loss was the second leg against Saint-Étienne that was offset by their victory in PKs, Newport County remains in the top-5 of the BPL table while advancing to the semi finals of the F.A. Cup (where they look to repeat as champions) and the quarter finals of the UEL. Unfortunately for Marccelino's team his B-squad was unable to put a bow on the month by only earning a draw against a team battling to stay out of relegation. At this stage in the season those missed points start to weigh a little bit more than usual. It's still a tremendous accomplishment that a team just promoted from the Championship has been able to have the season The Exiles are having in the BPL while becoming contenders in two other highly-competitive tournaments. Burnley, for comparison, had gotten off to a very good first half of the season but have faded out of contention in league play and didn't make it into the Round of 16 in either the C.O.C. nor the F.A. Cup. Nobody will hold that against Burnley, but we point it out to highlight just how special this season has been for Newport County. Match-ups against Villareal (UEL) and Leicester City (F.A.) look manageable on paper, while the club most undoubtedly wants to earn a spot into the Champions League for next season now that they're on the verge of a top-4 finish so that will be exciting to watch as well.

While it's important to note that Ambrose has jumped into contention for the league's top scoring title, the most notable player for The Exiles in March was undoubtedly Ringdal Støvland. When the club's nearly sold Saint-Maximin this past winter it was a shock to many, but Marccelino and his staff were confident that the Norwegian academy-product was finally ready to step into the spotlight and Ringdal Støvland has shown time and time again this season (despite missing a couple of months due to injury) that he's in great form, has taken the next step in his development, and is ready to make an impact now. The Norwegian Tank has become a staple of The Exiles' B-squad and solidified himself as Newport County's first striker option off the bench.

Those who checked out the current roster noted a few new names on it and that's a result of a number of promotions from the academy. Luckily for the club they have also been able to make some additions to its youth squad:

ST - Liam Taylor (56 OVR, 81-87 POT): This 16-year old from England is the club' top prospect in the academy and considered by many in the organization someone who will be able to follow Ringdal Støvland's path. He currently stands at 5'7" and 154lbs and is described physically strong (75 aggression, 71 jumping, 69 strength) and he also has notable pace (75spd/71acc).

LW - Marcos Andrade (61 OVR, 81-94)*: 16-year old GEM from Portugal found by our Finnish scout. Initial evaluations of him show him as a physically-gifted player with a balanced game but we're still looking to have a better evaluation of his talents.

RB - Márcio Souza (60 OVR, 79-85): 17-year old from Brazil who is an absolute CB prospect with his 6'5", 194lbs frame. He has developed his defensive game well in the academy and may also get promoted sooner than later.

LW - Andre Domingues (47 OVR, 73-94)*: 15-year old from Portugal who is raw but exhibits top potential. We're hopeful that his performance in the academy will match the initial potential seen from him.

CF - Jordan Davies (48 OVR, 73-79): 16-year old from England described as physically strong and measuring at 5'5", 154lbs. He may not be more than a backup in the future but he flashes a natural ability to play in the air (78 jumping) to go with some pace (72acc/70spd).
* Recent addition

Willem Van Hout, Daniel Amaral, Sean Hugill, Miguel De Mesquites, and Eduard Cardenas were promoted to the senior squad. Van Hout is the only one of that group that has a chance at some playing time this season (off the bench for the B-squad).

Spoiler

International Friendlies

Finland - Hungary (1-3)
Stieber 42' (Szalai)
Kalmár 55' (Fiola)
Nikolić 63' (Dzsudzsák)
Skrabb 90+'
Stieber 61' (hyper extended knee, out 3 weeks)

Marccelino's debut with his new international team was a strong success as his side dominated his former team as visitors. Hungary looked smooth in the 4-4-2 diamond wide and their fans have to be excited about this performance.

Hungary - Spain (2-2)
Alba 30'
Lang 34' (Dzsudzsák)
Nikolić 63' (Dzsudzsák)
Fàbregas 61' (pen)

A questionable penalty kick awarded to Spain in the 60th minute, flawlessly executed by Fàbregas a minute later, kept Hungary from back-to-back victories in Marccelino's first set of games at the helm. Both Hungarian goals resulted from corner kicks by Balázs Dzsudzsák, including a staple of Marccelino's at Newport County:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QcSaGeBMYIc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

April's Schedule
4/4: at Stoke City
4/9: vs Villareal (Euro League)
4/12: vs Swansea City
4/16: at Villareal (Euro League)
4/19: vs Leicester City (F.A. Cup, at Wembley)
4/25: at Spurs

It's put up or shut up time for The Exiles in league play as they'll face two teams battling to stay out of relegation before they get a chance at revenge vs Tottenham (who beat them in their turf easily earlier in the season). On paper Newport County also has a good outlook in the UEL and F.A. so it'll be interesting to see if they can move on in those competitions once again. Starting RB, Yasir Al Shahrani, should make his return from a broken ankle against Stoke City.

Thanks for reading

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Strikers and midfielders oh boy specially midfielders. Many guys on the squad are 30+

Sent from my ASUS_Z00LD using Tapatalk

What formation are you running with?

[rody2k6]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

What formation are you running with?

A 4-4-3 with the mid being all CM but the middle one acts as a CDM. Now I'm running a 4-4-1-1 with ST with a CAM behind. This last formation has gotten me good results I was able to tie vs juventus only because the ball rebounded off the post into my gk back and got into the goal. The rest of the game I was in full control and it ended 1x1. In the beginning of the season with the 443 juve killed me with 5-1.

Sent from my ASUS_Z00LD using Tapatalk

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

A 4-4-3 with the mid being all CM but the middle one acts as a CDM. Now I'm running a 4-4-1-1 with ST with a CAM behind. This last formation has gotten me good results I was able to tie vs juventus only because the ball rebounded off the post into my gk back and got into the goal. The rest of the game I was in full control and it ended 1x1. In the beginning of the season with the 443 juve killed me with 5-1.

Sent from my ASUS_Z00LD using Tapatalk

ask Beşiktaş how much they want for Oğuzhan Özyakup. Also reach out to Liverpool about Emre Can

[rody2k6]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

ask Beşiktaş how much they want for Oğuzhan Özyakup. Also reach out to Liverpool about Emre Can

I had Ozyakup in my fifa 16 Leicester career. Dude was golden. Got him for 18mil sold him 2 years later to city for 48 million. Will check them both.

Sent from my ASUS_Z00LD using Tapatalk

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

I had Ozyakup in my fifa 16 Leicester career. Dude was golden. Got him for 18mil sold him 2 years later to city for 48 million. Will check them both.

Sent from my ASUS_Z00LD using Tapatalk

a cheaper (older) option could be Hernanes from Juventus

[Keano16]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Finally got the game today! Looking forward to jumping in a career mode with Chelsea and trying out the Journey!

[sportsfreak96]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Finally got the game today! Looking forward to jumping in a career mode with Chelsea and trying out the Journey!

Let me know how the game plays. I haven't gotten the game yet and am still on the fence about if I'm even going to get 17. Originally I was going to but after hearing people say how easy the game is I'm not so sure I'm going to get it now.

[TerpHamm]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Let me know how the game plays. I haven't gotten the game yet and am still on the fence about if I'm even going to get 17. Originally I was going to but after hearing people say how easy the game is I'm not so sure I'm going to get it now.

It's a bit glitchy, but the gameplay is smooth and more realistic than ever. For that reason alone, I would recommend it, but I can't blame anyone for passing on it (or any FIFA) until they make serious improvements to CM.

[southernmetalhead]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Let me know how the game plays. I haven't gotten the game yet and am still on the fence about if I'm even going to get 17. Originally I was going to but after hearing people say how easy the game is I'm not so sure I'm going to get it now.

On Legendary it's not easy.

[Keano16]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

On Legendary it's not easy.

I've seen some say Legendary is easy. If that happens sliders are the way to go.