FIFA (All Versions) Career Mode Stories

[Chris Davies]

Newcastle tabloids already have their headlines made.
"Chrisis at Newcastle "
"Sacking Chris is Da vise move"

Brilliant headlines.

I feel like João Mário is going to save my skin - so I think the headlines will probably be "Joã-how Did He Do That" and "Super Mario Levels Up Newcastle"...

Saying that, Haller is like a super-charged Benteke looking at his stats (6ft6in, really strong and a great header of the ball) so maybe they'll be "Haller's Taller-nough To Make Newcastle Great Again"...

 

[PRO_TOO]

the last weekend was all DAVIES, for me!! "...and Davies scores....!!!!"
https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019...ores-first-bundesliga-goal-bayern-munich-rout

but yes, i saw Haller in your team too. nice addition. can't do much wrong with getting half the Frankfurt team at the moment! Rebic and Kostic are on my list btw...

@Chris Davies when i see how you changed the whole team: i prefer to keep the teams intact as they are. here and there adding a quality player or bringing youth players to the team. only time i like playing with a whole fantasy team is when i choose the "other games default ML squad"! and even there... i liked to keep the original team intact as much as possible! crazy me (or just preference)!

 

[Chris Davies]

when i see how you changed the whole team: i prefer to keep the teams intact as they are. here and there adding a quality player or bringing youth players to the team. only time i like playing with a whole fantasy team is when i choose the "other games default ML squad"! and even there... i liked to keep the original team intact as much as possible! crazy me (or just preference)!

If I thought it was outside the realms of possibility (i.e. really unrealistic) I'd be disappointed - but you've got to remember, I've sold a lot of players to be able to afford three "superstars" (as well as a few players the previous season, like Benteke who's not exactly amazing), and they're not really superstars (80 OVR isn't even Tottenham-level good)! So I don't think it's that much of a "fantasy" - even though, for the purposes of squad integration, I shouldn't have got so many so quickly...

Actually - let's work it out...

Here's the list of players I sold (position order):
(NO * = 2018/2019)
(* = 2019/2020)

Spoiler

M. Dubravka* (OVR 80)
R. Elliot (OVR 72)
K. Darlow (OVR 73)
C. Clark (OVR 76)
P. Dummett (OVR 76)
D. Yedlin* (OVR 78)
J. Manquillo* (OVR 75)
F. Fernández (OVR 76)
J. Murphy (OVR 76)
J. Sterry (OVR 64)
M. Diamé (OVR 75)
K. Sung-yeung* (OVR 76)
C. Atsu (OVR 74)
Y. Muto* (OVR 76)
D. Gayle* (OVR 76)
A. Pérez (OVR 77)
Joselu (OVR 74)

That's 17 players sold...
...with an average OVR 75.00.

Spoiler

K. Casteels* (OVR 83)
R. Bertrand (OVR 79)
M. Montoya* (OVR 78)
H. Onyekuru* (OVR 78)
N. Bentaleb (OVR 81)
J. Guðmundsson (OVR 79)
João Mário* (OVR 82)
S. Haller*(OVR 82)
C. Benteke (OVR 76)

That's 9 players bought...
...with an average OVR about 79.75.

I don't think that's a million miles from reality! Especially at a selling club like Newcastle.

Admittedly, I don't think players ever refuse to sign, which is a bit sad - I'd have liked one of them to say "I don't want to move abroad" for example. But then, given the high wages they've asked for, I don't think they thought we'd agree to all their terms!

 

[rockstrongo]

Brilliant headlines.

I feel like João Mário is going to save my skin - so I think the headlines will probably be "Joã-how Did He Do That" and "Super Mario Levels Up Newcastle"...

Saying that, Haller is like a super-charged Benteke looking at his stats (6ft6in, really strong and a great header of the ball) so maybe they'll be "Haller's Taller-nough To Make Newcastle Great Again"...

You should write for them

 

[PotatoCouch]

Next up was Roma away.
Since I have two injuries and a suspension and a few players not in best form I had to play a reserve lineup.
Lost that game 4-0

You just finished the game against Roma and the media wants you for post-match interview.

Gabriele Marcotti posted his 1st question at you: "What's your reaction to the game? how did it all go wrong?"
.....................................
............................
Everyone is now waiting for you to respond to Gabriele's question.

 

[rockstrongo]

You just finished the game against Roma and the media wants you for post-match interview.

Gabriele Marcotti posted his 1st question at you: "What's your reaction to the game? how did it all go wrong?"
.....................................
............................
Everyone is now waiting for you to respond to Gabriele's question.

I think it's Silencio stampa the game.
Club president only comment "team is on their way up to the mountains for a few days of training"
Meanwhile ultras are burning player's cars on the training ground.
A quiet Sunday in Genoa

 

[rockstrongo]

Only played one game last night,too tired I guess.
But I managed to screw that game up big time.

Sassuolo at home,always hard toto pl against (especially on PES,my boogey team)

So hard to break down and plenty of firepower up front.

Anyway,had a chance late first half a cross that I met up in the box and met it first touch,hit the crossbar.
It looked so good so I'd thought I'd save it for a video highlight.
Must have pushed some other button while exiting the main screen (after saving the replay)and suddenly my cam angle was completely off,it was fixed to their penalty box,and I couldn't change it?

I tried in the main menu (cam settings/angles) I couldn't change it.
Obviously when I switched back to the actual match (just seeing Sassuolos penalty box) they scored!.
Needles to say ,I got pretty pissed off.
Then I remembered,this has happened before (fifa 16 or 17) and you can alter cam angle/making the game go into "coach mode" by pressing menu/settings/option button.

So I got my cam angle back but was 1-0 down,and never recovered from it.
Fun ey?

 

[Chris Davies]

It looked so good so I'd thought I'd save it for a video highlight.
Must have pushed some other button while exiting the main screen (after saving the replay)and suddenly my cam angle was completely off,it was fixed to their penalty box,and I couldn't change it?

That's "toggle camera target" - on the PlayStation that's the "touchpad" button, on the Xbox it's (apparently) "RB + A". That's according to this place anyway...

Regarding Newcastle and the new team of 2019/2020...

First game after the transfer window, drew 1-1 with Everton. The only goal I scored was a header with a CB (and it went in off Jordan Pickford's face).

After that, we won 3-2 at (newly promoted) Leeds, after going 2-0 up early on (with both new forwards getting the goals), but defensively we seem to be falling apart. I don't know if it's just that the CBs are ageing, but I can't get near opponents at the minute.

Finally, we drew 0-0 at home to Burnley. I had 15 shots, only 6 of which were on target, and Nick Pope (AKA Superkeeper) saved every one. They had 3 headers all game, but they were closest to scoring.

I also had a couple of international matches with Romania (against Scotland and Serbia) and honestly, they were horrible - twice the speed of the EPL games and I don't know how that happens when the teams are much worse. They finished 1-0 and 0-0, Romania finished third-from-bottom in the qualifying group, and so I've resigned from international management with immediate effect.

After 6 games, Newcastle are on 6 points and it's all feeling a bit desperate.

I think I'm going to have to switch from semi-assisted shooting to fully-assisted - I'm finding it absolutely impossible to steer shots past the keeper (only headers)...

 

[rockstrongo]

@Chris Davies
Not having much luck with shots outside the box either .
Wonder if shooting is harder this year.
I'm also on semi shooting,and I have to aim to score,probably because of high shot error (65).

Thanks for the explanation on camera settings

 

[Chris Davies]

@Chris Davies
Not having much luck with shots outside the box either .
Wonder if shooting is harder this year.
I'm also on semi shooting,and I have to aim to score,probably because of high shot error (65).

How you score with that shot error I have no idea - because I'm on semi shooting I've lowered it to 50 and I STILL end up hitting it straight at the keeper - even though the guide overlay (the arrow underneath the player) proves that I'm aiming it one side or the other.

In-fact, I scored a goal earlier where I aimed slightly right of the keeper, and it flew into the bottom-left corner. On semi-shooting. So... Either it was a mishit shot that luckily went in, or the attributes are taking over anyway...

At the beginning of the 18/19 season I was scoring screamers with Jonjo a little too often. On semi-shooting (actually I think that's why I switched) it's happened once, I think!

Anyway, guys - I need defending advice.

I was fine last season but something is going on, now. I've just beat West Brom in the cup 3-2 - the same score I beat Leeds by, and in both games I dominated, but I could not stop them from scoring.

For West Brom's first goal, my two deep central midfielders (Bentaleb and Shelvey) parted like the Red Sea, which gave their midfielder a corridor to run down and score. This is despite having them both set to "conservative interceptions" (so that they don't decide to mark people and run off like this).

Any advice? Tactically or in terms of controls, either way...

 

[rockstrongo]

@Chris Davies
I often play my games in parts
Start off either very offensively,or more than average offensively.
If I feel I can get a grip get some momentum I'll keep at it for 10-15 minute.

Then back down and play counter football
Start of second half I'll do the same
Depending on result I keep that gameplan through out the game.

If I'm up by a goal the last 15-20 m I don't back down completely,I try to be alert for counters,with more than one-two guys.
Obviously it's tough to maintain this when playing top sides.
But having possession is key (learned that from Pes ,if CPU got the ball they score)

I do a lot of defending with my DMF/MF
I rarely bait in the CPUs tiki taka outside my box with my defenders
I rather have my mf do that ,and keep my defenders deep and CPU (hum) controlled.
Tougher down the wings,where you have to send wing backs out,but I either keep a meter from the CPU players and try to block crosses,try to bait as rarely as possible.
If there's a good winger facing my wing back I often go in hard and tackle,rather do that than be dribbled by them,if they pass me it's often a goal chance,so I rather go in hard.
Doublling down is risky unless You're absolutely shure you'll win it.

Looking at your team before each game is also a good idea.
Making changes
I've used a LM as a LB because of speed Vs a fast Winger in the opposite team etc,trying to cancel out his speed and moves from that area.

My best advice is still,use CM/DMF as controlled players Vs the ball handlers ,and leave your CB alone,as much as you can ,if by any chance those guys gets out of position,its almost always a goal,or at least a chance for the CPU

 

[PRO_TOO]

@Chris Davies i am so pround beeing on top of the defensive table in my PL season! only 3 goals in about 7 matches!
next up is ManUnited with 5 and some other follow with 7 and 9!
my problem is on the other end of the pitch! the scoring!

i upped my user power bar from 65 to 73. i was loosing a lot of balls when ground passing but not putting enough power behind it. part of it is how "fast" the bar fills up. same time i want to do faster traveling passes to be executed faster, same time i cant play short passes with low speed that easy anymore! little dilemma!

 

[Chris Davies]

@PRO_TOO, @rockstrongo - look what you did...

First time I've got three points against the top four I think...!!

Up to 11th now. The comeback is on...

 

[PRO_TOO]

@PRO_TOO, @rockstrongo - look what you did...

First time I've got three points against the top four I think...!!

Up to 11th now. The comeback is on...

Awesome!
And Haller rocking?!

Will play later that night.

 

[Peter Withe]

Enjoying your stories guys

How are you all making this game more difficult then? I’ll start a new Career Mode if it doesn’t get too easy.

Maybe I should try semi shooting? What about passing?

How do you make the AI more aggressive?

 

[rockstrongo]

@PRO_TOO, @rockstrongo - look what you did...

First time I've got three points against the top four I think...!!

Up to 11th now. The comeback is on...

Aah,lovely Chris!
Or as the tabloids would write "ChrIs has arisen....star of Davies"
Or some religious take on your name.
I imagine you walk around the ground sounding like Jimmy Nail now that you're a Geordie
1,30 in

 

[rockstrongo]

I'm thinking I'm gonna make a fresh start ,since I had 5-6 games on WC (all big wins) and feel I need a bigger challenge.
(Or have a second save)

Needs to be with a stadium,and I'm not sure if I'm up for a 46 game long Championship/League 1/2

So maybe a Championship team,more preferably a PL team.
Any suggestions?
I'm thinking Burnley,doesn't seem to be a lot of pressure there,and it's a team I like as well

 

[Chris Davies]

I'm thinking I'm gonna make a fresh start ,since I had 5-6 games on WC (all big wins) and feel I need a bigger challenge.

I thought you were playing on Ultimate? I couldn't deal with that (AI pass accuracy is always 100%) but I'm finding it a challenge on Legendary!

 

[rockstrongo]

I thought you were playing on Ultimate? I couldn't deal with that (AI pass accuracy is always 100%) but I'm finding it a challenge on Legendary!

Yes I'm on ultimate,but I started off with these sliders playing WC then LEG,been on Ultimate since the first 5-10 games.

I'm not seeing higher pass % on Ultimate than WC/LEG,probably the high FT error.
It feels like a difficulty that suits me.

 

[PRO_TOO]

Couldn’t hold myself back and played my next match against Watford!

I tried Woodland for the first time and he did good. This shows me, that his training session aren’t for nothing. During the match he was saving some by dives and he kept his cool in the final minutes. At a boy!!

Almiron scored the winning goal in minute 14.
Perez’ shaping up to be that one guy I have at the bottom of the top scorer list.

I set up my LB and RB to go attacking via “assignments”! Some minor tweaks to my wing players too. Slowly I’m getting the hang of it.

Professional is still a challenge on fuma but I’m progressing. Slowly but steady.

Btw: we are on rank 2 in the table behind Chelsea.
Next up is Bournemouth. At home again.

 

[rockstrongo]

Bologna away
I got 2-0 down in the first half,not goals from corners.
Made a push in the second ,scored one from a corner in the 60th minute.
Threw everything forward the last 15 minutes and managed to scored an equaliser in the 81st minute.
Switch down to all out defence to keep my point.
Then 88th minute in,a low cross from the wing hit my defender and in for a own goal!
Curtains down!
Lost 3-2.

Next game Lazio at home,a good team that would cause some problems no doubt.
But I controlled that game quite easily.
Was in front with 2-0 til the 80th minute when they subbed in Sturridge (?) and my only big mistake cost me a goal straight away,clinical finish by Sturridge and 2-1!
Had a scare at the end but held on for a well deserved victory!

Next up Chievo away

 

[Peter Withe]

Bologna away
I got 2-0 down in the first half,not goals from corners.
Made a push in the second ,scored one from a corner in the 60th minute.
Threw everything forward the last 15 minutes and managed to scored an equaliser in the 81st minute.
Switch down to all out defence to keep my point.
Then 88th minute in,a low cross from the wing hit my defender and in for a own goal!
Curtains down!
Lost 3-2.

Next game Lazio at home,a good team that would cause some problems no doubt.
But I controlled that game quite easily.
Was in front with 2-0 til the 80th minute when they subbed in Sturridge (?) and my only big mistake cost me a goal straight away,clinical finish by Sturridge and 2-1!
Had a scare at the end but held on for a well deserved victory!

Next up Chievo away

Can you post the sliders, controls/assists and difficulty level you use mate?

I am going to copy them and start a Career when this update hits Xbox.

 

[Chris Davies]

Bologna away
I got 2-0 down in the first half,not goals from corners.
Made a push in the second ,scored one from a corner in the 60th minute.
Threw everything forward the last 15 minutes and managed to scored an equaliser in the 81st minute.
Switch down to all out defence to keep my point.
Then 88th minute in,a low cross from the wing hit my defender and in for a own goal!
Curtains down!
Lost 3-2.

Next game Lazio at home,a good team that would cause some problems no doubt.
But I controlled that game quite easily.
Was in front with 2-0 til the 80th minute when they subbed in Sturridge (?) and my only big mistake cost me a goal straight away,clinical finish by Sturridge and 2-1!
Had a scare at the end but held on for a well deserved victory!

Next up Chievo away

Genoa-Way!

Genoa Rocked By Own Goal

Lazi-Oh No As Sturridge Can't Save The Day

Good luck against Chievo!

 

[rockstrongo]

Can you post the sliders, controls/assists and difficulty level you use mate?

I am going to copy them and start a Career when this update hits Xbox.

https://forums.operationsports.com/...ifa-19-professional-world-cup-sliders-41.html

These as a base,and with 75/75 first touch error
Shooting at 65/65
Might be some other alteration to passing,I'll check that a bit later .
Ultimate difficulty
15 minutes
Semi shooting/passing manual through ball/lofted pass/crossing

I'll verify a bit later when I'm on the Xbox pal.
Any team you decided on?

Genoa-Way!

Genoa Rocked By Own Goal

Lazi-Oh No As Sturridge Can't Save The Day

Good luck against Chievo!

Ha ha brilliant thanx Chris.
Btw,I started a 2nd career at Burnley just to try/see if there's a difference between leagues (I always felt there is) and I needed to do it while I'm fresh from my Serie A.

Big difference
Not necessarily for worse ,but PL is faster,more passes without stepping on the ball etc
Played Southampton away,won 3-1,felt a lot different from my Genoa save.
Mr Robot (Crouch) with the winner,also signed Troy Deeny for 9mil.
Think I'll keep my Genoa Save going though

 

[rockstrongo]

@Mikhail
https://forums.operationsports.com/...ifa-19-professional-world-cup-sliders-41.html

Shot error 60/60 (or 65/65 I'm in and off between these,probably 60/60 for consistency)
You could probably go down to 55 for shooting if you feel you're not hitting enough on goal
Wouldn't recommend lowering that much for the CPU though,they're pretty sharp at 60 on ultimate difficulty

first touch 75/75
All other settings as posted in previous post.
Game speed slow
Good luck

Ps I had a hard time at first liking fifa being more Pes,running/strange passing etc,all that looks/feels better on Pes.
But in the end as a whole,this game with these sliders (for me) gets a better game in the end (enjoying) than the current Pes.

 

[Chris Davies]

From a 2-0 win against Arsenal (both Haller goals as you predicted @PRO_TOO) to a 2-1 defeat against Fulham. How?! When teams defend deep we really, really struggle - and then get hit on the counter.

Really finding it hard to get to grips with defending - tempted to switch from "tactical defending" to the classic, "hold the pressure button and automatically win the ball" defending, but I feel like it's much too easy to win the ball then.

Really frustrating, I feel like goals just happen and I don't really have time to think about stopping them!

 

[rockstrongo]

@Chris Davies i have tried Tactical once,by mistake on FIFA 16.
Didn't like it at all, even though I see it's benefits (more authentic) but right now I'm nowhere near getting that going again.

I get dribbled constantly around my box even if I try to laser guide my defending Vs the CPU
So give tactical a go,the CPU always has an advantage Vs you in both ends,and crippling yourself with more advantage for the CPU doesn't seem ok.
Either that ,or drop to WC.
I mean I play on Ultimate,and I have to have perfect body position every time I shoot on this level (just like on LEG) otherwise I miss by a mile.
CPU doesn't have that issue as we have as HUM,so an advantage our way in Def
I'll take that

 

[rockstrongo]

Since I started a new career as Burnley (to compare gameplay Vs my Genoa one) I managed to overwrite my Genoa save with Burnley...
And things got worse,all my auto saves were Burnley too.
Which means that career is gone...

I've restarted one at Genoa,same settings as before,but right now I'm not feeling it at all,neither save.
Fuck!

I just went for it and simmed all the way up to January (were I have a double header Vs Milan)
Instead of being in 3rd like I was before,I'm in 19th place after 19 games,17 goals scored!
Which means a proper challenge.
Exactly the same team as before,since I didn't make any signings

 

[Peter Withe]

@rockstrongo

Thanks mate. That guy says his sliders don’t make game more difficult though?

The issue for me is I find it far too easy even on Ultimate. Someone posted a screenshot of their save on reddit the other day and he’d just beat Lyon with Forest Green 6-2!

But maybe if I switch to semi I will struggle.

I just wish I didn’t have to spend a year messing around with settings and sliders to get the best out of Fifa, I just want to play the thing and have a challenge.

And 15 min halves? It would take me a year to finish a season

@Chris Davies I remember you saying you used default assists now but your own set of sliders? Is that right?

 

[Chris Davies]

Since I started a new career as Burnley (to compare gameplay Vs my Genoa one) I managed to overwrite my Genoa save with Burnley...
And things got worse,all my auto saves were Burnley too.
Which means that career is gone...

Mate, I'm absolutely gutted for you - I hate it when anything like that happens to me. At that point I usually lose all motivation to play. I hope that doesn't happen to you, I've been enjoying reading your stories!

@Chris Davies I remember you saying you used default assists now but your own set of sliders? Is that right?

Yeah, I play on Legendary (anything below is too easy) but if I use semi-passing, my pass accuracy is consistently below that of the worst teams I'll play. So I use assisted passing, with a bit of pass error, and that evens it out.

I use semi-shooting right now, but I keep talking about using assisted, because there are way too many easy chances I keep missing (which is fine when the AI does the same thing, but... read on).

With Legendary you find certain things are boosted for the AI far too strongly (I set their shot error to 50 the other day and they finished a game with 15 shots, 15 on target)... So I also "offset" a few things...

After running some experiments I've found that sprint speed and pass speed have a special relationship - I've always had sprint speed turned right down, and pass speed too, but actually I've found that in order for faster players to be able to break through defensive lines (which have to be pushed a little higher or otherwise I find defensive lines are way too "perfect"), they don't both have to be low (although pass speed does, in my personal opinion, in order to look more realistic and allow for a little more error in Legendary's passing game).

Traditionally speed has been turned down to allow for "more physicality" but the fact of the matter is, fouls don't exist in FIFA, and sliders cannot fix that (in-fact I've had just as many fouls when trying to speed away from a defender than being in close proximity to them), so I think in reality they should be ~40 (not blazing fast, but fast enough to surprise defenders).

For me, the reality is, acceleration is the key to everything that's "wrong" in FIFA, and yet we can't touch it. If you turn acceleration down just a single notch for the AI, they suddenly can't one-touch so much, nor hit things first-time all the time in silly scenarios. BUT you may find turning their acceleration down makes the game too easy again - and if you turn your own acceleration down (which feels great depending on your team), your players barely get fatigued any more.

But, please note... So much of this depends entirely on the teams involved.

I'm pretty happy with my current sliders, as Newcastle, on Legendary. I played one international game (as Romania, against Scotland) and it was absolutely horrible. I don't really know why, to be honest - but it's as if the game speed switched to "fast". Next game, as Newcastle, it was fine...

I keep wishing I could play on PC and use a mod that just slows everything down more than "slow" does. That would solve tons of problems for me.