The league table doesn’t lie, we currently lie in 19th position, one-off bottom, having conceded the most goals in the division.
The Premier league is hard, the quality of the teams is a distinct step up from the championship, players are faster, stronger, more skillful, with the current squad we cannot cope.
I’ve had a few decent results, a 2-2 with Arsenal, a 0-0 with Southampton, but those five defeats have included 3-0,4-0, and a 6-1 drubbing away to Bournemouth.
I love playing at the Vitality stadium, the camera angle on broadcast is very low and close to the pitch, it looks superb, but you see less ‘open space’ so tight midfield play is harder, Bournemouth were superb and just overpowered me, it was 4-0 at half time.
I’m going to have to think about changing my 4-1-2-1-2 formation to a more defensive minded one, play for the draw and nick anything I can, my squad just isn’t good enough to compete currently.
I did sign a few new players pre-season, Vranjes at CB, Cools on the right of midfield, and Brereton returned from loan to give us another attacking option, but with the exception of Tachstidis at DMF (76), Dennis at CVF (78) and Osborne on the left wing (76), most of my other players are low 70’s, subs are high 60’s/low 70’s and it shows.
Still very happy with how FIFA is playing, each team feels so different, Bournemouth’s bullish tactics, Spurs quick pass and move play, Southampton’s Pack Midfield but few attacking options, you have to think and adjust each game, it adds more realism and immersion.
One bright spot of a so far miserable season came in last nights session, coming from behind to knock Coventry City out of the Carabao cup.
The Sport reported on our woes too:
Red Dead Redemption 2 has been purchased and downloaded, all 90GB of it, it unlocks and is playable from Midnight tonight, this is bound to affect my time with FIFA, but the blog shall carry own with the regular schedule regardless, there’s always something to report.
Will finish off with the goal highlights from the 2-2 draw with Arsenal.
FIFAFX.com 
Paul – you did very well in that Arsenal match to come back from 2-0 down. Game looks fantastic as ever. Question about the commentators – where are the two from the demo?! Lee Dixon and his mate. I forget the commentator’s name now but he had what I think of as a proper football commentator’s voice in the Gubba-Motson-Brackley family of voices. Is he in the game at all?
You’re welcome to the Carabao Cup by the way.
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Thanks NG. Was lucky with that last goal against Arsenal, the deflected shot and my CF Dennis pouncing to bobble one in.
Lee Dixon and Derek Rae are the commentators for Champions League games, still Martin Tyler and Alan Smith for domestic league and cup matches.
Cov did go one up if its any consolation 😉
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Paul – a similar experience to when I got promoted with me leaking goals, which continued to be a problem all season. I will be following with much interest. As for my previous post the difference will be that last time when I got promoted from League One I was on Proffesional level and stepped up after promotion.
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Darryl – Tricky circumstance in that I just don’t have the team to be able to compete right now, it will definitely have to be a tactic of defend at all costs and counter, rather than my usual pass and move and commit players style.
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Paul/Darryl these FIFA stories are fantastic. It’s so rare to get proper relegation battles in computer footy games as the gap in difficulty between divisions is not big enough (or you get sacked half way through) but it sounds like FIFA has got it spot on this year
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Nice career story panning out here Paul. Looks like battling to stay up and some precontract agreements might be the order of the day.
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Definitely need something Chris. I’m not even competing in matches at the moment. It’s pretty dire.
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Hello again @Paul. Seems like u gotta have really tough fight out there in relegation zone. Wish you luck to stay in, that’s defo not gonna be easy. Nice to see also those realistic board demands, that’s a big up from EA i would say, PES struggling in that matter, a lot.
RDR2 – damn… i wish i have PS to play that game, still remember RDR on PS3 few years back, it was bloody amazing. Still got hopes that one day R* will decide to release it for PC, like they did with GTAV, few months after consoles :).
At least because of/thanks to it i can focus on FIFA, which still amaze me, after 3 seasons with St. Mirren in Scotland. Decided to try to apply for some new Club, tried few top tier teams, no way, so tried Ajax, and BOOM, here i am :). Game started to be interesting once more, especially that it’s a big improvement in compare to St. Mirren.
Worth to add it’s not gonna be easy, and it’s gonna be a big challenge, because board demands are just huge – i mean wide, cos they demand lots of things in every matter, and numbers are like between 1-3, nothing less, so .. yeah, gonna be interesting.
Btw. i’m counting on some quick review of RDR2 from you, probably only kind words, wouldn’t expect nothing less from R* :).
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Paul – You’re nailing this chronicling lark. Another excellent post. I’m very impressed at how FIFA seems to have got things right with the standard of teams through the leagues.
The fact you dispatched Coventry in the midst of a battering in the Premier League suggests it’s not the same old story of lesser teams (sorry n-G) playing like Barcelona.
If you’re still playing FIFA with RDR2 out and a patched up PES 2019, it must be the case that this FIFA is holding up better than previous editions.
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Shed – it isn’t and this has impressed me most. After my relegation I am now back in League 1 but kept the difficulty on World Class. Big difference in quality as it should be as those two leagues are the biggest gulf in quality in real football. What this also demonstrates is that stats MAKE a difference. This is what we want from a footy game and was not the case with the majority of past FIFA games.
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No one has mentioned this post’s easter egg, probably because it is fairly obvious. I just thought today was the right day of the week to mention it…
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I was wondering if/when someone would spot that Chris.
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Well I am not finding life back in League One on World Class much easier. Currently 8th after 14 games (Won 6 D 3 L 5). My old frailty in defence is costing me.
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Wasn’t there an option in a previous FIFA for alternative commentators? I’m sure I haven’t imagined that.
And who is Dion cools? Have I missed out on some youth starlet type in the England squad before he’s ever played thing? I’ve never heard of him at all, assumed it was a made up name, then remembered FIFA doesn’t really do them at a high level early on.
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Darryl – feel your pain, more on that in tomorrows post
Turf – Can’t remember who I signed him from, will check later, he’s a decent Right midfielder, but only has one goal for me so far, hasn’t set the world alight, I could easily replace him.
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With 18 matches left in the season I am 10th and 4 points away from the play off spot. My next match is against Bradford at home who occupy that position. Really need to win this one. Played Newcastle away in the 4th round of the FA Cup and it gave me a taste of the Premership presentation and I want more of it. I was unlucky to lose after going 2-1 up with 12 minutes left.
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