That’s my RMF Jurgen Damm, signed pre-season, collecting his Player of the Month award for October, he uses ‘Jurgen’ on his shirt, and is fast becoming my go-to player in FIFA 19.
One of those players that oozes individuality, he has pace to burn and a canny eye for a finish, he reminds me very much in his playing style as a taller Mo Salah, not a bad thing at all, Damm his also the league top scorer so far with 11 goals in 15 matches.
His goals and general wing play have contributed heavily to our good start to the season, a third of the way through the season, the table is shaping up, I have an idea who my title contenders are and which teams will pose difficult matches, although there is rarely an easy game.
I decided to rest 6 first team players for a match against Sheffield Wednesday, when are mid-table, and almost regretted it after trailing 1-0 for a large portion of the game, after re-introducing several key players around the 70th min mark, we started to get a grip on the game, Wednesday were playing very tight, packing midfield and giving us no real room to pass around, but a counter attack and break down the left-wing in the 84th min saw LMF Guerrero smash home in the top corner for a well deserved 1-1 draw which kept us topping the table.
Below is my current starting XI, playing in a 4-2-2-2 formation, the two DMF’s give me some central stability and protect the defence, with Tachtsidis anchoring back and keeping a defensive position, whilst Doukouré has more freedom to join the attack, and actually has a decent shot on him, which I am also focusing on in his training schedules, he’s chipped in with a few goals already this season.
Subs (not shown) include:
Albrighton LMF (74)
Soudani CF (76)
Cools RMF (76)
Aguissa DMF (77)
Guerrero LMF (69)
Figueiredo CB (75)
I will be looking to sign a backup right back come January, but I’m pretty happy with everything I have in the other positions, I plan to give some game time to some promising youths too at some point, maybe in cup games, which will also help satisfy the board objective of developing youths and having one youth player play ink at least 70% of matches over 2 seasons.
Lastly is short video showing a few goals scored this season, some nice counter attacks and good finishes, first clip in the video shows a. nice goal scored against me by the COM, with the CF pulling off some stopovers to wrong foot my defender then planting a daisy cutter into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
There won’t be a post Thursday this week as I am away from Thursday morning all weekend, so won’t be about to post, but normal service will resume again next Monday.
FIFAFX.com 
Paul – dammit, the headline fun I could have with a player called Damm! Can you nickname them (Football Manager style)? If so, call him Jean-Claude Van.
Have to say, I really thought you’d be back on PES by now. This game has got you good and proper. Looking great and there’s some good passing moves on show in the vid, with that almost-team-goal-style one halfway through.
Incidentally, I avoided all yesterday’s real-life footy results whilst busy at work and watched MOTD2 without knowing what had happened in any game. In the Man City game after ten passes I put my hands over my face and groaned. ‘I know what’s coming now’ – because highlights packages never include spells of continuous passing unless they lead to ‘team goals’. The post-match analysis had the obligatory gushing, of course, and a replay with a pass counter in the corner of the screen. Pissing hell.
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Unfortunately not on the nicknames NG, could have been fun, Damm EA missed a trick there.
He obviously doesn’t like his surname as his shirt name is ‘Jurgenn’, weird Kraut.
Subsequently I just played a match this morning before work, midlands Derby against Derby County away, and won 2-0 in a corker of a match, but Damm it, Jurgen got injured, just awaiting the physio report to see how long for.
I recorded MOTD2 with the intention of watching it in bed but watched the snooker instead.
I saw the first half of City v Utd and City were unbelievable, those beautiful sweeping, 20+ passing moves that ends in a tap-in, beautiful 😉
As for moving back to PES by now, I literally have no reason to, FIFA is giving me everything I want and more from a footy game, not to say I wouldn’t enjoy PES, I will come back to it one day, I take your word for it that its greatly improved since the patch, and am very happy you are getting so much out of it, but the FIFA game play is so so good, that I don’t need the PES feeling, and on top of that the proper commentary, stadiums, variation in team play styles, players playing true to life, and the whole immersive world that wraps around career mode with player interactions etc, it would be nonsensical to jump ship to another game that can’t give me any of that.
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If there’s ever such a thing as a satisfying goal to concede, that was it. It would annoy me no end but nice to see an AI do that to you here and there.
Some Damm good counters there and nice patient play for Doucoure’s goal. Not a criticism, but I never feel scoring in FIFA has that “feel” to it like I think PES does.
Looks like a strong squad you have there. Can’t remember who, if anyone in particular said it, but it stuck with me: don’t sign a ‘back up,’ always sign equal or better! Paterson at Cardiff has been great for me on recent FIFAs.
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Jay – I could and should have closed that COM CF down quicker, or been better positioned in order to block that shot, but in the lead up to that goal, the CF who scored was involved in a few meaty tackles and scrappy bits of play before that goal, so the ‘feeling’ in the moment if conceding it, to a player who did me with a bit of skill, was a nice feeling, if it ever can be nice to concede a goal.
Have you played FIFA this year? I can’t even entertain the thought of not ‘feeling’ a goal in FIFA, especially when the shot types in PES are so generic and formulaic, in FIFA they feel much meatier and have so many variations to them.
Signing equal or better players has its place but sometimes you need a player who is content with being a sporadic player, who is good enough to do a job and fill in when necessary.
If i sign a better player it will naturally cost more money, with higher wages and I’ll have to assure them of a role within the squad, crucial, important, sporadic etc, better players wont sign just to be a makeweight, and if I promise a starting place and don’t deliver, then I have a demoralised, moany player on my hands who wont perform well, I know this isn’t a thing in PES, but it is in FIFA, much more realistic than churning out the same XI every week with absolutely no interaction or man management needed.
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Good stuff Paul and my squad is not a million miles away from that strength, so am hoping that I can be much more competitive this time around. Albrighton is a good one to have on the bench as he is very versatile.
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Darryl – Signed Albrighton pre-season for around 4.5 mil, his lack of pace is a hinderance though, as I like to get the ball out wide and build up fast.
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Paul – no, for the same reason Darryl shouldn’t jump to another game (despite his game-jumping nature), neither should you. It would be truly nonsensical once you’re embedded in the story and the world of a football game. I think we all suffer to some extent from Darrylitis (pardon me Darryl) – meaning, the tendency when hearing or reading about somebody having a great game experience, to immediately want that feeling for oneself, in that game. I know I’ve got it a lot from your FIFA19 accounts.
As for team goals, it’s the disproportionate gushing about them that gets me. I get the technical accomplished angle, I really do, but a goal is primarily about the moment of execution for me. The aesthetic moment of shot-to-net. Just as a great long pot in snooker (my favourite analogy) is all about the pot itself, not the ten shots that preceded it. The Man City team goal would definitely be in the top 10 goals of the weekend, but wouldn’t even be in my top 5.
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Paul – haven’t played FIFA this year yet, no. Was just an experience from previous FIFAs. Sounds like it’s not an issue this year though. Look forward to playing myself, when that does hopefully happen!
Agree with NG: football games are all about getting embedded in a story, and yours is a good one! Don’t start on PES till this is at its very end!
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Ng – I’m firmly licked in to FIFA right now and won’t be defecting any time soon as there’s simply no need to, I enjoy reading about yours and jays and others experiences in PES but nothing I see makes me want to need to try PES when FIFA is so accomplished.
I get why you favour the long range barn stormer over a well worked team goal, a great goal is a great goal, regardless of how it comes about.
I think it’s mainly all about the ‘in-the-moment’ feeling of the goal.
Playing against a really tight compact defensive side who snuff out every attack, changing tactics and as a result, opening up space, putting a well structured passing move together finishing with a goal, is just as rewarding as picking the ball up, a bit of individual skill and unleashing a 35 yard postage stamp slammer, and vice versa, it’s all about the context and situation of the goal at the time. For me anyway.
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Paul – Delighted to see that you’re still “licked” into FIFA 19 and this chronicling of your progress.
I may have said this before, but the fact that switch of formation has helped stem those goals-against shows a tactical depth I have alway found lacking in FIFA. The player individuality is clearly improved too.
Good luck with the promotion push. I wonder how the AI will react if you’re still top for the run in.
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NG – the only time I would be tempted to play to play PES again would be when this FIFA story is over but even that would be difficult. I have just finished watching all 20 episodes of ‘Making a Murderer’ but the last thing I want to do right now is start something else. There has to be an adjustment period as you are still firmly invested in the other.
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Shed – licked, locked, loaded, it’s that good !!
I played a match last night that was one of the most enjoyable games I’ve ever played, and I lost 2-0. And it ended my 9 match unbeaten run. If you can immensely enjoy a game when you lose then you know it’s doing well.
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Darryl. I’m into episode 4 of season 2 on make a murderer. That Zellerman is pretty thorough ain’t she. Riveting show.
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Darryl – that’s exactly why I traditionally fail to get heavily into any other ML/career mode after my main one of the footy game year is done. There’s just no juice left after the first one is done. Nothing in the tank. It’ll be much the same this year. I think nearly all footy gamers are this way to some degree.
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NG – If its a decent Career Mode/Master League then one should do for the year, the novelty, excitement, etc isn’t the same a second time around.
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Darryl – Paul, making a murderer is good isn’t it. Especially the first season really sinks it hooks into you. I like the perspective from Zellner in season 2 and how she looks back on Strang and Buting’s efforts at times. Season 3 seems to be in the works as well.
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Small margins make a difference. I am 18 games into season 5 of my return to the Championship. My personal goal (Directors – Automtic Promotion) was to not get relegated and build from there. With the directors having such tough ambitions it meant I had to focus on other objectivesites of which I have achieved some already. Last time I was in the Championship I was in the relegation zone. This time I am much more competitive. I am 19th and 3 points from the danger zone. I can’t see me going down but this game has thrown up its fair share of surprises ready so who knows?
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Darryl – I saw stang and buting live. They did a talk all about the case at the London palladium. Was really interesting. But zellner rips them to pieces and you realise how much they missed.
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Paul – she does indeed but did say at one point that she has the benefit of looking back over at what they have missed. Funny thing is I thought they were really good in the first series. I would have loved to have seen them live.
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Darryl – I thought the same thing. I thought they were really thorough and thought they presented a strong case. Seeing Zellner point out what they missed is quite revealing though hindsight is always 20-20 of course.
My money is on the other dassey brother btw with the step-dad covering things up and the “dim” dassey brother witnessing the whole thing and taking the fall for it.
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#1 – that’s quite a good theory, wouldn’t put it past being one of the Averys but don’t think it was Stephen.
Way too much inconsistency with police underhand tactics to say it was a stone cold Cut n shut case.
Limited Fifa matches as been away all weekend but a few draws which also saw other teams chasing me draw or lose, then a 4 match winning streak now sees me 11 points clear heading into January.
I have a few signings shortlisted whereby they are in the last 6 months so trying to grab a few frees
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Another season coming to a close with 11 games left of season 5. Have climbed my way up from 21st at one point to 9th. I would have to make up 8 points to get a play-off spot so can rule it out, possibly. I have attached another classic goal and has to be my favourite so far as I deliberately put on after spin:-
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But this is my favourite so far this year for some reason as it is an unusual goal. Fifa this year reminds me of the PES games of old as every goal feels unique:-
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Great goals Darryl, that’s one of the great things about FIFA, the shot types are so much more varied than PES, a goal can go in from so many different ways, a shin-in, bobbles, deflections, etc, the unpredictability keeps it all fresh.
And Eric Dier ? at Fleetwood? In the Championship? end of career?
New Post up at 10am, with some major transfer developments…..
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