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Introduction: How do these articles work?

Each Sunday I examine a different team in detail and look at why they’re a good team for FIFA 15’s career mode. The teams are broken down into the following categories:

• Tier 1: Teams in tough divisions that can push on to challenge for silverware
• Tier 2: Teams that will have to fight for survival in a challenging division
• Tier 3: Teams that start in a lower division but can hope to get promoted and work their way up higher leagues
• Tier 4: Teams that start right at the bottom of the pile, with few funds or high potential players

Watford (Tier 3)

Getting Watford promoted isn’t going to be easy thanks to their restrictive budget, but they’ve got enough talent among their ranks to launch a serious assault on the title spot.

Contents

1. Why choose Watford?
2. Lineups
   1. Strongest starting lineup
   2. Highest potential lineup
3. Recommended purchases
4. Suggested sales
5. Future considerations
   1. Get a new goalkeeper

Starting transfer budget: £2,800,000
Starting wage budget: £35,000
Default formation: 5-3-2
Board expectations: Win the league title, reach cup round of 32
Key player: Miguel Layún
Best young prospect: Mat?j Vydra

Why choose Watford?

Tier 3 is all about finding teams that can progress up the leagues, without it being too easy. Watford are a great example of that – they’ve got some good players on their squad, but of all the teams that will be fighting for promotion, Watford’s budget is one of the puniest. But the board aren’t happy with you just fighting for promotion, or even of securing promotion through the playoffs; no, they expect you to win the league.

Fortunately there are some positives. Watford have an excellent starting squad, which gives them a good chance of achieving promotion. There are plenty of high potential players within their ranks, and most positions have at least one high potential player assigned to them. And while other teams can outspend them, £2,800,000 is still enough to bring in some quality new players.

Watford’s key player is Miguel Layún. Their highest rated player, he’s also got the joint highest potential on the team at 78. The reason why he’s so valuable is because he is extremely flexible. He is lightning quick and can cross and defend, so is equally at home on the wing or at full back (or at wing back, which is his preferred position). But he can pass and shoot too, so is just as comfortable as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder or even up front if you’re short of options. His wide range of skills and 92 stamina mean he’ll be able to cover wherever you need him, game after game.

The most promising young player Watford have is Mat?j Vydra, with 78 potential. Like Layún, Vydra is very quick, which should make him a nuisance going forward. His 77 finishing and 78 positioning make him a real goal threat, and he should be able to provide the goals to propel you up the league table. However, he’s only on loan for a season, so you’ll have to find a replacement when he leaves (something I cover in the recommended purchases section.

Strongest starting lineup

Here’s Watford’s strongest starting lineup, with OVRs in brackets:

Highest potential lineup

Now here’s Watford’s highest potential lineup, with potentials in brackets:

If Watford are to get promoted and then survive in the Premier League, you’ll have to bring in some new players. Let’s look at who I suggest you buy.

Recommended purchases

Key signings required: CM, CM, ST, GK.

Watford’s defence is pretty much sorted looking forward, but you’ll need some reinforcements in midfield and up front, while getting a goalkeeper should also be on your mind. You’ll also need to tweak Watford’s finances carefully, so make sure you buy the following players in the order I suggest.

Corentin Tolisso
Club: Olympique Lyon
Position: CM
OVR: 70
Potential: 79
Age: 19
Cost: £750,000
Wages: £20,000

Aside from Sean Murray, Watford don’t really have much in the way of high potential central midfielders. Almen Abdi and Connor Smith aren’t likely to grow much, and while Fernando Forestieri is a good option (better suited to attacking midfield than up front), you’ll still need some holding midfielders to shore things up defensively.

So with that in mind, the first player I’d recommend you buy is Corentin Tolisso of Olympique Lyon. Like Layún, Tolisso is a hugely adaptable player who is able to perform well in a number of different positions. His excellent tackling stats make him a great CDM, but his good passing and decent dribbling enable him to slot in at CM or CAM as well. He’s quick but also has 75 strength, a rare combination that will help him excel in the middle of the park. And with 79 potential, he’s going to be a regular starter going into the future.

Olympique Lyon want £1,000,000 for him, but I got that down to £750,000, with his wages being £20,000. I also had to bump his contract length up to 5 years to convince him to join.

Once you’ve bought Tolisso, it’s very important that you adjust your budget to 74:26, leaving you with £2,094,200 in transfer funds and £14,150 in wages. This will ensure you have just enough to afford the next two players that I recommend.

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Nathaniel Chalobah
Club: Reading
Position: CM
OVR: 66
Potential: 79
Age: 19
Cost: £1,100,000
Wages: £4,000

Given the fact that Sean Murray is the only truly promising central midfielder that Watford have, I’d recommend you bring in a second CM to give you an extra boost. And seeing as Tolisso is decent going forward, you’d really want the second central midfielder you buy to be mainly focussed on defending.

That’s why Nathaniel Chalobah of Reading is my second recommended signing. His main strengths lie in his defensive stats, although he has a powerful shot and excellent passing, so he could be deployed a bit further forward if you prefer. Like Tolisso, he has a good combination of speed and strength, perfect for winning his battles in central midfield.

Reading will want £1,400,000 for him, but I was able to lower that to £1,100,000. Although his transfer fee is a bit higher than Tolisso’s, Chalobah’s wages are much cheaper at £4,000.

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Guillermo
Club: Athletic Bilbao
Position: ST
OVR: 68
Potential: 79
Age: 21
Cost: £970,000
Wages: £10,000

As I mentioned earlier, Mat?j Vydra is going to be a hugely influential player for Watford. However, once his loan expires at the end of the first season, Troy Deeney is going to be your only quality striker. You’ll need to bring in some fresh blood to ease the burden on Deeney and help score the goals that will ensure you can beat the drop once you make it to the Premier League.

Guillermo of Athletic Bilbao is my choice for that role. As has been the case with both Tolisso and Chalobah, Guillermo has a fantastic balance of pace and power, which should enable him to hold his own and create an extra yard of space for himself in a league as physical as the Championship – and, hopefully, the Premier League. He’s quite a similar player to Vydra, too, with deadly finishing and brilliant close control ensuring he’ll be packing in the goals should he get the chance.

Athletic Bilbao wanted £1,400,000 for him, but I was able to lower that down to £970,000. His wages are £10,000, and he’ll want the ‘important 1st team player’ squad role to be convinced to join Watford.

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Those purchases – and the tweaking of the budget – mean you’re left with £24,200 in transfer funds and £150 in wages. That’s good to see – we squeezed as much out of the budget as possible, and we’re left with three excellent players who should really add value to Watford’s starting lineup.

So once those transfers have been accounted for, you might want to go with a lineup a bit like this:

Suggested sales

If you want to bring in more players or invest in some youth scouts, you’ll need to sell some players in order to raise funds. The following are a few players that you could offload.

Lloyd Doyley is 31 and only going to decline, and Watford already have a fair few centre backs, so you could sell him on before he starts to lose value. He could raise around £300,000.

Odion Ighalo is another player you could sell; with Vydra, Deeney and Guillermo to compete with, he probably won’t get much game time. You could sell Forestieri instead, but I feel Forestieri is much more versatile than Ighalo, being able to play on the wings or as a CAM much better than Ighalo. So if you do decide to sell Ighalo, he could bring in around £1,000,000.

Future considerations – get a new goalkeeper

Another problem area for Watford is between the sticks. Though it’s not as urgent a problem as central midfield or up front, it is one that needs addressing. Though Gomes is one of your best players, he’s 33 and so will be declining soon. Jonathan Bond has half decent potential, but he starts with a low OVR, and going forward you’ll probably want a goalkeeper with higher potential than 74 anyway.

My choice would be Kim Seung Gyu of Ulsan Hyundai in Korea. His contract is running out, so if you make a move for him in January you can get him for free, only having to pay his wages of £10,000. He starts with an excellent OVR of 73 and a potential of 77, so he should arrive around 74 or 75 OVR. However, because he’s still pretty young for a goalkeeper, and seeing as goalkeepers can keep growing even into their 30s, I’d be surprised if he didn’t exceed his potential and end up growing into the early 80s.

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That’s it for this week’s article on good teams for career mode. The board expects a ridiculous amount for you if you decide to manage Watford, demanding that you win the league on a shoestring budget. But with some sensible investment and some good performances from your key players, finishing on top of the pile is definitely within your grasp – it’s surviving in the Premier League the season that will be the real challenge!

I’d also like to hear if you have any thoughts about the format of the article itself. Did you find it useful? Conversely, do you think it was missing something that you’d have liked me to include?

And don’t forget to connect with me on social media. I’ve just launched the FIFA Scouting Tips YouTube channel, and you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter for all the latest updates.