FIFA 15 | Good teams for career mode – AJ Auxerre


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

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: AJ Auxerre

AJ Auxerre (Tier 3)

It’s tough in the Ligue 2, with low budgets and punishing teams waiting for you in if you get promoted. But with a few promising players in their ranks, AJ Auxerre have what it takes to push on and become Ligue 1 regulars.

Contents

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

Starting transfer budget: £1,300,000
Starting wage budget: £10,000
Default formation: 4-1-2-1-2
Board expectations: Finish mid table, reach cup round of 32
Key player: Sébastien Puygrenier
Best young prospect: François-Xavier Fumu Tamuzo

Why choose AJ Auxerre?

The goalkeeper kit! But seriously, picking the right team from Ligue 2 can be quite tough. The team with the highest number of high potential young players (AJ Auxerre) has a very average budget, while the richest team (FC Sochaux) have an average number of high potential players. However, AJ Auxerre have what a lot of teams in the division don’t have – balance. They have just the right mix of established first teamers and promising prospects, while most position is reasonably insured for the future (as opposed to some teams that have 10 promising midfielders and no hope up front).

However, by objective standards they aren’t exactly the most blessed team in the world. Having 5 players with potential 75 or higher won’t set the world on fire, while £1,300,000 will make it hard to attract amazing players, and you’ll need to work hard and get some bargains. Luckily, that’s what I’m here for!

Their key player is Sébastien Puygrenier, a rock at the back who will help you keep a tight ship as you push for promotion. He’s their best player by some distance, so you can expect him to be a regular starter in your first season. However, seeing as he’s 32 years old, you’re going to have to start thinking about a replacement.

The most promising young player at AJ Auxerre is François-Xavier Fumu Tamuzo with 80 potential. He’s lightning fast (and already has the speedster speciality), and although he’s still raw, Ligue 2 is an ideal training ground for him to hone his abilities. The quality of opposition is relatively low, meaning that he should be much more ready to take on the big boys once you get promoted.

Strongest starting lineup

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

AJ Auxerre's best lineup based on OVR

Highest potential lineup

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

AJ Auxerre's best lineup based on potential

Jean-Charles Castelletto at centre back is a bit of a hidden gem, and should play much better than his OVR suggests. Why? Just take a look at his stats below. As he grows, his technical stats will become better and better, while his physical stats are already exceptional for a centre back:

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: AJ Auxerre

Jean-Charles Castelletto has amazing pace for a centre back

Recommended purchases

Key signings required: CB, LB, CM, ST.

Before you buy anyone, change the budget ratio to 63:37 so that you have £1,146,600 in transfer funds and £12,950 in wages. That should be enough to bag you a few players to help you push on for promotion. Let’s see who we’ve got first.

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: AJ Auxerre

Romaric N’Gouma alongside Jean-Charles Castelletto makes for an amazing partnership

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: AJ Auxerre

Romaric N’Gouma
Club: Olympique Lyon
Position: CB
OVR: 64
Potential: 77
Age: 19
Cost: £375,000
Wages: £5,000

While AJ Auxerre have the formiddable figure of Sébastien Puygrenier at the back, he’s going to start declining pretty rapidly. Add to that the fact that Jean-Charles Castelletto is the only promising young centre back in the team, and you’ve potentially got a spot of trouble. You’re going to need to find a replacement for Puygrenier and partner for Castelletto at an affordable price.

Romaric N’Gouma of Olympique Lyon is that player. With 73 acceleration and 79 sprint speed he has the pace to match Castelletto, while his 77 strength mean that in a few years’ time he’ll be able to match Puygrenier for strength. And as we all know, that pace-strength combination can work wonders at the back. Thanks to his high potential his technical stats will grow rapidly, so you’ll have yourself a brilliantly well-rounded defender on your hands once he gets near his peak.

Olympique Lyon want £425,00 for him but I was able to knock that down to £375,000. His wages are £5,000. Note that you may have to offer him an ‘Important 1st team player’ role to convince him to join.


FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: AJ Auxerre

Jeremy Dudziak is an attack minded defender who will thrive in Ligue 2

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: AJ Auxerre

Jeremy Dudziak
Club: Bor. Dortmund
Position: LB
OVR: 59
Potential: 76
Age: 18
Cost: £400,000
Wages: £2,500

Looking at AJ Auxerre’s highest potential lineup, you may think I forgot to change the left back. But no, Karim Djellabi is their most promising player in that position. Not only that, but he’s actually the only left back in the entire team. Oh, and he’s 31 years old. Yeah, I think we need to get another one.

My suggestion is Jeremy Dudziak of Borussia Dortmund. He’s pacey and great going forward, so should be a great help on attacks. At Ligue 2 level he’ll be a real handful, and you could be surprised when he plays better than his OVR would suggest. His potential will see him develop into a brilliant player, one easily able to hold his own once you establish yourself in Ligue 1.

Dortmund wanted £600,000 but I was able to slash that to £400,000. I had to bump his wages up to £2,500 and give him a 5 year contract in order to get him to join. He wants a squad role of ‘Squad rotation player’, which shouldn’t cause you to lose too much sleep.


FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: AJ Auxerre

Alfred Duncan can play in any central midfield position and do well

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: AJ Auxerre

Alfred Duncan
Club: Sampdoria
Position: CM
OVR: 65
Potential: 78
Age: 21
Cost: £275,000
Wages: £4,600

Although AJ Auxerre have Samed Kilic in central midfield with 78 potential, the next most promising player there is Rémi Mulumba with 70 potential… who is only in on loan. Then it’s Vincent Gragnic with 68 potential… who is 31. That central midfield needs some serious sprucing up with a player who can do multiple roles – after all, it’s not like you want to rely on the alternatives too much.

My choice is Alfred Duncan of Sampdoria. He can do just about anything you need him to in central midfield, being able to tackle, pass, dribble and shoot from distance equally well. He’s also strong and his pace isn’t too shabby either, making him an ideal player wherever you need to play him.

As it turns out, the highest rated player in my suggestions actually turns out to be the cheapest. Sampdoria demanded £350,000 for Duncan – a ridiculously low amount that I further reduced to just £275,000. His wages had to be increased to £4,600 and he wanted a ‘Crucial 1st team player’ squad role, but that won’t be an issue given how good he is.


That then leaves us with £96,600 in transfer funds, £850 in wages and a much healthier-looking team – your lineup could look something like this:

AJ Auxerre's suggested lineup, including new transfers

However, should you wish to save up some money for scouting, you’ll have to sell some players. Let’s have a look at who you can move on.

Suggested sales

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: AJ Auxerre

Julien Viale can bring in a decent amount

There aren’t a huge amount of players at AJ Auxerre who are truly worth selling, but Julien Viale can certainly bring in a fair amount of money. He’s only going to decline and you have plenty of other strikers – plus you’ll have Sébastian Haller returning from loan at the end of the season – so he could get you around £350,000.

Another player you could offload is Nicolas Staerck-Weille. Most of the low potential players on the team are barely worth selling but Staerck-Weille could get you about £100,000. It’s not much, but it’s more than the other low potential players, and it may come in useful.

Future considerations – get a good new striker

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: AJ Auxerre

Samuele Longo is a fantastic striker you can get for free

Aside from Cheick Diarra, AJ Auxerre don’t really have any promising strikers in the first season (and even then, his potential is only 74). Sébastien Haller (potential 76) will return from loan after the first season, but I still think you need another promising striker who can exceed both of those players’ potentials.

You know what I’m like – I suggest a free player because most of the budget is used up.

My suggestion would be Samuele Longo of Cagliari. He’s a multi-talented player who combines speed and strength in a way that will be awesome at this level. He’s got good finishing and excellent ball control, and can score from distance as well. His 77 potential marks him out as a future gem, and he’ll likely have around 70 OVR when he arrives at the start of the second season, making him one of your key players.

You can sign him for free in January, and his wages are £7,000.


That’ll do it for this week’s article on good teams for career mode. AJ Auxerre are a brilliant team if you want to conquer a lower division and establish yourself in Ligue 1. They have plenty of promising young players and a decent budget, but not so much that buying players ever becomes easy – just the right balance of challenge and satisfaction.

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.