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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

SC Paderborn (Tier 2)

With a poor squad, miniscule budget and by far the fewest number of high potential players in the Bundesliga, SC Paderborn are a huge challenge for even the most battle-hardened relegation veterans.

Contents

1. Why choose SC Paderborn?
2. Lineups
   1. Strongest starting lineup
   2. Highest potential lineup
3. Recommended purchases
4. Suggested sales
5. Future considerations
   1. Renew contracts

Starting transfer budget: £1,300,000
Starting wage budget: £30,000
Default formation: 4-1-4-1
Board expectations: Avoid relegation, reach cup round of 32
Key player: Srdjan Lakić
Best young prospect: Elias Kachunga

Why choose SC Paderborn?

In the Bundesliga, the team with the second lowest number of 75+ potential players have 11 such players. SC Paderborn are bottom, and they have just two (one of whom is only in on loan). They also have the lowest budget by a good £1,200,000, and one of the oldest teams in the division. Basically, you’ll have your work cut out.

But who doesn’t like a challenge? Although Paderborn really do start at a disadvantage, there are a lot of very beatable teams in the Bundesliga. With some wise purchases, you can craft a team that can survive and, with any luck, progress up the league in time.

SC Paderborn’s key player is Srdjan Lakić. With goals an absolute necessary if you are to survive relegation, Lakić’s prowess in front of goal will be vital. With 81 heading accuracy, 81 jumping and 80 strength, he is an out-and-out target man, so will excel on crosses and with his back to goal. Paired with the team’s quick wingers like Idir Ouali and Süleyman Koç, Lakić will be at his most effective.

The most promising young player in the squad is Elias Kachunga. His 83 acceleration and 82 sprint speed offer a great alternative to Lakić, so if you prefer to play with the ball on the floor, Kachunga is a better option. That pace and his good dribbling also make him a useful option on the wing if you want to have him and Lakić in the same lineup. He has 76 potential but could grow into the 80s with enough good performances.

Strongest starting lineup

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

Highest potential lineup

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

Recommended purchases

Key signings required: GK, CB, RB.

First of all, change your budget ratio to 35:65 – that’ll give you £1,001,000 in transfer funds and £35,750 in wages. Once that’s done, let’s move on to my recommended signings.

Jonathan Ligali
Club: Montpellier HSC
Position: GK
OVR: 69
Potential: 74
Age: 23
Cost: £800,000
Wages: £8,000

Although SC Paderborn have four goalkeepers, there’s only one – Lukas Kruse – who really is any good. He’s rated 71, but because he’s 30 it will only be a couple of years until he starts going downhill. That means we need to bring in a goalkeeper who will be ready to replace Kruse whether he starts declining today or in three years’ time.

That player is Jonathan Ligali of Montpellier HSC. He starts out at 69 OVR, making him good enough to challenge for a starting spot right away. His potential is 74, but because he’s still pretty young for a goalkeeper, he has plenty of time to exceed that potential. Either way, he provides the quality that could help keep SC Paderborn in the Bundesliga.

Montpellier HSC want £975,000 for him, but I got that down to £800,000. His wages are £8,000.

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Arlind Ajeti
Club: FC Basel
Position: CB
OVR: 66
Potential: 78
Age: 20
Cost: £180,000
Wages: £4,000

When it comes to centre back, SC Paderborn are very, very average. Rafa has potential 72 and will start declining soon, there are a couple of players with 70 potential, and then everything starts slipping into the 60s. You really need (at least) one new centre back to help keep the defence tight and ensure your survival over the coming seasons.

My choice is Arlind Ajeti of FC Basel, and I’ve wanted to use him for a while now because he is such a fantastic player. Physically speaking he is a dominant player, with 83 strength and 77 sprint speed making him a rock at the back. With 78 potential, he’s going to develop into a real leader at the back and should help to ease those relegation fears.

Even better, FC Basel only want £240,000 for him, and I was able to knock that down to £180,000. His price has fluctuated since FIFA 15 came out but has never risen above about £450,000, so he should be super affordable whenever you go for him. His wages are also cheap at £4,000.

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Javier Manquillo
Club: Liverpool
Position: LB
OVR: 69
Potential: 80
Age: 20
Cost: £0 (loan)
Wages: £10,000

SC Paderborn’s right back position has a similar problem to centre back in that it’s seriously lacking in high potential players. The two right backs in the team have potentials of 70 and 68, so they’re not exactly promising. If you want to survive more than a season in the Bundesliga, that needs to change.

I suggest bringing in a player on loan, then getting a free player in January. Javier Manquillo of Liverpool would be my choice of loaned player, as he is a good match for the team. He has excellent pace and his 78 crossing will set up plenty of opportunities going forward, but he’s also very good defensively. That means he’ll be there when you need to stay safe in defence, but can contribute to attacks when you need that one last goal to stay in the division.

You’ll just need to loan him in for the season. His wages are £10,000.

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Eneko Bóveda
Club: SD Eibar
Position: RB
OVR: 73
Potential: 76
Age: 25
Cost: £0
Wages: £10,000

Once Manquillo returns from his loan spell, you’ll be back in the same predicament unless you get a replacement. Seeing as money is tight, my recommendation is to pick up a free player in January – you’ll need to find a player whose contract is expiring, then choose the option reading ‘Approach to sign on contract expiry’.

In this case, we return to Spain for Manquillo’s replacement. Eneko Bóveda of SD Eibar is a remarkably similar player to Manquillo – providing real attacking threat alongside accomplished defensive flair. In fact, thanks to his passing and dribbling ability, you could play Bóveda in midfield if you had an injury crisis, or simply if you felt he would play better there.

Because his contract is expiring, you won’t have to pay a transfer fee for him. His wages are £10,000.

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Want to sign some more players or buy some scouts? You’ll need to sell some players, so let’s move on to who I suggest you get rid of.

Suggested sales

At 27, Nico Burchert isn’t getting much better than his current 55 OVR, so he can be moved on for about £80,000. Similarly, Daniel Brückner at LB won’t be improving much more, so you’ll be able to get just under £200,000 for his services.

SC Paderborn have four right midfielders, which is more than you need, so you could sell Marc Vucinovic for around £200,000. I’d keep the other three, though, as they’re all pretty decent and could prove to be important players as you fend off relegation.

Finally, striker Mahir Sağlik is 31 and will start declining soon, so I would sell him quickly to ensure you get as much money for him as possible. In fact, if you sell him straight away you could get around £750,000, which for a club like SC Paderborn is a very decent amount of money indeed.

Future considerations – renew contracts

Almost half of SC Paderborn’s squad – 12 out of 29 players – have their contracts expiring when you first start a career, so that needs to be address straight away. You don’t want to leave it, then get to January and find out one of your most vital players is leaving on a free transfer because you forgot to renew his contract.

One of the most important players who needs attention is Alban Meha. With 87 free kick accuracy and 86 curve, he can score you a ton of free kicks, which can allow you a way back into a game against even the best teams. At 70, he’s also one of your best players, so make him a priority when you start with SC Paderborn.

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That’s it for this week’s article on good teams for career mode. This is my first guide on a Bundesliga team for FIFA 15, and what a tough start it has turned out to be! It doesn’t get much more challenging than coming up against Bayern Munich, but you’ll face them at least twice with a mediocre team and puny budget. But that’s what makes SC Paderborn such a fun career – overcoming these difficulties and more makes it an incredibly rewarding experience.

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.