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 16’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

AZ (Tier 1)

Tier 1 teams can challenge for the title in a tough division, but it’ll be no walk in the park.

Contents

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

Starting transfer budget: £4,000,000
Starting wage budget: £35,000
Default formation: 4-3-3
Board expectations: Qualify for Europe, cup quarter final
Key player: Ron Vlaar
Best young prospect: Vincent Janssen

Why choose AZ?

I’m doing something a little different this week. Usually in these articles I choose teams from divisions that have promotion and/or relegation, just to ensure that things change up a bit every season, as I think there’s a risk you could get bored playing the same teams every year. However, a growing number of you have asked me to do a guide on a Dutch team, and I have to agree that the Eredivisie is a great league to look at. So here we are!

Normally when you think of doing an Eredivisie career, you’d probably pick Ajax, PSV or perhaps Feyenoord. However, I think those teams have it easy – the real challenge lies in winning the league with someone else. Given the crazy number of high potential players those three clubs have, any team challenging them has a tough task ahead of them, both now and in the future.

Still, I think AZ are the perfect team to do just that because they strike a balance between advantages and disadvantages. Their budget can’t compete with the ‘big three’, but it’s enough to get you some really talented players. They’ve got enough high potential players to get you started, but enough weak spots that you need to take action. Challenges like these should ensure you have plenty to do over the next few seasons.

The team’s key player is Ron Vlaar. Rated 79, he’s a brick wall in defence – 88 strength, superb tackling stats and 83 interceptions will make it tough for any striker to find a way through. You shouldn’t have any trouble keeping things tight at the back with him around.

AZ’s most promising young player is Vincent Janssen. He starts at 77 OVR at 21 years old and has 84 potential, so will grow into one of the league’s best players in a few years’ time. He’s already got 84 finishing so is lethal in the box, and his 79 positioning and powerful shot will help him bag even more goals. He’s also got 80 strength, decent pace and 84 stamina, so his physical stats are great too. Holding on to him will be a key priority.

Strongest starting lineup

Changing the formation very slightly to 4-2-3-1, here is AZ’s strongest starting lineup, with OVRs in brackets:

Highest potential lineup

Keeping the formation the same at 4-2-3-1, here is AZ’s highest potential lineup, with potentials in brackets:

Recommended purchases

Key signings required: GK, CB, LB.

Before buying anyone, adjust AZ’s budget ratio to 74:26; this will give you £4,306,800 in transfer funds and £29,100 in wages. Now let’s buy some players.

Rubén Blanco
Club: Celta Vigo
Position: GK
OVR: 70
Potential: 81
Age: 19
Cost: £1,700,000
Wages: £10,000

AZ’s goalkeeper situation isn’t great. Nick Olij has a bright future but isn’t ready yet, while Sergio Rochet and Gino Coutinho only have 73 and 68 potential respectively. That means we need a high potential goalkeeper with a good starting OVR to fix the problem.

My suggestion is Rubén Blanco of Celta Vigo in Spain. I’ve been a fan of this player for a few years because he has one exceptional stat for his OVR – he’s got 79 handling. On a 69 OVR player that’s fantastic, and means he’s unlikely to spill shots in the box for opposition strikers to mop up. He’s good enough to instantly become the number one keeper at AZ, so should get plenty of game time to help him grow towards his potential.

Celta Vigo want £2.4m for him but you should be able to get him for about £1.7m. His wages are £10,000 and he wants the ‘important 1st team player’ squad role.

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Sebastián Vegas
Club: Audax Italiano
Position: CB
OVR: 69
Potential: 80
Age: 18
Cost: £1,000,000
Wages: £2,900

Derrick Luckassen has some great stats for a centre back (being both pacey and strong), but his 75 potential isn’t the highest. I reckon we can get a higher potential centre back than that, but we want to find one who has that same balance of speed and strength so we don’t lose out on his best assets.

I recommend you buy Sebastián Vegas of Audax Italiano in Chile. He’s got 70 acceleration, 80 sprint speed and 77 strength, so is just as good as Luckassen physically, but Vegas has 80 potential is will become much better in the future. His pace means you can also play him at full back if required, but wherever he plays he’s going to be very difficult to beat.

Even better, he’s an absolute bargain. Audax Italiano want you to pay £1.7m for him but I was able to get that down to just £1m. His wages are also very cheap at £2,900.

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Joshua Brenet
Club: PSV
Position: LB
OVR: 72
Potential: 79
Age: 21
Cost: £1,600,000
Wages: £15,000

With all the money we saved on Sebastián Vegas, we can afford one more player. I feel the situation at left back is the same as it is at centre back – AZ have a decent option in Ridgeciano Haps, but with 75 potential we can do better than that.

I suggest you buy Joshua Brenet from PSV to up the competition at left back. He starts at 72 OVR so can slot right into the first team, and his 79 potential makes him a better long-term bet than Haps. He’s extremely fast with 85 acceleration 92 sprint speed, and his dribbling, interceptions and tackling stats are all equally impressive, so he can get up and down the flanks with no trouble at all. Him and Haps combined will solidify the left back position for years. Just be aware that Brenet is right footed, but that shouldn’t affect his performances in any noticeable way.

PSV want £2.4m for him but you can negotiate that down to about £1.6m. His wages are £15,000.

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So with all those transfers done you’ll be left with £6,800 in transfer funds and £1,200 in wages. You’ll want to have more than that if you plan on buying scouts or any extra players, so let’s see who we can sell to raise the extra money.

Suggested sales

Now that we’ve brought in a new goalkeeper, we can clear the decks a bit. Gino Coutinho can be sold for £400,000, and Sergio Rochet will get you around £700,000.

In defence, Fernando Lewis, Jan Wuytens and Rajko Brežan?i? can be sold for £200,000, £400,000 and £550,000 respectively. If you needed a little extra cash, sell either Joris Kramer or Pantelis Hatzidiakos as well; you’ll get around £250,000 for each of them.

Achille Vaarnold at left wing will get you about £200,000, while Stijn Wuytens will bring in around £800,000. If you wanted to sell someone else, James Efmorfidis will get you about £250,000.

Finally, I wouldn’t recommend selling any strikers as AZ only have three. However, if you wanted to buy another striker to make up the numbers, you could sell Robert Mühren; he’ll bring in about £700,000.

Selling all of those players will net you £3.25m – £4.45m, bringing you roughly back to AZ’s starting budget.

Future considerations: get a new right back

I’d say the next position that may need to be looked at is right back. Mattias Johansson is a very decent player but he doesn’t really have a backup, so if he gets injured then you’re going to be a bit stuck. You could play Brenet at right back (he’s right footed, after all), but then left back is weakened. So you might want to think about bringing in a new right back in the future.

My recommendation is Helibelton Palacios of Deportivo Cali in Colombia. He’s everything you need in a right back – he’s extremely pacey, has great stamina, good tackling stats and his 78 crossing will provide teammates with plenty of opportunities when he gets forward. He starts at 72 OVR and has 80 potential, so will give some extra competition at right back just as Brenet will at left back.

Deportivo Cali want £3.4m for him but you can get him for £2.5m. His wages are £20,000.

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That’s it for this week’s article on good teams for career mode. If you want a title-challenging career mode in the Eredivisie, you can’t go wrong with AZ. With Vlaar at the back and Janssen up front, you can power your way to the league title with a few neat transfers along the way.

I’d 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?

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