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
SV Darmstadt (Tier 2)
Tier 2 teams face an uphill battle for survival in challenging divisions. Can you help them beat relegation?
Contents
- Why choose SV Darmstadt?
- Lineups
- Recommended purchases
- Suggested sales
- Future considerations
Starting transfer budget: £1,600,000
Starting wage budget: £40,000
Default formation: 4-4-1-1
Board expectations: Avoid relegation, cup round of 32
Key player: Aytaç Sulu
Best young prospect: Christian Mathenia
Why choose SV Darmstadt?
SV Darmstadt really are in a tough position. They have by far the lowest budget in the league (almost half that of the next poorest team), and less than half the number of high potential players (potential 75 or higher) than their next closest rival. If anyone is odds-on favourites to get relegated, it’s them.
But if you like challenging career modes, that makes them an excellent choice. You’ll have to get a bit of luck in a league with the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, but keeping SV Darmstadt from relegation will be a serious achievement.
The team’s key player is Aytaç Sulu. He’s rated 75 but has some fantastic standout stats. His 86 jumping and 86 heading accuracy means he’ll score plenty of goals from set pieces, and his 80 tackling should help him keep most opposition strikers at bay. He’ll need to perform well if you’re going to stay up.
SV Darmstadt’s most promising young player is Christian Mathenia (not including Caldirola and Platte, who are only loaned in). As with Sulu, it’s essential for him to play well if you’re going to stay up. He’s rated 72 and has 76 potential, but make sure you train him to ensure he grows quickly and exceeds his potential.
Strongest starting lineup
Keeping the formation the same, here is SV Darmstadt’s strongest starting lineup, with OVRs in brackets:
Highest potential lineup
Changing the formation slightly to 4-4-2, here is SV Darmstadt’s highest potential lineup, with potentials in brackets:
Recommended purchases
Key signings required: RB, CM x2.
Before buying anyone, change your budget ratio to 64:36. This will give you £2,355,200 in transfer funds and £25,476 in wages. Now let’s buy some players.
Dimitris Konstantinidis is very cheap for his OVR
Dimitris Konstantinidis
Club: PAOK
Position: RB
OVR: 68
Potential: 76
Age: 21
Cost: £650,000
Wages: £7,000
SV Darmstadt’s weakest spot is definitely at right back. György Garics is OK, but he’s 31 and will decline very quickly. There are two other right backs but they’re really nothing special, having only 68 potential each. This spot definitely needs fixing.
My suggestion is Dimitris Konstantinidis of PAOK. He’s got everything you need from a right back – pace, crossing, tackling, stamina and more. But best of all, he’s ridiculously cheap for his OVR. PAOK only want £750,000 for him, when most players with his stats cost at least £1.1m.
That means you can buy him for as little as £650,000; his wages are £7,000.
Nathaniel Chalobah is a well-rounded central midfielder
Nathaniel Chalobah
Club: Napoli
Position: CM
OVR: 67
Potential: 79
Age: 20
Cost: £650,000
Wages: £7,000
The next area that needs addressing is central midfield. The two highest potential central midfielders (Gondorf and Vrancic) have potential 73, which isn’t particularly great in the long run. Beyond that there really aren’t any other alternatives, so we should bring some in.
The first player I recommend is Nathaniel Chalobah of Napoli. The main reason I’ve put him forward is because he is very flexible. He can easily play as a central, defensive or attacking midfielder and do equally well (and in fact his OVR goes up at CDM). His passing is his strong suit, but he can intercept, tackle, dribble, shoot and head the ball well, so will be useful in a number of different situations.
Napoli only want £950,000 for him, so you can buy him for around £750,000. His wages are £11,000, and he wants the ‘squad rotation player’ squad role.
Thom Haye will become an excellent playmaker
Thom Haye
Club: AZ
Position: CM
OVR: 69
Potential: 76
Age: 20
Cost: £800,000
Wages: £6,000
The next central midfield I recommend you bring in is Thom Haye of AZ. Whereas Chalobah is more of an all-round box-to-box type, Haye is definitely a playmaker. He’s got 76 vision, 75 short passing and 68 long passing, which is probably the best combination of passing stats you’re likely to find on a player costing this much. His 69 OVR means he can pretty much slot straight into the first team, and his four star weak foot will enable him to play on either the left or the right equally well.
AZ want £950,000 for him but you can get that down to about £800,000. His wages are £6,000.
After those transfers you’ll have £155,200 in transfer funds and £1,476 in wages – not enough to buy anyone new. Let’s see who we can sell to raise some more funds.
Suggested sales
Marco Sailer isn’t needed, but he does have an epic beard
Patrick Platins is the third choice goalkeeper so is unlikely to be used much; he can be sold for about £250,000.
In defence, we can sell Florian Jungwirth and Sandro Sirigu, as they’re not needed now that we have Konstantinidis and Garics; they’ll get you about £450,000 each. Michael Stegmayer is also not needed at left back, and can get you around £550,000 if you sell him.
Nick Volk really isn’t very promising and so can be sold for about £40,000. Similarly, you can sell Milan Ivana for about £250,000, and Marco Sailer for £400,000.
If you sell all those players, you’ll get about £2.39m. Plenty of money to get more players or scouts in the future!
Future considerations: get a new striker
Branimir Hrgota has devastatingly-good finishing for his OVR
Once Felix Platte heads back from his loan, you’ll need another striker to take his place.
My suggestion is Branimir Hrgota of Bor. M’gladbach. He’s rated 70 but like Sulu, he’s got one or two really amazing stats – in this case, his 81 finishing. Get him in the box and he’ll be absolutely lethal.
He’s got 78 potential so will become a very accomplished striker, and with 70 OVR he can challenge for a first team spot as soon as you buy him.
His side only want £1.4m for him, which is very unusual for his OVR and potential, but if you wait until after his birthday (12th January) you can actually get him for free because his contract is expiring; he’ll then join you at the start of the second season.
Either way, he’s a worthy player to buy if you need to score more goals.
That’s it for this week’s article on good teams for career mode. SV Darmstadt really will struggle to stay in the Bundesliga, but with some good purchases and a bit of luck it is possible. One thing I can guarantee, though, is that it’ll be a great fun career mode if you love a solid challenge.
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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