FIFA 09

[Baddar]

I tend to play online more than anything, but I seem to have way too many Chelsea vs Liverpool/Man United matches, since no-one seems to want to play as anyone else.

It's funny...

Listening to the WENB podcast back around the release of Pro Evo, they were saying how PES "excels" when you play games with smaller teams, and that you don't quite get that feeling with FIFA.

I have to say, playing FIFA online with two Championship/League 1 teams is much better than playing with PL/La Liga/Serie A sides. It arguably settles who's better at the game, as you don't have as much pace, power or accuracy with the smaller teams.

[Animal]

Yesterday me and my mate started a Manager Mode game with Shrewsbury in League Two and it was completely insane. League Two plays like League Two, the opponent gets the ball and they just pump it forward to the attack which resulted into extremely fast paced matches with shitty players. We ended up quitting the game though and taking over Coventry City because we hated how we could never use our best team two times in a row because of their shitty fitness staff and we didn't have any money to upgrade it much either. Do they really think that in League Two players are not capable of playing two matches in a row? First we thought it was their stamina but then we got Javi Garcia from Real Madrid on loan and even he was exhausted after one match. Fuckin' hate it. So now we started with Coventry City and used all our money to upgrade fitness staff. Had the most insane match ever though with Shrewsbury against Carlisle, it just went back and forth the entire time and ended with our keeper kicking the ball against someones back and going into the goal >.> in extra time...

Yeah that is a problem but yesterday I started a game with Brentford and after around ten matches I got enough money to crank the fitness staff up to 8 and now it's fine. You just have to sacrifice all your money in the beginning.

[DavidMarrio]

I hate Online for that fact alone. I like to go different amount of teams when i'm online but half the time people will go Man.Utd. I mean yesterday i played some interesting games such as i went Spurs and he went Lyon, Newcastle VS Sunderland, Everton VS Aston Villa but there was a few people who you enter the game and they'd straight away go Man.Utd so i decide to just bitch them with Inter

That's why i love the lower division games on it, like you mentioned LL's Boy you have no star players or anything your both really on a level playing field with pap players. When i play my mate in games we have a little competition first to 10 series, first to 3 series to make it interesting we do it over time but we always go different teams like he went Chicago Fire and i went New England Revolution it's just even and makes it more interesting.

[alldaws1]

Eh, playing with even teams is a fair point but I like using the decent teams, I'd rather use a bunch of skilled players I've heard of than some no-names from League Two. There's no need to use Man Utd or Barcelona all the time though, it's nice to use other teams in the top divisions.

I just started the second season in Manager Mode on Legendary difficulty, qualified for the Champions League in my first season with Spurs by beating Stoke 3-0 on the final day, finishing 4th. Had to qualify against Villareal, scraped a 1-0 win at home and then managed to come back twice to force a 2-2 draw away to make it through to the actual competition. Then I began in the league with a 2-0 loss to Man City.

As for players I've signed, I bagged Podolski in January during my first season and my scout found a decent centre midfielder named Hassane De La Vega Diaz who's Swiss. Picked up Gregory Coupet to back up Gomes and got rid of Cesar, then also picked up a scout-found goalie named Max Kasperwiecz or something to that effect who's an 82 rated 20-year old German. Daniel Pranjic and Charles N'Zogbia were also brought in to boost the left side of my team

[AJ]

I like the scout feature, only just started using it in 09. I picked up 3 midfielders and a striker through it who generally only play as late subs or in League Cup games. With a top scout you get 78-79 rated players. Which with my current team, Fulham, will be pretty good.

I just wish the game was more intuitive when it comes to naming the randomly generated scouted players. I got a left midfielder called Pedro Chavéz. His nationality? Norwegian. >_<

On another note, I'm not far into my season on Manager Mode but I know I definately want to try another league out next season. Do any of the other leagues have unusual setups (i.e. the US?) cause that would provide a different challenge and something a bit more entertaining.

[Crybaby Bunting]

Without the scouting system I wouldn't have been able to turn West Ham into a European powerhouse.

Seriously it's best to just hire everyone that's above 70 and sell the lower 70s in the next transfer window, you make an absolute fortune if they level up once or twice.

[Liam]

Anyone know if you can change the difficulty session once you've started a Be A Pro season?

[Crybaby Bunting]

You get to view options before every match, I think if you just change the difficulty for one match it sticks with the rest of the season

[CQI13]

I like the scout feature, only just started using it in 09. I picked up 3 midfielders and a striker through it who generally only play as late subs or in League Cup games. With a top scout you get 78-79 rated players. Which with my current team, Fulham, will be pretty good.

I just wish the game was more intuitive when it comes to naming the randomly generated scouted players. I got a left midfielder called Pedro Chavéz. His nationality? Norwegian. >_<

On another note, I'm not far into my season on Manager Mode but I know I definately want to try another league out next season. Do any of the other leagues have unusual setups (i.e. the US?) cause that would provide a different challenge and something a bit more entertaining.

I believe the Mexican League is two smaller tourneys (rather than play everyone 4 times, you play them 2 times in two separate tournaments).

[Crybaby Bunting]

SPL? After you play each other twice you are divided into two groups, where you play them twice.

[METALMAN]

You actually only play each team once in the group of six.

Edited December 10, 2008 by metalman

[Captain Kirk]

Three times before they split in to six too.

[Darloboy]

Anyone know if you can change the difficulty session once you've started a Be A Pro season?

Yes, if you change the game difficulty at any time it will be reflected in your Be A Pro save.

[Liam]

Cheers. Got to the point where I scored 18 goals in 7 games for QPR >_>

[Crybaby Bunting]

Be a pro is really frustrating me, it's impossible to score as a striker even on semi-pro... yet when you knock it down a notch you can score 5 in a single game

I guess the only hope is to boost the stats and try again

EDIT: Or evenly distribute points instead of making the guy 99 finishing and shite everywhere else >_<

Edited December 10, 2008 by The General

[Captain Kirk]

My striker has only about 65 for finishing and still scores a barrel load on legendary, try upgrading your speed and strength related stats first, stamina is also very important as if your done after 60 minutes your rating will dive towards the end losing you points to use.

[AJ]

In an online game last night I was Villa and opponent was Arsenal. After about 30 minutes back and forth I swung a cross in with Milner, went beyond all his defenders and I scissor kicked it home with Agbonlahor.

Then when halftime came I got a little frustrated with him cause he didn't skip the cinematics so I had to sit and watch the players come off the pitch and all the highlights from the first half. Turns out the reason was that he'd taken that opportunity to send me a message to say "That goal you scored was WELL good" So I let him off Guess there ARE some decent dudes out there who play FIFA online.

[Liam]

Just beat Richie S 6-5 on penalties after drawing 3-3 with Netherlands against Spain. I must admit I'd have been a little annoyed to have lost, since I felt I just about deserved the victory, and was 3-2 up with 2 minutes of extra time to go. Still, it was a topsy turvy game, with me 1-0 up, then 1-2 down, then 3-2 up. Also, Richie had two penalties to win the game, and I managed to save both, surprisingly for me.

[Richie S]

Once I saw Puyol step up to take the last one I knew that Barcelona fucker would cock everything up. Good game tho.

[Baddar]

You guys really need to go out and get a headset. I played 3 games last night against some guy from Barbados, I think it was, and we both had headsets. Chatting during the game adds to the fun a lot.

If anyone already has one (PS3) we'll have to have a game with them on.

Incidently, the guy I played beat me the first two games 1-0 and 2-0, then we drew 1-1 and I won 9-8 in an epic penalty shootout.