I did though make 2 teams with a remainder of the IF players in my club and ended up with mixed results, lots of fun, and some frustration. I have never tried 4231 due to thinking it was too narrow for me but actually it's been a good formation and makes for exciting games; it can however be seriously hindered by the awful FIFA14 player change system.
Alves - 36k - Great keeper who is deadly in one on ones and in all circumstances extremely determined to make sure he gets to the ball first. I couldn't quite muster the coins for the 2IF but the IF has been great so far. On the rare occasions he is beaten I haven't placed fault at his feet because he's fantastic in almost every department. His kicking is decent, throwing strong, reflexes superb, speed excellent and decent from crosses, mostly because he picks up the second ball with ease and comes for corners successfully instead of missing the entirely. A great IF with a strong link to Miranda. (9/10)
Marquinhos - 26k - A must for future teams due to his chemistry in Ligue 1 and Brazil. He isn't the tallest but he is one of the quickest and that pace will really help you out. His heading isn't the best but fortunately his pace lets him cover those mistakes, which is good because his tackling is excellent. Positioning wise he's good and he's not as weak as you might think when looking at him. He doesn't come forward that often and he passes excellently; so far I haven't got many complaints apart from his heading and I'm glad of him in my teams. (8.2/10)
Miranda - 40k - Expensive but due to chemistry worth it. For my playstyle he's a silent assassin; he makes very few mistakes, wins many headers even against the tallest and is great at covering the back line; maybe it's the pace. I really can't complain, I have used in many of my teams and his tackling, awareness and strength really shows. His passing is average (not bad) and he's another shorty at 6 foot but don't let that put you off; he might be 40k but he's fantastic in game and for team creativity. (8.9/10)
Filipe Luis- 40k - As left backs go he is one of the best who is only let down by his slight physique and average heading. Lots of pace, good slide and close tackling and excellent defensive positioning he charges down the wing and has a good desire to get back, I feel more so than his NIF, he also has a great cross and excellent pass and his set pieces are very good too. Feel free to dribble with him he definitely can. All in all he is the best left back I have used, but only just, due to Bedimo's better strength and aggression, and I would recommend getting him especially as he has the strongest link with Miranda which means team building can allow you be creative everywhere else. (9/10)
Juanfran - 18k - Stronger than Carvajal, better in the air, better positioning and with an improved tackle, Juanfran is the IF choice for La Liga and at such a low price is a steal. He also has good strong links with other players (Miranda and Spanish) letting you be creative and getting the most of your less used players. There's not much to say about a guy who can tackle, cross, is pacey, good in the air and strong enough to frustrate attackers; he's very good and should be considered a must for an IF La Liga right back. (8.9/10)
Raul Garcia - 10k - In FIFA I feel dribbling goes a few ways, the excellent dribbler, the poor dribbler who thinks he's Messi and the boat. Boats are interesting because they force you to be thoughtful with your movement; Garcia is one of those, but what a boat. When forward he has the quality to move away from a defender and pass/shoot, in defence he has the strength to hold off the man and roll the opposition; he's an interesting player indeed. His shooting is good but not excellent, always on target not always testing, though it can take a while to get the shot off. His passing is brilliant and playing through balls is great fun, his short passing is strong too as it means you can play tiki-taka with a beast. He's great in the air, strong and good in defence and in general he's involved in everything good. He is a CAM who is a better CDM; for me that's a great compromise in attack and defence. (8.5/10)
Melo - 27k - Melo is brilliant, he tackling is excellent, his strength extremely good and his passing is superb. He is always in the right place in attack and defence and he makes a real effort to chase that attacker who is trying to run away from your midfield. The nicest thing about his passing is his speed, unlike Garcia who can be caught out due to his slowness Melo is a quick passer who dribbles very well for a CDM and that's a real bonus when he's busting a gut to support, he definitely allows a nice one touch passing approach. His shooting is also good and his heading great which is a real bonus with his High/High work rates because it means he can literally support in every attack. It's been tough getting him in an all IF team which is one of the reasons I made this squad but he makes my left side extremely strong especially with Sneijder in front of him. (9/10)
Maher - 10k - A great little player let down by game mechanics. These game mechanics place weaker players at the mercy of push and pull, or the autotackle/barge, and so he can find himself in real peril when trying to dribble though the opposition. His dribbling is good, especially with 4* skills and weak foot, and his passing is solid (short is better), especially speed wise, but his shooting can leave you frustrated especially as shots feel weak and sometimes quite laboured. He doesn't tackle all that well and his defensive duties were poor but he is a decent player to get attacks going and making things work even if he hasn't been magical in finishing off attacks. (7.5/10)
Sneijder - 26k - I wasn't a massive fan of his NIF but so far his IF has been brilliant for me. He's strong enough to get by a man or drag him back, his positioning is superb in attack and even midfield defence and his passing is absolutely wonderful allowing crazy short passing and incredible through balls which always seem to split defences. The lack of pace isn't an issue because he's always in the right place and his crossing is great too. His 5* weak foot really pays off and while I do prefer wide players with 4* skills his dribbling is excellent and he's very difficult to take the ball off. I can't wait for some better Dutch players to compliment him, or even some Galatasaray players, but I thoroughly recommend him because he will definitely make your team very dangerous in attack. Oh, his shooting is brilliant, unleash a monster shot whenever you like, and with either foot. (9/10)
Park - 9.7k - Cheap as chips but a legend all over the pitch. The high/high work rates are very noticeable as he supports literally everywhere and despite being small and not that strong seems to decimate full backs and the hardiest midfielders. Shooting wise he is very able, his short passing is brilliant, endeavor to keep/retrieve the ball very worthy and tackling very good for someone with 49 defending. He has a willingness which allows him to be a real threat in every aspect, even when going for headers where he constantly makes it difficult for the bigger man to win the ball. He also dribbles well and although doesn't have 4* skills seems smooth when trying tricks and with a decent weak foot. There really isn't much negative with Park and I recommend everyone trying him, especially as he's so cheap. (8.5/10)
De Leeuw - 11k - I had De Leeuw lying around after a bargain purchase and I thought he could be a real treat in this squad, what I didn't count on was his frustrating work rates and lack of strength/height being such a hindrance. His heading is 78 which is usually a positive but he doesn't consistently reach crosses, this is because he's either in midfield after charging back to defend (high/high workrates) or too small to get to the ball (5"10). His shooting is average and feels quite slow, his strength isn't that exciting and he's quite easily stripped of the ball, his dribbling is poor and he has no skills and his weak foot is noticeable. He does score for me, but he misses more, he's good at winning headers in front of the defender but he seems very average when he has a free chance. His passing is better than average for a striker which is a real bonus with Park and Sneijder either side but he doesn't feel that quick to turn which means getting caught on the weak foot can be annoying. I find the best way to use him is to shield the ball and hope he makes a smart run into the box after passing it away, I think playing in a front two he'd be pretty useful but he's not going to consistently win you games. Without pace or real strength he isn't the best, but I had no real options in order to get full chemistry. (6.5/10)
Adrian - 10k - I used him to replace Guzan who was terrible for me and excluding a few mistakes he is a very good keeper. He takes out attackers to win the ball, is good at crosses and long shots and has enough speed to get down to ground balls. He is a solid keeper who makes the typical mistakes we either expect of this game, or expect of a better than average keeper. His distribution is sketchy and I prefer to throw the ball but this isn't a problem, just take your time and you won't lose the ball. (7.9/10)
Winston Reid - 12k - Tall enough, strong enough, quick enough and with good work rates but isn't the best defender you'll use. His defending is more than adequate but you get the feeling he's going to miss a tackle or be slow to turn, and then it happens. His pace is perfect and allows you to cover mistakes but I don't like making mistakes and so I keep him back to make the tackles rather than meeting the attacker. He blocks the ball well so that's a bonus and as a BPL IF he's a bargain at 12k. (8/10)
Riether - 15k - Tiny, weak but angry. He's quick enough for a right back but needs to stay back more as he's no Abate when getting back into position. When getting under the body of the opposition he's very good but he's a last ditch tackler as people regularly knock him down and go straight through him. He is nippy and agile which means he can make unusual tackles but he's not the best defensively and with Johnson not caring about defending can leave the right side exposed. His crossing is good as is his passing and when he gets forward usually creates danger in the box. Also he has green chemistry with Per Mertesacker which is good for those who like slow Germans. (7.5/10)
Perrin - 13k - Perrin lacks pace and height but most of the time these won't cause you too many problems. I use him as an outlet defender as he passing is very good but in tackling terms he's just as good as any even if he isn't the strongest. At times his lack of pace can be a problem, especially as I find shorter defenders are slower than the taller slow guys, but his positioning is good and he rarely makes a big mistake Reid can't cover. His heading is good when unchallenged but he does find it difficult to consistently win the header and he usually stops the attacker from making a good connection rather than winning the ball himself. I have used him a lot, mostly because he's not actually that slow and because his passing is good but if you struggle letting in crosses you might find his height a bit of an issue. (8/10)
Digne - 24k - A great defender but also a guy who likes to get forward so sometimes caught out of position, he's never in central midfield though. Not quite as devastating as Carvajal when in the final third but better alongside an attacker when heading and making tackles. He's a strong enough player, he has enough pace to cope with many of the quickest and he has some decent passing and crossing. A left back who does what an all round full back does, defend and attack. (8.5/10)
Toulalan - 12k - Defensively his tackling and positioning are excellent and he's always stripping the ball from attackers, offensively his passing is absolutely amazing and through balls constantly split defences which is a real help because he makes plenty of interceptions and allows me to create great counters.His dribbling is also very good, heading decent, but his shooting is atrocious and I tend to find someone else rather than letting him test the keeper. He is also a very big player which means the opposition rarely flattens him and needs to go around him; he stays back but also comes forward at the right time. An absolutely great player. (9/10)
Barry - 10k - Who cares about pace when this guy is patrolling the midfield! His tackling is great, bursts forward brilliant and positioning excellent; you don't need a lot more in a CDM. His passing from the back is strong but getting forward he can play some lovely intricate balls to running teammates, his shooting is very average though volleying decent. It's been all good for Mr Barry, he's a great tackler who is strong and well equipped to stop an attack, plus he can pass. 10k very well spent and not much more to say! He also has high defensive and medium attacking work rates. I had to down-rate him a little as in this formation he can frustrate due to being fairly left footed. Still taking great corners.(8.3/10)
Cabaye - 25k - So small but so good at it all. He can defend well enough, he passes brilliantly, strikes a ball well from distance and dribbles nicely. His height is his only real downfall, though he doesn't show it too much as he gets under his man nicely, but he makes up for it by playing sumptuous passes and testing keepers at ridiculous ranges. He's a jack of all trades but a master of passing and shooting, his free kicks are immense and his corners great though he does get bulldozed off the ball if you don't use his neat dribbling, which with high aggression can be a pain, but he can really pass so find a man instead! In this formation his through balls are stunning so now I need to work out how to get him and Sneijder in the same team. Don't go for headers. (8.8/10)
Lallana - 19k (price fluctuates a lot) - More skills even if he is tiny. Sadly he doesn't have anything spectacular apart from skills and a strong weak foot but all the same he's a guy who likes to get forward and has enough attributes to be a danger. His shooting is adequate with a good finesse attempt, his turning on the ball is handy and short passing excellent but he doesn't play the best through ball. His new position though is a bonus and allows his natural attacking flair to shine a little more. He takes up good positions but unfortunately can get knocked down before receiving the ball. In 4231 I do prefer my CAM to be a little bit stronger/aggressive but it just means I am practicing skills and dribbling instead. He doesn't overwhelm or underwhelm and I think he's been better for me in 4231(2). (7.7/10)
Payet - 25k - Payet is a good player who feels taller than his 5"8 suggests; his passing is very good, shooting strong and ambition to get the ball great. I haven't used him for more than 10 games but he's been fun to use so far and he has everything a wider CAM needs. His crossing is good, dribbling smooth (4*skills/weak foot) and finishing from close and far very dangerous. His NIF was always strong enough to shrug off a man and the IF is no different. He is an entertaining guy to use who when near the ball is every bit as useful as the highest rated players, he does however lack a little in terms of long passing which can be annoying but his short passing is quick and that's a real help in this formation. (8.5/10)
Lacazette - 23k - His dribbling is very good, finishing decent and weak foot surprisingly useable though he does seem to make more goals and attacks rather than finishing them himself. His positioning is good, pace superb and he can usually burst away from the defender with his neat turning and abilities on the ball. His heading is average but his agility means he is dangerous from any angle, he is stronger than most 5"8 players and has a real desire to get forward but so far the lack of strength means I have had to alter the way I play (no back to goal tactic) and use Cabaye's passing to get him onto goal. Definitely an improvement on the NIF but I didn't really like that card anyway. I think as a striker on the right in a front two he'd be brilliant but so far I haven't wanted to return to Jouffre. (8.2/10)
