Too Much Fun

Someone suggested trying out Berbatov as centre forward and I decided to make an IF team around his skillful feet. The result has been an enthralling game of enjoyment, low expectation and brilliant team goals, oh, lots of rage quitting too. (not from me)

Carrasso - 10k - Decent enough keeper even if he isn't that tall. Good handing and distribution, seems to be well positioned and palms the ball away from attackers but from distance he is vulnerable and the ball does sail over his head every now and again. He's not that quick but he is quick enough to get to the feet of the attacker, slightly better than 2IF Costil but not by much. (8/10)

Nkoulou - 17k - Bargain for a pacey decent defender who will keep you in games as well as frustrate your opposition. It's difficult to criticise a 78 pace defender especially one who can tackle but his lack of height can be a problem when someone spams crosses. Fortunately there is pace/strength either side and it means crosses aren't that easy to get in. When the ball flies over his head Nkoulou is quick enough to get back and while he's no strong man he's strong enough and agile enough to get in front of his man and make a last ditch tackle. Standing tackle is better than his sliding tackle but I don't slide tackle all that often; feel free to pass with him, he'll get you out of sticky situations. (8.5/10)

Koscielny - 38k - A true defensive monster who only struggles when someone spams crosses, though he doesn't struggle too much. Extremely quick, great work rates, good standing and sliding tackle I can't say much about Koscielny apart from being a brilliant defender who everyone should try. One of the best defenders I've used. (9/10)

Bedimo - 16k - A monster of a defender he is the best Ligue 1 left back by a distance. I'll keep this brief, there's not much to mention! Great pace, very strong, brilliant in the tackle, good cross, willingness to get forward and a desire to get back, good in the air, horrible to play against. He is aggressive to the point of being angry and he makes crossing extremely difficult. People go down Coleman's side instead but unfortunately for them that just leaves them open for the Walcott counter attack. (9/10)

Coleman - 11k - Brilliant defender who only lacks height and a little bit of strength. He seems to be in the right place at the right time, has a good standing and slide tackle, brilliant dribbling and a very good pass. He allows Walcott to get away on the counter but also allows me to counter with my full back because he always seems to be in the right place in attack as well as defence. All in all I really like him but he's part of my team efforts rather than being like Bedimo the a monster defender, he's also makes up for Walcott's M/M workrates. Strong crosser too and he can hit a ball even if I rarely shoot with defenders. (8.5/10)

Ayew - 13k - Great cross, good pass, good positioning and a desire to get forward when the ball runs free. I'm a huge fan of his because he just seems to make the team tick on the left hand side. He is more than quick enough, his dribbling is good but his real asset is his strength and he will push his way past most defenders and leave them crying in a poor of AI rage. He's a truly useful player with some really great abilities, with 4* skills (he only has 3*) he'd be one of my favourite players in the game but as it is when things get oppressive you'll just have to 1-2 with him instead, he will definitely get past his man. Oh his finishing is very good too. (9/10)

Walcott - 62k - I hate his NIF and I don't think his IF is all that however he does have one stat which makes him extremely useful, pace. I am not pace abuser but I find his wide pace a real plus in this team and gives me some great counter attacking efforts. His crossing is very good but his short passing is average, his long passing I find poor. He is a pretty decent dribbler and his agility lets him beat his man with ease but I prefer to 1-2 with him and release that pace. His first touch is decent enough but I do find his lack of attacking workrate a bit frustrating especially when Ramsey gets back to defend, however he can always rely on the overlapping Coleman while he stands in midfield. Actually his midfield attitude isn't that bad as it gives him some defensive use. (8/10)

Ramsey - 30k - A great midfielder who has found the perfect role for his abilities. Great passer, good dribbling and shot, excellent positioning and very decent defending. He really puts pressure on the opposition and helps this team a lot in both attack and defence. I don't know what else to put about him because he's fantastic. He's not all that strong but he's not weak in any way, his one touch passing is excellent and his neat turning lets him find good passes to wider players, if he had 4* skills I'd be delighted but as it is I'll just use that brilliant passing to it's fullest. (8.9/10)

Moutinho - 39k - One of my favourite NIF players has become one of my favourite IF players. Defensively pretty perfect, in attack he's magnificent, his passing is brilliant, shooting good, and desire to be everywhere, and I mean everywhere, unparalleled. He breaks up most attacks, even with his small frame, but don't let that height fool you, he's getting the ball off the strongest players and he simply doesn't care for stature. Even Toure feels his wrath. He's a 'beast'. If he was 6 foot he'd be the best midfielder in the game, but as it is you just have to use him, watch him get underestimated and then decimate the opposition. Just quickly his tackling is superb in every way, he will strip the ball from the opposition or die trying, his long shots testing and his long passing as good as his short. (9/5/10)

Berbatov - 11k - He goes nowhere but he's always ready to attack. His dribbling is incredible, his long shots and finishing spectacular, volleying good fun, passing strong and heading abusive. Okay he doesn't get forward a massive amount but he's in the right place to get involved and puts through anybody making a run. He seems to arrive late into the box as well as chilling on the edge of the area expecting the ball, the 4*skills come off with ease and he's extremely strong both on the ball and when making challengers. He can shoot, pass, dribble, knock down the opposition and generally make your attack tick. Definitely worth buying because he's cheap as chips and twice as healthy. (8.9/10)

Gignac - 18k - Finally a strong Ligue 1 striker who can make the opposition panic. I don't cross all that much but this man mountain is going to trouble even the strongest defenders, and if he doesn't Berbatov will. His dribbling is good for a big man, and he is able to hold off enough even the most aggressive AI tactics, his short passing is better than average but he doesn't have the best vision in his respect. His finishing is very good both close and from medium distance but his desire to get forward seems pretty useful especially as he has M/M workrates. So far all the TOTS players I've used have been a significant improvement over the NIF's and Gignac is no different. If you like the NIF then you'll enjoy the improved dribbling, it really does make a difference, and with more precise finishing with better heading you'll get yourself a decent amount of goals. He could be better with a H/M workrate but in reality I can't complain, he seems to be in the right place at the right time and that's pretty important to my passing play. A bargain for a TOTS player and one everyone should consider. (8.7/10)

Cheap all IF Team - FIFA14 Ultimate Team (the first one)

It's been a long time since I made an all IF team and things have changed slightly. A fair few of the players are close to discard but in general there has been a lot of effort by groups of traders to keep usual discard IF prices at 20k.
This is a real shame as it restricts the amount of teams that can be made, especially for those without millions, but there are still great players close to discard that you should consider picking up.
When I began making this team I hoped to base it on IF Miranda, who was 30-40k, however as I sold a few cards his price rose to 50-60k and I was let scratching my head at alternatives.
Well fear not, a good team was created and for those who defend manually a great team; get ready to back up those centre backs.
My favoured Chemistry on each card is listed after each mini-review, I trade all the time so my teams change as I make small profits and get my players back for less coins.

The Frame

Esteban - 5.8k - Esteban is a decent keeper with two pretty annoying flaws; terrible reflexes and poor diving. His positioning counters this as he does seem to be in good positions for saves but he can cause some real problems at the back as your neat intricate play gets undone by a stupid long shot from 35 yards that he misses entirely. Considering other options I was happy with the coins spent; he's not that bad but he's certainly not that good. (6/10) Cat Chemistry due to improved speed and reflexes.

Godin - 11k - What a player; strong, powerful, decent passer, good in the air and well positioned. He's not that quick so I would suggest a shadow card but you're getting a good defender here and one who will make sure the Ibarbo's of this world aren't always on the end of the through balls. He's better at heading in his own box than the opposition and his ground tackling is a joy, not one easily skilled. A good defender. (8/10) Shadow Chemistry for extra pace

Arribas - 11k - He really surprised me and is a bit of a gem; he doesn't feel 59 pace as he competes with quicker players, he's a bull when making tackles and his passing is really good. He takes up good positions, is quite decent in the air and seems to make fantastic tracking back runs. Not many negatives with him despite his card stats looking problematic. A solid defender. (8/10) Shadow Chemistry for extra pace

Fernandes - 12k - I think he is great; strong, stays back, quick enough, good passer, good crosser and generally a bit of a defensive monster. I was going to try for a cheap Maicon but what's the point, I have Mario Fernandes. His only drawback is he doesn't feel agile, but that's fine, the man ahead of him is and his job is to defend and support when necessary, which he does well. His heading is good, strength apparent and tackling great. Not much to complain about though his dribbling isn't brilliant. (8.5/10) Anchor/Sentinel Chemistry for extra defensive qualities

Kombarov - 13k - Look at this stats and you probably think you have a world class left back but after many games with him I am yet to see his best. His tackling is decent, his heading is okay, his positioning is forward and his passing surprisingly average. He can cross, takes good set pieces and gets forward well but perhaps because I use Jurado's skills I miss out on his supportive runs. At times he has been amazing for me, but at times anonymous which as a left back can be slightly frustrating. A solid but underwhelming player, perhaps I'm expecting too much. He'd probably make a great wing back. (6.9/10) Anchor/Sentinel Chemistry for extra defensive qualities

Jurado - 10.5k - Everyone should try this guy, he is fantastic. In my opinion he only has one negative and that is inconsistent shooting, but for me that is it. He could do with more pace but it's manageable because of his dribbling and passing. In tight situations he nips past defenders with ease, finds good passes and makes great runs. His finesse shot is good but his shooting in general needs some thought instead of just blasting the ball. He has 4* skills/weak foot and it's a real help; he has won me games by himself and he must really annoy my opposition as he slowly makes his way through their defenders. He's also not that bad in defence both on the ground and in the air, but won't be scoring any headers in attack. (8.5/10) Catalyst Chemistry for pace and passing or Maestro for an all rounder.

Tosic - 11k - A small, nippy player with 4* skills, what's not to like? His tendency to use his left foot that's what! In 4411 his weak foot can be a real problem as I do like to take on my man down the wing. Tosic seems to always use his left foot which means I am passing it inside or back to the full back instead of making my way down the outside. He makes decent runs forward and has a neat first time pass but he gets pushed over a lot of the time. When you can skill he is a joy and cutting in is great fun because of this; definitely have a shot both long and finesse because his left footed finishing is strong. His left footed crossing is very good and his right is distinctively average but actually Tosic is a good player who would work very well in a 433. I have a lot of time for him and enjoy using him; plus with my midfield his forward runs can be found with ease. (8/10) Deadeye Chemistry for the passing and shooting boost.

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) Artist Chemistry for super passing and neater turns.

Ruben Pardo - 10k - Firstly Pardo is a poor dribbler who thinks he's Messi; sometimes he is incredibly smooth then you become confident and one of his legs shortens to which he falls over. Very frustrating especially as his short passing is excellent and his long passing great. Playing next to Tosic means I have a reason to play some defence splitting through balls and he's slightly nippier than Garcia so I can dribble before making a pass, rather than moving sideways and making one as I do with the beast. His shooting is surprisingly decent and though finishing stats are poor he's scored a decent amount of long shots for me. He's a bit weak but nothing horrific, and his defending is average, I don't win too many headers with him. Worth a look though until better options occur. (7/10) Powerhouse Chemistry so he gets stuck in a little more.

Sergio Garcia - 11k - I like my CF to have three things, shooting, weak foot and passing; Garcia only has one of those qualities; shooting, but what a shot. His weak foot is obvious, it's terrible, his short passing is very average and his long passing poor (which is hard as he's part of a triangle of good passers) but his movement and right foot is a joy to behold. He pops up in unusual places, makes late runs and finishes with aplomb. From just outside the box he's deadly, his dribbling is good and his close range goals are a tap of the button. His heading is better than average despite being so small and he's always getting braces and hat-tricks for me. If only he had a better weak foot I'd make use of deadeye chemistry, but he doesn't so he's my goal machine. (8.1/10) Deadeye Chemistry so he's truly lethal with better passing, Artist if you want to dribble.

Movsisyan - 15k - He's a perfect striker; high/low work rates, great shot, good in the air, strong and very quick. His finishing is brilliant both from distance and close up (not quite as good as Garcia's up close) his passing is okay and his positioning good. Sometimes I wish he'd make more forward darts but perhaps my slower play means I miss his runs. There's not a lot more to say about Movsisyan, he does what a striker does and does it well. He has three star skills so roulette's well, his dribbling is good for a striker and he shrugs off defenders with ease. Seems to score in every game. (8.3/10) Sniper Chemistry because he's fast enough and could do with being a little more lethal

I have really enjoyed using this team, and it didn't cost the earth as many all IF teams will; if you build it you need to use Movsisyan and Tosic's pacey runs forward, utilise the skills of Jurado and the passing abilities of Pardo and Raul Garcia. Forget about Sergio Garcia and just admire him popping up to get the winners. Drag those centre backs back and revel at the moments your sub 70 pace centre backs make Ibarbo look like a bronze player.
If you remember your midfield will keep the ball the team plays well, with super aggressive/high pressure teams you have the armoury to keep the ball moving and the players to hit a defence splitting pass.

I'm in the process of building a second/third/fourth team to play alongside these guys; so I'll report back as soon as I can. With TOTY it's a good time to buy some IF's and start building your potential teams; be creative because the more of us that are the better the FIFA community becomes.