FIFA 15 | Good teams for career mode – Deport. Alavés


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 15’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

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

Deport. Alavés (Tier 4)

Deport. Alavés are one of the poorest and lowest potential teams in FIFA 15, but with some clever investment and frugal spending, you can help bring them success.

Contents

  1. Why choose Deport. Alavés?
  2. Lineups
    1. Strongest starting lineup
    2. Highest potential lineup
  3. Recommended purchases
    1. Instant buys
    2. January free transfers
  4. Suggested sales
  5. Future considerations
    1. Renew contracts
    2. Improve the defence

Starting transfer budget: £230,000
Starting wage budget: £7,000
Default formation: 4-2-3-1
Board expectations: Fight for promotion, reach cup round of 32
Key player: Lanzarote
Best young prospect: Einar Galilea

Why choose Deport. Alavés?

If you’re looking to start a road to glory career mode, Spain’s second division is a great place to start. Most teams lack any serious potential, and most are of roughly equal quality, meaning every game is as tough as the last one. If this sounds like your idea of career mode heaven, Deport. Alavés are the pick of the bunch – puny transfer budget, zero high potential players and a whole lot more challenges that you’ll need to deal with.

It’s so tough, in fact, that they only have three players with potential above 70, two of which are only in on loan for the season. The contracts of 15 of their 23 players expire at the end of the first season, meaning you could lose a large number of players if they turn down new contracts. Oh, and they have the highest average age in the division (27), meaning you’ll need to bring in plenty of new, young players before half your squad retires.

The best player at Deport. Alavés is Lanzarote, rated 72 OVR at LW. At 30 years old he’s not the quickest any more, but his 76 crossing ensure he creates plenty of goals. His 75 long shots and 74 finishing means he could be better deployed as an attacking midfielder or even as a striker, and his excellent free kicks should bring in some goals along the way. The trouble is that his age means he’ll be declining soon, and as he’s only on loan, he’ll leave at the end of the season anyway.

Their highest potential young player is Einar Galilea with, err, 69 potential. That’s about as good as it gets as far as young prospects are concerned, neatly illustrating the challenge that lies ahead of you!

Strongest starting lineup

Here’s Deport. Alavés’ strongest starting lineup, with OVRs in brackets:

Deport. Alavés' best lineup based on OVR

Highest potential lineup

Now here’s Deport. Alavés’ highest potential lineup, with potentials in brackets:

Deport. Alavés' best lineup based on potential

It’s obvious that Deport. Alavés need some major improvements, but having a restrictive budget doesn’t mean you can’t bring in good players – you just have to make sure you spend every penny wisely. Here’s who I suggest you bring in.

Recommended purchases part 1: instant buys

Key signings required: RM, LM, ST.

Deport. Alavés need reinforcements in pretty much every position, but there are some areas that need prioritising over others. Their budget is very restrictive, and in cases like this I use loans and free transfers as a way of circumventing their lack of transfer funds. So move the budget slider all the way to the left until you have £0 in transfer funds and £11,423 in wages. Now let’s get started.

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

For some reason the high potential Jack Grealish is completely free

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

Jack Grealish
Club: Aston Villa
Position: LM
OVR: 66
Potential: 80
Age: 18
Cost: £0
Wages: £2,670

You might be wondering how a team with such a miniscule budget can afford a high potential player like Jack Grealish. Well, luckily for Deport. Alavés, Aston Villa tell you they will accept a bid of £0 when you enquire – yes, £0. Bumping his wages up to £2,670 (it’ll become apparent why I chose £2,670 soon) and offering him a 5 year contract with a crucial 1st team player squad role will be enough to get him to join.

Not only will Grealish become by far your highest potential player, but he’s also good enough to go straight into your starting lineup – with his high potential and Juli’s declining OVR (he’s 32), it won’t be long before Grealish becomes one of your most established players. Thanks to his 77 dribbling and four star skill moves, he’ll be beating Lige Adelante defenders with ease – and that’ll only get better as he nears his potential.


FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

Obbi Oulare is a powerful striker who can brush aside defenders

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

Obbi Oulare
Club: Club Brugge
Position: ST
OVR: 66
Potential: 78
Age: 18
Cost: £0 (loan)
Wages: £2,000

One of the most problematic areas for Deport. Alavés is up front. They only have three strikers, none of whom will grow and the youngest of which is 27. However, strikers tend to be more expensive that players in other positions and we can’t afford to outright buy one (without getting one for free in January), so for now we’ll have to loan one in. We can then get some permanent strikers for free in January (see below).

So because we can’t afford to buy anyone expensive, we need a striker who can really make an impact; my choice is Obbi Oulare of Club Brugge in Belgium. At 6’5″ he’s a big lad, and his 91 strength make him an excellent target man who can batter defenders and hold the ball up for his teammates. But what’s so unusual about him is his pace – 78 acceleration and 83 sprint speed is incredibly rare for a player of his size, so he’s just as good at running onto through balls should you wish to play with the ball on the floor. That versatility makes him ideal for a club on a tight budget like Deport. Alavés.

Just bring him in on loan for the season – his wages are £2,000.

Recommended purchases part 2: January free transfers

The problem still remains that the best players at Deport. Alavés will leave at the end of the season, and there are a few positions that need further strengthening. Luckily this can still be done, despite their lack of cash. Approach the following three players in January and you can sign them for free when their contracts end; all you have to pay is their wages. They will arrive at the end of the season a few OVR points better than their listed rating as well.

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

Funso Ojo is so flexible that he can be played in a number of different positions

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

Funso Ojo
Club: FC Dordrecht
Position: CM
OVR: 68
Potential: 74
Age: 22
Cost: £0 (free on contract expiry)
Wages: £1,750

Deport. Alavés’ central midfield is looking pretty stagnant with not much growth potential, but the same could easily be said of the defence. Ideally, what is needed is a player with enough versatility to play not only in midfield but in defence too, so that both positions can be covered if required. The problem, of course, is finding a player who can do that and is still affordable.

Luckily I’ve come across Funso Ojo. The central midfielder from FC Dortrecht in the Netherlands excels at all sorts of different things – passing, dribbling, crossing and shooting – that make him a great utility midfielder, able to play centrally or on the wings. But he can tackle, too, and has decent pace and marking, so he can be dropped to full back as well. Add in his five star weak foot and you’ve got a player who can play across the entire breadth of both midfield and defence.

His wages are just £1,750, and because his contract is expiring and he will be 23 come January, he can be signed for free in the winter transfer window.


FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

Moryke Fofana’s pace will help him make a big impression in Liga Adelante

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

Moryke Fofana
Club: Lillestrøm SK
Position: LM
OVR: 66
Potential: 74
Age: 22
Cost: £0 (free on contract expiry)
Wages: £4,000

Bringing in Jack Grealish goes some way to solving the winger problems at Deport. Alavés, but don’t forget that of their best wingers, they’ve got one player who is only on loan and another who is 32 and will start declining soon. That suggests to me that another new wide man is needed.

My choice would be Moryke Fofana of Lillestrøm SK in Norway. He’s almost a speedster and has great balance, which will cause all sorts of problems for opposition defenders. What I also like about him is his excellent stamina (76), so he can start game after game, speeding up his development. The skills of Grealish and the pace of Fofana should combine well to give you some great options if you play down the wings.


FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

The physical presence of Tomi Jurić will fill the gap left by Obbi Oulare

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

Tomi Jurić
Club: WS Wanderers
Position: ST
OVR: 65
Potential: 74
Age: 22
Cost: £0 (free on contract expiry)
Wages: £750

There’s going to be a large Oulare-shaped hole in your squad when the second season starts, but you can replace him with a very similar player and you don’t have to spend a penny in transfer fees to do it. Tomi Jurić from WS Wanderers in Australia is an ideal option: he’s big and strong but also has some decent pace too. His finishing is excellent and his four star weak foot should see him finishing off chances whichever foot the ball comes to.

When he arrives in the second season he should have grown a few points to the late 60s, which means he should become an automatic starter. His combination of power and technical ability is perfect for dominating defences, whether you need to blast your way to promotion or fight off relegation. Perhaps best of all, his wages are just £750, so he easily fits within our tight budget.


Those transfers leave us with nothing in the transfer kitty and £253 in wages – and if Jack Grealish takes a little extra convincing then it may go as low as £3 left! Anyway, once that’s all sorted, your lineup at the start of the second season may look a bit like this:

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

Suggested sales

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

Selling Iñaki Goitia could raise a significant amount of money

£253 isn’t exactly a lot of money, so raising funds for scouts or bringing in more players will require you to sell some of your existing players.

Goalkeeper Iñaki Goitia is surplus to requirements – you’ve already got a good keeper in Manu and a backup in Canillas, and Goitia is 32 and will probably start losing value soon. Selling him would get you around £450,000, which would be a major boost to your fragile finances.

Because Deport. Alavés have a pretty small squad, there aren’t too many other players that you’d want to get rid of, but selling Andoni could bring in just under £100,000 – it doesn’t sound like much, but at this level, any extra income can make a sizeable impact.

Future considerations – renew contracts

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

It’s vital to renew Laguardia’s contract

As I mentioned earlier, Deport. Alavés have a huge amount of players whose contracts are running out – 13, in fact. Get as many of these players nailed down to new contracts as possible, because the squad is pretty small as it is and you can’t afford it to get much smaller.

Your priority should be Víctor Laguardia. With his 74 potential, he’s going to develop into one of your best players, and losing him for free in January must be avoided at all costs.

Future considerations – improve the defence

FIFA 15 good teams for career mode: Deport. Alavés

Simone Romagnoli’s strength will be a valuable asset in defence

My suggested transfers helped improve the midfield and attack, but Deport. Alavés’ defence still needs some major work. If you want to keep the costs down, you could bring in some players for free like the following defenders (just make sure you’ve raised funds by selling players).

An excellent option at left back is Graeme Shinnie of Inverness CT in Scotland. He’s 22 (23 by the time January comes around), has 75 potential and starts with 69 OVR, which will of course grow by the time he joins you. He’s an excellent defensive all-rounder but is very useful going forward too, and his 91 stamina will ensure he can play as many games as possible, helping his development. His wages are £2,000.

At centre back, Simone Romagnoli of Carpi in Italy is the perfect option. He’s 24, starts at 67 OVR (don’t forget that’ll have risen when he joins) and has 74 potential. He’s a rock at the back with 85 strength, and his height of 6’4″ makes him a real threat in the air. Because he’s only playing in the Italian second division, his wages are just £1,000, and he can be signed for free in January, making him a superb bargain.


That’s it for this week’s article on good teams for career mode. Using a team as lowly as Deport. Alavés is certainly tough, and you need to make sure your investments are shrewd and that you get maximum value for money. But if you manage that, you’ll find that taking them from the bottom to the top (in the long run, of course!) will be one of the most satisfying career mode challenges you ever undertake.

I’d also 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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