The start of my Norwich City Manager Mode career I have seen a different side to FIFA 09.
The feel of the game playing with an average team, opposed to the likes of Celtic, Valencia, Portsmouth and Man City is dramatic.
In the opening three fixtures seen a comedy of errors due to the players average attributes.
Passing
No longer on semi-assisted are the passes played to feet 99% of the time. It felt like cheating when playing in my Valencia MM as all passes were going to feet no matter the body position, therefore I switched to Manual. With these Norwich City players, the ball is going all over the shop 
due to the players average passing attributes. It really does put too bed the argument that all FIFA players feel the same.
Control
Again due to the averageness of my players, no longer does my players instantly control the ball when receiving a pass with pace. The ball ricochets of all parts of the body with their first touch when the passes are played with pace and their second touch is a tackle.
Shooting
Is the attribute I feel the most, no longer one-on-one with the opposing keeper am I guaranteed a goal. With Celtic and Valencia I would take these chances 8 times out of 10. Using the same technique with very different results.
I mastered the ‘finesse shot’ both in FIFA 08 and 09 but I rarely hit the target with these players and when I do it is tamely into the keepers hands.
Strength
The one thing I have noticed throughout my squad is that it is too lightweight, my players are often ‘bullied’ off the ball. FIFA 09 has the physical aspect of football spot on this year. The two Watford strikers brushed my defence aside in the opening fixture.
I have played a few games so far in this MM and I have already identified players I will be signing in the January transfer window that meet the criteria I set in yesterday’s post. Entering an advanced search for power and transfer fee brought a batch of players that I have shortlisted.
I will almost certainly have to reassess the salary cap I have put in place. I am a few games ahead of blog and I have built up a healthy bank balance. I am thinking of £10K per week salary which will still rule out players from the major leagues and keep the realism, but will ensure a better quality of player.
I will be looking at signing Scottish based players out with the ‘Old Firm’ as I know this market well. The players will all meet the transfer criteria set.
Possession
Very much like my Valencia MM, moving to World Class difficulty has really upped the ante of the AI. I cannot believe the difference in how they deny you time and space to play the ball. Can it get any more lifelike than this? With the Norwich players and the above mentioned attributes it really is hard at times to get out, they hunt you down in packs. It’s a case of playing safety football at times, long punts just to get a breather.
All of these factors have brought a realism playing with an average team. I really am having fun trying too find ways of breaking down the AI. It is frustrating, but that’s football. I will assess my full squad as I have kept the ‘fitness upgrade’ at default level 3 and have to rotate every game. It should be higher as most professional players are now athletes who can play every week. I will keep it the way it is for now.
I am loving every minute of this new challenge. I appreciate it won’t be too everyone’s liking on WC difficulty but I love the fact that it is really tough. In fact I am getting humiliated at times, what I can say is that World Class will provide a long term challenge with the ‘house rules’ I have applied.
I lost to Watford in the opening fixture 1-0 which saw the Strength attribute come into play and they bullied my team all over the pitch.
I beat Cardiff 2-1 but I was a little disappointed at losing a cheap goal in injury time.
The best game of the three came against Sheffield Wednesday. They raced into a 2-0 lead after 17 minutes. I couldn’t get a hold of the ball in the first half. I got back into the game when I tricked the AI into a rash challenge and gifting me a penalty early in the second half. The AI does appear to jump into challenges more in 09, they receive a lot of cards and I have been awarded in the region of 20+ penalties ( It took me months to get a penalty in FIFA 08). My created player ‘Heraldo’ won and dispatched the penalty and the equaliser came late in the match. I was delighted with the draw, it felt like a win.
heraldo - sneak preview for you of how my current career went - I got SACKED.
It felt oddly liberating, as if a weight had been lifted. My final record was P12 W0 D4 L8. I deserved the sack with a record like that. I love it, as it means I can start again (and probably again and again) until I get it right. When it eventually takes off, with my transfer/coaching House Rules in place, it should be a memorable career.
Everything you’ve detailed above is true, and then some. I’ve been mis-playing FIFA09 quite a bit, still trying to PES it up out there despite knowing better, still trying to move the ball forward in two or three passes. The through-ball bug and other annoyances haven’t helped, but the bulk of the problem has been me mis-playing this demanding game.
A problem that won’t be helped by what I’m up to at the moment - I’m playing PES2009 for the first time since it came out, and I’m actually enjoying it. It’s like an amusing fairground ride after the rigours of FIFA09. But I need this spell of light relief.
I anticipate almost having to learn FIFA09 all over again when I go back (in a day or two), but this could be no bad thing. Rip it up and start again.
I’ve still got my eye on that all-manual league from February. Crazy thing is, it’s not actually that far away…
Hi Greg
Been offline for almost a week due to sea trials.
I and a few of the boys started a FIFA league on-board. It’s amazing the difference when playing humans, none of them play anything other than assisted controls and when playing the Ai they are on semi-pro/professional.
But every game is close.
I am finding every game is like the end credits on ‘the Benny Hill show’ Way too fast for me. I dislike the games like that, maybe that’s why I hardly ever play online.
My career with Norwich is at the half way point. Mid table.
I have also been playing the Master League in PES 2009. I am enjoying it but if I lose another bloody goal to a corner or goal-keeper fumble. So frustrating as I have the lions share of possession but can’t create shit, then I will lose a poxy goal as mentioned and lose the game.
I am enjoying the contrasting styles of both games, and PES does appear to be really difficult this year (for me).
FIFA
I wish I could put Celtic into the EPL. I am losing a little interest in playing with teams I have no affection with.
heraldo - I figured you were AFK - you’re at work after all!
My football gaming year has taken a surprising turn, as you might have seen. I’m currently playing PES2009 and loving it, despite the many traditional PES issues that we all know and ‘love’ so much.
Does this mean I now dislike FIFA09? Of course not, but it is significant, I think. FIFA09’s faults - the through-ball bug and plenty others - are so disappointing to see, because we never expected the game to have any faults at all. I find it very strange that the through-ball bug made it through testing.
We expected PES2009 to have issues, though, so we’re more forgiving towards it I think. Such are my current thoughts anyway.
But if you’d told me a few weeks ago that come November I’d have played PES2009 for 10 days with great enjoyment and FIFA09 not at all, I’d have laughed in your face. It’s going to be interesting to see where the next few months take us.
Anyway… I trust you & yours continue to be well, and we’re still on-target for that all-Manual league in February. Even if I’m shunning FIFA09 by then, I’ll come out of retirement…
Greg
I am happy that you are getting enjoyment from PES. I have been playing PES since last thursday solidly. I am 2 games short of 100 played. I re-started my ML as playing with the defaults was no enjoyment at all. I am using the Celtic players on Professional and the game is now more enjoyable. Shooting now actually hits the target, rather than hitting row Z.
As much as I like FIFA, I have played it far too much. FIFA fatigue as you call it. I am having a break for a short while against the AI.
I have to re-address my strategy playing humans as the ‘through ball’ against speed demons is killing me.
I have tried various tactic settings but my defenders are still far too high up the pitch. I can’t defend it. I play a mate on ship and he beats me every game using Inter, I need to find a team/tactic that has both strength and speed to combat this. I have to beat him then he changes his team, that’s our rules.
Manual League, I am looking forward to it. I think you will return to FIFA soon enough. As good as PES is, FIFA is head and shoulders above it in almost every-way.
The ‘through ball bug’ has never happened to me when using manual through balls on the XBOX 360. The most annoying bug for me is the inability to change kit numbers. I have a CF wearing 2 and a CB wearing 10, it’s shite to be honest taking this option out.