Football's coming home

For the last few years Fifa games have been as copy-and-paste from the last year as the top of the Premier League table has been. However as we all know this year has been completely different, so should Fifa 17 completely change the script too? Personally I don’t think a drastic change is needed in the nation’s favourite football game. However there are some changes that I think are much needed.

In 2009 Ultimate Team powered through the weak and feeble Manager Mode

as effectively as Andy Carroll pushing through the Arsenal defence. Ultimate Team offered a completely new (and much needed) mode for football fans to sink their teeth into (I’m avoiding the obvious Luis Suarez joke there).

For many what makes Ultimate Team special is the ability to buy and sell your own players with real life people, to compete against others for the chance to clinch promotion or battle against relegation. It has added a much needed sense of risk and meaning to the matches, something that was really lacking in the flustering Manager Mode.

But has Ultimate Team now become as stale as the much lacking Manager Mode? EA introduced the Draft Mode this year in a hope to shake things up. Sure it has added a new mode which can add more excitement, but in reality it’s only really the League Cup, it’s not enough to draw football fans away from the Premier League of the Online Seasons mode.

So what needs to be changed for Fifa 17?

Ultimate Team needs an overhaul. The base formula of competition, promotion/relegation, money, and transfers all work well. But now these need to be added to. Should they introduce more ways to play – like Draft Mode? For me that’s only a short term solution that keep players coming back to play a few times. When you look at Ultimate Team it’s all about growth. Taking your initial team of unheard players and building a team of World Class players who you can use to compete at the very highest level. This is what I believe really is the draw to Ultimate Team, and football in general to some extent. I think this is something that should be built on.

One change I think we need to see is the ability to grow players and help them reach their potential. In Manager Mode you can buy a young player and after a few good games you can see their stats grow and become a better player. This is something Ultimate Team should include. Now obviously you can’t have a low-level Football League player become a World Class talent, so each player needs to have their limits. But instead of saving your money for Ozil or Silva you could buy Barkley or Ward-Prowse and make them become as good, if not better. Why not even add another mode where you control the youth team as well – have separate leagues, more youth players to buy, and a way to promote them to your senior team?

Leicester City has completely re-written the script of the Premier League. A group of not-so well known players have grown together, developed great chemistry and now are on the verge of winning the League. Ultimate Team should be able to mimmic this feeling – and the introduction of player development would really help make this happen. After all, we all want to be Leicester fans this season…especially if like me you support Portsmouth.

Do you think this is the best way to improve Fifa? Do you have other ideas, or just simply disagree with mine? Comment below and have your say!