Ok, I modified the gk skills in WC level to 66 for CPU and 66 for players, and this is my log of experience with my career with Atletico Madrid in Spanish league.
I was on 4th place before installing this new version of nk gameplay, out of UEFA cup after group stage (eliminated in the group with Everton, Sevilla, Standard Liegi and Brann), out of Copa del Rey (eliminated at first round by Sevilla).
1: Atletico - Sevilla 0-0
Yes, against the hatred Sevilla, who eliminated me from two competitions, I got another negative result at home with a 0 - 0. As is shown by the statistics Sevilla just defended the result, with no attempt at goal, a bad day for my forwarders and I was not able to win. Sevilla played anyway very good defending game, a very realistic defending match.
2: Altetico - Real Zaragoza 0-1
The bad period of my team follows after the previous game: I used a very offensive 4-2-4 trying to impose the greater quality of my players against the Zaragoza that played a great match with a wonderful performance of its midfielders who overcame the only two central mid I used: as is shown by statistics Zaragoza deserved the victory and the absence for injury of my best attacker, Fernando Torres, did not help my team to leave the period of negative results. Only in the last 20 minutes of game I imposed my game, but was too late. Impressive realism anyway, the delusion of Calderon (Atletico stadium) peoples was clearly perceived by the sounds of the crow at the ending whistle. Time to change the formation.
3: Celta de Vigo - Atletico 1-0
Time of definitive chrisis at Atletico: I lost a match played almost completely at the midfield: a lot of fouls and hard contrasts but no great occasions to score for my team, even if I changed some men on the midfield again. The absence of Fernando Torres is a great handicap for Atletico and the Vigo in general deserved the victory with a cautios match after scoring in the first half of first half of the match. Excellent realism anyway, the game is very hard now and I have to ponderate the modifications to team and tactics to win. I received a first warning by society: from 4th place I was now at 7th. But Fernando Torres seems ready to play even if not at 100% of his form.
4: Atletico - Xerex 1-0
The calendar of the Liga helps my team recovering its form with a match against one of the worst team of the Liga of this season. I opt for an offensive formation (4-2-4 again) with the return of Fernando Torres: I absolutely have to win this match and I know it. At 60' finally the goal come: Matias Kezman is able to score after a long-distance shot by Carlos Alberto, the brazilian midfielder I bought in the January market. I changed then the formation from the 4-2-4 to 4-4-2 and I try to play on counter-attack. A couple of minutes after the goal a defender of Xerez did an hard foul on one of my midfielders and is sent off; playing 11 against 10 I have a lot of possibilities to score in counter attack but the lack of precision of Torres and Kezman did not make changing the result: very good pression by Xerez in the last 30 minutes with many attempts, anyway the victory is deserved even if I could have done better against Xerez in 11 vs 10. Anyway three points are a good medicine for the bad situation of the team. The team breaths again and the most important match is coming: against the incredible Barcelona.
5: Barcelona - Atletico 1-1
Having recovered Fernando Torres at his full form the most important match of this period is coming: against an incredible Barca that is coming from an impressive series of 8-0-0: 8 victories, leading the Liga with authority. I opted for a 4-4-2 with the tactics of wing-based game, trying to avoid to play against the wonder midfield of Barca. I did a suprise move putting in the starting formation a young 19 years old argentinian player I bought in winter, Sosa from Estudiantes La Plata, a young promise for the project of Atletico: even if he is a central offensive midfielder I make him playing on the right of my wings trying to use his pace and dribbling of a talented 170 cm player. I putted a man of my midfield, Carlos Alberto, on Ronaldinho trying to stop the number of assists of the Barca. The game started and after 15 minutes Sosa did a great dribbling progression on the right, entered the box and shoots a great shoot at goal: full bar! and Puyol shoots out on corner kick. Great start. The match goes on and I am able, playing a lot on the wings, to avoid the match going on the center of the field: Carlos Alberto did a couple of very bad fouls on Ronaldinho trying to intimidate him, and while he's of course incredible in his half of field, I'm able to don't make him playing too much in attack; Eto'o did not receive any playable assist. End of first half: great shot of Petrov, my bulgarian left wing: the keeper is not able to block the ball, Kezman, extremely fast, is able to head the ball inside the net: goal! I'm winning 1-0 at Camp Nou, the silence of the stadium is pure adrenaline. I wait for a Barca strong reaction, but it did not come: I keep playing on the wings and I still have the monopoly of the match: a strong intervention by Puyol breaks again Fernando Torres that has to leave to match due to injury, again! On the second half the match keeps these characteristics, but Ronaldinho and Deco started to dominate the midfield through the center, Motta comes in for Xavi with fresh energy and I start to make some substitutions: Luccin for Carlos Alberto in the mid for new energy; I changed the tactics from wings to counter-attack trying to use the spaces the Barca is beginning to create. But at 79', Pablo, one of my central defender, did a mistake with a wrong pass at the center of my defence: as I see the ball arriving to the foot of Eto'o I feel that is gonna be a goal: he will not waste this opportunity and finally has a playable ball. Goal: a precise shoot at the angle leaves no possibility for my gk to block the ball. Barca did not deserve the 1-1 but you can't give these opportunities to a player as Eto'o. I try to start again with my style but Barca closed its defense and there is no way to have more possibilities. I was waiting for a more impressive Barca due to its results, but it's a very concrete team and seems like they want preserve the 1-1. And so the match ends with a bit of delusion; anyway an 1-1 at Camp Nou is an excellent result and my team shown a good performance. The bad new is that Fernando Torres is heavily injuried: season end for him; maybe I maked him playing too soon, who knows now how my season will go on.
The details of the Liga are the following, with still 12 matches to play:
I'm at 7th place, loosing the contact with the 4th I had (indeed NK gameplay transformed the game in an harder experience): my only hope is that Deportivo La Coruña will have a negative period to hope in a Champions League preliminary for next season, while I absolutely have to reach the hatred Sevilla, the real enemy of this year.
So, much more hard experience indeed since NK gameplay, but wooot, how much satisfaction and realism: now I have to study good formations, tactics, and marking, and every match is different from the previous.
So, in conclusion, and regarding NK gameplay: excellent work, I'll suggest it again for CEP users, BUT it's absolutely necessary, from my point of view, that you remove the difference between human and CPU goalkeepers quality: there is no need to lower human GK to 30, as you can see from my log game is extremely hard without this little sort of "cheat". Anyway thanks a lot for your gameplay patch
