Simple improvement requests for Clubs

Hi. I have over a thousand pro clubs matches since FIFA 22, including over a hundred on FC 24. That includes playing with over a dozen different friends, whose opinions I have also gauged on the topic of pro clubs. We started off getting relegated from division 9 but eventually ended up winning Div 1 titles. So I feel qualified to talk about the game mode, and give genuine sincere improvement recommendations, with the intent of generating discussion. And hopefully engaging with EA, leading to an improved Clubs, either with updates or for FC 25.

Firstly, the current divisions system is bad. I get the idea of having a variety of stress-free matches and tense showdowns, I really do. But everyone I've heard from seems to despise it. Removing relegation made regular matches basically meaningless, and promotions in the 5-or-so game stretches feel hollow when the only thing preventing you from getting back there again is a couple hours of play. It's all-in-all far less satisfying than winning an old division title, or clinching promotion, or staving relegation in game 10. Even the most casual of players gain nothing from having the "stress-free" matches, because if you really wanted to mess about you'd either stomach a relegation or go to drop-ins with your friends instead. The solid sense of achievement behind winning a Div x or Div y title has been lost as well. Furthermore, it's grossly inhibiting to all the people that have or will soon reach elite division and then have nothing to play for, for the rest of the YEAR. The playoffs are an interesting concept, but I think everyone agrees it would be much much better if they were incorporated into the classic, 10-tier, 10-game, promotion-relegation divisions system.

The most pressing issue really is the gameplay, and the aberrations that clubs brings. It's hard to make a simple fix when you can't just tear up the games physics to accommodate the one mode. Right now from low level to elite div, teams will spam early and late crosses in the box in the knowledge that AI CB's have no hope of competing, to create quick and easy goals. And of course, LB+Y counter-attacks. Why is this a problem? Partially because it's mundane and repetitive, but mostly because it only takes 1 player to cross the ball, and 1 player to head it. The entire purpose of clubs is to create team play with all of your friends actively engaged and trying to contribute. In a long-ball/cross meta, you are destroying teamwork, camaraderie, engagement and creativity. You're not making innovative passing plays or ingenious multi-faceted movements, you're not making brains tick or potential for teammate interaction. It even prevents the defending team's attackers/midfielders from really getting involved in trying to win the ball back. If there was a long-ball/cross meta in FUT, then sure, but in Clubs it goes against the very nature of what the mode should be.

So whats the solution? I'd say increasing the pace and jumping of all AI defenders. It's an imperfect band-aid, but would change the culture of the game in a great way. I'm not saying eliminate crosses and long balls entirely, I'm just saying they should be de-throned as the king of chance creation in a mode which should epitomise all-encompassing team play.

I also feel like taking excessive long shots falls into that category. If long shots are too strong, then it actively discourages teamwork to create better chances, and devolves the game into making a single person with 97 shooting tap the B button. But it would be harder to implement a nerf here without changing the fabric of the game. And I think this opinion is a bit more controversial.

Replacing the warm-up arena excerpt before matches with cutscenes was a step backwards. You are replacing moments of interactive gameplay, with moments of static emptiness. They are cool to watch once, but after a few times its so repetitive and adds literally nothing. Does the average clubs player play more than 5 matches per year? If so then I'd vouch they'd get more value from a warm-up arena than some skippable animations. Ideally there would be a shared warm-up arena where you can practice moves with mates on the same field, but obviously thats a huge technological leap and I want to keep this to simple down-to-earth changes.

Drop-in matches are a complete cesspool. Half of the people take them seriously, and the other half just spam-request the ball and perform fatuous skillmoves and throw the game. Hey, if I ever do a drop-in game, I'm one of the latter - I'm not gonna see any of these people again, why should I watch them mess about with the ball when I could be doing the same?

But Drop-in mode is actually very salvageable. With crossplay now, there is easily a large enough playerbase to partition Drop-in to 2 different modes: Competitive and Casual. Competitive has ranks or ELO or skill rating that goes up or down based on match outcome and perhaps match rating, incentivising everyone to take it equally seriously, and potentially revitalising the mode with a competition element. Casual can remain for practicing/messing about. I believe this would fix the current contrasting attitudes in Drop-in games that currently dominate and devastate the mode..

I think Playstyles have been a success, a feature that has genuinely improved Clubs. But to expand, wouldn't it be nice if you could give a Playstyle+ to each AI on your team? It would provide an extra layer of creativity and innovation to the game, as well as making each match a unique challenge as you uncover each bespoke strength of the opponent AI.

There are basic quality-of-life changes which would go a long way. Custom match lengths for friendlies, for example. I know some leagues would love to play longer halves for their big games, and 8-min halves could even be implemented as something to raise the jeopardy in playoff matches.

And personally the aesthetic customisation lark is on the bottom of my priorities, but if the manager is going to be so prominent in cutscenes it would make sense for us to have control over their appearance (though I suspect that'll get added for next game anyway).

I appreciate everyone who reads this and gives their own takes. And I would appreciate if someone at EA would acknowledge our cries. Clubs is brilliant fun, but it has caged potential to be the best mode in any sports game.