Dembélé

This review is one I have been waiting for since the start of FIFA 21; depending on how long you have been following my reviews you will know that non-inform Ousmane Dembélé was a mainstay in my lineup in FIFA 20… the ultimate super sub who I could always count on to deliver the goods late in important matches.  Given the early developments in FIFA 21, I was certain that this card would be dominant yet again and purposefully waited until the first Weekend League challenge was dropped.  And I have to say, it was worth the wait. While the 29 goals and 5 assists was an excellent return, it barely scratches the surface of the full story.  If you follow me over on Twitter: @IVIaeNine then you will know that Dembélé was pivotal to my first ever Elite 3 finish of FIFA 21 … scoring 38, assisting 10, and putting in 15 men of the match performances over the 30 game span.  Overall I think I got this one right in using the DEADEYE chemistry style to boost Dembélé as the left sided striker in my 4-4-2 formation. The passing and shooting boost is exactly what this card needed and really rounded out his abilities on the ball.  In the end, Dembélé was the silent assassin all weekend in the following squad:
 

Overall

Rating: 9/10
Pace Rating: 9.5/10
Dribbling Rating: 9.5/10
Shooting Rating: 9.7/10
Passing Rating: 8.5/10
Physical Rating: 7/10
Defending Rating: N/A

As Lee Dixon and Derek Rae so aptly point out, this lad has the big P … Pace!  93 ACCELERATION & 92 SPRINT SPEED provides some blistering results in-game and can really separate Dembélé from would be tackles.  While the sprint speed was not Traore, Mane or Sterling quick, the acceleration was on an entirely different level than what I have previously used. The 89 AGILITY & 81 BALANCE are not incredible statistics on the surface but still made for some incredible turns followed by a mind-blowing acceleration of pace that simply overwhelms defenders.  I would say 70% of the goals I scored with Dembélé involved getting the ball to his feet in and around the box and simply outmaneuvering defenders with a simple yet quick turn… no skills involved, just straight beating opponents on the turn and finding the back of the net. 
    
 

Main Statistic - Shooting
Main Attribute - 5 STAR WEAK FOOT 

Shooting Rating: 9.7/10

Obviously, it makes sense to combine this portion of the review given the connection between Dembélé’s best rated statistic and his best attribute.  The key in all of this comes from the fact that when you shoot with this card, you expect it to go in, and more often than not it does.  There is nothing worse than doing the work to break down the one-depth-Danny’s out there only to have your player flash their chances wide.  With Dembélé, those frustrations were largely relieved by the combination of 85 FINISHING, 98 SHOT POWER, and of course the coveted 5 STAR WEAK FOOT.  The way Dembélé strikes a ball is poetry in motion as the ball blasts off into the top bins… a joy to watch.

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad 

Value/Coins Rating: 5/5
Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

The easiest part of this review to write so far… 40k are you kidding me!?!?  For a card of this quality, it doesn’t make any sense even in the middle of a market crash.  I really expected a card like this to have more immunity to a drop, but down he went and so did my coins… But I don’t care because Dembélé was worth the 70k that I paid when I paid it, and after the WL, I would pay it again.

The passing. The pace. The shooting.  The trifecta of weapons required to punish mistakes and invoke rage quits in your opponents.  Dembélé really does have the perfect balance of OP attributes and scores goals for fun… but there are still some concerns to discuss.  Firstly, I really like Dembélé as a striker and plan to use him there as a super-sub as I did last year.  However, if you want to deploy the Barcelona speedster as a winger, and I think many will … you can’t, or at least not nearly as effectively as you could with better physical stats.  First is the absolutely ridiculous 68 STAMINA; Dembélé is honestly like a senior citizen, with asthma, trying to climb a hill.  At striker, I didn’t notice too many issues except in high intensity extra-time matches where he started to fade near the end … but as a winger, it just isn’t on for a full 90 minutes.  Next, if you thought the stamina was poor, the 51 STRENGTH takes poor to another level.  You simply can not let anyone get anywhere near you on the ball and as a striker, I generally achieved this, but as a winger trying to win the ball back, this is an exercise in patience.  Finally, diving into another category for a quick word on Dembélé’s passing, which is not amazing either. Although, unlike the physical statistics Dembélé does have some redeeming qualities and his 93 SHORT PASSING gets the job done.  However, he just did not have the accuracy at times and was frustrating in those final moments when the key pass just didn’t find the mark     

Closing Words

One of my FIFA favorites and I am happy to report that he is in fine flow again this year.  It has always been the shooting for me and it looks like it will continue well into FIFA 21.  I honestly feel like it is the insane 5 STAR WEAK FOOT that makes everything click for Dembélé.  The respect your opponent has to show both feet means that they can not cheat to one side and makes the quick turns even more effective.  Given the recent market crash, I think this card is an absolute no-brainer at 40k and I would love to hear how others are getting along with this weapon in the comments.  If there currently isn’t a spot in your starting 11 at least get this lad for the bench… when I bring him I know the goals will eventually come, and I feel they would for you too.  Cheers for reading.
 

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