Reviews

I played 2 games of rivals with him, and that was enough for me to tell you that he is the best icon cdm in the whole game (excluding cms and cams etc... so like no gullit and vieira). He is the perfect cdm, insanely fast, a god at defending, mad strong. Short enough to be agile and quick, great short passing and even just to top it off u can do long shots with this monster. 3* sm is a bumber, so for me he could never be MY perfect cdm but he is truely a god. I haven't tried but 100% sure he'd be amazing at cb.

Full disclosure, Michael Essien is my favorite player of all time, however I am determined to prevent that from affecting this review. Lets begin:

The greatest attribute this card has in it's favor is it's versatility. Fully embodying the Gullit Gang life style, the 4* WF, High/High work rates, and in game size allow him to play basically wherever you want him to. Simply slap a new chem style on him, and he's a whole new player. Many pros play him at CB, which I have experimented with and I think that may be the position he plays best. Being my favorite player, I like him on the ball a bit more so I play him box to box and he's fantastic. He also can play stay back CDM really well too, but I think for his price you are better off utilizing him as B2B or CB.

Offensively: His athleticism and work rate means he is always present for my build up, and can break loose if left unchecked. On ball he is more than adequate, but if skill moves are a big deal for you then he may not be you guy (at least as B2B). His passing is overall pretty solid, but miss-hits the occasional through ball. The best part of his offensive game is shots from outside of the box that will absolutely bring the house down. He has forced me to leap from my seat more times than I can count. Coincidentally he is underwhelming, I'd give him a 7/10 there. I'd say maybe the biggest concern for him offensively are his volleys. For whatever reason (not sure if this is due to his low finishing, or his mediocre volley number) he has really bungled some volley chances. He is not a poacher in that sense.

Defensively: There really isn't nearly as much to say here. Insane positioning, he is insane on ball, never gets out ran or out hustled. He'll strip the ball without even instructing him to do so. Terrific with auto-blocks. There is a reason pros play him at CB. Literally no flaws.

Conclusion: If you have any holes in your lineup that aren't ST/CF/LW/RW he can fill it. This card is expensive, so you may not think the price justifies an off-chem CB, but I would still encourage you to acquire him because he is so much more. Long live the Bison!

You know when sometimes, you just can't decide which fantsay book or TV you want to buy the most? Well, i was facing the same dilemma having to choose on which top tier moments sbc to splash my fodder on: Dalglish or Essien. And then I thought: well, Kenny is 250k more expensive than Essien and I could do to upgrade my midfield (88 Curtis Jone and 89 Vidal). And my oh my did I not regret doing that moments Essien sbc. He is lade from the same gold of most of these top tier icon midfielders. The brilliant pace combined to his superb strength make him an absolute buffalo running wild around your opponent's team. Trust me, anyone wishing to get past that great wall of China will have a living nightmare because Essien will not leave any breathing space for an opposing player. His stamina is world class and his tackling ability is second to none. He is an absolutely phenomenal card, that I'd recommend you play in a 2 midfielder formation with him sitting there as a cdm, cutting off supply lines and harrassing the ball carrier. And, less but not least, his passing is also pinpoint. Just rush to do this sbc, cause, honestly, I don't see any midfielder now or in the foreseable future pushing this lad out of your team. He is just endgame

He is without any doubt the best cdm icon in the whole game, he interrupts nearly every pass of the opponent and wins so many duels compared with his unbelievable stamina he's a 90 minute beast. I played him for two weekendleagues and a few rivals games and hes was just class. I only spent like 150k on him and it was totally worth it. If you can make most of the SBC out of your club he'll probably cost you like 150-250k, and that's a really fair price. So make him and have fun with him!!!

My guy Essien is absolutely cracked! He does absolutely everything! He can defend, pass the ball, dribble past oponents in some cases and even score when needed! As I said, he is an absolute beast! For those who like team press, Essien is what you need!