Player Review

So, I'm going to be honest - I did not initially buy this card to use him. I bought him as an investment - with ones to watch around the corner and Haaland's price rising by the hour, nevermind the day, I picked him up for 147,000 earlier this week. With the packing of an untradable Bernardo Silva and a few other Premier League players in my XI though, I was able to start him on full chem, so why wouldn't I?

I applied hunter to the card. As much as engine may have been smarter, I knew that at 6'5 with his body type, he wasn't going to be dribbling very well no matter what chemistry style was used on him, so as not to polish a turd I thought I'd max out his raw pace and give him the shooting stats that some team of the season cards wished they had. And I think I made the right decision.

Because boy, can he run, and boy, can he shoot. Once he gets going he's like a freight train - there is no stopping him. With the time to get in behind a defence and get up to speed, he was able to shrug off any defender trying to stop him and power his way into an easy 1 on 1. Even if he wasn't able to make it to the pass, he had a tendency to just tackle the defender off the ball anyway, so speculative through balls to him aren't off the table. Once there, there is honestly no player in the game able to hit a power shot so well. They were practically made for him. If it didn't burst a hole in the net, it forced a corner or the sheer power of the shot rebounding caused enough havoc in the defence for a teammate to get an easy tap in. And at 6'5, a corner isn't a terrible prospect. I would also say that as much as it might look like a downside on the face of it - his 3* weak foot isn't really a bad thing. At least not for the time being, since every card seems capable of Quaresma-esque trivela shots and passes.

There are downsides, though. It's not a perfect card. While his height and body type give him an advantage at winning headers and outstrengthing centre halves, it makes dribbling and close control much more difficult. I mean, for his height his agility and balance are honestly quite good but in the grand scheme they are not. The remainder of his dribbling stats and that limiting 3* skill moves leave a lot to be desired when it comes to actually being on the ball if there's not yet a shooting chance. And furthermore to this, his passing is nothing short of woeful.

The end product in my eyes is a card which causes me some conflict. He's very one dimensional.. but he's also good at what he does. It will probably be a card that takes some time getting used to, and as much as he fits the mold of the game, it's still a game in which a lot of people will use the likes of Ousmane Dembele as a starting striker, and will not get on with this item. Strikers in FIFA have always been capable of taking on defenders with agility on skill moves to come out on top, and Haaland is obviously does not fit that mold. He can't create chances - he needs the team around him to give him those chances. But when he's given them, he will take them by the scruff of the neck.

To conclude, if you're sitting on the 200,000 coins that this card will currently set you back, I can recommend him, although many will look at cheaper options like Jota or Rashford. It may take you some effort to get used to playing to his strengths and avoiding his weaknesses, but you will succeed with Haaland. Whether it be playing with an attack who do all the work and give him a one touch goal, or playing him alongside another striker who can perform the agile moves to carve out some space for Erling, it will work out. I will say as a final point that I do not see him as much of a game changer - it is not the type of card whose gonna suddenly start clutching if it's the 70th minute and you're yet to score, since he needs a lot of the work done for him.

Anyway. thank you for reading.