FC 24 92 UT Birthday Phil Foden Player Review

We are back! After some mediocre content and life circumstances have caused a brief hiatus from our reviews… it is nice to get behind the sticks again and dive into some Weekend League gameplay with a focus on the Ultimate Birthday Team 2 squad.

Before we jump into this weeks selection it is worth noting that the most recent patch has (in my mind) completely blown up the 4-3-2-1.  I would actually be interested to know what everyone reading this article is running for formations at the moment… especially if you are keeping with the 4-3-2-1… what tactics are working?

In any case it was a long time return of the 4-2-2-2 formation for me this weekend, which provided not only a nice blast from the past (if you are a longtime reader you will know it was my only formation for years), but also a big factor in my decision to review Phil Foden.  The Manchester City midfielder is a perfect candidate for either CAM in the 4-2-2-2 and with that in mind I decided to run a 6 match test… 3 matches as a LAM where the WHIPPED PASS PlayStyle would feature… followed by 3 matches as a RAM with the hopes that the FINESSE SHOT PLUS would deliver a goal scoring threat from the wide areas.

In all cases it was the MARKSMAN Chemistry Style providing the slick movement and finishing touch, as Foden delivered the standout performance this weekend in the following squad:

Overall 

Rating: 9/10

I think it is fair to say that outside of the SKILL MOVES and WEAK FOOT, PlayStyles have become everything when determining the quality and value of cards… And no the irony of choosing to review Foden (with the TRICKSTER Plus) and not performing skills myself is not lost on me.  However, the remaining mixture of PlayStyles available certainly fit my eye, as did the 5 STAR WEAK FOOT, HIGH | HIGH Work rates, EXPLOSIVE AcceleRATE, & unique body type.  In the end the quality of this card was immediately clear on the ball, while the defensive contributions grew on me throughout the weekend. 

Main Statistics – Dribbling

Dribbling Rating: 10/10

Pace Rating: 9/10

Skills: ★★★★

PlayStyles: Trickster Plus, Technical, Quick Step, Flair, First Touch 

It would have gone down as one of the most egregious errors in card design history had Foden not felt like silk on the ball… But in the end this card glides exactly like the real life magician himself.  The 98 ACCELERATION, EXPLOSIVE AcceleRATE & QUICK STEP PlayStyle ensure that Foden is out of the gates like a shot.  Perhaps my only complaint being the 87 SPRINT SPEED and the frustration that comes with gold VVD tracking down Foden while through on goal.

However, in the dribbling department there were zero complaints and zero deficiencies in what Foden was delivering from match to match.  The FIRST TOUCH/QUICK STEP combination is a favorite when receiving the ball under pressure and helps provide an outlet when trying to beat an opponent's threat.

Yet it was the overall responsiveness of this card that ultimately sealed the perfect Dribbling rating and caused my opponents the greatest headaches.  The TECHNICAL dribbling is made even more lethal by the ability to swivel on the spot and accelerate into spaces… the question would be, could Foden deliver the end product once in those spaces??

Value/Coins

Value/Coins: 5/5

92 Pace, 89 Shooting, 92 Passing, 94 Dribbling… when you take into account those base statistics you get only 6 total players… 2 of which are Ronaldinho (Future Stars & Thunderstruck), TOTY Hansen, Thunderstruck Cruyff, and Ultimate Birthday Pele.  It is safe to say that Foden is in good company and the closest in price is Cruyff at 5 MILLION COINS!!  Sitting at 1.7 million it is safe to say that this card is more than good value.

Good vs. Bad 

Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

After the previous breakdown of base statistics it was clear that this card was always going to shine from an attacking perspective…

+ The choice to go with the MARKSMAN Chemistry Style felt vindicated after about 10 minutes of using this card.  Foden benefits from the 98 SHOT POWER and combines that perfectly with the 99 FINISHING to produce some quality goals regardless of where he finds himself on the pitch.  Playing as a RAM those FINESSE SHOT Plus finishes still went flying into the top bins and offered a constant threat from the wide areas of the pitch.

+ If there is one area that PlayStyles have started to reign supreme it is in the passing department… Honestly it is to the point that I swear without them my players are borderline useless moving the ball from point A to point B successfully.  While the INCISIVE PASS is a favorite, the PINGED PASS is another must have and while the WHIPPED PASS is not a personal must have… I know that Zwe would approve.  In the end these PlayStyles are all adding additional value to the 96 SHORT PASSING, 92 LONG PASSING & 88 CROSSING that allow Foden to connect the play so flawlessly.

Just splitting hairs in the end but there were a few areas that Foden could have contributed that little big extra, but in truth it was generally smooth sailing with this card if I am honest.

- The Physical side of Foden’s card is certainly lacking the same quality you see in the other statistics.  The 91 STAMINA should be plenty but often left Foden short on enough legs to finish an entire match + extra time.  Secondly, even the +8 STRENGTH boost did minimal to enhance Foden protecting the ball and was a constant frustration throughout the review.

Closing Words

In the end the price tag is steep, but the reward is a unique card capable of contributing significantly to most squads.  The LAM and RAM experiment ends with my belief that the LAM position just suited Foden better overall.  Don’t get me wrong… The beauty of a well struck shot curling into the top bins is not lost on me, but even then there were not enough to really convince me that the RAM is the best choice.  Regardless of where you do end up deploying Foden you are taking on a fantastic and reliable card that will certainly deliver.

Hoping you are well.  Cheers for reading