Review - Record Breaker Milner

Another Liverpool Champions League game, another Hamez Milner assist.  Last Tuesday, Milner notched yet another assist in Liverpool’s 5-2 victory over Roma extending his total to 9 for the campaign.  In doing so Milner further surpasses the Brazilian James Milner’s (Neymar) and the Man Bear Pig’s (Rooney) previously shared record of 7.  Milner’s record setting performances earned him a Record Breaker card in the latest group of MOTM cards.

In looking at the EPL midfield options I couldn’t help but think that Milner could be the solution to some of my squad issues.  Reliance on Calcio A (hate calling it this) midfielders such as Nainggolan, FB Florenzi (God), and SMS has created endless problems for me and other players I am interested in.  I went straight to work with Milner, applying a HUNTER chem style, and deploying him in the LEFT and RIGHT CAM of a 4-2-2-2.  Milner was the engine in the following squad:

PACE

Base stats alone, Milner’s pace is the obvious deficiency.  Even with HUNTER applied you cannot get away from the fact that Milner is slow at this stage in FIFA.  If this is three months ago I am not sure it is even an issue.  But at this stage in the game Milner literally cannot keep up with the competition.  If midfield speed is a necessity for your squad to properly work then unfortunately Milner will leave you disappointed.  However, if you can look past this obvious deficiency, James Milner offers a lot more than most of the quick players I have tried.

RATING: 3.5/5

SHOOTING

Having applied HUNTER for pace, the boosts to Milner’s shooting were a welcome bonus.  Milner can crack a ball from anywhere on the pitch and it causes keepers issues.  Some players seem to have an elevation to their shots that helps allude the height of most keepers when they dive, and Milner is one of them.  Bobby Firmino and Ruud Gullit are two other cards that I have used that have both velocity and height upon striking a ball.  This puts Milner in some excellent company and his 4 STAR WEAK FOOT doesn’t hurt either.  One concern would be his finishing.  Milner is often in the right place at the right time and this opened up quite a few chances throughout the weekend.  However, he can definitely miss some open chances and my issue was with hitting the keeper, rather than missing the goal.

RATING: 4/5

PASSING, DRIBBLING & DEFENDING

In some of my previous reviews I have combined stats for different reasons, but never have I combined three.  Yet, as I sit here thinking about the past weekend with this card it just makes sense.  One of the best compliments I can give this card, is that it plays like James Milner does in real life.  He is consistent, not exactly flashy, but gets the job done.  This type of consistency mixed with a Beatles-esk haircut explains why Milner parody accounts such as Boring James Milner are entertaining.  But then you see the results of consistency; assists, tackles, possession, and goals and you start to realize that consistency is really entertaining.  It is fun when your players find the right pass and it reaches your streaking Salah rather than missing two yards behind; it is fun to dribble by players as they fly into challenges; and it is fun when your player goes into a tackle and actually comes out with the ball.  If that is the results of Boring James Milner, then I hope he keeps the Wolverine side burns till the day he dies.  I am starting to realize that it is the little things in FIFA that make me enjoy different players.  And seeing James Milner with his side burns flowing, piggy backing CR7 after just setting scoring the game winning goal, brings me more joy then it should.

RATING (PASSING): 4.5/5

RATING (DRIBBLING): 4/5

RATING (DEFENDING): 4.5/5

PHYSICAL

If the 5 base stats Milner has rated 80 overall and up, Milner’s physical stats are the most intriguing.  One 60: 68 JUMPING, one 70: 77 STRENGTH, one 80: 84 AGGRESSION, and one 90: 96 STAMINA.  If I am honest I did not look over all of Milner’s stats before jumping into this weekend’s FUT Champs.  I saw a shiny blue and red card, with crazy base stats, in the Premier League, with strong links to Salah, and I jumped in with both feet.  It wasn’t until about game 10 that I went back and looked closer at this card.  I was shocked the Milner was at only 68 JUMPING, because at 5’8 I did not remember him losing a ball in the air.  In fact he even scored a few headers along the way.  Perhaps a less central position reduced the amount of big midfielders he was jumping against?  I do not have the exact answer, but it was a welcome bonus in a position that I am normally losing aerial battles.

RATING: 4/5

FINAL SCORE

RATING: 4/5

If I had to pick a song to go with this card it would be “Steady, As She Goes” by the Raconteurs.  Milner just bobs along to the beat of his own drum, quietly making huge contributions to your squad in his own simple, “boring” way. But all memes, Twitter parodies, and Hamez jokes aside, this card is entertaining to use.  I am quite torn moving forward with my own team as I know there are slightly better options available.  However, none fit into my team as easily as this card, and none have such a well-rounded set of attributes, especially for 100k.  The price of Miner’s card has been largely effected by numerous pack openings in relation to TOTS and lightning rounds; and with that Record Breaker James Milner has entered the category of: “You might as well give it a try if you are interested, what do you have to lose.”  That is my ultimate recommendation for FUT Managers.  He is 100% worth a try; his stats and attributes far exceed the cost, and if you turn around and sell him you are looking at minimal loses.  But I should warn you, it doesn’t get any better than seeing the long lost member of the Beatles slamming home goals and then knee sliding to the corner flag, just picture a guitar in his hands. 

Cheers for Reading!

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