Drawing ever closer to the end of TOTS but the Serie A TOTS squad was certainly not going to go gently into that good night.  The squad dropped with some cracked options that we will never see in our red picks and provided further options to build on our squads moving forward.  In many cases these choices can be difficult but it was really only ever going to be one man this time around, as Olivier Giroud’s Italian swan song season ended in TOTS accolades for one last time.

It wasn’t just nostalgia and sentiment that led us in the direction of the French talisman, this card looked completely unplayable on the surface and the hope was that it would all translate to Weekend League success.  The key was always going to be the “feel” on the ball with this review, and one of those cases where the quality would become clear within minutes of the first kick of the ball.

Still riding the 4-3-2-1 train and this weekend Giroud was up top conducting the movement down the Weekend League tracks.  The ENGINE Chemistry Style is not only a perfect fit for this analogy, but also looked the best option to get the most out of Giroud in game.  The LAFC-bound Frenchman led the line and dominated the air all weekend long in the following squad:

Overall 

Rating: 9/10

When I say Giroud led the line this weekend I don’t think it quite summarizes just how big of a presence this card is in game.  In a literal sense Giroud is literally huge on the pitch and with AERIAL Plus it was as simple as lobbing the ball up to the big man, heading it down, and preceding on the counter attack past my opponents press.  In a figurative sense Giroud’s presence is one that demands attention and I found my opponents distracted and allowing my other players to flourish as well… The fear that yet another whipped ball was coming into the big man provided a ton of space for cutbacks and opportunities to keep my opponent off balance.

Main Statistics – Physical

Physical Rating: 10/10

Pace Rating: 7/10

PlayStyles: Aerial Plus, Power Header, Rapid

 You “don’t wanna come at the corner king” too often but if you ever wanted a fighting chance I would suggest using this card (the Sørloth SBC isn’t a bad option either.  Giroud’s combination of a bigger body type, 193cm | 6’4 frame, AERIAL plus, 99 JUMPING & 99 HEADING ACCURACY is a borderline cheat code.  I didn’t specifically count but it wouldn’t surprise me if half of the 13 goals Giroud amassed in 5 matches were from headers, and if it weren’t for TOTY Cech there would have been a handful more.

Unfortunately when he wasn’t soaring through the air there was a slightly slower feel about Giroud that the RAPID PlayStyle and perfect 99 ACCELERATION & SPRINT SPEED simply could not overcome.  Both Lewandowski and Gyökeres are proof that the RAPID Plus PlayStyle can be enough to get the big men moving and Giroud really could have benefitted from that addition.  Thankfully, the counter to this issue is right in the big man’s locker… the 99 STRENGTH proving a formidable obstacle for my opponents defenders throughout the review.  Small side note: the 89 STAMINA without any RELENTLESS PlayStyle did leave Giroud needing a sub later in matches and especially in extra time.

Value/Coins

Value/Coins: 4/5

This is a tough call considering the 13 goals and 3 assists in 5 matches (2 of which were quits) is one of the better returns I have had from a review this year.  I mentioned Giroud’s presence already but it is 100% his best asset, he gets involved in everything and generally comes up with the goods you need to win matches.  But in the end we have to look at what is available and for what price… Having mentioned Sørloth already it is hard to look past a 70k SBC that also comes equipped with a 5 STAR WEAK FOOT… and it really is the weak foot that lets Giroud down in any value based discussion.

Good vs. Bad 

Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

Regardless of the full value not being there, it is worth noting that there is still a lot to like about this card and really no glaring weaknesses after the Pace.

+ The 4 STAR WEAK FOOT is a crying shame and one that keeps this card from a perfect Shooting rating.  The 87 LONG SHOTS are the only non-99 Rated category and those weapons all proved useful across the review and beyond into Weekend League.

+ The Passing was equally as impressive and the 99 VISION & 99 SHORT PASSING helped create an intricacy in the frontline passing that was difficult for my opponents to handle.

+ Regardless of a slower feel it was as if the ball was on a string when Giroud was maneuvering in and around the box (winning a couple of penalties for his trouble along the way).  89 AGILITY, 96 BALANCE & 99 DRIBBLING are aided by the FIRST TOUCH PlayStyle vacuuming in passes and immediately transferring them to quality touches around defenders.

Closing Words

It is always a good sign when I am typing these reviews and all I can think about is how I want to get back to some additional matches with the card we have just reviewed.  In the case of Giroud I can’t wait to see yet another header go flying into the back of the net and wouldn't mind seeing the ACROBATIC Plus put to work at some point either.  Giroud proved to be Mr. Reliable this weekend and the goal contributions speak to the clinical nature that you can expect should you decide to give the big man a run in your squad.  In the end I would never say pass on a card that delivered this consistently… But I would be looking more in the direction of Sørloth for similar contributions mixed with affordability.

Hoping you are well.  Cheers for reading