FC 25 95 Team of The Season Isak Player Review - Cop or Flop

The much anticipated Premier League TOTS came flooding into packs this weekend and perhaps it was all of those saved packs, or maybe just a missing PlayStyle or statistical improvement, but the prices were immediately down to a ridiculous level.  Of course at this stage in the game cycle the packs are almost limitless and cards have all fallen constantly for months, but I do not recall a past Prem. TOTS where a card of Saka’s quality was only 150k after a few hours.

With that we were faced with almost the reverse of our usual challenge where getting the sweet spot for prices and popularity across numerous cards causes the headache… In this case we were left with really only a few choices that essentially made up our minds for us.  Alexander Isak has been a standout performer this year and vaulted himself into the conversation with the best strikers in world football. The TOTS selection here is more than warranted as are the crazy combination of PlayStyles and statistics.

Still rocking the 4-2-1-3 which allowed Isak to take center stage and lead the line into battle.  While it would have made zero sense to give him any alternate positions given his role at Newcastle, it would still be nice to have the option and play him out wide, but yet again all of the choices were made for us.  In the end the only real question came in the choice of Chemistry Style with the HAWK & MARKSMAN both looking like equal standout options.  Thankfully we had nothing but time and so it would be a 3 match testing of each to hopefully come to a solid conclusion of which route to take.  With that everything was set to see how well the big swede could lead the line all weekend long in the following squad:

Rating: 9/10

With two 1-0 rage quits to start off the weekend it took some time to get 6 matches worth of gameplay completed, but the answer to the question of Isak’s ability to lead the line was almost immediately and frequently answered with an overwhelming, “Realllly Well”.  This card is a force in the middle of the pitch and one of the only cards that comes close to Flashback Ronaldo in terms of overpowering the opponents' backline.  CR7 can burn defenders for Pace, out jump them in duels, and fend off challenges with his strength and running… Isak was similar, and dare I say, better.  The 17 goals in 6 matches is about all of the proof you need, but diving into the details paints a better picture of the masterpiece Isak produced this weekend.  

Main Statistic - Shooting

Shooting Rating: 10/10

Weak Foot: ★★★★★

PlayStyles: Finesse Shot Plus, Low Driven Plus, Power Shot, Trivela, Power Header

With just the CHIP SHOT away from the perfect sextet of Shooting PlayStyles it was clear that this card was going to be quality in front of goal.  If anything missed chances were more down to user error and not choosing the right weapon for the job.  If I am nit picking I would have really liked the CHIP SHOT addition as I feel they simply counter the rushing out keepers more effectively… But all in all Isak gives enough options that you should score in quality situations.

The combination of FINESSE SHOT and LOW DRIVEN Plus is a personal favorite and therefore was always going to feel incredible in game.  Whether you go with the HAWK or MARKSMAN the 99 FINISHING, 99 LONG SHOTS and 99/98 SHOT POWER was never going to be a let down either.  5 STAR WEAK FOOT rounds it all off and what you are left with is a goal scoring machine with a variety of weapons.

Again it is the embarrassment of riches that truly puts Isak at the top of the striker pile at this stage in the game.  The 97 JUMPING & POWER HEADER combination was also put to the test this weekend and passed with flying colors (pun intended).  After a few successful trials I did find myself putting in a few more crosses than usual this weekend, and if anything just gave opponents something else to think about when working down the wings.  All in all when put into the right areas Isak will deliver the goals more often than not and certainly helped my Weekend League success.

Value/Coins

Value/Coins: 5/5

I hesitate to comment on this section every week as the prices continue to go lower than I ever thought possible.  With Isak sitting at 2 million coins you start to get into the conversations of whether or not he can hold his own with the likes of TOTY Pele & TOTY Henry… And I guess my answer after this weekend is, yes he can.  While a little lower in overall statistics I would say that Isak’s 5 STAR WEAK FOOT over Pele and LOW DRIVEN Plus over Henry keeps him about at their level and you still have the all but guaranteed drop in price as the weekend continues.  He is costly… But quality.

Good vs. Bad 

Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

The list of attributes continue and feel as good as they look…

+ With either 99 or 97 SPRINT SPEED, RAPID Plus, and the CONTROLLED or CONTROLLED LENGTHY AcceleRATE, there was never a question of whether or not Isak would be up to speed with the ridiculous power curve that currently exists in the game.   The major question was always going to be the 94 ACCELERATION and the lack of the QUICK STEP PlayStyle… Throughout the review I do not remember a moment where Isak felt or turned sluggish and would largely suggest it is a non-issue.

+ The Dribbling is certainly an area where the Chemistry Styles might come more into play with the MARKSMAN offering a small but notable boost to statistics.  Yet there really was not a notable difference and Isak simply felt fantastic on the ball.  Some managers might miss the 5 STAR SKILLS and this accounts for the 9/10 rating, but for me he was a left-stick-dribbling dream on the ball.

+ I mentioned the similarities to CR7 already and from a Physical point of view there is no card that I have used that feels more similar.  The 94/98 STRENGTH on a card with this size and body type would already cause enough issues, and then you add in the PRESS PROVEN & FIRST TOUCH combination that aid in shielding the ball so well… What is left over is a complete monster up top with the ability to turn and create counters or hold up the ball despite the chaos created in the middle of the pitch.  Outside of the Shooting display, this was where Isak shone the most in my eyes.

One small crack in the armour of this Swedish warrior...

- The Passing with Isak is fine as the 86 SHORT PASSING & 88 VISION consistently found their targets with the Pace and Physical attributes aiding in creating the space to do so.  However, in the tighter areas of the pitch where a pin point pass was required to break down my opponents back line, Isak failed to deliver on numerous occasions.  I really should have thought of this before, but the ARCHITECT actually looks insane on this card as well, without really taking too much away from what the HAWK & MARKSMAN offer.  The single assist in 6 matches is proof that the statistics, and perhaps more importantly the lack of any Passing PlayStyles, really does leave Isak as an out and out goal scorer.

Closing Words

If Isak’s price settles below the 2 million mark, which I would expect it too sooner rather than later, then the conversation for cards in that price range is entirely different with Isak as the standout option.  As previously mentioned I would suggest that he holds his own with even higher priced cards given the card quality in game.  If you are a manager who has had success with CR7 and are having any difficulty replacing him then I would 100% recommend a test drive of this card.  If you avoided the CR7 SBC but are terrorized by him every weekend, perhaps this is your chance at some retribution in the coming weekends as well.  Maybe not every pass finds its mark, but the ball defintely found the back of the net throughout this review… Add him to your list of must try options.  

Hoping you are well.  Cheers for reading.