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Prime ICON Butragueño

 

For back to back weeks we dive into the world of ICONS for a review of the former Real Madrid frontman Emilio Butragueño Santos.  When it was suggested I give 92 rated Butragueño a run out in Weekend League I will admit that I was both excited and nervous given the qualities of this card.  The coveted 5 STAR WEAK FOOT was always going to be a selling point, yet it was the Pace, Dribbling, and Shooting base stats that really made me feel this was a player I would enjoy.  Of course you cannot overlook the fact that Butragueño is one of the smallest, usable players in FIFA 19.  You have to take the good and bad here as the small player architype leads to quick turns, and slinking runs; but also leads to near impossible headers along with poor strength on and off the ball.  In the end it would come down to the Weekend League grind to determine the value of this card.
After some success last weekend with the 4-2-3-1 formation (the squad in the picture is in-game) I decided to go for round two and utilize this setup yet again.  The lack of any competition as an out and out striker in my squad meant that Butragueño would be leading the line by default.  I had thoughts of trying him as the central CAM but the Spaniard’s success early on meant that he would be a mainstay up front for the entirety of my review.  Initially I played around with the idea of the HAWK chemistry style to max out the pace of Butragueño, but with pace to burn already I had to go with the appealing shooting statistics of FINISHER.  El Buitre (The Vulture) was the goal machine in the following squad:
 

 


Pace & Dribbling


If my introduction to this card didn’t already give it away, I will start by saying that this card’s mixture of 95 ACCELERATION & 93 SPRINT SPEED are the perfect ingredients for a rapid player.  Butragueño flies around the pitch and the quickness after his first touch is incredible.  Similar to R9 the pull away speed of this card is not 100% perfect but he has more than enough go to get the job done.  On the ball does not affect the pace of Butra at all and it is the impressive dribbling stats on this card that are at work here.  89 COMPOSURE is the only sub 90 category you will find in the dribbling statistics of this card and the result is a wizard on the ball.  3 STAR SKILLS will be off putting for many FUT Managers but as someone who relies on quick turns and changes of direction this card was a dream for me.  He is able to turn inside a phone booth with two defenders surrounding him, place a collect call, and come out unscathed with the ball… if you can’t already tell I really, really enjoyed the dribbling on this card.   

Pace Rating: 9.4/10
Dribbling Rating: 9.7/10 (3 STAR SKILLS)

 

Shooting & Passing 

I have already mentioned that the FINISHER chemistry style was my go to for this review and in my mind it had the biggest effect on these two categories.  The Good: If you exclude the 93 rating for PENALTIES, the two WORST shooting stats on this card are 97 POSITIONING & 97 VOLLEYS.  It is a beautiful sight to see the 99 FINISHING, SHOT POWER, & LONG SHOTS on this card; and even more beautiful watching the ball flying past the outstretched arms of the keeper into the top bin.  Oh ya… and he has a 5 STAR WEAK FOOT so feel free to let it fly from anywhere with either foot.  The Bad: For how impressive the shooting statistics are on this card, the passing is the exact opposite.  I mentioned FINISHER has an affect here and of course the reason is that it does not boost passing at all.  The passing on this card is a low point and while he can play the ball from point A to point B, it is not without hiccups and definitely not as effective as the better passers I have reviewed. 

Shooting Rating: 10/10
Passing Rating: 7.5/10

 

Physical & Defending

Remember when I said Butragueño flies around the pitch?  While this is often at pace and on the ball, there were other moments when El Buitre took flight.  Say … when Van Dijk, Ramos, or really any other defender laid a hand on him; Butragueño would launch himself away from the ball and end up in a heap somewhere on the pitch.  While he does dust himself off and dazzle with his prowess on the ball, this card truly is a featherweight, even with the FINISHER boost he is weak, and maybe even worse than other smaller players I have used.  The saving grace is of course the pace and dribbling that allows you to avoid these challenges, but once you are in them it is game over.  Additionally, the height on this card makes heading the ball a fruitless challenge and to make matters worse he wanted to be on the front post on all of my corners.  I told him to get away from the front post but he waved me off and did it anyway, there is an impending find coming any day now.  

Physical Rating: 6.5/10
Defending Rating: N/A

 

Final Score

Final Rating: 9.2/10

There were times during this review where I was in love with this card.  Inside the foot curlers, outside the foot laser beams, long shots, chips, left foot, right foot, it doesn’t matter they all fly in.  The pace and dribbling on this card is fantastic and he generates a lot of excitement on the ball.  How did he get away from those challenges? How did that find the roof of the goal?  I won’t lie this card is a good one if you need some motivation for the game as he truly is enjoyable.  For me this card is a 9.6/10 in my hands because he does the things that I rely on for wins.  However, if I am more realistic this card does have some deficiencies that most FUT Managers (especially “skillers” or of course people who like a big strong striker) cannot overlook.  In the end my rating takes into consideration the physicality and passing of this card despite my desire to turn a blind eye and focus on the bangers I scored this weekend.  Cheers for reading.

 

 

Game Stats:
 

 

 

Game Highlights:

 

 

 

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