PL POTM Sadio Mané

With the announcement of the March EPL Player of the Month award I was pleasantly surprised.  All signs pointed towards a Jamie Vardy victory and I was sure he would be leading the line this past weekend.  However, I would be lying if I didn’t say that the inclusion of Sadio Mane instead was 100 times better for me.  I have used every version of Mane in FIFA 19; each time they get better and better with no exceptions for this card.

Final Score

Final Rating: 9.7/10

This card is fantastic.  Dynamic on the ball with lightning pace, incredible in the air, and just plain powerful in all areas of the pitch.  The goal total alone is worth every cent of this SBC and if you are on the edge I would dive in.  Of course the EPL TOTS is imminent and saving for an even better option is a logical choice; I just see the TOTS being incredibly expensive and out of reach for a lot of players compared to this option.

Link-ability

Rating: 4/5

Any EPL player sits in the 3.5-4 range for link-ability in my mind.  While Senegal is not a nation with a ton of FUT options, the plethora of Liverpool strong links to match with this card more than make up for his rare nation.  On the other hand, the LW/LM position is one that has a lot of options in the EPL especially and kind of hurts this category to an extent.  All in all a 4/5 seems appropriate and a left side of POTM Mane, RTTF Fabinho, SIF (soon to be TOTS) Robertson, and any VVD is about as solid as it comes.

End Game Strength

Rating: 4.5/5

My initial instinct after a 2.0 goals a game average in Weekend League was 5/5.  For me I can see this card lasting until the last day that I put down the controller for FIFA 19.  However, TOTS and Futties always provide endless options to improve teams and as a winger Mane is particularly vulnerable to these releases.  

Value/Coins

Rating: 5/5

Two things I like about the value of this card are:

1. At 350k to complete on XBOX and without crazy requirements this card is affordable.  I was dreading something foolish in the 500k range upon his release but this price tag seems fair especially when you take into account the pack values.
2. The time to compete is also acceptable and gives another Thursday rewards before you have to finish Mane.

Then just look at this card with FINISHER and it is hard to dispute the price.  99 ACCELERATION & 96 SPRINT SPEED come as advertised and this card is lightning.  99 POSITIONING is noticeable with the runs this card makes, while 98 FINISHING with a 4 STAR WEAK FOOT is lights out and he takes so many chances well.  The dribbling is magnetic as you weave through opponents and then you still have the power factor with this card… 99 SHOT POWER, 90 JUMPING, & 88 AGGRESSION.

Uniqueness

Rating: 3.5/5

I realize that not everyone is a fan of the POTM card design but I really like them.  However, not a huge fan of the dynamic images these cards have and would rather have them in game, but again personal opinion.  Not a lot of in-game content to add to this card, except I will note that he takes a rather large first touch, something that I have noticed with Messi as well. Finally, the fact that this card is an SBC and will eventually be unobtainable does add a small rarity for this card but I will stick with a 3.5/5.  

Good vs. Bad

Rating: 5/5

Strength, Power, Pace, & Goals.  Honestly, I have not enjoyed a card this much in a while and the goal totals alone are only half of it.  The AGILITY and BALANCE on this card make everything smooth and effective even when the game would slow down throughout the weekend.  This card is a threat on the counter, outside of the box, in the air, and when you play him in on goal he is leaving opponents in the dust.  As a LEFT CAM in the 4-2-2-2 (second half I would move him wider) he is a capable defender and does a ton of work off of the ball.  89 STAMINA is just enough to get 120 minutes out of the speedster as long as some of that time is spent as a ST.  The two faults I would bring up with this card are Passing and the untradeable factor with SBC players.  From a passing standpoint, this card is more than average and can play passes where you want due to his pace and ability to create the right angles to play his teammates through.  However, the lack of free kick accuracy is annoying given his power and finishing and his crossing is just not where I would like it.  In the end this card is fantastic, but in the off chance that Mane doesn’t gel with you the negative would be that you are stuck with him.  As is the issue with all SBC’s, once you submit, you have to hope they fit.  
 

Closing Words

I am normally not lost for words, but I have run out of superlatives for this lad.  If you are questioning getting him, just do it, he is top drawer quality.  However, if you are saving for TOTS than that is where your dilemma lies.  I can’t make this decision for you, nor would I dare to, but I can say that I plan to use this version for the rest of FIFA and look at other TOTS players in different areas to strengthen my squad.  That is until I see the dynamic image, 99 PACE, and mesmerizing card design of his TOTS version and end up with this POTM in an SBC.  Cheers for reading. 

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