TOTS Frenkie de Jong

This week the Serie A TOTS was accompanied by the release of the Ajax TOTS with a few Eredivisie players sprinkled into the mix.  The allure of Frenkie de Jong was too strong to pass up and so I created a team around the Dutch whiz kid and of course Alejandro Gomez who I reviewed earlier in the week.  Perhaps the biggest issue that I had with de Jong all weekend was where do you play this card?  In a 4-2-3-1 this weekend I played de Jong as a CDM during which he bossed the midfield and won the ball back countless times hunting it down like a dog; during the limited minutes I played him as a CAM he created and scored goals in difficult matches; and finally as a wide CAM he utilized his excellent distribution skills to break open defenses at will.  A truly all-action card, Frenkie can do the lot:

Final Score

Final Rating: 9.5/10

I almost feel like I should be breaking this rating down by the qualities that de Jong possess in each of the positions I tried him, the tiny intricacies in the statistics of this card make him a viable option across the board.  Without the time to dive into every position, it is worth a comment that I could not separate the best position to play de Jong.  Even a scroll through the FUTBIN forums and Reddit results in the constant question of where to play this card? Followed by 15 different responses, including position and formation, and all with the guarantee that he is excellent.  I truly feel that some cards become a victim of their own quality.  If de Jong had terrible Defending statistics, everyone would play him as a CAM (maybe CM) problem solved.  If his Shooting was higher (although he does boast 99 SHOT POWER & 99 VOLLEYS) he would be a guaranteed CAM.  Not so strong on the ball = definite CDM.  Alas, de Jong has all of these positive traits and therefore the inability to “place him” in any one position almost devalues his worth in the minds of FUT managers.

Link-ability

Rating: 4/5

Honestly, the excessive inclusion of Ajax players in the TOTS makes me feel like de Jong can fit into any squad.  I have had this category at a 4.5 about 10 different times and as I write I continue to erase the .5.  Even the Dutch links are excellent at this point in the game cycle and with 90% of FUT Managers utilizing a version of Van Dijk it just gets stronger.  However, I will stay with the very strong 4/5 for the sake of lacking a top 5 league.

End Game Strength & Value/Coins

EGS Rating: 4/5
V/C Rating: 5/5

The excitement around Ajax this year and their amazing crop of young talent just cements their relevance in FIFA 19.  I will not lie, it is 100% why I wanted to try this card out for the weekend.  They truly play the beautiful game and makes me want to use them in, well … this game.

A simple glance at the levels this card reaches in terms of statistics brings de Jong in line with the likes of TOTY Modric.  I do realize that he is well short of the in-game statistics Modric has, but at the same time, the amount of high-quality categories does reveal some similar qualities.  I use this comparison to justify my 4/5 for end game rating because you never see TOTY Modric in many teams, which doesn’t bode well for de Jong.  But from a value/coins standpoint, perhaps the reluctance to use Modric comes from his 3 million coin price tag, and a more reasonable 575k for de Jong will have managers willing to give this card a chance.

Uniqueness

Rating: 3/5

Hard to call this card unique with the flash flood of blue Ajax options.  As mentioned in the previous category his base statistics do separate de Jong from a lot of other options in FUT.  But even the release of the Donny van de Beek SBC is a solid reminder of how many options are going to be close and similar to the cards we are getting now.

Good vs. Bad & Closing Words

G/B Rating: 4.5/5

Is it bad that I can’t figure out the best place to play de Jong?  I actually think so.  When you have the “right card” for the right job it just clicks in FUT.  While some managers praise cards that others can’t stand you still stand by what you know. For me, I still do not know everything about de Jong as a card and I might even take a run at him again this weekend.  He is undoubtedly quality, and I highly recommend him for any of the positions I utilized him in this weekend… but it kills me that I cannot sit here and say use him in ________ position with ________ formation and he will be a juggernaut; perhaps some comments on my review from others will shed some light.  If I go round two this weekend with the now Barcelona man, I will write in the comments any additional information I find.  Cheers for reading.

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