Rashford

 

To the tune of Andy Williams – It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year,
With the Twitch streamers yelling
And everyone telling you EA access is hereee.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.’

WE ARE BACK! Or at least for 10 hours we are … unless you have found one of the 1,000 “glitches available,” or your local game store employee wants a side hustle. Regardless of your situation, it was good to get back into the swing of things and start another year off with the FIFA grind.  Speaking of a new year…new me this year as I have jumped ship to PS4 and so the prices will match these numbers instead.  On to the game… I was unable to recreate the Mbappé pack luck from last year and so we have a more modest review to kick things off in the form of the Manchester United frontman Marcus Rashford, let’s get it started:

 

Overall

Rating: 8/10
Pace Rating: 9/10
Dribbling Rating: 8.5/10
Shooting Rating: 8.5/10
Passing Rating: 7/10
Physical Rating: 7/10
Defending Rating: N/A

A quick reminder that these ratings have to be taken in context compared to the other cards currently available.  In a few months, this card will slowly fall away in quality by comparison, but for right now this card is currently one of my favorites.  This includes my draft experience with top-rated alternatives as well, Rashford just feels built for this installment of FIFA.  While there could still be a day one patch in our near future, this card is currently a top-quality option and he has the price tag to prove it.  

 

Linkability

Rating: 3.5/5

The Premier League is always popular for starter squads and this year is no different.  Rashford is of course one of the premium options in the ST position at this point and fits easily into these setups.  However, if you are looking outside of the Premier League the lack of English options makes Rashford a tricky fit and takes away from his linkability grade.

 

Current Game Strength

Rating: 5/5

I am changing this category title based on the time in the year; if you have followed my reviews in the past this was the End Game Strength section.  I think it may be a little too early to start looking at the end game of FIFA.  Even the staunchest EA cynic would avoid using “dead game” at this point … I think.  Rashford is currently a fantastic option for any FUT Manager looking to break the lines and abuse the fact that the ‘tractor beam’ defender pace has been incredibly nerfed.  I couldn’t help but smile when Rashford was sent thru on goal for the first time… and defenders were nowhere in sight.  In a FIFA where pace seems to be a premium, Rashford is a F1 speedster amongst town cars. 

 

Value/Coins

Rating: 5/5

You get every coin worth of value for Rashford at this point in the game (70k on PS4).  I tried Rashford with both the HAWK and DEADEYE chemistry style and in both cases he was fantastic.  Increased physicality was a pick perk when using HAWK, while the FINISHING boost of DEADEYE made Rashford a goal machine anywhere around goal.  In any case, the 26 goals and an 8 assist return in 15 games is one of the best I have had in any FIFA.  Granted the teams I faced where not always to the caliber of my own, but I did play quite a few who were superior.  In all cases, the constant was the continuous return from this man and his clinical nature around goal.

 

Uniqueness

Rating: 3.5/5

For right now you are looking at one of the quickest strikers in FUT.  Rashford absolutely flies around the pitch and his 87 STAMINA does set him apart from a large number of comparable options (especially for his price).  However, I would not say anything, in particular, stands out about this card from the rest of the pack.  He is expensive, and he is quality …. about as straight forward as you would imagine.

 

Good vs. Bad

Rating: 5/5

The 3 STAR WEAK FOOT is a considerable let down from FIFA 17 and 18’s 4 STAR WEAK FOOT, and the difference was notable.  Rashford has always been a player I would say is borderline 5 STAR on his left foot, but I did notice a drop off this time around.  Additionally, I found Rashford to be quite poor in the air and did not win a lot of knockdowns during my games.  But now that we have the bad out of the way the rest of the Rashford Experience was fantastic.  Pace, goals, physically strong on the ball, quick turning (in a game where turning seems to be really sluggish for the most part), and the stamina to play at the ST, CAM, or wide positions.  Finally, the finishing boost (Hawk: 86, Deadeye: 96) made Rashford a weapon on his right foot and only slightly wanting on his left.

 

Closing Words

While my pack luck was not exactly as good as last year, I did manage to get Rashford and Lacazette to get me started for FIFA 20.  I mention this because of the comparison that Lacazette offers in terms of quality and price (Lacazette currently 40k more) to my review.  I played a 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-2-2 for the majority of this review and the rate at which Rashford outscored Lacazette was staggering.  I tried them both in a variety of roles throughout the 15 games and Rashford continued to stand above the Frenchman.  The only areas Lazazette outshines Rashford for me is a noticeably stronger left foot and a more appealing nation for links; beyond that, it was a clean sweep for Rashford.  If you are looking for a target to save coins for, look no further than the Man United frontman.  But that is all for today … man, it is so good to be back.  Cheers for reading.  

 

Game Stats:

 

Game Highlights: