IF Mahrez

A blistering performance by Riyad Mahrez last weekend was an instant reminder of just how good this lad was at Leicester during their title campaign.  I am going to be honest, as a LFC supporter I wanted nothing more than Manchester City to drop points, but as a FUT Manager, there was a small twinkle in my eyes as I watched the Algerian bag the winner against Chelsea last weekend.  I had previously purchased the 86 rated RTTF Mahrez with the feeling that Pep’s focus on the Champions League would lead to a long campaign.  Honestly, it was to flip the card, but having a need for a RW I gave him a runout and … WOW!  I knew I had to give the new and improved version the same opportunity and I was not disappointed … Mahrez was the flair extraordinaire in the following squad: 

Overall

Rating: 9/10
Pace Rating: 9.5/10
Dribbling Rating: 9.5/10
Shooting Rating: 9.5/10
Passing Rating: 8.5/10
Physical Rating: 7/10
Defending Rating: N/A

You are not misreading those ratings, your eyes are not failing, I have not lost my mind (although Weekend League is making me get there) … this card is awesome.  Behind Scream Firmino and now IF Mbappe (who I packed Sunday in a TOTW upgrade … review to come) this is my favorite card in the game at the moment.  Even in the deepest of lag it still feels like this card is gliding, and when there is no lag he is like a stick of butter on a hot pan.  I went with a HAWK chemistry style with a strength boost in mind but also reaped the benefits of 95 ACCELERATION & 89 SPRINT SPEED.  I would suggest it is a mix of the pace and dribbling stats that leads to the silky feeling with this card, he is incredibly responsive and you can feel the 94 AGILITY coursing through his veins.  Yet, none of this matters if the end product is not there, and I am happy to report it is.  4 STAR WEAK FOOT is key, 86 FINISHING is about accurate (he can miss the odd chance), and 94 SHOT POWER feels like 110.  This weekend I played a 4-4-2 and Mahrez would play 45 minutes as a ST and another 45 as the RM … making his returns even more impressive for me. 

Linkability

Rating: 3.5/5

I went with a lower rating here than I would normally use for a Premier League player.  There are many many links in the EPL to get this man into your squad, but the lack of national links and the RW position does slightly limit options.  IF Youcef Atal is currently the main option but of course is a LW and makes the link to Mahrez just as challenging.  

Current Game Strength

Rating: 5/5

This category couldn’t suit this card more.  I am serious when I say that Mahrez seemed immune (slightly) to the slower gameplay that can come with the Weekend League.  Obviously, this should not be a thing, but until something drastic changes, it is.  But if it was a perfect world and everything was always smooth and consistent than this card would be just as effective and that is why I am really enjoying this card.  Due to the nature of my reviews, I will eventually have to sell or bench this magician, but until then the rabbits will keep falling out of his hat and into the top left bin.

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad

Value/Coins Rating: 5/5
Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

80k … 80k?  Are you kidding me?  Black Friday has absolutely killed the price of this card, but in the process only raised the value for coins.  Honestly, this card has fallen into the “might as well give it a try” category.  Additionally, while I was not fortunate enough to get the red version of Mahrez, I do know some FUT Managers who did… then put the Manchester City winger into their lineups, and are now drinking the Kool-Aid along with me.
I don’t think I need to spend a lot of time explaining that the 57 Strength (62 HAWK) is an issue.  There are so many tools in his locker to avoid the problem, but it doesn’t change the frustration when it happens.  Playing alongside John Barnes this weekend didn’t do the Algerian any favors as their difference in strength was notable at least once per match.  The other issue comes with the 81 STAMINA, which I combated with 45 minutes as a ST, but as an out and out winger he cannot sustain his agile, pacey, lethal contributions for the entire 90.

In a small way, this card has ruined my RTTF Mahrez joy.  The 87 RTTF will be slightly (maybe) superior to the 87 inform and the 88 is not coming until March! (maybe). With the Black Friday Promo destroying the price of this card, it is just another reason to change directions and go with the 87 IF as a RW and bench option for the near future.  I strongly suggest that you take this card out for a spin, and in the end, you can almost definitely recover cost when the card leaves packs on Wednesday, and FUT Managers start building Weekend League squads on Thursday.  A no brainer and I don’t see how you could be disappointed.  Cheers for reading.
 

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