IF Neymar

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, one of the most polarizing figures in world football, you either love him or love to hate him.  Regardless of which category you fall into there is no denying that he has some serious talent, and this talent translates well into the digital version of the Paris man.  Neymar has long been a FUT favorite and is normally a staple later in the FIFA cycle.  However, this year has been slightly different as Neymar has fallen slightly out of favor in a lot of FUT manager’s minds.  Having used the non-inform version of Neymar I can see why;  the 92 rated Neymar is one of the most disappointing cards I have trialed this FIFA.  The pace just isn’t there, his 5 STAR WEAK FOOT does not deliver consistently, and overall he frustrates given the considerable price tag.  I was immediately interested to see if the now 93 rated IF CAM version of the Paris Performer would be a notable improvement or a further waste of hard-earned coins.  Neymar was the illusionist, bamboozling defenders in the following squad:
 

Overall

Rating: 9.4/10
Pace Rating: 9.5/10
Dribbling Rating: 9.9/10
Shooting Rating: 9.6/10
Passing Rating: 9.5/10
Physical Rating: 7.5/10
Defending Rating: N/A

This weekend I decided to 100% commit to the 4-2-3-1 formation and played Lothar Matthäus in the midfield with Firmino (a deadly combination), with Werner and Mbappé providing pace on the wings, followed by Neymar in the CAM position and the vulture Emilio Butragueño up top.  With Neymar permanently in the CAM position, I went with the DEADEYE chemistry style, which offers some excellent shooting and passing boosts bringing Neymar to a 96 rated CAM overall.  In the end, the main complaints that plague Neymar’s 92 rated NIF, did not exist when using the 93 rated IF.  The reality of the comparison is that there were some decent boosts to Neymar’s individual statistics.  Time and time again Neymar delivered the goods.  Taking into consideration rage quits, problematic gameplay, and the -2 drop back that some managers have invented … 19 goals and 10 assists is a great return from the CAM position.

Linkability & Current Game Strength 

Linkability Rating: 4/5
Current Game Strength Rating: 5/5

The ever-growing amount of Brazilian options for building teams is a huge savior for Neymar in this category.  Similarly, the consistent focus on Ligue 1 during the FUTMAS promo has increased the wide range of linking options to Neymar.  These links are important when looking at the current game strength and how much of an asset this card can be when placed in a squad.  95 ACCELERATION is a key stat for this card as the 89 SPRINT SPEED is slightly lower.  Neymar releases from dribbles and turns with a lightning first step.  While 97 AGILITY and 84 BALANCE keep Neymar’s turns tight and smooth as he glides past defenders. 

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad

Value/Coins Rating: 4.5/5
Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

I will be honest, I was not expecting the almost 1.8 million coins for Neymar that was required to test this card on Friday. Even now as he sinks lower and lower to 1.55 million I can’t help but feel he is just a tad high.  However, the production from the CAM position, I think, warrants the price tag.  But in the end, I would have liked additional boosts to individual statistics from the 93 rated cards.  The performance certainly improved, but for a million coin price difference, I simply expected more.

Just about finished the meat of this review and I have not touched on the phenomenal shooting that is packed into this card. This card has just enough speed, brilliant dribbling, pinpoint passing, but more than anything, lethal shooting.  +2 boosts to Positioning, Finishing, and Volleys are a nice addition, along with +1 boosts to both Shot Power and Long Shots.  With the 93 rated Neymar, I noticed the power and finishing improvements in Neymar’s 5 STAR WEAK FOOT as well.  The weaknesses in this card all come from the Physical statistics as a lack of strength on the ball can see Neymar get bullied, and a lack of Stamina means a replacement CAM is needed to finish the match.  Some small concerns in a brilliant card.

Closing Words

As Neymar and Mbappé continue to create ample reason to be named the Ligue 1 POTM, I wonder how frustrating a POTM Neymar would be to defend.  As it stands Neymar can already twist defenders into knots, and a substantial boost can only amplify this quality.  My final words of advice come down once again to the value for coins section of this review.  Neymar has just about every quality you would want in a FUT purchase, but the truth of the matter is his price slightly outweighs his quality.  It is a small discrepancy, but one that leads me to think your coins are better spent in other areas.  In closing, however, if you are on the fence about Neymar and have the bankroll to not worry about slightly overpaying; you have been saving for a while and really want the best level of Neymar; you are needing a CAM with quality, skill, and able to produce with the ball …. Neymar still delivered results, and I believe he would for you too.  Cheers for reading.

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