Accessibility
Home
Players
Evolutions
Squad Builder
SBCs
Draft
Squads
Market
News
Packs
Objectives
Token Tracker
More
Language
Platform
Theme
EA Tax Calculator

TOTSSF Martínez

 

Day 1555 of lockdown: If you had a chance to read my previous review on Alejandro Gómez, or follow me on Twitter @IVIaeday  you would have been prepared for this review to come.  Lautaro Martínez joined Gómez up front this weekend as the right ST in my 4-4-2 formation.  I decided to go with the ENGINE chemistry style in hopes of better results from my previous experience with Martínez.  If you have been following along this year you will remember that I reviewed the Future Stars Martínez and did not have great results at all.  I found the card a bit clunky and overly underwhelming compared to his statistics.  Yet, I did go with a 9.2/10 because compared to what was available at the time he was still an overpowered option, however, there are now countless quality options available and I was hoping TOTS Martínez would blow them out of the water and lead me to a successful weekend.  In the end, Martínez was the weak link all weekend in the following squad:  

 

 

 

Overall

Rating: 8.6/10
Pace Rating: 9/10
Dribbling Rating: 8/10
Shooting Rating: 9/10
Passing Rating: 9/10
Physical Rating: 9/10
Defending Rating: N/A

By now I would say it is common knowledge that players have hidden statistics and can outperform what their in-game statistics suggest is their ceiling.  With this is mind it is also common to come across cards who simply underperform.  For me, there is no greater example of this then Lautaro Martínez.  I realize I am going to get a few “you just don’t know how to use him,” or “maybe you are just bad at the game” type of comments.  But I cannot simply make up a positive review and can only record what I experienced.  One of the biggest issues with Martínez is his lack of mobility in a game that is becoming increasingly “pacey.”  Even with the ENGINE chemistry style, Martínez felt like I was turning a jumbo jet on the runway… slow, painful, and without the free onboard snacks.  All of the in-game statistics do not account for this issue, so I would say it either directly related to his stocky body type or that his statistics are simply misleading. Regardless of why dribbling is by far the biggest issue with this card and it has a spiral effect that funnels down to his other statistics.  

In the end, the results are what matters and 15 goals in 20 matches marks the first striker in a LONG time who has not been a goal per game in my squad.  I could be accused of focusing too much on Gómez but in actual fact, it was the opposite.  In my first 10 matches, I tried to really feed the ball to my review players to get the feel and full effect of their card.  However, after that point, it is too challenging to focus on individuals and win.  So it is really the second 10 matches that separate how good a player is.  Martínez had 10 goals and 9 assists in my first 10 matches … and only 5 goals and 4 assists in the final 10 as he completely went missing.  Perfect example, after a 5 – 1 win I knew Martínez had not scored but wrote his name down to record his assists, only to be completely shocked when after 90 minutes he did not contribute anything from the ST position in a 5 goal match. 

 

Linkability 

Linkability Rating: 4/5

If you are still hell bent on trying Martínez in your squad there are a number of ways to fit him in.  The Inter links are improved since the TOTS, and of course, the Gómez review touched on the various Argentinian options available to use.

 

End Game Strength

End Game Strength Rating: 3.5/5

I cannot deny that this card is not all bad, and in fact, has some amazing attributes outside of the faults.  The 99 SPRINT SPEED with Martínez is incredibly rapid and when you do get him going north/south down the pitch he can really cause issues for opponents.  Even the quickest of CB could not catch Martínez at a dead sprint.  However, the 99 ACCELERATION is only present when Martínez does not have the ball and is borderline non-existent when turning with the ball. Again this is a dribbling issue but has spiraled down to affect the pace as well.  With the constant improvement in defenders, this all but kills the longevity of this card for me.

 

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad 

Value/Coins Rating: 4/5
Good vs Bad Rating: 4/5

I realize that Martínez carries a lot of attributes and statistics that would warrant a higher price tag, and I am also sure that there are FUT Managers out there who had positive experiences with this card.  It is also impossible to deny that 99 FINISHING & 99 SHOT POWER mixed with a 4 STAR WEAK FOOT does result in some fantastic finishes.  However, regardless of your experience, to suggest that Martínez is 200k more than TOTS Suarez is laughable.  They are not even close to the same level and in the end, really show the hype around Martínez in real life has transferred to this card.

Another area where Martínez should have been unstoppable is in the physical department; 92 STAMINA being the only 8 statistics between Martínez and a perfect rating.  Honestly, there were times throughout the weekend where I thought Martínez was going to break through and really shine and his physicality was a big part of that.  But once again it came down to maneuverability as it doesn’t matter how strong a card is…  if they are constantly being tackled by the likes of Flashback Boateng, TOTY Van Dijk and TOTS Ramos they are going to lose the ball regardless.


Closing Words

I normally try and steer clear of other opinions on a card until I have completed my reviews.  I find that once I read another opinion it is hard to remain steadfast in my own experience.  However, right before typing these closing words, I decided to have a look at what is out there for Martínez to see if I am alone in my thoughts.  While I did find some positive comments … I found a lot of similar experiences and dissatisfaction with misleading statistics with this card.  In the end, I never let opinions or fear of FUT Managers disagreeing guide my process.  But I would be lying if I didn’t say I was a little relieved to know I will not get quite as many aggressive messages as I originally thought.  In the end, I will leave this review with this honest thought.  If I was to get Martínez in my red picks for rewards I would honestly just be using him for fodder in an SBC to come.  I would never build a team around this card, and he is the exact opposite of a player I would want coming off of my bench late in a match.  If you haven’t figured it out by now you probably didn’t read this, but he gets a big fat NO from me! Cheers for reading.
 

 

Game Stats:
 

 

 

Game Highlights:

 

Latest Articles on FUTBIN
Top Rated
New
Controversial
Show comments