TOTSSF Kevin De Bruyne

I think Lockdown is over now… There is always that list of footballers not playing for the team you support that you want to hate, but you just can’t.  They are fantastic footballers, stay away from controversy, and just seem like sound individuals. For me, Kevin De Bruyne sits firmly on my list.  I could watch KDB play football for hours and often tune in to City matches just to see what he will do next.  Given the amazing standards he has created in real life, he was rightly presented with a 99 overall rated TOTSSF card.  But I had serious reservations purchasing and testing this version.  94 IF KDB was one of my favorite cards at the time it was released and then I was fortunate enough to get 95 IF Moments KDB as my red pick at the end of March.  Since then I have played only 37 matches with 95 KDB as the card is one of the biggest frauds I have used this year.  I have no idea why, but he is unbearably bad.  With this terrible experience in mind, I jumped into this review with heavy skepticism.  Using the ENGINE chemistry style I deployed KDB as the box to box CM in my 4-4-2 formation.  KDB aimed to win my allegiances back all weekend in the following squad: 
 

Overall

Rating: 9.5/10
Pace Rating: 9.5/10
Dribbling Rating: 9.5/10
Shooting Rating: 9/10
Passing Rating: 10/10
Physical Rating: 9.5/10
Defending Rating: 9/10

TOTSSF KDB is the Swiss Army Knife of FUT.  Beyond GK (although he couldn’t be worse than TOTSSF Alisson) you can play this card in literally any position.  I know a few FUT Managers who swear by KDB as a ST and I have tested him there in the past with good results, he has the Pace, Defending and Physical statistics to play anywhere in the backline, and then he has the qualities to cover any midfield positions.  However, at 2.4 million coins I feel like KDB needed to shine as a box to box, all-action, game-changing midfielder to justify the lofty price tag.  98 ACCELERATION & 97 SPRINT SPEED are 100% accurate off of the ball and just about there on the ball… which was my biggest issue with the 95 rated version along with the dribbling.  Thankfully, 92 AGILITY & 95 BALANCE has rescued TOTSSF KDB and made him the magician on the ball in-game that operates in real life.  While the early impressions were good, KDB had a lot of tests to pass before he received a quality grade for this weekend’s performance.

Linkability 

Linkability Rating: 4/5

The Premier League options are endless.  The Man City options are incredibly overpowered in attack.  But the Belgian options are just not there to link to the hybrids you have in mind.  The Ligue 1 options especially are way out of the current quality of players available… and the lack of a Belgian ICON option cannot bail you out if needed.

End Game Strength

End Game Strength Rating: 5/5

The reason I tune in to be entertained by KDB is his range and vision for passing; he literally sees the impossible, imagines the probable and executes the unthinkable.  Interestingly, I found this was the case in the passing with this card all weekend. The range of passing and execution with this card is a breath of fresh air.  Regardless of the type, range, or position of passes I attempted, KDB delivered the goods and really facilitated the transitions from defensive to middle to attacking third… and he does so with a flair and consistency that is surprisingly pleasing.   

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad 

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

I wanted to be wowed, and I wanted KDB to bring a level of defensive cover and offensive contribution that justified the 2.4 million coin price tag... and I think he fell just short of those expectations.  Having used Prime Moments Matthäus for two weekend leagues I did not notice a substantial upgrade… let alone an upgrade of 700k.  I can’t deny that KDB blows Matthäus away in terms of passing, but then they split the Shooting (KDB) and Defending (Matthäus).  With a 5 STAR WEAK FOOT and near perfect shooting statistics, I thought KDB was going to wear out the netting this weekend… and while he did chip in at times, I found he missed a lot of the same opportunities that lower-rated options have missed in the past.  From a defending standpoint KDB does a job and tracks back well with his 99 STAMINA keeping the tank full all match, and in the end, he is more than capable in defense… but not nearly as reliable at being in the correct position to intercept the ball as Matthäus.  The 90 INTERCEPTIONS and 85 STANDING TACKLE were slightly underwhelming… and a SHADOW boost to solve these issues off of the ball takes away the AGILITY and BALANCE that made this card so effective on it.  

All that remains to discuss is the physicality of this card… and there is an issue in KDB’s 76 JUMPING, which joins 75 SLIDING TACKLE as the only non-80+ statistics with this card.  At 5’11 (181 cm) I thought that KDB would still be fine, and maybe having gone over the statistics before the review I was hyper-aware of the low rating… but I swear this card gets bullied in the air.  The comparison to TOTY de Jong was on display and really showed a difference in the two options.  But… that is it.  That is the only concern, and everything else is pure genius, so we still hit an easy 5/5 moving into the final words on this card.

Closing Words

Before we get out the pitchforks, I am not saying that KDB is not a fantastic card.  He is 99 rated… don’t forget … “we all saw that coming.”  And unlike Home Alone, this Kevin does not go missing and was a key contributor to my weekend league success for sure.  But I won’t apologize for saying that there are options, like Matthäus, who do as good of a job (and better in some areas), who are considerably cheaper and are easier to link in your squad.  KDB controlled my midfield all weekend, but he didn’t take over and dominate, and for the price and 99 rating I expected domination.  I was quite concerned that if this review went overly well that I might have some serious team decisions to make in order to keep him permanently.  But instead, I am happy to have used KDB and experienced the passing poetry, and now I will sell and move on going forward.  In the end… this card is class, just not the masterclass. Cheers for reading. 
 

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