FUT Freeze Allan Saint-Maximin Review

Fresh off of a couple of SBC completions it seemed only fitting to look at one of the many “in pack” options that have accompanied this promo.  It was really a toss-up between the French striker duo of Ousmane Dembélé and of course Allan Saint-Maximin.  The fact that you clicked on this review means that you will know that obviously, Saint-Maximin won out, and really it was a coin toss… along with the fact that “Gucci” linked easier to my squad and came at a cheaper price tag.  Up until now IF Saint-Maximin has remained one of my favorite cards in FIFA 21 and he often finds his way back into my squads when the chemistry allows it.  This weekend offered the chance to bring the Newcastle man into a more central position (as I normally play the IF as a winger) and Saint-Maximin led the line perfectly as the ST in my 4-4-2 and 4-1-2-1-2(2) formations.  Due to the nature of the position, I felt it was vital to ensure that the Shooting was on point; that and the already inflated Passing and Dribbling statistics made it an easy choice to go with a FINISHER chemistry throughout the weekend.  While the DEADEYE was also in contention, specifically for the passing… the AGILITY and BALANCE of the FINISHER style was too good to pass up.  Overall, it was undeniable that Saint-Maximin brought the fantastic flair all weekend to the following squad:

Starting Formation:

Overall

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

This was certainly a strange review.  I found myself questioning numerous times where I stood with this card in relation to rating.  Some stretches of matches I was certain this card was going to smash scoring records and was a nailed on 10/10. While two matches later I would be questioning if I could allow Saint-Maximin to finish the weekend for fear of him costing me Elite… planning out a review for an 8/10 flop.  Oddly enough it was not related to gameplay either, or at least not entirely, and more often than not it was a conversation about the Shooting with this card that caused me the headaches.  95 FINISHING, 99 SHOT POWER, 81 LONG SHOTS & 80 VOLLEYS with a 4 STAR WEAK FOOT should have been plenty enough to bang in the goals… Honestly, for the majority of the time, it was.  But those matches where Saint-Maximin just could not find the back of goal drove me insane!  Miss after miss, save after save, I peppered the goal with ASM relentlessly at times, only to watch my opponent score their first chance on goal at the other end… then their second… then their third. While the Finishing was generally good during the review as the 23 goals in 20 matches suggests, there was a lack of confidence on my part, and a small fear that ASM might be one miss away from costing me my next match.     
 
      

Main Statistic - Dribbling

Skills: * * * * * 
Dribbling Rating: 10/10
Height: 173cm | 5’8
Traits: Flair

The FLAIR trait is spot on in this case… Allan Saint-Maximin certainly has flair and a knack for the spectacular.  If you follow these reviews or see any of my gameplay on Twitter: @IVIaeNine, then you will know that skills are certainly not my thing.  I have a few in my locker but nothing too flashy or game breaking.  However, with Saint-Maximin I found myself experimenting with a lot of new skills and techniques as soon as I was 2 or more goals in the lead.  Truthfully this almost cost me a match or two, but I didn’t care, I wanted to score the most aesthetically pleasing goals I could and Saint-Maximin obliged on numerous occasions.  For me it is the smooth feeling of the 99 AGILITY & 93 BALANCE… the responsiveness of the 99 DRIBBLING and the power of 81 STRENGTH all combining into one free-flowing-fluid-fantasimo on the ball; an incredibly dangerous card and created a ton of chances for both himself and teammates all weekend.  So yes, those chances I was moaning about him missing… part of the issue with getting frustrated is that he created the majority of them himself with his lethal movement and dribbling abilities; leaving frustration at the Finishing a tricky set of circumstances.
 

Main Attribute - Pace

Pace Rating: 9.5/10

“I don’t have the time to sit and figure out the skill moves in FIFA.  They are too complicated and I just want to play the game.”  This was me until the end of FIFA 19 and I wonder how many FUT Managers share this mentality now?  I was convinced for the longest time that skill moves were for other people and I avoided them for years.  While I am still nowhere near where I need to be with skill moves to be finishing Elite 1 or higher… I have added a small repertoire to my locker with crazy improvements to my gameplay.  One of the basic skill moves that has risen to new heights of effectiveness in FIFA 21 is the bridge dribble.  Easily implemented and shockingly effective, the bridge dribble is a must use in my opinion.  For Allan Saint-Maximin it was devastating to opponents as his 94 ACCELERATION & 94 SPRINT SPEED mingled with the initial boost of pace to create a deadly burst into space or towards goal.  ASM was quick, was fast, and it did not matter if he was on the ball or not… there is pace to burn with this card.

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad 

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

You are paying essentially a million coins for Freeze Saint-Maximin and based on his statistics it is borderline justifiable.  In fact, when you look at the likes of TOTGS Rashford or Mbappe in these price ranges you realize that ASM can toe to toe with their skills and abilities, for the most part, finding himself in impressive company.  However, where I started to move away from a perfect overall value rating was in two areas.  One is the Passing and it is also the main reason for the 4.5/5 Good vs. Bad Rating as well.  Saint-Maximin links up the play with this Pace and Dribbling, finding ways to beat the press himself and open up the spaces for teammates.  However, when it comes time to play the intricate passes or to send the final ball through on goal, ASM is lacking indeed.  80 SHORT PASSING & 70 LONG PASSING are not great and when you apply a DEADEYE you lose the responsiveness of the Dribbling from FINISHER that I would not want to part with.  The result was 11 assists throughout the review when the potential was there for so many more.  The second issue I had with Saint-Maximin is not a tangible statistic and more a sort of feeling.  If I was down a goal late in a match… or needing to win my final match to reach my wins goal… or in a turning point match, and I needed to select one player from the 1 million coin price range, it would definitely not be Saint-Maximin.  If I want to play for fun… he jumps to the top of the pile immediately. But in a one off match that I need to win, I am going for more trusted (especially finishing) options; CR7, Dalglish & Mbappé come to mind and is ultimately why ASM received slightly lower value ratings.         
 

Closing Words

The review was quite descriptive in some areas and so I will be brief here.  Saint-Maximin gets a must try from me if only from a fun standpoint.  I just finished going over it, I am not bringing this card into a must win match… that is my experience. I can see the comments already, “how can you give a card a 9.5/10 and then say you wouldn’t use them?”  I never really said that at all.  The card is great, effective and fun and therefore is a quality option.  But for one million coins, I think the majority of us want a high impact player who is dependable and consistent… and it was the lack of consistency in Shooting and Passing that has led me to this point.  I would love to hear from those using this card on whether this is an accurate representation of their experience as well.  Overall, the card is enjoyable and you can not underestimate what that is worth to this game…  Hope everyone is safe and well.  Happy Holidays.  Cheers for reading.

Game Stats:
 

Game Highlights: