TOTS Carrasco Review

They say that first impressions are everything and this was never more true than with cards in FUT.  We have all been there… or at least I have.  You try a card, it is poor, you sell, life goes on.  You open Twitter, rave reviews, wonder what happened, go back.  Take two, the card actually feels good, you use it more, you are in love.  Maybe this is only my experience, but it happens more times than I would like to admit.  Of course during these reviews there is no out.. I have to use them for 20 matches.. and with Yannick Carrasco I was certainly happy I did.  If you read my last review, follow me on Twitter: @MaeNine_ or have checked out the latest YouTube videos at channel: MaeNine then you would know that this review was coming.  What you wouldn’t know is that this was originally planned as a review using Carrasco as a striker.  For three matches I played the Belgian alongside Suarez…  and for three matches I cursed his name as chance after chance didn’t materialize at Carrasco’s feet.  Truthfully, I was about done with Carrasco at this point as he just didn’t feel like he had it.  The ENGINE chemistry style (and even the FINISHER that I tried later) make this card look like an absolute nightmare to deal with.  But instead Carrasco felt like an easy touch for defenders and opponents to keep quiet across 90 minutes. Thankfully, there was a shift in focus after three matches as I placed Carrasco as the RAM in my 4-2-2-2 and at this point everything just clicked.  Carrasco turned out to be the wide-mid-maestro for the remainder of the weekend in the following squad.    

Starting Formation:

Overall

Rating: 8.5/10
Pace Rating: 9/10
Dribbling Rating: 9/10
Shooting Rating: 8/10
Passing Rating: 9/10
Physical Rating: 7.5/10
Defending Rating: N/A

Certainly not to the levels of TOTS Mount out wide, but at the same time was not a passenger during matches.  Carrasco was a consistent contributor to everything that went well with this weekend’s wingplay and ended up with a decent contribution across 20 matches.  Once again, we are dealing with a card that has serious quality in a lot of areas, while at the same time minimal weaknesses to note.  In truth, the major issue I really had with Carrasco was that none of his statistics or abilities really jumped out as being fantastic.  This lack of stardust is certainly the difference between the highest tier players and in the end just excludes Carrasco from those lists. 

Main Statistic - Pace

Pace Rating: 9/10

While pace is definitely a key strength with Carrasco, it is also a perfect example of where he falls short compared to elite players.  With 99 ACCELERATION & 99 SPRINT SPEED you would expect Carrasco to be blistering, causing issues and stretching defences … and while Carrasco is no slouch for pace, he is certainly not a speedster either.  From here on in you will start to notice this trend developing with this card and this review. Cases where Carrasco is good, sometimes even great, but never fantastic.    

Main Statistic - 4 STAR SKILLS

Dribbling Rating: 9/10
Strength Rating: 7.5/10
Skills: ****

181cm | 5’11 with a Lean Body Type… 4 STAR SKILLS with 99 AGILITY, 91 BALANCE, 93 BALL CONTROL & 99 DRIBBLING … these are the combinations that create demon strikers that everyone quakes to see in opponents squads. Yet again,  I feel like a broken record in pointing out that Carrasco does not have the slick responsiveness of a FUT Bday Atal or the wizardry that I experienced with TOTS Suarez.  As a striker in the heat of battle surrounded by my opponents 15 defenders dropped back behind the ball while he controlled FUT Bday Sanches, I was not happy with Carrasco’s dribbling. True.. his surprisingly poor 73 STRENGTH was an issue… but outside of that he simply lacked the guile to really break down opponents and was becoming a problem.  However, out on the wing, in a bit more space, in a one on one situation, Carrasco was a nuisance for opponents and set up a lot of dangerous opportunities after brilliant play from the wide areas.  

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad 

Value/Coins Rating: 4.5/5
Good vs Bad Rating: 4/5

250k seems like the perfect price to pay for a great card at this stage in FUT.  7 goals and 4 assists from the RAM position is a healthy return and speaks to the positive involvement Carrasco played in our success.  However, you can’t overlook the fact that Mason Mount is currently 215k and for me would perform better in every single position on the pitch.  I realize that the 3 STAR to 4 STAR SKILLS is a big enough gap to justify the price tags… but just the feel and quality of the two cards has Mount leading the way of the two in my books.

With such a well rounded card you are not going to find a ton of outstanding negative attributes or experiences.  For me, the 95 SHORT PASSING, 87 LONG PASSING & 91 CROSSING became all the more important out in the RAM position, and Carrasco delivered the quality throughout the weekend.  There is something to be said about a player that simply passes where you want in FIFA 21 and Carrasco is certainly on the good side of that conversation.  In the end, the biggest issue with Carrasco as a  RAM was his inability to help defensively.  With LOW/HIGH WORK RATES and absolutely zero defensive awareness/abilities it was a busy weekend for Headliner Tavernier trying to do the work for two.  However, I will say that Carrasco did come back more than I expected and even won the odd tackle when required… but certainly not a good choice if you require defensive solidity from the wings. 

Closing Words

‘Great but Not Fantastic’ - the Carrasco Motto.  It is one that I stand by and hope that you can take away your own idea when deciding to use him or not.  As a wide player I think that the card performed admirably.  As a central figure I just found that the level of cards you are now facing match in and match out have all but eliminated a place for Carrasco to thrive in the middle of the pitch.  I would love to hear where you are using him and the success/failure you are experiencing as this was certainly a bit of a weird review.  In the end, I won’t recommend Carrasco to anyone… but if you are interested in using him, a supporter, or simply need an adequate wide player from LaLiga then Carrasco will certainly do the trick.  Hoping you are safe and well.  Cheers for reading. 

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