FOF PTG Phil Foden Review

Before I get started, I just wanted to send some love and prayers out to Christian Eriksen and his friends and family.  Hoping he makes a speedy and healthy recovery first…  and then can follow in the footsteps of the likes of Daley Blind and find his way back to football soon.  Moments like what happened Saturday remind us all that there are so many more important things in life to focus our attention on… take care of yourself, prioritize your health and cherish your friends and family.  
With all that said, we can shift gears and jump back into the focus of our review this weekend, the Bleach-Blond Prince… Phil Foden.  The Festival of FUTBall has arrived and after only 24 hours it was abundantly clear that it was already hands down a massive upgrade on the entire TOTS experience.  The quality of cards, the premise of the promo, the hype around upgradeable cards and the hopes and expectations of two major tournaments have certainly increased interest in the game for me.  While it was difficult to narrow down a choice for this weekend, in the end, we just had to see if it was truly coming home.  Phil Foden fit into my squad nicely while the HAWK chemistry style turned this card into a serious offensive operator...  However, the 4-2-2-2 formation that I have been religiously using the past two months didn’t quite suit the eye of this card.  So we made a small change this weekend to my usual player instructions… playing Foden up top in the 4-2-2-2, but with the False 9 instructions.  I won’t lie… it was absolutely perfect.  Foden picked up some crazy positions in the build up play, while at the same time was an extra option in the box in the attacking third...  Certainly something I will be considering in future weekends.  In the end, Foden made sure it definitely came home, leading the road to an Elite finish in 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: 9/10
Physical Rating: 8/10
Defending Rating: N/A

I need to be clear on this rating as it is very specific.  While on the surface I used this card as a ST… it is important to note that with the False 9 tactics, Foden was essentially a CAM throughout the weekend.  Even more important is to note that for almost 45 minutes every match I moved Foden out to the LAM to make room for Ousmane Dembele up top. The 9.5 out of 10, in this case, is in relation to playing Foden as a CAM.  If you plan on using Foden in any other position… which I did a few times… I would certainly drop this down to a 9/10 as a ST and maybe even lower as a CM or CDM.  I will certainly get into more later on... but this card has all the flair and finesse of some of the best I have used… but lacks the power to really dominate those congested areas of the pitch.  The space provided in the CAM positions suits this card perfectly.   

Main Statistic - Dribbling

Dribbling Rating: 10/10
Skills: ****
Height: 171 cm | 5’7

Any time you have a card, that doesn’t quite have the stature required to fully utilize their strength statistics, it is vital that they are able to dance on the ball to avoid would be challenges.  And boy oh boy can Foden tango with the best of them. 99 AGILITY & 99 BALANCE … and I can confirm you feel every single statistic running through this card.  The left-stick dribbling was borderline criminal and many defenders were left wondering just exactly what happened.  If you watch some of the video you will see that the 17 goals were largely carbon copies… Foden gets the ball near the edge of the box, Foden moves in one direction, change of direction, reverse, top bins.  It seems simple, but without that bit of stardust it is impossible, and Foden is absolutely sparkling in it.   

Main Statistic - Key Statistics

Weak Foot: ****
99 Base: Agility, Balance, Positioning, Short Passing, Stamina
 

Where am I going with this?  The fact is that this card doesn’t really require a chemistry style at all, and in the end, it is all bonus to whichever position you plan on playing this card is perfect.  The 13 assists as a makeshift CAM was a fantastic return and I highlighted some of those pinpoints passes in the video.  The stamina to drop deeper and still find his way into key attacking areas is crucial to these returns… as are the amazing positions that this card will pick up throughout a match. While not a full 99, the 97 FINISHING with the FOUR STAR WEAK FOOT complemented this card tremendously… and while not perfect on the right foot, he did score some bangers throughout the weekend.

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad 

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

After just finishing my ode to Foden’s base statistics I think it is safe to say that at 1.1 million coins this card is unbelievable value.  Take into consideration the 1-0 victory over Croatia with two easier contests on the horizon and this card is about ready to skyrocket in value for coins.  

I already addressed it a bit earlier, but the only issue with this card is you need to make him fit your squad if you do not have a natural CAM… and that is it.  The power required to boss the midfield at this stage in the game is staggering.  Foden falls quite short of this benchmark and with all of the quality strikers out there I would not be selecting Foden to replace them. However, as an out and out CAM… or as a FALSE 9 in the two ST system I am not sure how many better options there are.  I have been really really enjoying TOTS Kimmich in those more offensive roles… and I do not say this lightly when I say that Foden surpasses Kimmich in that position.  Truly one of the best CAMs I have used of late and the returns speak volumes to proving this point. 
 

Closing Words

Whether or not you are convinced that it is truly coming home. I think you should all consider bringing this card home to your club.  If you are playing a 4-1-2-1-2 variant, 4-3-1-2, or even 4-2-3-1 this card was made for you.  If you like the 4-2-2-2 or even 4-4-2 you could really benefit from this card as a FALSE 9 and I actually enjoyed it so much I am looking into this as an option for the upcoming weekend… maybe not with Foden… but certainly a similar card that can get on the ball, make things happen, break down defences with passing, and punish opponents with finishing.  He certainly gets a must try from me.  Hoping you are all safe and well.  Cheers for reading.

Game Stats:
 

Game Highlights: