Anthony Martial Review

We waited.  We speculated. And now all that is left is to debate it.  FIFA 22 is already splitting opinions between FUT Managers when it comes to gameplay.  Some see the new, more “realistic,” slower pace as a welcome addition to the arcade version of old.  While others point out the potential for more and more defensive/possession football due to the sluggish movement.  Regardless of which side of the argument you are on… I just love that we are arguing again!  The passion we all have for football in all forms is why we are here, and another year of digital football: starting teams, opening packs, grinding 200 goal objectives in 4 matches, complaining about the work we put in for the lack of rewards in our pack… that is what it is all about!  With all that said it was time to get back to work this weekend as we took a look at two of the emerging strikers in these early days.  Anthony Martial, while not able to hit the broad side of building in real life… has been a constant FUT talisman over the years and we were interested to see if this low budget option was back to his old ways.  While at the same time it seemed important to test one of those more expensive options, opting for his French compatriot, the 5 STAR/5 STAR man himself, Ousmane Dembele.  Is the 40k difference worth it?  We wanted to find out.


Starting Formation:

Overall

Rating: 7.5/10
Pace Rating: 7/10
Dribbling Rating: 8/10
Shooting Rating: 8/10
Passing Rating: 7/10
Physical Rating: 6.5/10
Defending Rating: N/A

A quick reminder on the ratings, they only work in the few weeks surrounding the review.  An 7.5/10 now is in relation to what is out there and certainly won’t be an 7.5/10 in a month from now.  For me, Martial is the epitome of this idea.  He is currently an excellent striker option… and from what I have used in drafts and packed players in my squad he is definitely a solid option and performed admirably all weekend. 

Main Statistic – Dribbling

Dribbling Rating: 8/10
Physical Rating: 6/10
Skills: ★★★★
Height: 184cm | 6’0

This would not have been the case in FIFA 21 and I am all for the idea that height does not equal dribbling ability in FIFA 22.  Last year a 6’0 card was only ever going to feel one way on the ball and that just shouldn’t be the case.  With Martial, I could feel the 82 AGILITY & 79 BALANCE combining brilliantly with the 88 DRIBBLING to create a responsive reaction to controller inputs.  Long may this connection continue. 

Main Attribute - “4★ WEAK FOOT”

Shooting Rating: 8/10
Weak Foot: ★★★★

I don’t want to rant here this early in the year… but it is near impossible to score in this FIFA!  The new Xgoals statistics at the end is only amplifying my frustrations with scoring.  Of course, those green timed finesse shots are back and with that an opportunity to let fly from distance.  But in and around the box it is just a keeper's world and we are all just living in it.  Martial finished the review with 14 goals in 15 matches and I think that is going to be a more likely return this year (until maybe a patch) than the 2.0 goals per game that better strikers managed last year.  Time will tell.  What I will say is that the 83 SHOT POWER felt crisp on both feet as you will see in the video, while the 80 FINISHING was clinical in key moments.

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad 

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

13k for this card places him as a must have starter striker for me.  Martial has the height to be a force in the air … scoring a few goals this weekend where he simply out jumped opponents' defenders.  The 71 HEADING ACCURACY was enough to make those chances count and given the lack of goals I have experienced so far this might be a way to add more in the future.  

For such a big card I will say I was generally disappointed in the 74 STRENGTH and how often I was disposed in simple shoulder to shoulder duels.  Additionally, any opponents who pressured hard would find a lot of joy when Martial was my outlet pass.  In those cases, it felt like the lacking strength and 78 COMPOSURE simply turned Martial into a shadow of the player he can be.  Truthfully, the passing was not great either and compared to players with better short passing statistics, Martial was just a little short on quality throughout the weekend.  

Closing Words

One down.  Many more to come.  I hope that the pack God’s have shone down on you with some pulls to get your squads moving in the right direction; and I certainly hope that the grind is paying off for you so far this year.  If you are looking for an excellent starter striker to get you pointed in the right direction then I have to recommend Anthony Martial for the time being.  This card has more upside than bad qualities and once we look at Part II of this review on Ousmane Dembele… this bargain player might just look like even more of a steal for only 13k.  Hoping you are all safe, well, and grinding.  Cheers for reading.
 

Game Stats:
 

Game Highlights: