UEL Alexander Isak Review

A new look at an old staple arrived this past weekend as the Road To The Knockouts cards for the UCL, Europa and Conference League dropped into packs.  While the Spurs superstar Heung Min Son is undoubtedly the headliner, there were other interesting options added that could possibly tilt the scale in closely contested matches.  Alexander Isak was definitely one of those inclusions that would have caught the eye of any FIFA manager who went the distance last year. Both TOTS and Summer Stars Isak were made popular last year by their unbelievably low price tags, yet unbelievably high goal scoring qualities.  It was with this nostalgia that I entered into this review with a massive set of rose colored glasses, expecting a goal scoring record and a return to Rank I rewards.  What I got, in the end, was a mixed bag result and my experience with this card can really only be described as the good, the bad and the ugly.  With both the HUNTER and then ENGINE chemistry style applied it was a run out as the striker in my 4-2-3-1 formation putting Isak to the test for the Weekend League grind.  Isak was the Swedish enigma all weekend long in the following squad: 

Starting Formation:

Overall

Rating: 7/10
Pace Rating: 6.5/10
Dribbling Rating: 6/10
Shooting Rating: 9.5/10
Passing Rating: 7/10
Physical Rating: 8/10
Defending Rating: N/A

I know that there will be varied experiences with this card… he has a set of skills that certainly means in the right situations, in the right hands, he will perform at an extremely high level.  However, what I can tell you comes from the experience of having just played a weekend with NIF Mané in the exact same spot watching him perform wonderfully; followed by a very lackluster performance by RTTK Isak the weekend after.  It is more complicated than blaming one card of course… but I truly believe Isak held me back this weekend and ultimately saw a drop to Rank II for this weekend's result. 

The Good

Shooting Rating: 9.5/10
Weak Foot: ★★★★★
Skills: ★★★★
Height: 192cm | 6’4
Price: 130k

While the No Loss Glitch went unchecked for most of Friday leading to a lot of 20-0 results in 50 matches for many of the community… the unforeseen result was certainly a massive drop in the market overall.  The benefit for those that didn’t buy Isak prior to this calamity would be the very low price that the Swedish target man is available for now.  Isak truly is a traditional big man up front… offering a fantastic 79 JUMPING & 88 HEADING ACCURACY to his already tall frame and certainly lead to a fair few headers in return.  I was a little disappointed with his ability to score corners (blazing many over the bar) but in open play, it was definitely an added threat.  However, the main reason for purchasing this card is always going to come in the shooting department… 87 FINISHING, 88 SHOT POWER & 81 LONG SHOTS mixed with the ever popular 5 STAR WEAK FOOT was every bit as good as advertised.  The card is clinical… no really, he doesn’t seem to miss (okay, he does, but not as often compared to others)… the result of only 11 goals in 15 matches and the disappointment that came with that was the result of other areas and the only real issue with Isak shooting the ball would be the 81 COMPOSURE in the end.  

The Bad

Pace Rating: 6.5/10
Passing Rating: 7/10
Strength Rating: 8/10

What I have enjoyed about FIFA 22 so far has been the fact that big does not equal bulky.  Players can still get up a head of steam and cause issues for back lines with the simplest R2 Sprint Boost.  However, with Isak, it felt like a return to FIFA 21 woes as his size truly seemed to impede his pace and movement.  Time and time again I played Isak into areas that his 91 ACCELERATION & 94 SPRINT SPEED should have seen the Real Sociedad man finding good goal scoring opportunities… only to watch the likes of Kounde and Miliao race back and nullify the chance.  In these moments a fake shot or turn could still open up the chance for others but would lead to even more disappointment when the underperforming 90 SHORT PASSING… or astronomically bad 55 LONG PASSING undid every good thing the squad had worked to create.  But at least I could hold up the ball to wait for help right?… Unfortunately, Isak does not perform like his size and 84 STRENGTH would suggest.  “Extremely disappointing target man play” could easily be the title of this review and was just a perpetual letdown against the OP defenders currently running riot over the game. 

The Ugly

Dribbling Rating: 6/10
Positioning: He Has None
Links: Good Luck Finding Them

So how does a player that felt so clinical produce so little… The 3 assists in 15 matches should be no surprise given the above passing discussion.  Yet the goals still should have come with the shooting prowess this card has but didn’t.  The two biggest reasons plaguing this card's production would be a complete lack of movement around the box… and the sub par dribbling when trying to use the left stick to maneuver in and around the box.  The movement of this card is borderline in existence and if it weren’t for some magic from the likes of Dembele IF, Depay and Hero Ljungberg I am not sure where I would have ended up.  Secondly, the dribbling was just so bad with this card… even with the +10 boost to 79 BALANCE it just simply is not happening with this card on the ball.  And if the in-game issues are not enough… the difficulty linking Isak to play there in the first place was enough to deter me then, and certainly enough to make sure he never comes back now.

Closing Words

I enjoy a more open style of football when I set up my squads in FIFA… the issue with that is “if you live by the sword, you die by the sword.”  In the case of Isak, the blunt sword in this man’s hands was enough to kill the Rank I dream before it even started and was certainly a frustrating experience.  Again, I know the x goals in x games comments are coming… but I will assure you there will not be many repping this card come next weekend, he will be found out and passed over for the most part.  However, there is one glimmering hope for this card moving forward and that is of course the two upgrade potential. Real Sociedad will have a home and home against the current bottom feeders SK Sturm Graz… and with two expected victories there along with any success over Monaco or PSV would see Isak jumping all the way to an 88 rated weapon.  I do believe that the extra boosts to this card could really help the useability and potential longevity of this card in squads.  But before then, it is a massive “steer clear” for me… and for the people undoubtedly in the comments… yes I need to “get good.” I hope you are all well.  Cheers for reading. 
 

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