Winter Wildcards Fabinho Review

I was wondering how long it would take before more of you folks with a keen eye started to notice that NIF Fabinho has been in my squad well beyond what the power curve would suggest is possible.  The truth and some will think I have lost it, but there is not a CM/CDM that I trust in that position more than Fabinho… beyond Rulebreaker Verratti and then very expensive options such as Signature Signings Renato Sanches and cards of that nature.   The other reason, if you follow me on Twitter: MaeNine_ then you will know my pack luck this year has been abysmal and these reviews cost me hundreds of thousands of coins to complete… so I am broke, and Fabinho is dirt cheap.  So for me, the Winter Wildcard version of Fabinho was a bit of a let down in truth… I wanted an upgrade on the NIF that has been patrolling my midfield for weeks (leading me to Elite Div Rivals and Rank I Weekend League finishes), but instead, I got an intriguing option that seemed stuck in a middle ground of sorts.  With that in mind, I decided to bring you a slightly different review than normal… playing Fabinho in three different areas of my 4-2-3-1 formation… 5 matches as the stay back holding CDM, 5 matches as the box to box (more attacking) CDM, and finally 5 matches in his new ability as a central CAM.  The SHADOW chemistry style did the trick for the CDM positions, with the HUNTER applied later for the CAM portion of the review.  Fabinho was the swiss army knife all weekend long in the following squad:

Starting Formation:

Overall

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

Thankfully, this card still performs as a CDM and in the holding role the only difference I noticed compared to the NIF version of the Brazilian was how much quicker this card feels in comparison.  If you have used the NIF then you will know as well as I do that there is hidden pace in that card.  The lengthy strides seem to eat up the ground on should be faster players and up until this weekend, I couldn’t replace him (both in quality, but definitely in coins).  However, this card went from strength to strength throughout the weekend and while the CDM performance was great, the CDM/CM box to box performance was good, and the CAM performance was absolutely fantastic.  The card is a beast, end of. 

Part One: Stay Back CDM

Defending Rating: 9/10
Physical Rating: 9.5/10
Height: 188cm | 6’2

Due to the flexible nature of this card and the all around success this weekend I have actually decided to keep Fabinho in my squad for the time being.  The Party Bag SBC offered me the chance to sell some long standing informs in the club and came out to the roughly 400k you currently need for the Brazilian.  With the offensive focus of these reviews, it is no doubt that Fabinho will find himself in the CDM roles of my 4-2-3-1 (or one of your new suggestions from the Coman review) formation more often than not and I am perfectly okay with that.  With the SHADOW application, this card still has some respectable defending statistics to mix with the already solid 85 STRENGTH and 90 STAMINA that help make patrolling the midfield that little bit easier.  Of course there is more to it with Fabinho as his unique body type has the big man gliding around the pitch… his long legs intercepting everything and closing down space quicker than his smaller counterparts.  In the end, I just spent a Weekend League, Qualification, and 7 win Rivals tour with Fabinho primarily at the holding CDM… and long may the good times roll.

Part Two: Get Forward Box to Box CDM/CM

Pace Rating: 9/10
Passing Rating: 9/10

This was always a key area of improvement for Fabinho and I tried my best to add clips that not only showed off the 92 SHORT PASSING … but more importantly showcased the 99 ACCELERATION & 95 SPRINT SPEED.  It was clear all weekend that Fabinho would have the pace to hang with the top tier midfielders that you come up against, and thankfully the 90 STAMINA (as previously mentioned) held out for the box to box role as well.  I will say that of the three positions and assignments I gave to Fabinho this weekend, this would be the area that I noticed the Liverpool man the least.  While he still got forward and drove with the ball into the heart of my opponent's defenses, it just didn’t always feel like he was having the biggest impact.

Part Three: CAM

Shooting Rating: 9/10
Dribbling Rating: 9/10
Weak Foot: ★★★★
Skills: ★★★★

When I finished my Weekend League Fabinho had 13 goals and 13 assists in the 20 matches.  In my final four matches, this man came to play in the CAM position scoring 7 goals and 3 assists to help see off a strong finish.  The change to a HUNTER chemistry style saw the 99 FINISHING & 94 SHOT POWER come to the forefront… while the 95 POSITIONING meant the big man was always in the right locations.  In the end, I only tested the 86 LONG SHOTS a few times with zero goals to show for my trouble… but the power that he hits them with makes me think there is potential to open up those chances as well. Maybe the most surprising revelation of the entire review was the 89 AGILITY & 88 BALANCE that mix wonderfully with the 90+ remaining dribbling statistics that certainly help the big man get around the pitch.  Previously with  NIF Fabinho, it was always a win the ball, pass the ball formula that worked.  But in this case, you can win the ball, drive with the ball, make an opponent miss with the dribbling and then things really start to open up.  Of course, Fabinho is never going to rival the likes of Signature Series Renato on the ball, but he is far from the sluggish and clunky operator you might expect.   

Closing Words

Value/Coins Rating: 5/5

400k is a steal.  The versatility alone is worth it and even for someone who can’t afford to keep players around for long, I have to in this case.  The options for my reviews are increased by the likes of Fabinho and Verratti in the midfield as are my chances of winning.  I am seriously curious how everyone else is getting on with this card?  Are you using him, was he the same quality for you?  What positions and formations are working? In the end, it is a must try from me, especially with the lowering price tag and unlimited options.  Hoping you are safe and well.  Cheers for reading.

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Game Highlights: