Headliner Fofana Review

I was very careful with my words in the Headliner Review last week in saying that it would most likely be our last Headliner review… the potential for a lack of content became reality and in the end offered the rare opportunity to return to a player of interest after the price settled to a more reasonable level.  Headliner Fofana has all the hype you could imagine and I certainly hoped he would equal the same fever pitch received on social media on the virtual pitch this Weekend League.  If you have used or undoubtedly faced 86 POTM Fofana then you will know he is a force to be reckoned with and I could only hope that the 88 Headliner took another step further towards an unplayable level.  Of course, the hype was only facilitated by the drop of a very reasonably priced Headliner Jonathan Clauss SBC, that has been worth every piece of deadwood fodder I put into him.  Finally, as you may have watched, heard, or read… Fofana turned up as the last minute hero with a goal and MOTM performance in the most recent Lens match, potentially paving the way for an improved boost… add to this the 2/4 wins for Lens and this card has seen a decent price rise, which if you follow my reviews you will know is a rare occurrence and I couldn’t be happier.  Onto the gameplay, it was a SHADOW chemistry this weekend for Fofana as I deployed him for 10 games as my holding CM and 10 games as the box to box CM in my 4-2-2-2 formation.  Fofana was the driving force all weekend long in the following squad:        

Starting Formation:

Overall

Rating: 9.5/10
Pace Rating: 9/10
Dribbling Rating: 8/10
Shooting Rating: 9/10
Passing Rating: 10/10
Physical Rating: 10/10
Defending Rating: 10/10

I went with a 9.5/10 rating for this card as the dribbling and shooting are just too far from perfect to be giving the card the 10/10 accolade.  However, this card puts in more 10/10 performances in matches than the vast majority of cards I have used this year.  I finished 16 - 4 this weekend, reaching the Rank III rewards for the first time since the updated tiers in Weekend League… and Fofana certainly had a fair share to say in that result.  The card has a unique ability to impose itself on matches and certainly turned the tide of momentum on countless occasions.  Usually, after Weekend League I immediately set down the controller… but I was honestly having so much … what is the word?… ah yes, FUN! Yes, fun in FIFA 22! That I went on to qualify for next Weekend League and finish my 7 win Div Rivals matches soon after.    

Defensive CM

Physical Rating: 10/10
Defending Rating: 10/10
Height: 185cm | 6’1

I would say that the majority of FUT Managers would view Fofana as the stay back midfielder that takes care of business, breaks up the play, and generally breaks the spirits of opponents hoping to score.  And I am here to report… he does exactly that.  This card is a beast and it is not difficult to see why… 99 INTERCEPTIONS, 99 STANDING TACKLE and 98 SLIDING TACKLE set the stage… while 91 STRENGTH performs the act.  Regardless of the situation this card just deals with the problem and with minimal fuss.  I honestly considered just doing the 15 match review as a defensive CM after I started… but was soon happy I completed the experiment to end the weekend.    

Box to Box CM

Pace Rating: 9/10
Shooting Rating: 9/10
Passing Rating: 10/10
Dribbling Rating: 8/10
Weak Foot: ★★★★

Maybe it was the reluctance to take Fofana out of the dominating defensive position he had secured all weekend?  Or perhaps it was a fear that this move would upset some of the balance of having Winter Wildcard Guendouzi now performing the defensive role?  But I was expecting this to be a train wreck of an experiment and ultimately undo my Weekend League.  Instead, it did the opposite.  At 7 - 3, I was expecting another 14 win Rank IV weekend and was okay with that.  This move ultimately shifted everything and Fofana dragged my squad kicking and screaming forward into the 16 - 4 finale.  The 93 ACCELERATION & 96 SPRINT SPEED are fantastic on such a big card and has Fofana flying through the gears on the ball.  The small issue is the turning once you hit these speeds (which disappears when jockeying defensively) and therefore I could live with that.  The 96 SHORT PASSING & 88 LONG PASSING are superb and carved my opponent's defenses apart… while the 89 SHOT POWER & 90 LONG SHOTS did some damage when added to the 4 STAR WEAK FOOT.  The card is a weapon in the box to box role and if it weren’t for the 90 STAMINA leaving him quite gassed after 90 minutes, I would say he is literally perfect. 

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad

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

Let’s get the Good vs. Bad out of the way.  I mentioned the two issues already… The stamina couldn’t hold up to the workload in the box to box position… and the dribbling can be clunky at pace.  I can not think of anything else that remotely concerned me at all. 

This is a tricky one and involves the here and now with this card which currently sits at 985k as of this writing.  Largely in part to the wonder goal that Fofana scored at the death this weekend.  If this card receives an inform I would start to see the almost million coin price tag as justifiable.  Of course, if he doesn’t it will crash back closer to the 800k mark yet again. The real issue I have with this card and price though comes after using the compare feature on FUTBIN and taking a very close look at Winter Wildcard Guendouzi, Signature Signings Renato and then of course Headliner Fofana.  The likeness between the three is uncanny beyond the fact that Fofana has the potential to upgrade in the future. Size, Work Rates, InGame Stats… you name it they are carbon copies.  The issue I have is the fact that you can buy both Guendouzi and Renato, plus have coins left over, for the price of Fofana.  It is a steep price to pay with the current comparables available.

Closing Words

This is a hard one.  Did Fofana perform at a near million coin level?  I would say yes.  He dominated matches, chipped in with goals and assists, and generally made a mark on 95% of the matches he played.  He feels like he is everywhere, he feels powerful, and yet still has a finesse about him in certain areas of the pitch.  The issue I have again is recommending him at his current price based on the possibility of an inform.  I would say that 800k is a perfect price point for this card and if he returns to that level he becomes a “must have” card.  Obviously, an inform changes everything and would set Fofana apart from the likes of Guendouzi and Renato and truly let him reign supreme in the Ligue 1 midfield.  In the end, if your only reservation was a fear that this card isn’t worth the massive price tag… then spend the coins, because he is fantastic.  But just keep in mind a complete midfield with Renato and Guendouzi is possible for the same price.  Hoping you are safe and well.  Cheers for reading. 
 

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