FUT Future Stars Gravenberch Review

It was on to FUT Future Stars Team 2 this past Friday as a new list of the young and talented arrived with some significant upgrades to bolster squads.  There were a lot of intriguing options to choose from, but after the unrelenting hype over the Dortmund superstar Jude Bellingham, I thought it best to look at an eerily similar option in the Ajax wrecking ball Ryan Gravenberch.  In truth, the comparisons between Gravenberch, Bellingham & Tchouaméni are some fascinating viewing and started to shape this review in the later stages of completion.  I realized that these would be the questions in the comments and so I set out to not only bring you my thoughts on the Dutch midfielder… but to offer a response to some of those difficult inquiries, which I will get into later in the review.  But before I could get started there were some decisions to make regarding Gravenberch and his best suited chemistry and position to answer.  In the end, I went for the more traditional and “safe” SHADOW chemistry style to boost the defensive production regardless of position, with the positioning causing more of a headache throughout the review.  It was back to the 4-2-2-2 formation this weekend and in an attempt to look at the complete picture I deployed Gravenberch as both the box to box and stay back midfielder equally across the 15 matches.  Regardless of position it was clear Gravenberch was the epitome of power all weekend long in the following squad:

Starting Formation:

Overall

Rating: 9/10
Pace Rating: 9.5/10
Dribbling Rating: 8.5/10
Shooting Rating: 9/10
Passing Rating: 9/10
Physical Rating: 10/10
Defending Rating: 9/10

Difficult to call this one considering a lot of the top performances that Gravenberch strung together during the Weekend League charge.  But I think this rating is more of an “if only” reaction to the different statistics that Gravenberch has at his disposal.  “If only” the shooting statistics were slightly higher to better accommodate the application of the SHADOW chemistry style for defensive purposes.  Or, “if only” the defending statistics were a bit higher so that a HUNTER was viable in that box to box role to chip in with more goals.  Finally, “if only” those work rates weren’t MID | MID and allowed Gravenberch a more adventurous play style.  Minor issues, but these are the fine margins we are dealing with at this point in the cycle.             

Main Statistic - Defending

Defending Rating: 9/10
Physical Rating: 10/10
Height: 190cm | 6’3

There is a lot to like about the way this card goes about protecting the back line in the more defensive stay back role.  The interesting note I made in the early days of this review came in the form of the body type/how Gravenberch appears on the pitch.  The card looks both massive and agile at the same time and truth be told was largely how the Dutch midfielder operated in game.  The boost to 94 STANDING TACKLE & 90 SLIDING TACKLE might as well have been 99 as the card simply destroys everything in sight.  The massive 190cm | 6’3 frame certainly delivers all of the 90 STRENGTH and then some, simultaneously making the 65 AGGRESSION a non-issue.  Overall the only issue comes back to the MED | MED work rates which sometimes left Gravenberch on the back foot.  When engaged the 99 INTERCEPTIONS were flawless and it felt like the big man was everywhere.  The next second it seemed like Gravenberch was slow to get into the press that I like to apply on my opponents' midfield, causing issues in transition.  This slightly carried over to the attacking department as Gravenberch did not contribute much at all when in the stay back role compared to others I have used.           

Main Talking Point - The FUT Future Stars Debate

Gravenberch: 9/10
Bellingham: 10/10
Tchouaméni: 8.5/10

As previously stated, as I sat writing this review I could already see the first comment… “Gravenberch or *insert name of other Future Stars midfielder*?”  I would normally say that I have no clue and let others with experience field those questions but instead, I went to work Sunday night grinding some Division Rivals and FUT Champs Qualification with the latter two Future Stars in my squad.  For about 20 matches I deployed Bellingham and Tchouaméni in my midfield and here was the result.  Bellingham is insane and one of the best cards I have used in FIFA, period.  He is everywhere, dynamic, strong, responsive and the AI decision making is off the charts.  There were so many similarities in body type and movement to Gravenberch, but the increased work rates and generally increased statistics across the board take Bellingham to the next level.  As for Tchouaméni, I almost feel bad for the Frenchman as the card is not poor by any means, but definitely can’t enter a conversation with Gravenberch and Bellingham.  The biggest issue comes in the form of the body type difference and the effect in game.  As defensive midfielder, the noticeably increased size helps from a physical standpoint and an overall impressive defensive display.  But on the ball, he is not in the same hemisphere as the first two and generally proved a one trick pony throughout the mini-review.     

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad

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

760k for Gravenberch is low and generally speaks more to the league and nation of the card than the performances, statistics and attributes.  As I mentioned, he is not at the level of Bellingham… but half the price is not an indication of their difference in game at all.

Similar to the overall rating comments I do wish this card had that little bit extra especially in the dribbling and passing categories.  The card is not clunky, but he is certainly not silky on the ball either.  I would label this card as powerful over elegant and sometimes that touch of class could have come in handy, especially as a box to box option.                                                

Closing Words

Why didn’t I complete Foundations David Neres?  Seriously, I need a DeLorean and some time to go back and get this lad. One, he still causes me issues in opponents squads coming off the bench from time to time.  Two, I could have linked Gravenberch a lot easier than I did and I would consider keeping the Ajax man in more of my squads moving forward. Gravenberch was a fun option and while not the same game dominating performances as Bellingham can produce, he impacted matches positively and for only half the price.  Hopefully, I answered some of the Future Stars comparison questions, and hopefully, you can take this card for a test run and let me know how he performed.  Hoping you are safe and well.  Cheers for reading.
 

Game Stats:
 

Game Highlights: