Flashback Griezmann Review

If you are a regular reader of these reviews then you would have probably expected this review would come.  There are not many times I pass up the opportunity to bring up the specimen that was FUT Birthday Griezmann in FIFA 20.  Certainly in my Top 5 favorite cards of all time and perhaps even holding the Number 1 spot I could talk about that card at nausea and it never gets old.  The drag backs were crisp, the pace was blistering, the hair was flowing and the finishing unparalleled, but I digress.  The dream going into this Weekend League was that the FIFA 22 version of Griezmann might just cement himself alongside his predecessor in that Top 5 list.  But those hopes were slightly dashed right off the start as a look into the card revealed only a 4 STAR WEAK FOOT, while better than his normal base 3 STAR WEAK FOOT it was already one massive downgrade from the memories of his FUT Birthday card.  After the pity party ended I was off to work building a team around the Frenchman and trying to find the best chemistry style to let him dominate the Weekend League grind.  The formation and positioning proved easy as the squad lent itself well to my 4-2-2-2 formation with Griezmann leading the line as the left striker.  The chemistry style on the other hand proved incredibly difficult as Griezmann lends himself really well to the HUNTER, ENGINE & HAWK chemistry styles.  For me I would imagine all FUT Managers will look at where Griezmann is playing before deciding and I did the same, opting for the HUNTER chemistry style to hopefully bolster attacking returns and lead the squad to victory.  Griezmann proved to be the touch of class all weekend long in the following squad:   

Starting Formation:

Overall

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

While the end result is certainly not a place in my Top 5 cards of all time, it was a nice experience to have a Griezmann card that can once again compete with the current power curve.  The word compete is actually an understatement as Griezmann can currently dominate matches if opponents are not switched on to his various weapons.  20 goals and 8 assists across 15 matches was a healthy return and close to a 2.0 per game contribution that has eluded so many reviews this year. Definitely a card I will be working into future squads moving forward with a nice versatility to play through the middle or on the wings.       

Main Statistic - Shooting

Shooting Rating: 9.5/10
Weak Foot: ★★★★
Attributes: Outside Foot Shot, Finesse Shot

This is one of those 4.5 STAR WEAK FOOT cards that we run across sometimes in reviews.  Griezmann hits the ball with far too much venom on his right foot for the majority of keepers and contributed heavily to his goal tallies.  The 95 SHOT POWER might as well be 99 as the velocity of the shots blistering into the top bins is both satisfying and potent.  However, the one flaw would be the 99 FINISHING, which operates lights out on his favorite left foot… but can feel a little helter skelter on the right the further from the goal you get.  Sometimes they come off beautifully and mix with the 89 LONG SHOTS for a bit of magic… but the left is much preferred in those situations.  Some magical finishes from that left foot are possible thanks to the OUTSIDE FOOT & FINESSE SHOT TRAITS… while the free kicks felt amazing yet I only had two crossbars to show for it after 15 matches.     

Main Attribute - Size

Pace Rating: 9.5/10
Dribbling Rating: 9.5/10
Skills: ★★★★
Height: 176cm | 5’9

I contemplated an ENGINE a few times as I compared the options prior to this review but just felt that the shooting boosts would be key to the success of the review in the end.  However, there were a few small minor issues that might have been solved with the more dribbling orientated boosts.  There were moments that despite the 99 ACCELERATION, 95 AGILITY, 88 BALANCE & 91 DRIBBLING that I felt Griezmann was not rounding corners on the ball with the appropriate pace. Given the 70 STRENGTH and smaller body type any tackle meant a loss of possession, so these were key moments I was counting on for creating space and goals.  In literally every other pace and dribbling moment I always felt Griezmann was operating at a phenomenal level… but that remains the one take away from this part of the review for me… the idea that he is not quite perfect from a pace or dribbling standpoint.

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad

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

NumbersUP Diogo Jota remains the benchmark for me on what a 300kish striker can do with the right attributes.  The card is insane and the only card I have used that scores over a goal per game… and that is after 300 matches.  For 370k I can tell already that Griezmann will be close to this same goal output and while not a 5 STAR WEAK FOOT… there are a lot of weapons to hurt opponents with and just about sells me on the price tag in the end.

I have felt like a broken record at times when discussing passing in FIFA 22 and it was a nice change to have a card that operated just fine despite a lack of chem boosts.  The 88 SHORT PASSING & 86 LONG PASSING felt crisp and accurate and of course, resulted in the 8 assists across the review.   As a CAM I could see this card being a fantastic facilitator exchanging the goals for assists while remaining involved in the good things your squad is doing.

Closing Words

At times during this review, I found myself on a negative viewpoint of everything FUT Birthday Griezmann was that this card couldn’t produce.  But in the end, I came around to the idea of how class and fun of a card Griezmann is in a game that can too often feel like a grind.  I will say that I wish I would have scored one of those freekicks for the video but I do feel one is just around the corner (perhaps sneaking it into another video soon).  My final thoughts would be that I 100% do not regret completing this card at all and I know he will factor into a lot of my squads moving forward in the coming month.  I am quite confident any of you completing him would generally come to the same conclusion… There are just too many attributes to enjoy.  Prayers for peace.  Cheers for reading.    
 

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