FIFA 23 FUT BALLERS GREALISH PLAYER REVIEW - COP OR FLOP?

Well we really got all shades of SBC pricing today. From the sublime to the ridiculous!

Clearly the biggest SBC to be released today is the fifth FUT Ballers SBC, Jack Grealish, and not some unknown French kid who’s apparently scored a few in France…

Sticking with the theme of bipolar pricing, we’ve lurched right back from what felt, in relation to other FUT Baller SBC’s, like an overpriced Oxlade-Chamberlain to this absolutely insane Jack Grealish. An 88 rated card as base with a 90 rated card for scoring 2 goals in 10 games to come, I was fully expecting this SBC to be pushing the 70-100k bracket. Instead we have just another 83 rated squad!

However, is what we get in fodder paid for in utility in game? Let’s find out…

Check out the card! - Jack Grealish 90

Grealish FUT Ballers SBC Requirements

#1 - Jack Grealish

Premier League Player Min 1

Squad Rating - 83

Total Cost from scratch ~ 38K

These are the exact same requirements as Oxlade-Chamberlain yesterday and yet in pure ratings we’re getting so much more. In fact, up until this point, the highest rated card you could get as a FUT Baller was an 88 rated. This is going to swing the needle away from the card needing to be any good in game to be a Cop. And when you compare it to the 4 million you’re being asked to shell out for a +1 upgrade to a 92 rated POTM that cost just 2 million…

Grealish FUT Baller SBC In Game Analysis

On stats alone, this card looks fantastic. Really solid pace, decent shooting, exquisite passing and the crazy dribbling we’ve come to expect from these FUT Baller cards. He also has a cracking dynamic image. Side note, I am loving these off the field dynamics, it’s an area of the game I think still has some easy improvements too. Could you imagine a moving dynamic image?

However, when you then check his info, you notice what will turn out to be the biggest deterrent to using this card. 3 star weak foot. It’s nearly April, that just isn’t going to cut it at a decent level of gameplay.

The reality is that those first impressions of the card based on the card stats turn out to be pretty much bang on in game. His passing is imperious. From that CAM role he can pick out runners with ease and his vision, long passing and curve make those longer cross field balls incredibly potent at breaking an opponent’s defensive line.

He felt much quicker than 88 pace I have to admit. Although that is becoming a common occurrence among these FUT Baller cards. It is definitely linked to the dribbling but I also think Grealish’s unique animations help here too. Everything is smooth and efficient and he felt close to Diaz than he did Kulusevski. 

As with all the FUT Baller cards, that dribbling is just a delight. It’s really getting me excited about the possibilities for TOTS. The agility, the balance, the ability to nip through tight spaces. Even the speed boosts are all absolutely quality.

The two biggest let downs however are the aforementioned weak foot and his strength. At CAM especially he was easily knocked off the ball by bigger defensive players and it led to me trying him out wide where there’s a little more space to work with. Without the 5 star skills, it’s very difficult to overcome the weakness in tight spaces.

This is a good card, no doubt. But whereas Ox offered something quite unique, Grealish just felt like pretty much every other 88+ diminutive CAM or winger. It wasn’t anything special.
 

How Does He Compare?

Currently the fodder value of an 88 and a 90 rated player is 76k. We’re getting that fodder for almost half that price and, considering that you need 3 90 rated squads to even think about completing Mbappe, this is a much welcome return to value for fodder. This absolutely makes up in pure fodder terms for the AO-C SBC yesterday and could give us an insight into the 90 rated Ederson coming at the end of the week. Will he just be an 83 rated squad too? 

This is the joint 8th highest rated CAM from the Premier League and when you consider that 5 of the 7 above are Kevin De Bruyne, this is illustrious company. 

For an easy comparison, we can look at Grealish’s PTG card. Robbed of a chance to get a 5 star weak foot by Harry Kane pulling out the sand wedge from the penalty spot, he is a replica for the 90 rated Grealish outside of stats and traits. 

I’m not going to pretend that the 90 rated isn’t much better however. Outside of dribbling it’s mainly +2’s in most stats. But the dribbling adds 8 reactions, 5 balance and 5 agility. However just as a baseline comparison, the 89 PTG Jack Grealish is 37k, or fodder price.  

In fact, the best comparison for Grealish is the same player we compared to Ox yesterday, PTG Bernardo Silva. 

This 600k card has the outrageous dribbling to make comparisons a little more fair. However in pace and shooting, Grealish is the clear winner. 9 extra sprint speed, better finishing and better positioning with +6 in long shots make this a clear point for Jack. And he wins in passing too. With that insane 94 vision coupled with 89 long passing, he really pulls ahead of his teammates 90 vision and 82 long passing. 

However, it’s the right hand column of stats where Silva pulls it back. Despite the insane dribbling stats on Grealish, Silva beats him in every stat apart from reactions. Defensively it’s a complete whitewash. Grealish barely understands the concept of defending in comparison. And physically, it’s hard not to give it to Silva as well. Better jumping, stamina and aggression, he only loses out in strength. 

He does also have the 4 star weak foot. One of the biggest let downs of Grealish’s card. However for a 600k player, I genuinely don’t know which I’d pick for my team if given the option. 

FUT Ballers Grealish - Cop or Flop?

This SBC has 95% upvotes. A return to form for EA and a hilarious mirror image of the upvotes on Mbappe’s POTM. 

The comments on this Grealish tend to follow exactly the same thread. I got crucified a few weeks ago for saying that every midfielder or forward that comes out post Feb, should have minimum 4/4. Seems like I should be taken down from the cross…

Once again, this is a cop on fodder value alone. A hilariously good trade off and will help you remove *checks notes* 1/100 of the price of Mbappe POTM. Unfortunately this has none of the uniqueness of Oxlade-Chamberlain yesterday and so it is really just fodder value to lean on for the hardcore users.

This isn’t a Jack of all trades, but it is master of one. 

Cop

SBC Rating: 9.5/10