FIFA 23 FUT BIRTHDAY ICON JOHN BARNES PLAYER REVIEW

You couldn’t write it any better if you wanted to… Our week of John Barnes content coming to a close with an in game look at the FUT Birthday version of the England Icon.  

If you spent the time enjoying the John Barnes Reacts to FUTBIN Comments video then you would have already watched his extremely humble reaction to his FUT card.  The statistics seem about right to Digger and I’m sure his FUT Birthday card would be no different.

The “Inform” upgrade to all statistics has of course been accompanied by a set of 5 STAR SKILLS to bring Barnes into a level of useability not often associated with his cards… Just ask his son.

The statistical upgrades and left foot immediately jumped out at me as the potential to take over as the LAM  in my 4-2-2-2 formation.  The move into striker seemed possible but I have been hoping for a solid LAM replacement in my squad and this seemed the perfect opportunity to test run a new candidate.  The HUNTER chemistry style was applied to aid in attacking duties, but was replaced by the more fluid ENGINE application, setting the stage for the review.

Playing down the flank Barnes had to hold and give, but do it at the right time. Being slow wouldn’t cut it this time, Barnes would have to be fast to get over the line with the following squad:

Overall 

Playing in the wide areas was a difficult task for Barnes as opponents always try to hit you and hurt you… While the position demanded Barnes Defend and Attack. Thankfully Barnes had the 95 PACE and 89 STAMINA to find the one way to beat them and get round the back.

Main Statistics – Dribbling

Dribbling Rating: 9/10

SKILLS: ★★★★★

Traits: Flair

The biggest compliment that I can give Barnes in game is that it is impossible to tell he is 182cm | 6’0 when he is on the ball.  Even the AVERAGE Body Type wasn’t enough to slow him down and the ability to chop and change direction is fantastic.

With 90 AGILITY, 88 BALANCE & 99 DRIBBLING it was a matter of catch me if you can for defenders, the England man was too much to handle and certainly allowed me to deploy the master plan down the flank. 

The addition of the 5 STAR SKILLS and the presence of the FLAIR Trait just about seals it and the only issue I really had was more of an acceleration and CONTROLLED AcceleRATE issue as Barnes does not fly out of the dribble like some other cards can.

Value/Coins

Value/Coins Rating: 3.5/5

300k for this set of statistics combined with the weak foot and skills would normally be a great return for your coins.  Due to the Physical Statistics there is actually a very small number of players that can compare to the statistics that Barnes boasts.

Unfortunately he ain’t no hooligan and the 87 STRENGTH actually felt incredibly tame, losing out in the majority of tackles throughout the review.  In truth that about sums up this card in the end,  every statistic is there, but in game it fails to consistently deliver what is expected. 

Good vs. Bad 

Good vs Bad Rating: 4/5

There was more to like about Barnes during this review and the 6 goals and 3 assists in 7 matches does demonstrate that there is some quality within.  

+ Barnes scored the majority of his 6 goals with the HUNTER applied (and I should note that this was not nearly as potent with the ENGINE) and was devastating coming in on his left foot.  The 97 FINISHING & 91 SHOT POWER combining beautifully.  I think it was the loss of this shot power with the ENGINE that really hindered the shooting after the fact and the goals generally dried up in those matches.

+ Like a lot of this review, the passing with Barnes was hit and miss throughout the 7 matches.  3 assists is a fine total but it really could have been so much more if the end product had been better.  The 97 CROSSING was great and so was the 83 LONG PASSING oddly enough.  In both cases it was just a matter of seeing the open man, while Barnes did the rest.

+ The space on the wings gave ample opportunities to test and confirm that the SPRINT SPEED on this card is fantastic.  Whether HUNTER or ENGINE it was just a matter of getting the big man in full flow, then nothing was stopping him.

While Barnes definitely did some dancing on the ball this weekend, some of his performances weren’t to a footballing song.  Had he performed with a bit more passion like he did with the three lions on his chest, than maybe these moments wouldn’t have been so wrong.

- I previously mentioned the CONTROLLED AcceleRATE causing some issues… and whether it was that or the body type… The ACCELERATION on this card was woeful throughout the review and regardless of chemistry style it took forever to get John’s World in Motion.

- The 92 SHORT PASSING with Barnes is one of the great optical illusions in the history of magic, but the only thing that disappeared was my possession… constantly.

- The shooting with the ENGINE chemistry style is probably worth one more take and double down on just how poor it was.  Keepers getting a hand on everything in a very frustrating test process.  In general the 4 STAR WEAK FOOT was tame as well and the power simply didn’t translate in game regardless of chemistry style.

Closing Words

While Barnes was generally content with the overall statistics of his card, I am not sure he would have been all too impressed with his performance this weekend.   There is a large collection of cards that are currently usable in FIFA 23 and generally set you up for success at this point in the cycle… and Barnes is just teetering on that line.

I think there were enough quality moments to suggest that you would get away with Barnes as a full time member of your squad… But the lack of consistency would definitely drive the blood pressure beyond healthy levels. 
In the end I moved on from Barnes just about as fast as I bought him.  With all the statistics, quality traits and 5 STAR SKILLS it had the makings of a great card, but just fell short on too many occasions.
Hoping you are well.  Cheers for reading.