FIFA 23 Shapeshifters Harry Maguire Player Review

Shapeshifter Team Three dropped with yet another batch of interesting options to fill in those last few spots in our already crazy squads. There are always going to be a few stand outs and of course this time around it was not that other than Thierry Henry. Unfortunately, I do not have Bateson’s coin totals and therefore we had to move on to some cheaper options to review.

A bit of a trend formed with the Shapeshifter reviews as the various strikers that have now become available to FUT Managers took the focus. We have looked at Neuer, who was a fantastic hold up man and contributed goals throughout the review… We have then looked at Petr Cech who just might be my favorite player in the game at this point (outside of those I can’t afford) … And now we turn our attention to none other than Harry Maguire himself.

For some reason the Man United defender and current England captain running the channels as my main striker seemed more outlandish than Manuel Neuer leading the line. However, the stage was set from Maguire to take control of my squad. We once again went with the 4-2-2-2 formation this weekend, and with Maguire it was obvious that he would be leading the line with an ENGINE chemistry style applied.

Maguire performed admirably all weekend long in the following squad:

Overall 

There was a lot to like with this card, but the same can be said for almost every card at this point in the game right now. Statistics have become cracked on a level that is borderline ridiculous and everything comes down to fine margins now. Unfortunately those fine margins are where Maguire fell short at times and was completely exposed in others.

Main Statistics – Dribbling

Shooting Rating: 7/10

Skills: ★★★★★

Traits: Flair

Normally we reserve this section for a skill or attribute that justifies the overall rating and highlights the main weapon you can expect to add if you purchase cards for your squad.  But with Maguire it was the Dribbling that ultimately hurt this card the most.  

To put it lightly, Maguire moves like someone with the nickname Slabhead.  Having used Cech and Van Dijk in recent reviews I know it is possible for big men to move quickly, but with Maguire the 94 BALANCE, 99 DRIBBLING & even my favorite FLAIR Trait, were not enough to outweigh the 84 AGILITY impact on this cards movement.

Value/Coins

Value/Coins: 3/5

275k for this card is simply too much and while a 3/5 may be a bit harsh it does align with how powerful the curve has become.  There are currently 45k cards that would be entirely more effective than Maguire and overall that is what hurts this card the most.  There are things that Maguire did well and those will be highlighted, but there was also a large list of areas for improvement.

Good vs. Bad 

Good vs Bad Rating: 4/5

Playing in the hold up striker role offered Maguire opportunities to put his massive 194 cm | 6’4 HIGH & STOCKY frame to excellent use.  Most of what he did well connected to this in one way or another.

+ The 99 SPRINT SPEED on such a massive card with the LENGTHY AcceleRATE, feels like a line you can use for a lot of cards of late and Maguire is no different.  In full flow you can utilize this to your advantage and most defenders are not catching the big man.

+ 99 STRENGTH allowed numerous opportunities to hold up the ball and wait for backup to arrive.  The ability to relieve the pressure from the press both on the ground and in the air was a nice option.  The aerial threat in front of goal was a useful tool as well, causing numerous opponents headaches throughout the weekend.

Unfortunately, that massive frame had some drawbacks as well.  The aforementioned Dribbling being the most obvious.

- The 95 ACCELERATION with this card was quite poor and only compounded the poor feel while dribbling.

- While the hold up play was superb, the passing out of it was not ideal.  Even with the 98 SHORT PASSING & 96 LONG PASSING it felt like Maguire was constantly giving the ball away.  Simple passes, no issue.  But the more intricate weighted passes often fell short of perfect.

- On his preferred right foot it is easy to see that Maguire’s 96 FINISHING & 99 SHOT POWER operate perfectly.  However, the 4 STAR WEAK FOOT on this card is incredibly frustrating and feels more like a 3 STAR quality.

Closing Words

Simply not a card that you are going to see much of moving forward.  Even without the complete dominance of Cech there are just too many strikers that can do it better for cheaper.  On a side note, having used SS Martial to link Maguire there is still hope for Man United fans… The Frenchman is complete class out on the wing and would be a lethal striker option as well.  But as for Maguire, it is a hard pass for me.

Hoping you are well.  Cheers for reading.