Ricardo - 13k - Great shot stopper, excellent throw and decent keepers but he does get caught out of position and can let in the softest goals. He copes pretty well though considering his two centre backs are the slowest of the slow and his natural desire to charge out of goal can be of great benefit even if at times it's a serious hindrance. I've had him for a while but didn't think I'd have a chance to use him; a third IF would be nice as he does lack a little but all in all he complements the team even at his pretty short 6"1. (7.9/10)
Carvalho - 10k - I put a shadow on him and it was needed! In the air he is a force, on the ground his tackling is superb and his passing good but the lack of pace does show and so does his positioning which is great 90% of the time but on occasions leaves you very exposed. He isn't the tallest but he is very strong and aggressive and he has the right chemistry to use some less used players. All in all he's a solid defender and if he was around 65 pace would be extremely good. I can see why Jose liked him so much. (7.9/10)
Garay - 11k - Garay is a monster; he might not be quick but he's great fun to use, always in the right place, makes amazing tackles, beats most players in the air and seldom lets an attacker past even if they are 90 pace. He isn't quick, but he is wide which means players have to go around him. This is a help as a long ball does leave him exposed but if that long ball is over Carvalho I find he often stands just in the right position to make a block or take the ball from the attackers feet. He's a genuine monster of a defender and I really enjoy using him. Defensively he's great but his passing, free kick taking and penalties are a joy too; what more can be said, with 70 pace he'd be the best defender on the game without a doubt. (8.9/10)
Pereira - 15k - An interesting player who needs a little more pace to make him top notch but a good one nevertheless. His passing is strong, dribbling superb and all round play very good. Defensively the lack of pace means he can struggle to get back (no shadow card just yet) and in the air he can struggle as he is 5"8 but he's strong and aggressive and is a force coming forward. He does come forward, lots, but on the ball he is very good and his crossing is great too, with Salpingidis tracking back that's a help and so fits nicely within this team. His tackling is good too, though not superb, but if he gets close he is going to hold up his man even if they are tricky or pacey. (7.9/10)
Bedimo - 19k - Bedimo is strong, quick, good in the air and very solid. He does come forward but not as much as Pereira and he's good cover for the slightly crippled Carvalho, His crossing is very good though I don't use it all that much as he rarely ventures that far forward, his dribbling is average so I try not to bomb him on, but he does what a good full back does, defends well with an attacking trick or two. I have no complaints with him as he can tackle, head, defender and attack; pretty much perfect and I prefer him to Digne. (8.7/10)
Toulalan - 12k - I made this team for him as his stats suggested I had a gem on my hands and I was right. Defensively his tackling and positioning are excellent and he's always stripping the ball from attackers, offensively his passing is absolutely amazing and through balls constantly split defences which is a real help because he makes plenty of interceptions and allows me to create great counters, especially to Salpingidis. His dribbling is also very good, heading decent, but his shooting is atrocious and I tend to find someone else rather than letting him test the keeper. So far no goals but lots of assists. He is also a very big player which means the opposition rarely flattens him and needs to go around him; he stays back but also comes forward at the right time. An absolutely great player. (9/10)
Dominguez - 10k - Great shot, great pass, excellent corner, good player. Goal wise from distance he is deadly, up close he is neat, he has good dribbling and his passing is strong both short and long (better short). He is small but seems bigger than 5"8, he helps out in defence more than his low work rate suggests, and plays as a good central midfielder should. He was my main worry in this team but he's not the weak link and in fact does a very good job for me. Though not the greatest 442 CM he is very good and I think of real benefit to my attacks especially on the edge of the box. He gets goals and assists and puts himself about too. He isn't the quickest but he is effective and in a CM you need ability more than pace. He also has a great weak foot. (8.5/10)
Bautheac - 10k - In this formation he is effective but not brilliant. He is very left footed, feels a little slow but has a good cross and decent pass. He plays his part but I really would appreciate a better option if and when one comes around. His dribbling is decent enough, short passing is good but long passing just about average; he is very much a player who uses one foot even though he's scored a few lucky right footed goals. I do like him as a player but he lacks many qualities to truly test defences and only on occasions has he managed to confidently burst away from attackers. 83 pace? Really doesn't feel that way, 77 perhaps, plus he is weak so gets flattened quite easily. So far he doesn't hinder me he just doesn't set the team alight. Worth the discard price but he needs to be used in a particular way rather than expecting him to perform adequately at everything. Oh, he puts in a nice corner but his free kicks are poor unless very close up. (7.7/10)
Salpingidis - 14k - Run forward, run back, run forward, run back; tired yet? No? Well score me a goal then. This is Salpingidis in a nutshell; his crossing is average but his shot is superb, he is a workhorse with ability. Dribbling wise he is decent and short passing good, he makes good runs forward and tracks back all the time but when released to take on the keeper he is absolutely deadly. I initially bought him for a future 433 but realised I couldn't use Mitroglou in one just yet, in 442 he makes my attacks deadly and my defence strong (which is a help with my pace at the back) and even at 5"7 feels like like a bull desperate to get the ball back. He might not be the most skilful but he will improve many teams and let your more creative players use their talents, the 88 pace is a real help, pace always is, and you'll find him part of a lot of good moves both in your half and in the oppositions. (8.7/10)
Mitroglou - 17k - At first he annoyed me, he simply couldn't win a header for toffee but after a few games and less crossing I started to use his four precious attributes. Outside of the foot shot, weak foot dribbling, 4*skills and devastating left foot finishing. He scoop turns/skills excellently, is extremely strong on the ball and isn't as slow as the 64 pace suggests. When he gets a chance the top corner is his friend but in this formation I do feel he is better suited to playing on the left as his right foot finish isn't much to write home about. So far he's my main goal scorer and he's scored some absolutely fantastic goals, only 1 with his head, and I look forward to an IF that lets me use him in a 433. A superb player who can dribble, finish, push off a defender and even though price fixed is a fun addition to any squad. Oh his passing is very average, keep them short and simple, this is a little annoying as his positioning to receive the ball is excellent. (8.7/10)
Lacazette - 23k - Definitely better on the right, so far he has made my attacks count rather than finished them off. His dribbling is very good, finishing decent and weak foot surprisingly useable though he does seem to make goals and attacks rather than finishing them himself. His positioning is good, pace superb and he can usually burst away from the defender with his neat turning and abilities on the ball. His heading is average but his agility means he is dangerous from any angle, he is stronger than most 5"8 players and has a real desire to get forward but so far he's not made me think he's anything spectacular even if he doesn't cause me any problems in attack. Definitely an improvement on the NIF but I didn't really like that card anyway. I think with a better LM he might be more deadly but he often gets to Toulalans passes which allows me to be really positive up top. (8/10)
