Winter Upgrades! You either love them or hate them.
We’re now past the halfway mark of the 2015/16 Barclays Premier League Season and we’ve witnessed some (mostly Leicester City) players outperform their current rankings in FIFA 16.
Thankfully, in most cases, EA acknowledge these performances and reinvigorate the game by rewarding these players with upgrades. However, in others, they don’t, or fail to fully recognise their full potential.
So, as EA role out the remaining Winter Upgrades, let’s take a look at my list of 10 Premier League Players who deserve a serious update in FIFA 16.
10. Dimitri Payet - West Ham United
Dimitri Payet has had an absolutely amazing start to his first season in the English Premier League. Whilst already rated pretty well in FIFA, I personally believe he’s an outstanding footballer and if it weren’t for his injury, which has kept him sidelined for some time, he would have been in every Team Of The Week. However, despite Payet’s reasonable rating, some of his in-game stats seem a little harsh, such as his 74 Finishing and a ridiculous 29 Marking.
Payet has made a huge impression in the short amount of time he’s had in the Premier League, and as a result he is already one of the highest rated midfielders. If West Ham can keep him fit for the remaining season, there’s no reason why Payet won’t continue to impress and pressure EA into giving him the rating he deserves.
Current Rating = 81 / My Rating = 84
9. Calum Chambers - Arsenal
Whilst not a regular for Arsenal, Calum Chambers has proven himself to be a safe pair of… feet… when he gets his chance. After transferring from Southampton, where he was tipped as a future England Defender, Chambers still possesses great defensive qualities, which aren’t reflected in his FIFA 16 rating, getting mid to high 70’s across the board.
Current Rating = 72 / My Rating = 76
8. Odion Ighalo - Watford
Ighalo has singlehandedly kept Watford in the top half of the Premier League table this season, however, his measly 72 rating does not reflect his level of performances over the last six months. His Finishing is a tad on the low side at 74 and he’s also received a very poor Balance rating of only 65.
As someone who is currently the Premier League’s fourth top goal scorer, alongside Sergio Aguero, Ighalo deserves a much higher rating.
Current Rating = 72 / My Rating = 80
7. Dele Alli - Tottenham Hotspur
Dele Alli has easily been the most impressive young player of the year so far, by a mile. His FIFA rating on the other hand suggests that he’s been playing whilst wearing a blindfold, as EA still currently rate him at a 72, WHAT?!
Did EA not see that infamous goal he scored? Obviously not, as his Finishing is still 70 and his Volleys are 53!
Alli is another breakout star of the Premier League this season, and deserves a better upgrade as much as anyone else. At 19, Alli possesses the potential to be a very special player and a key fixture of the England national team.
Current Rating = 72 / My Rating = 78
6. Rob Elliot - Newcastle United
Rob Elliot has saved Newcastle United more times than I can count this season, yet his FIFA rating is at an unbelievable 69! Here’s his GK stats… Diving 70, Handling 67, Kicking 68, Positioning 69, Speed 47 and Reflexes 72. These are all far too low.
Current Rating = 69 / My Rating = 75
5. Ruben Loftus-Cheek - Chelsea
Ruben Loftus-Cheek hasn’t received many first team opportunities this season, but when he’s been called upon, he’s proven himself to be just as good, if not better than Chelsea’s current Central Midfielders Nemanja Matic and John Obi Mikel, both of whom are rated much higher than him.
Current Rating = 66 / My Rating = 74
4. John Stones - Everton
Without a doubt, John Stones is one of the best young Defenders in the Premier League, if not the World. Stones has already proven himself to be a pivotal member of the Everton squad, while also being dubbed the future captain of England. However, he has seemingly failed to receive this acclaim on FIFA 16.
At 77 rated, Stones is already on his way to becoming one of the highest rated Centre Backs in the league, with Vincent Kompany and John Terry leading the charge at 85. However, with reasonable defensive stats, the reason for Stones’ average rating is due to his low Dribbling, Passing and Shooting attributes.
Stones is renowned for his high level of composure and distribution of the ball, despite his young age. Therefore, it seems unjust that these are currently his weakest ratings on FIFA 16. A deserved upgrade to these stats should see Stones’ overall rating also rise accordingly
Current Rating = 77 / My Rating = 83
3. Jamie Vardy - Leicester City
Leicester City have shocked the entire footballing world this season, as they sit at the top of the Premier League, ahead of the initial league favourites Manchester City, and much of their success has been down to the likes of Jamie Vardy.
Vardy is another player who has received a deserved Winter Upgrade as a result of his phenomenal season, however, many fans, including myself, believe his updated 75 rating does not do the Barclays Premier League’s Top Goal Scorer justice. Poor attributes such as 59 Heading, 65 Short Passing and 76 Positioning are all to blame for his low rating, not to mention that his Finishing, bearing in mind he’s scored 18 goals this season, is only 78.
Current Rating = 75 / My Rating = 82
2. Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur
Harry Kane may be a bit of a surprise addition, bearing in mind how well he did last season as he cemented his role as one of the top Strikers in the league. However, when you take this into consideration, you feel rather disappointed upon discovering he’s currently rated 78 overall.
Initially, his stats, for the most part, seem okay. It’s only when you look into his attributes that you begin to realise how unfair his rating really is. Most notably, his Shooting, Passing, Dribbling and Physical stats seem especially unfair, as Positioning, Finishing, Reactions, Heading and Stamina currently stand as his only attributes over 80.
Current Rating = 78 / My Rating = 83
1. Riyad Mahrez - Leicester City
Riyad Mahrez has, without a doubt, been the standout player of the 2015-16 season so far. His dribbling and finishing ability has amazed us all, especially when nobody had even heard of his name six months ago.
In FIFA 16 he currently holds a rating of 76, which is far below his current ability. One of the reasons for this is his Finishing attribute, which currently stands at a pretty average 73. A more suitable rating would definitely be around the mid 80’s.
Current Rating = 76 / My Rating = 84
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