Cheap idols are underestimated. We checked – in FIFA 23 they have become noticeably stronger

We tested inexpensive legend cards.

Cheap idols rarely got into the compositions. They are slow and much more expensive than basic cards, so players ignored them for many years. FIFA 23 has new types of acceleration, and a long dash turned out to be a cheat. What if he revived weak legends? We tested low-cost idols with a long burst and found out how they feel in the new meta.

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What cards did we test? They took five idols, among them – Lampard and Trezeguet

Five idols were included in the test: David Trezeguet (89), Roy Keane (88), Bobby Moore (87), Frank Lampard (86) and Fernando Hierro (86). You hardly strengthened your compositions with them, since they barely match the speed, besides, many of the models on the list have clumsy models.

The roster includes a couple of inexpensive special cards from the Premier League, the rest of the players are selected for chemistry. At the gate is the Frenchman Lloris, who showed himself perfectly from the first matches in FIFA 23. Not a hopeless squad, but every position could be better.

How did inexpensive idols perform in Weekend League matches?

The middle divisions are not an indicator, so I immediately went to the Weekend League. More than a month has passed since the release of the game, so the cards of inexpensive idols were not surprising, and the lineups of many rivals were stronger. At least on paper.

I expected failure. It seemed that it was impossible to fight against serious lineups with such players, but inexpensive idols turned out to be very good. The biggest surprise was Bobby Moore. He ran with “Architect” and a speed of 71/69, and due to the long type of acceleration, he excelled not only in positional play, but also in short bursts behind the attacking opponents. The Englishman brilliantly chose positions and from a place gave passes to the legs. With high speed, Moore would be a premium idol!

His defensive partner Fernando Hierro read the game a little worse, but with a speed of 83/83 he was in time in almost any episode and pulled out of the defensive line quite well. I’ve kept him on the main team until now.

David Trezeguet and Robbie Keane have shown themselves to be consistent players. The Frenchman lacked balance as hell, but with the “Hunter” he often broke away from defenders with normal running styles, and he finished well. In 20 WL matches, he scored 15 goals and provided 7 assists, with many games over long before the final whistle. Keane was reliable in the center of the field, although even with the “Shadow” he was not always enough for a long pursuit of the opponent.

Oddly enough, my least favorite was Frank Lampard. The Chelsea legend played under the Architect at 77/73 and his slow acceleration proved fatal in many game situations. Frank gave quality with transfers and excellent shots (4+1), but poor balance made it difficult to have a long possession of the ball and dribbling for the Englishman.

Is it possible to play cheap idols in competitive modes? My answer is yes

The surprising conclusion of the experiment is that inexpensive idols are dragged. If you are an ordinary player and fight for IV-VI ranks (9-14 wins) or storm high divisions, then legendary players with a long-term acceleration type will strengthen the squad and give a lot of positive emotions. The speed difference has been significantly reduced in FIFA 23, so you won’t see much difference between them and improved players from events.

I don’t recommend buying very slow players who need “Architect” to change the acceleration. They do not have time at long distances, are tied to their native position and fail when meeting with high-speed opponents. In the presence of low balance, players react poorly to jockey accompaniment and dribbling.

But it’s definitely worth taking a closer look at inexpensive idols and heroes of the past. They are no longer useless.