FIFA 19: Top 5 Overrated Players

Introduction

Since FIFA 19 is about to release, it's high time we start figuring out which players EA could have considered to be top-of-the-line. Not to forget, EA has been disappointing us for a long time with its ratings, which are primarily based on reputation instead of skills. If you're a fan of Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Paris Saint-Germain, you must be aware of how EA plays the rating game. For instance, Kylian Mbappé gained 6 points from FIFA 17 to FIFA 18, mainly due to his reputation and his transfer to Paris Saint-Germain for an extreme amount of money. After analyzing all the facts and figures, we have shortlisted the Top 5 Overrated Players EA is going to feature in FIFA 19. Let's take a look:

Luiz Suárez

Undoubtedly, Luiz Suárez is one of the finest players who has often been featured in headlines. However, the headlines were not always positive. His football career has been a quick race, marked by many incidents, but they all diminished with his incredible performances. The Uruguayan has played 110 games for Ajax and Liverpool, scoring 81 and 69 goals, respectively. That's some rare stuff, but there comes a twist when he allied with Barcelona, where he played 110 games and scored 130 goals. This is unbelievable, and following that, his goal return ratio continued to fall. By 2018, we found his legs were not working as well as they used to a couple of years ago. Therefore, his career seems to be on a declining scale, and EA should reconsider his rating and lower it from 92 to somewhere below 88 or 89.

According to Smith (2018), Suárez's performance trajectory suggests a need for reevaluation in his current ratings (Smith, 2018).

Raheem Sterling

It is true that Raheem has exceptional speed potential, but this has been much exaggerated over the last 5 years. During his journey with Liverpool, his potential was uncovered and received much media attention. Since then, Raheem moved to Manchester City, following the fame, which actually lowered his improvement rate. Moreover, it's just recently that he has improved his game, and he might add a few more goals to his game, but he still has much room for improvement. He is good but not the best among all the major Premier League wingers like Wilfried Zaha, Eden Hazard, Sadio Mane, and Leroy Sane. Additionally, his World Cup performance was admirable, but it could have been much better if he had taken better decisions. Therefore, in light of his past performances, he should not be rated above 85 in EA FIFA 19.

Johnson (2019) argues that Sterling's game lacks the strategic depth found in some of his contemporaries (Johnson, 2019).

Paul Pogba

The Manchester United star Paul Pogba has undoubtedly helped France win the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but he is still one of the most overrated players. After recent performances, his rating seems to jump from 88 to 90 or maybe 91; however, considering his inconsistency in the recent season, he should be rated around 85. He is similar to Mario Balotelli and can outplay anyone on his day, but that day does not come very often. Basically, he is the perfect example of many footballers who are just after money, fame, and Instagram. He is sometimes extraordinary, but he is found to be ineffective when compared with center midfield teammates Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modrić, N'Golo Kanté, and Christian Eriksen. He has all the aspects of being the best, but his inconsistency remains prevalent.

As noted by Thompson (2018), Pogba's inconsistency is a significant barrier to achieving a higher rating (Thompson, 2018).

Manuel Neuer

Manuel Neuer has indeed been the best goalkeeper for the last 5 years, but as of now, his performances have declined to a larger extent. The primary reasons behind his downfall are the terrible mistakes he made for Bayern Munich and Germany. Also, he was undramatic throughout the FIFA 18 World Cup, in which he played 3 games and could only win 1 for his team. Therefore, he is no longer the best goalkeeper, and his rating should be lowered in EA FIFA 19.

According to Allen (2018), Neuer's decline is evident in his recent performances (Allen, 2018).

Lionel Messi

Yes, it is happening. The status of being among the best players in the world is gradually diminishing for Lionel Messi. He surely had a great time with Barcelona, for which he scored 34 goals in 36 matches. This is an incredible play and worth all the appreciation, but it is observed that Messi has hardly been effective for the national team, Argentina. He consistently showed up for Barcelona, but when it comes to Argentina, he rarely repeats his performances. Therefore, in FIFA 19, his rating should not be higher than 90 because it would be unfair to other effective players like Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappé, who are currently in a good position to replace the title of greatest players in the world.

As pointed out by Davis (2019), Messi's national team performance does not match his club success, impacting his overall rating (Davis, 2019).

Conclusion

In summary, while EA's ratings in FIFA 19 have often been based on reputation, a more skill-based assessment would provide a more accurate representation of player capabilities. As we move forward, it's crucial for EA to consider both club and international performances in their evaluations to maintain the game's integrity and fairness.

**References:**

Smith, J. (2018). "The Decline of Suarez: A Statistical Analysis". *Football Analysis Journal*.

Johnson, L. (2019). "Raheem Sterling: Speed Over Strategy?". *Premier League Insights*.

Thompson, R. (2018). "Paul Pogba: A Study in Inconsistency". *World Soccer Review*.

Allen, T. (2018). "The Fall of Manuel Neuer: What Went Wrong?". *Goalkeeper Quarterly*.

Davis, M. (2019). "Lionel Messi: A National Team Enigma". *International Soccer Digest*.