Check out the most accurate Barclays Premier League Players Predictions for FIFA 17 Ultimate Team. Today we will take a look to FIFA 17 ratings changes of Manchester United players.
FIFA 17 Ratings Predictions for Premier League Players
With the FIFA cycle almost coming to an end, and EA in the process of creating the next installment in their franchise, there is no bigger time for the FIFA team to analyse and study the ability of the players residing in their game. From the upcoming youth players at your average League 2 team to the superstars of Messi and Ronaldo, every player will be reviewed to get a measure of how accurate their ratings are, and whether they need updating.
The league that generates the most attention is the Premier League – after all, it is the most watched worldwide and draws the largest TV audience in many countries across the footballing world. EA have to make sure they hold a small margin of error with the players plying their trade here to avoid any unnecessary backlash. As a result, we are going to look at the players of each of the top clubs in the country, and give them a rating ourselves for FIFA 17. I will only be doing the players who have a chance at the first team, to avoid having to rate every young player in the team.
Today we will cover the Manchester United players but you can also expect FIFA 17 ratings predictions for the other five biggest English Premier League teams.
FIFA 17 Ratings Predictions for Manchester United Players
The failure to build on last season’s progress following a 5th place finish saw the end of the Louis van Gaal tenure at Old Trafford, and many players at the club brought under the spotlight of criticism. While a few players can hold their heads high, several look to be facing downgrades going into next season.
GK – David de Gea – 87
Many would argue that David de Gea is the best goalkeeper in the world, and after his season with Manchester United, it is easy to see why. The Spaniard was often the only presence stopping United from losing games across the season, and can easily stake a claim as the most important player in the squad, and arguably the only world class one present. A slightly questionable performance at the Euros may have knocked his chances of the upgrade being larger but it is almost certain that De Gea will see his rating boosted.
GK – Sergio Romero – 77
The deputy to De Gea, Romero saw limited action when his Spanish counterpart was fit – yet when called up to the first team the Argentine held himself well, and performed decently under the spotlight. An upgrade would not be a major surprise, though remaining the same wouldn’t shock many either.
RB – Matteo Darmian – 80
Darmian’s first season with Manchester United cannot be looked upon well – despite a strong start the full back struggled with fitness for most of the season and struggled to find any exemplar form – to the point where youth players like Borthwick-Jackson and Fosu-Mensah performed to a higher degree in the role. Missing a penalty for Italy in their quarter final shoot out against Germany won’t have helped either, and realistically it looks to be a small downgrade coming to the Italian.
LB – Luke Shaw – 77
Shaw looked a natural fit in the United left back position for the first month of the season, before a devastating injury ruled him out for the rest of the season and curtailed his progress. Whilst an upgrade may have been on its way given his strong start it looks unlikely given how little he played over the season.
LB – Cameron Borthwick-Jackson – 70
Borthwick-Jackson was a player only called into the United team through the heavy injuries the club sustained across the last campaign, though a series of impressive performances at full back will ensure he earns a decent card for FIFA 17. Injuries afflicted him as well, which may stop the card being given gold or even high silver – which likely places him around the middle of the silver ratings.
LB/CB – Marcos Rojo – 80
Rojo suffered from injuries over the season with United, though it has to be said that for long periods of time when fit the Argentine did not look composed or controlled in defence. A greater downgrade may have been given, were it not for his role in Argentina’s Copa America tournament, which may save the defender from a severer drop in rating – yet it seem likely that he’ll lose a rating despite his international exploits.
CB – Chris Smalling – 83
Smalling is another player who can hold their head high from the 2015-16 season. The trust and confidence invested into him when he first signed from Fulham looks to have paid off, as the centre back now remains United’s most important defender behind De Gea. Solid performances across the year, Euro 2016 aside, should see Smalling in line for an upgrade to rank him as one of the best defenders in the division.
CB – Phil Jones – 80
Jones’ upgrade from FIFA 15 to FIFA 16 was the source of controversy with some fans, though given how little he played across this season it would be a surprise to see EA downgrade the player going into the next game. His rating will likely remain the same.
CB – Eric Bailly – 80
A defender who’ll have a lot expected of him, Bailly was an outstanding player for Villarreal in La Liga last year, being a key part in their 4th place finish in the league. The Ivorian’s move to United combined with his form across last season will see a hefty upgrade for the player – likely moving him up to a decent 80 rating.
CB – Paddy McNair – 68
McNair suffered from injuries across the season for United, which would usually mean EA would leave his rating alone – yet his strong form for Northern Ireland over the year, especially at the European Championships, leave him a prime candidate for an upgrade going into FIFA 17.
CB – Timothy Fosu-Mensah – 69
The young Dutchman was another surprise highlight of the United season, with impressive performances coming at a time when United were expected to collapse with barely a first team lining up for them. His injury probably stops his card from being any higher but just below Borthwick-Jackson is probably accurate.
RM – Henrik Mkhitaryan – 84
One of the stand out signings of the summer so far, Mkhitaryan enters the Premier League as one of the most technically gifted and talented players from the Bundesliga. He was crucial in firing Borussia Dortmund back to the top 4 and only a few points behind title winners Bayern in the final standings, and now at United looks set to fix their offensive problems in the team. An upgrade looks likely for the Armenian.
RM – Juan Mata – 83
The exit door looks likely for the Spaniard with the return of Mourinho and the acquisition of a player in the mould of Mkhitaryan, but even so Mata’s rating looks set to take another knock going into FIFA 17. His season was a troubled one, failing to make the impact that his £40 million price tag would expect of him, and whilst there were some good performances the season has to go down as a disappointment from him, thus making a downgrade a probability.
RM/RB – Antonio Valencia – 77
Valencia’s continued dedication to Manchester United is a positive without doubt, but it seems extremely unlikely that the Ecuador winger will be a starter, or even near the squad, for much longer. His performances as a full back or a winger lack quality and in reality with Mourinho entering the club he will have a major fight to keep his place in the squad. I don’t see him going into the next game without a downgrade.
LM – Ashley Young – 80
Once the scorn of the watching public, it seems that many have forgotten about Ashley Young over the past year, which absence from the first team through injury will have helped. The winger was average when he played but ultimately didn’t have enough playing time to take a considerable knock in rating, which makes the retaining of his current rating look extremely likely.
LM – Jesse Lingard – 75
Yet another player to find first team action through the absence of his teammates, Lingard became one of the most played players at the club through his consistency over the season, and in fact can hold his head relatively high given the performances of some of his teammates. It would be a surprise not to see Lingard get a significant upgrade going into FIFA 17, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him leap up to a gold card.
CM – Bastian Schweinsteiger – 85
Schweinsteiger is a legend of football in the 21st century, having won everything with Bayern Munich and a World Cup with Germany, yet it has to be said that his form last season was very disappointing. The German is no longer the reliable stalwart of the midfield seen in his Bundesliga days but now riddled with injuries and often exposed by attacking teams, and whilst a decent European Championship may have saved his rating taking a huge hit it seems highly likely Schweinsteiger will face a knock to his rating, which is a huge shame.
CDM – Morgan Schneiderlin – 81
Probably one of the better performers from United’s midfielders, Schneiderlin was still disappointing on the whole for the club over the season. Injuries did affect his campaign but not to the degree of some of his rivals, and as a result a small downgrade looks set to hit the Frenchman.
CM – Ander Herrera – 81
It is disappointing to see a talented player like Herrera continually left out of the action by United, as that is largely what stops his rating from increasing – the Spaniard has talent and ability, yet finds himself benched too often, which will probably prevent his rating from increasing. With more midfielders likely entering the team courtesy of the transfer window, things do not look good for Herrera either.
CM – Michael Carrick – 78
Disappointing seems an understatement for Carrick, who appears to have let his age really catch up with him. Lacklustre offensively and unreliable defensively, Carrick’s performances over the season left very mediocre impacts on United as a team, and often his role in the side was non-existent. It seems likely the playmaker will face a downgrade, as age and form appear to have deserted him.
CDM – Daley Blind – 80
Daley Blind is one of the most versatile players in the United team, and his fitness over the season was crucial as he ended with a total of 55 games, more than any other player – though whilst his longevity in the United side is a plus for the team, his performances were not exceptional. Being played out of position numerous times didn’t help, but an upgrade seems out of the question for the player given the numerous positions the Dutchman was asked to play in – and assuming he remains a CDM it looks likely he’ll maintain his current rating.
CM – Marouane Fellaini – 76
The same cannot be said for Marouane Fellaini, who was without doubt one of the worst performers at the club over the season. Attracting the ire of United fans and the derision of most of the watching world, performances from the Belgian were sloppy, lethargic and lacklustre, often tainted with atrocious tackling and consistently cynical challenges, many of which involved his elbows. The player was equally poor at the Euros, where he failed to make an impact in any of Belgium’s games. He is without doubt one of the players heading towards a downgrade, and in all likelihood it would be a surprise to see Mourinho place his faith in him heading into next season.
LW – Memphis Depay – 80
Considered one of the young players of Europe in 2014-15, the first season at United has been a tough one for Depay to get through. Whilst some performances in the Champions and Europa League were impressive, the majority of the season was a major disappointment for Depay, leaving a downgrade as an extremely likely event heading into the next game. The severity of the downgrade may well be larger than my prediction!
ST – Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 89
The Premier League’s new big name, Ibrahimovic’s free transfer to Manchester United is what many will label as the signing of the summer. Certainly it looks the case, when you consider his outstanding 50 goals for PSG last season at nearly a goal a game, and his undoubted talent as a goal scorer wherever he’s played. Given how high his card is already rated, it seems unlikely the Swede will move any higher next season, though I would be incredibly surprised if EA were to knock his card down a rating.
ST/CAM – Wayne Rooney – 85
Rooney’s role at Manchester United appears to be a big question for Mourinho to have to deal with, with his position as striker lost to Martial and Rashford over the last season, his position as a number heavily scrutinised and his ability to play in midfield questioned through his performances at the Euros. With players like Ibrahimovic and Mkhitaryan entering the club with clear superiority to the captain there appear to be testing times ahead for him – which I feel will be reflected with a downgrade for Rooney. His performances over the course of the season don’t match his rating – so a small knock to it would probably be fair.
ST – Anthony Martial – 82
Martial heads into next season as one of the young players of the league – with his performances in the first few months of the season being a highlight of a disappointing season for his club. His season tailed off after injuries set in, and he didn’t enjoy the best Euros with France, but it cannot be denied that Martial was one of the best performers at the club, and a substantial upgrade is likely on the way for Martial.
ST – Marcus Rashford – 76
Perhaps the epitome of the success young players displayed at United this season, Rashford broke records and motivated the United team into stronger performances at a time where they looked to be sliding into complete collapse. His goals for United, and later England, earnt him a call up to the Euros, where he escaped without criticism amongst the drek of England’s other players. His absence of a card from FIFA 16 gives EA the scope to place Rashford’s rating where they want it – which I feel gives Rashford a good chance at being a gold for FIFA 17.
The Author: Owen Macdonald
Owen Macdonald is a 25 year old from London, United Kingdom and supports Fulham FC. Whilst a relative newcomer to the Ultimate Team franchise, having created his first team in FUT 13, Owen’s passion and ever growing knowledge of the footballing world has led to a love for FUT.
His enthusiasm for the game is not matched by many, and if asked will gladly talk about FUT and football on the whole for hours. Away from football Owen is a keen writer and enjoys politics and cinema.