Trophy Titans Marchisio - Spend or Swerve

POSITIVES & NEGATIVES

Positives

• Marchisio is an extremely well rounded centre midfielder, he has all the qualities you need for a box to box midfielder

• He has a great range of passing, with high short passing and vision he is able to play those key passes from the midfield

• He is very good on the ball as he has a lean body type and good dribbling attributes

• His High/High work rates are perfect for a box to box centre midfielder

• 4* weak foot and 4* skill moves are ideal for a centre midfielder, they are considered to be nearly a minimum requirement now

• Being a Hero he has Hero Chemistry, meaning he gets 3 chemistry points in any team he plays in as long as he is in his correct position, and he contributes 2 chemistry points to the Serie A

Negatives

• Due to his height, body type and his physical attributes he can lack physicality in the midfield at times

• Also due to his height and Jumping (71) he lacks aerial ability

• He has no shooting traits, which isn’t a huge issues but from midfield it is nice to have the Outside Foot or Finesse Shot traits

• He is a very expensive SBC, and especially this close to Team of the Season (TOTS) it is quite hard to justify his price tag

TEAM AND IN GAME POSITION

Team Used

In Game Formation – 4-2-2-2 & 3-4-2-1

Position Played: CDM/CM

Chemistry Style Used: Shadow

Recommended Position: Box to Box CM

Recommended Chemistry Style: Shadow

IS HE BETTER THAN? – High/High CM/CDMs

Trophy Titans Icon Xavi – 719K

• Xavi has far superior passing and dribbling, whereas Marchisio has better defensive and physical attributes

• Who would I choose, and why?

  • I would choose Marchisio for a box to box CM and I would chose Xavi for an attacking CM or even a CAM

TOTY Icon Xabi Alonso – 391K (Expired SBC)

• Xabi Alonso is better defensively and has better passing, whereas Marchisio is better offensively

• Who would I choose, and why?

  • I would choose Marchisio for a box to box CM and I would chose Xabi Alonso a stay back CDM

Fantasy Hero Kuyt – 657K

• Kuyt has better pace, dribbling and shooting and is much more suited to an attacking CM or even a CAM or ST, whereas Marchisio is better defensively

• Who would I choose, and why?

  • I would choose Marchisio for a box to box CM and I would chose Kuyt for an attacking CM or even a CAM or ST

Fantasy Hero Park Ji-Sung – 585K

• Park is actually a very similar card to Marchisio, he has slightly better dribbling, pace and passing but Marchisio has better Shooting and also has 4* skill moves where Park only has 3* skill moves

• Who would I choose, and why?

  • I would choose Marchisio, and the only reason being is his extra skill moves

RATINGS

VERDICT

This was a very difficult one for me, as making a decision on Spend or Swerve implies the decision is black and white which in reality it isn’t with this card.

Firstly, let’s talk about Marchisio’s positives, he is a brilliant box to box midfielder, with great passing and a lot of qualities you need from a B2B CM. If you have this card I am very confident that you will enjoy him and he will perform well for you.

Now onto the negatives, he lacks a bit of physicality and aerial presence due to his height, body type and size but in all honesty they are not hugely noticeable. The biggest issue with this card is the price, currently 1.26 million for this card feels overpriced, and I understand he has a world cup version which was around this price for quite a while so this sort of price should be considered fair.

My issue with this card is that as we are so close to Team of the Season I expect there to be much better cards coming into the game and they will likely be a fraction of the price.

You do have 3 months to complete this card so if during TOTS you have spare fodder, he is a good choice as a place to put it.

So with this card you get a great card who will perform well in your team, and for those who choose to do this SBC you will definitely enjoy the card, however for me the price point is just too high this close to TOTS so for that reason it is going to be a SWERVE!

SPEND OR SWERVE

FUNNY AND INTERESTING FACTS

A little bit of bonus content for you all here are some funny and interesting facts about Claudio Marchisio …

• Marchisio’s nickname is “Il Principino” which means “The Little Prince” in Italian. He earned this nickname due to his regal and elegant playing style.

• Marchisio’s father, Stefano Marchisio, was also a professional footballer who played for Juventus and other Italian clubs.

• Despite being known for his skill on the football field, Marchisio has a fear of flying.

• Marchisio is a big fan of rock music and lists Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Metallica among his favourite bands.

• Marchisio is known for his fashion sense and has been featured in Italian fashion magazines. He has also launched his own clothing line.

• Marchisio is a big fan of Formula One racing and has attended several races as a spectator.

• Marchisio has a tattoo of his wife’s name, Roberta, on his left wrist.

• In 2011, Marchisio was featured in a music video for the Italian band Negramaro.

• Marchisio is a big supporter of the charity Save the Children and has participated in several fundraising events for the organization.

• Marchisio has a degree in economics and management from the University of Turin.