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The latest edition of EA’s FIFA franchise is slated to be released on September 24, 2018, and fans worldwide have already started pre-ordering the much-anticipated addition to the franchise. FIFA 19 will continue to be powered by the Frostbite Engine on the PS4, Xbox One and PC consoles, along with Nintendo Switch, PS3 and XBOX 360. Ronaldo (in Juventus colors) will return as the cover star for the game.
FIFA 19 is going to be the first title in the long line of FIFA games to obtain the license for the UEFA competitions– both the Champions League and the Europa League game modes will be available for the players to delve themselves in, particularly making a change in the career mode gameplay. The hugely popular FIFA Ultimate Team returns with new features as well– a new Division Rivals mode and further additions to FUT Icons. Along with these changes, the introduction of the Active Touch system enables players to have better control with the ball, making for an immersive experience.
With all these new features and more, FIFA 19 is sure to be not missed by any footballing, or even gaming fans.
Manchester United are embarking on their third season under Jose Mourinho and despite minor successes which include the Europa League, Carabao Cup, and a Community Shield, all in the first season, United has failed to challenge for the title, finishing a distant second to their noisy neighbours in Manchester City and losing the FA Cup Finals to Mourinho’s former club, Chelsea.
As some United supporters would put it, this is Mourinho’s do-or-die season at the Theatre of Dreams, and the experienced Portuguese manager, who is infamous for receiving the sack or parting ways with his club in the third season, must deliver a substantial title to keep the trust of the Old Trafford faithful’s.
Now, moving on to the exciting stuff. Here are the predicted player ratings for the Red Devils in upcoming FIFA 19:
#1 GOALKEEPERS AND DEFENDERS
The Red Devils’ defense has been solid in the previous year, solving one of the major problems at Old Trafford since the exit of their legendary manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. David de Gea had another fantastic season in goal and was provided solid back-up by Romero in FA and Carabao Cup competitions. United has seen an addition in this department from 35-year old Stoke City keeper, Lee Grant, who will provide backup to the two, with Joel Pereira expected to go out on loan soon.
DAVID DE GEA: 90 --> 92
De Gea, once again had a sensational season between the sticks for the Red Devils, amassing a total of 16 clean sheets in the Premier League, which won him his first Golden Glove in PL. Although he had a few mishaps when he donned the reds of La Furia Roja, it is unlikely to affect his ratings given his sensational performances in club competitions the last term.
SERGIO ROMERO: 80 --> 81
The Argentinian provided able backup to the Red Devils’ No.1 when he was called upon by the manager. Romero made only a solitary appearance in the Premier League but racked up 10 appearances in all club competition. A good understudy to De Gea should see his rating go by one point to 81.
LEE GRANT: 73 --> 75
Slated to be the third-choice keeper at United, Grant has shown a lot of character in United’s pre-season friendlies. Although age is catching up with him, Mourinho will hope Grant will be a valuable squad player. A good pre-season and a move to Old Trafford will likely see his rating shoot up by 2 points.
CHRIS SMALLING: 81 --> 80
The English center-half has always shown a lot of promise, but like much of his career, he has failed to actualize his immense potential. The 28-year old was tipped to be one of the defenders to be shown the door at Old Trafford, especially attracting interest from the blue side of Merseyside, but the Englishman gets another season to prove his mettle at the heart of United’s defense. Missing out on the Three Lions squad for the World Cup and a disappointing season for the Reds is likely to see his rating downgrade to 80.
PHIL JONES: 81 --> 81
Jones has been decent at the back for United last season, and despite his mishap against Spurs, where he scored an own goal, the Englishman came back solid and repaid Mourinho’s faith in him, notching up 25 appearances for the season. A decent showing from the center-half should see him retain his 81 rating for the upcoming FIFA game.
LUKE SHAW: 79 --> 78
One of the most controversial defenders in United’s setup, Luke Shaw has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, especially with his manager taking digs at him oh-so-often. His pre-season tour pictures riled up a few United fans, who suggested he had gained too much weight, but came back with a strong full pre-season, and he would hope this new season will offer him another opportunity to showcase his immense talent. Injuries and scarce appearances are likely to take a hit on his ratings.
VICTOR LINDELOF: 79 --> 81
The Swede had a brilliant World Cup and his antics at the heart of the Swedish defense was an essential part of their run to the quarters of the cup. Mourinho seems to be gaining more and more confidence in the young Swede and we should expect to see a lot more of him in the 2018/19 season.
MATTEO DARMIAN: 80 --> 80
Much like Shaw, Darmian failed to register many appearances, featuring in only 8 Premier League games, and 17 games in total. Highly tipped to make his move to Serie A this season, Darmian remains at the Theatre of Dreams, and like other United defenders, will look to consolidate a place in United’s back line.
DIOGO DALOT: 68 --> 72
United’s first signing of the season and one of United’s future stars was a signing from FC Porto in the form of 19-year old fullback, Diogo Dalot. A Portuguese, like Mourinho, Dalot has been side-lined till September but will hope to make immediate inroads to the United squad and challenge the likes of Shaw, Darmian, and former United captain, Antonio Valencia. A promising fullback with great speed and a good cross on him will keep United fans excited.
ERIC BAILY: 84 --> 85
One of the best defenders for United last season, Baily is expected to play a huge role at the heart of United’s defense along with Lindelof. Injuries kept him sidelined for much of this season, but a full 2018/19 season for the man from Ivory Coast will keep United fans a lot more relieved.
MARCOS ROJO: 82 --> 83
Rojo had a promising World Cup for Argentina and even when his national side was knocked out, Rojo grabbed eyeballs with grit and determination at the back and even managed to find the back of the net at crucial times for La Albiceleste.
ANTONIO VALENCIA: 83 --> 82
Valencia was the designated skipper last season for Manchester United. Defensively, Valencia was perhaps one of the most solid right-backs in the league. However, there is much to be desired in terms of his attacking output. Age is catching up with the Ecuadorian, but he is a valuable cog in the United machine. Due to his age, his rating most probably will be docked by one point.
#2 MIDFIELDERS
Jose Mourinho characteristically sets up his teams with ball-winning and dominant center midfielders to free up the forwards. Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba largely fulfilled those roles last season, with the young McTomminay making several appearances from the heart of midfield as well. Jesse Lingard linked up well with his teammates' last term out, and his pace from midfield always provided an outlet for United. Mourinho sanctioned the signing of Fred, who will add further grit and control in midfield. Andreas Perreira is the ‘one to look out for’ for United supporters, after his encouraging performances in pre-season.
FRED: 80 --> 82
Signed from Shakhtar Donetsk for a considerable 50 million pounds, Fred is a Brazilian international of some pedigree. He follows the likes of Willian, Douglas Costa, and Bernard as Brazilian talent exported from Shakhtar. Strong and physical in his approach, Fred also has flair, vision, and wide-range of passing in his arsenal. In the last season, Fred chipped in with 4 goals and 3 assists, which is a good return for the central midfielder. Hence, an increase in rating by 2 points is expected.
PAUL POGBA: 87 --> 89
Paul Pogba looked impressive in United colors last season. His double in the Manchester derby to inspire a United comeback proved his mettle as a ‘big game player’. However, off-field controversies with Mourinho was a recurrent theme throughout the season, which may be worrying for the United faithful. Although it can be argued that he has still not reached the high standards he set for himself at Juventus, Pogba was still crucial to United’s set-up last season, scoring 6 goals and providing assists as well.
Pogba’s highlight of the year was his starring role in the French first XI that emerged as world champions in the FIFA World Cup, 2018, scoring a cracking goal in the final. His performances last term out merits an upgrade of 2 points.
NEMANJA MATIC: 83 --> 84
Matic was typically solid at the base of midfield, constantly shielding his defense from opposition attackers. He showed remarkable consistency throughout the season, going on to make an astounding 36 appearances, and playing 49 matches in total. To add to his defensive contributions, he also scored 2 goals, while his goal against Crystal Palace is still in the memories of United fans. Matic will hope to build on last season, and he deserves a 1-point increase in rating.
ANDREAS PERREIRA: 77 --> 79
Perreira, now 22-years of age, will hope the 2018/19 is the breakout season for him at Old Trafford. He was loaned out for the last 2 seasons at Granada and Villareal respectively. He made 23 appearances for the yellow submarines and chipped in with a solitary goal. Perreira also had a fantastic pre-season, that stamped his mark as a potential starter for Mourinho. Given his performances, he should get an upgrade of 2 points.
JESSE LINGARD: 81 --> 83
Jesse Lingard is a cult-figure in world football at the moment, with his off-field (and on-field) antiques making him a prominent figure in football pop-culture. The 25-year old England international made 33 appearances for the Reds last season, scoring 8 goals in the Premier League, and 13 goals in all competitions. His pace and drive from midfield were valuable assets for United on numerous occasions. Lingard also enjoyed a productive World Cup with England, with whom he reached the semi-finals and chipped in with a solitary assist and a goal. An upgrade of 2 points is expected in FIFA 19.
SCOTT MCTOMINAY: 68 --> 75
The 2017/18 season for the young Scottish midfielder was his break-out year. Mourinho placed his trust on the youngster on numerous occasions last season, mostly from the starting XI. Perhaps still learning his trade, McTominay has the ideal mentor in Matic with whom he shared a productive midfield partnership. Interestingly, he received the Manager’s Player of The Year from Mourinho, an award that was exclusively created for him. Hence, a substantial increase of 7 points is on the cards.
JUAN MATA: 84 --> 84
The 30-year-old Spaniard is a gem of a player. His touch on the ball, coupled with brilliant vision and passing abilities are delightful to watch for not just United fans, but football lovers across the globe. He made 28 appearances in the Premier League last year and featured in 6 CL matches. Mata chipped in with 3 goals in total last season. His rating of 84 should remain unchanged.
ANGEL GOMES: 64 --> 69
17-year-old Angel Gomes is an exciting talent in midfield, and United fans will hope he gets to showcase his talent in the 2018/19 season. Having already won the prestigious U-17 World Cup with England in 2017, Gomes certainly looks to be a star for future.
#3 FORWARDS
United certainly have some exciting forwards at their disposal, with an interesting mix of youth and experience underpinning their talent. The general consensus among the United fans is that the forwards are not performing at the highest level in Mourinho’s overly defensive-minded set-up. Mkhitaryan, who was transferred to Arsenal as part of an exchange deal for Sanchez, has since criticized Mourinho’s tactics as limiting his attacking output. The Reds also scored 38 goals fewer than their neighbors City, and it is clear that United must improve on the same in the 2018/19 season.
ROMELU LUKAKU: 86 --> 88
Lukaku can be absolutely unplayable at times, as he showed on numerous occasions both in club competitions last season as well as in the World Cup. His direct and powerful running, combined with a brilliant physique, always makes him a menace for opposition defenders. He scored a respectable 16 goals in his debut season for United in the league, scoring 27 goals in all competitions. He also enjoyed a fantastic World Cup with Belgium, with whom he reached the semi-finals, but missed out on the Golden Boot to a rumored target of Manchester United, Harry Kane. Lukaku is also the personal favorite of many FIFA players because of his pace and power. He should get an upgrade of 2 points from FIFA 18.
ALEXIS SANCHEZ: 88 --> 88
Alexis Sanchez made a controversial switch to Manchester United in the January transfer window, a move which saw Mkhitaryan move the opposite way. In the first half of the season with Arsenal, Sanchez was his usual mercurial self, scoring some brilliant goals both in the league as well as Europa League. Since his switch to Old Trafford, Sanchez has the potential of adding a cutting-edge to United’s attack. Despite losing possession at an alarming rate at times, Sanchez’s strength is in changing the course of the match with a moment of magic. However, he scored only 11 goals in total for both clubs last season, and therefore his rating should remain unchanged.
ANTHONY MARTIAL: 82 --> 83
Anthony Martial’s United future is in the dark at the moment, with public spats with Mourinho grabbing the headlines during pre-season. A lack of game-time towards the end of last season, following Sanchez’s arrival, cost him his place in the French World Cup squad. The Frenchmen is still young, and his talent on the pitch is undeniable. His direct runs which are with pace and trickery have terrorized full-backs in the Premier League and will be looking to have a strong 2018/19 season. 11 goals in all competition last season should see him earn one rating point.
MARCUS RASHFORD: 79 --> 82
Rashford is now a full England international and is at a crucial step in his career where he must reflect the transition from an exciting youngster to a matured footballer. An argument can be made that Mourinho is not the most conducive manager to develop young attacking talent, as has already been seen with Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, or even Lukaku during his Chelsea tenure. The 2017/18 season proved the above point to an extent, as Rashford’s development was stunted by Jose’s restrictive approach. However, the United No.10 has made 80 league appearances so far for in his United career, registering 17 goals and 8 goals in the process, and will be looking to add to his tally in the 2018/19 season.
