Hero Sergi Roberto - Jack of All Trades, Master of None

Today, we’ll be looking at Sergi Roberto, the man who put the finishing touch on possibly the greatest comeback in footballing history in Barcelona’s 6-1 triumph over PSG.

The young Spaniard is the definition of a utility player - emerging from La Masia as a central midfielder, he has learned to play as a defensive midfielder, full-back or even as a winger. On that famous night at the Camp Nou, he was deployed as a right-midfielder, and that is the position he has received on his Hero card in FUT 17.

His versatility is well-reflected on this special card - he has 75+ on all his card stats, and over 80 on four of them. He has some truly incredible in-games stats, especially on 10 chemistry.

With the basic chemistry style, he turns into a true all-round gem, with solid stats in all areas.

FUTHEAD

I used him with the shadow and hunter chemistry styles, boosting his pace, and either his shooting or defending.

FUTHEAD

FUTHEAD

I used him in a variety of positions - I started him at RF, and then either left him there in game, or swapped him into the CM or RB roles.

Stats

Price: 38,000 coins (sold for 37,000)

Games: 10

Goals: 2

Assists: 2

Chemistry Style: Hunter/Shadow

He was decent in every position, and in my experience, was a very capable and useful utility player. However, he really didn't excel in any position, and definitely had some issues.

Let’s take a look at some of his finer points, some of his issues, and some of the aspects where he simply gets the job done.

Pros

+ Passing: Possibly the best part about his card. His passing is solid - his long passing is very consistent, and his short passes always find the target. His high vision makes him a creative force all over the field, and his high crossing allows him to effortlessly ping balls into the box.

+ Physical: High stamina and strength, coupled with decent aggression, makes him a force on the field. His stamina allows him to run all game long, and his strength and aggression allow him to bully players off the ball, or hold his own against the opposition.+ Dribbling: Relatively decent - his first touch was consistent, and his dribbling was good enough to get him out of difficult situations. His good ball-control means the ball sticks to his feet as he runs, making him hard to dispossess.

Neutral

~ Pace: His pace didn't feel like it was in the 80s, even with the chemistry styles. He felt a little clunky, and slow off the mark. This may have been due to his agility, balance and reactions, which remain at 80 or below.

While his pace wasn't an issue as a central midfielder, as a wide-midfielder, winger or full-back, he's just not fast enough. He can't burst past players, or keep up with those that get past him. Keep him central, or in a position where he's not going to need to move quickly up and down the field, and he'll be ok.

Cons

- Shooting: Quite awful. His long shots were terrible - he didn't threaten the keeper much from distance, though one of his goals was a fluke shot that went in from close to 40-yards. His finesse shots and finishing inside the box left a lot to be desired - he was awful in and around the box, rendering him useless in the RF position. His 3* weak foot doesn’t help, as he’s restricted to just hitting shots with his stronger foot.

- Defending: Inconsistent. Even with the shadow chemistry style, he wasn't great at breaking up the play. Don't get me wrong, he put in some great tackles as a midfielder or defender, but he was often out of position, and he wasn't fast enough to respond to the danger. Really didn't feel like this stat was in the 80s with a chemistry style - really did feel like 75. There were times when he felt like Kante, but also times when he felt as effective as Fellaini.

Summary

Overall, he's a great all-round player. He's relatively fast, with great physicality, dribbling and passing, but he's not an attacking threat or a defensive force. He can do a decent job in all positions of the field, but he only really excels in a central midfield role where he doesn't really need to sprint up and down the field, or do much defending or attacking on his own.

For his price, you can get better players - he plays like an overpriced Renato Sanches, with a little more passing ability, or a slightly more expensive Kante/Gueye, without the defensive ability. At his current price, I would recommend that you save your coins, and get someone else.

TL;DR - He's the hero we deserve, but not the one we need right now. A decent all-round player, with some solid stats, but he's far from perfect.