FIFA 14 Rating - 80 Another player who seems underrated, Ivanovic has been one of the world's most solid full-backs for years, showing deceptive speed in getting up and down the right flank in addition to excellent defensive stats courtesy of his ability to play in the centre of defence almost as well. After a slow start to his Chelsea career, he established himself in the side and has barely been out of it since, being first choice either in the centre or the right for the myriad managers who have parked themselves in the Chelsea hotseat in recent years. Mourinho has made clear he sees the giant Serb as one of his most important assets, so a rating of 80 doesn't really reflect all he's achieved or the level of trust he has earnt courtesy of years of excellent performances. I'd push him up to an 84, but EA are likely to be a little more conservative, so let's say a middle ground of 82. In terms of individual improvements, Ivanovic's balance stat is an incomprehensibly low 47 in FIFA 14. For a player who is almost impossible to knock over and can be surprisingly composed with the ball at his feet, that number surely has to see a huge boost into the 80s. His speed and acceleration, currently 65 and 55 respectively, could also see a nudge up into the low 70s, while his ball control of 63 deserves a kick up to a similar level. His abysmal positioning of 42 could frankly do with doubling. Expect low-ish stats for passing and crossing to remain the same.
28-year old English writer with a borderline obsessive passion for films, videogames, Chelsea FC, incomprehensible words and indefensible puns. Follow me on Twitter if you like infrequent outbursts of absolute drivel.
