FIFA 23 is just around the corner, with a number of news and leaks spilling out regarding the brand new game.
With new features set to arrive in Ultimate Team, we want to take a look at a major change that is needed in EA's flagship game mode.
Bronze and Silver Bombs
We all know that FIFA Ultimate Team provides a number of incredible cards, with top-rated stars released in promos throughout the years.
However, that consistent arrival of mega cards has left Ultimate Team feeling rather formulaic and one-note, with every match left feeling the same.
Flash back ten years and you find FIFA 12, where plenty of variety was on show, with players able to use teams filled with bronze or silver cards and still compete with the very best.
Now, as FIFA 22 draws to a close, lower-rated cards have never felt more pointless, and something desperately needs to be done to fix them.
Pointless Endeavour
Rating dictates ability on the pitch, that much is understandable.
You wouldn't expect a 47-rated card to perform like Mbappe, but that isn't what this article is about.
Despite the arrival of objectives like Bronze Milestones and Silver Stars, it's hard to see non-gold cards as anything other than pointless.
With pace and strength the two most important attributes in FIFA, we can't help but feel like EA are annexing off an entire swarth of Ultimate Team cards.
Only recently, we were using a team filled with Ipswich Town players, most of which have silver cards.
Not only is it an issue that the team was being matched against 93-rated squads, but the sheer inability of these cards was painful to see, regardless of how skilled the person was holding the controller.
The days of silver stars like El Sharawaay and Leite are gone, and we're hoping that this can be addressed once FIFA 23 rolls around.
Easy Fixings
There are three simple ways to fix bronze and silver cards in FIFA 23.
Firstly, you level the playing field by having match-making pertain to squad rating and not player level/form.
Whilst some abused this system in the past, it's very unlikely that anyone possessing a squad of 90+ rated starters will be able to get the overall squad rating lower than 85.
Alternatively, you could just make it so the squad rating is reflective of the starting 11, and not the players on the bench.
Secondly, you stop converting in-form silver/bronze players into gold cards.
Instead, boost those silver cards and make them as close to the maximum as possible, turning them into gold cards only perpetuates the issue we're stating.
Finally, you place an emphasis on the importance of squad building, with bronze and silver tiers implemented.
This concept would ultimately see bronze and silver players become a key part of Ultimate Team, rather than having them as a commodity that clogs up the marketplace.
With a slower build in Ultimate Team and a balance of the importance of bronze, silver and - eventually - gold cards, you could create a greater sense of achievement for players as their dream team comes together, rather than finding yourself at the end of March with everyone already possessing a 90+ squad.
Forgotten Sons
As a team that reminisces about the days of Brazilian silver skill stars, or the bronze Akinfenwa card that used to dominate gold defenders, we think it's about time these lower-rated gems got some more respect.
With so many bronze and silver cards floating around in FUT purgatory, we're hoping that something can be done to make these cards feel more important in FIFA 23.
Be honest, how many times have you used a bronze or silver card this year?
It's easy to skip past them and far too easy to forget they exist, and we've got our fingers crossed for a bronze and silver card renaissance in FIFA 23.