
Hello! And welcome to my first blog post about a player that I rate very highly in FM18, James Blanchfield.
I've decided to recommend Blanchfield to everyone due to his consistently great performances over three seasons in my Boston United save while developing into a great player that is well suited to Sky Bet League 2 level!
FM18 James Blanchfield player facts:
- Name: James Elliot Blanchfield
- Date Of Birth: 25/10/1997 ( 19 Years Old )
- Place of Birth: Southend On Sea
- Nationality: English
- Club: Ipswich Town ( U23's )
- Position/Role: MC – Advanced Playmaker
- Preferred Foot: Right Foot Only
- Transfer Value: £105K
- Wage: £375 p/w
Below you will find a screenshot of what you would be faced with should you search for him at the beginning of a new save ( 26th June 2017 ).

The attributes that stand out for me are his passing ability, tackling, teamwork and his ability to pick out a pass with his excellent vision.
Because he starts at the tender age of 19, these attributes will only improve providing he gets enough first-team exposure and regular game time, rather than stewing in Ipswich Towns' reserves!
The main reason I am recommending Blanchfield is the keyword of consistency.
Throughout the three seasons, I have had him at Boston United he has been one of the first names on the team sheet every week ( causing a small amount of jealousy with a couple of others! ) and had regularly pulled in an average game rating of over 7.00 throughout the three years.
It was only when we got promoted to the Sky Bet League 2 in the 2020/21 season did I unearth the midfield maestro at which point he was a regular on Whitehawk's team sheet in the Vanarama National League.
After a strong recommendation from my scout, and Wolves legend, Sylvan Ebanks Blake I picked him up for a meagre £70K not knowing whether he would be ready for football league level.
Boy, was I wrong!
This recommendation isn't meant for managers looking for a Premier League midfielder capable of lighting up the Champions League, but for the lower league managers looking for a consistent advanced playmaker with the ability to sit in the middle of a midfield 3 and bring players into play all over the pitch.
Below you will find a screenshot of what his profile looks like in the year 2022 when he has reached his potential of being a League 2 playmaker.

This midfield success is largely down to the combination of his passing and vision ability, both valued at 13 out of 20.
This means he is more than capable of sitting in the middle of the park and spraying passes across the pitch, perfect if you play with wingers or a target man.
Despite my coach's recommendation of him only being a backup player at this level he has more than proved his value to the team and at 70K it has turned out to be a steal for my save!
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed my first player recommendation blog.