A fully spaded F-4E is very competitive in either straight matches or slight downtiers, with a good player behind the stick. It’s my favorite aircraft in the game, other than the F-5E (FCU too). The 7E2s are cracked in ARB at ranges less than 2 miles. The 9Js leave a lot to be desired, but this could be remedied by 9Ls. Bascially, a 1980s version, with an improved Radar with CAA modes, TISEO for Radar slaving / aiming along with Pave Tack and actual GBU-15 capable cockpit (whilst limiting the user to carrying them / using them either as GBU-8+ without the datalink pod, or as WalleyeERDL with the centerline DL pod) would make it a very very nice aircraft at high 11s or maybe even low 12s. As long as you aren’t seeing constant uptiers to fox-3 territory, it should be fine. Especially for groundRB where it would probably be a very good all-around multirole, if we got 7F/M and 9L/P-3(4,5 etc).
So, it isn’t that the aircraft is poor performing (which it is, compared to something like the F-16A or other tech tree aircraft at 11.0-12.0), but rather it’s very situational, and requires a more hands-on approach than something with slightly more modern systems.
I really really want to see a late model E with a TGP in the US Tech Tree (even if it’s just a copy-pasted Kurnass with the Pave Spike), a new cockpit model like the one in DCS, TISEO (even if copy pasted from the F-14 TCS), and more radar goodies / modes.
My $0.02.