Football Manager 2014 Football Roles Explained

Introduction

This guide is about the roles & positions used in Football Manager 2014. I wrote this guide to help me, and I published it to help you. Although this guide is based on my guide for Football Manager 2013, I will not link to the previous guide because I believe this guide will be vastly superior. This guide is better because it will:

be a more accurate & thorough guide; and

have more detailed explanations of the purpose, advantages and disadvantages of every role.

About this guideI have copied some of the original text from SI and expanded upon it with my own text. Feel free to ignore this guide and only follow what SI wrote in game.

Note Key attributes are highlighted with bold & underline text. This is just my opinion. You could say that all mentioned attributes are key attributes and that there are some other useful attributes not mentioned. In a sense you would be right, but that isn't what this guide is about. This guide is about the role of every player on the field and the highlighted attributes are what I think are essential to do each player's core role.

Model Players are real life players who have demonstrated the ideal method of executing the role. Most of these player have shown they are excellant at many roles and have shifted positions throughout their career, but this is not a guide about players and what positions they play.

I really do appreciate feedback. Your opinions do help me and make this guide better.

If you like this guide please give it the thumbs up! I would like to know how successful this guide is

Advanced Forward

The Advanced Forward’s main role is to lead the line and look spearhead attacking moves.

The primary duty of the Advanced Forward is to be the focal point of attacking moves so that he can both score and create goals.

Secondary duties include:

chasing down misplaced through balls or clearances from deep,

winning possession

laying off passes or crosses for teammates.

In gameThe Advanced Forward is only available with an attack duty

Acceleration, Agility and Technique are also important attributes.

Crossing

Dribbling

Finishing

Heading

Anticipation

Composure

Flair

Off the Ball

Work Rate

PaceModel PlayersRobin van Persie, Sergio Aguero, Torres

Advanced Playmaker

The Advanced Playmaker aims to drop into hole between the opposition’s midfield and defence making himself available for his teammates passes. The attacking ability of the Advanced Playmaker can turn defence into attack in an instant.

The Role of the PlaymakerA Playmaker is really just a state of mind: any player can create goal oppotunities. There is a type of player who specialises in "creating" goal/attacking opportunities and this type of player is known as a playmaker. Here are the important features of being a Playmaker:

A Playmaker should have a good first touch so that that they can quickly gain control the ball. This allows for more time for passing options. An immaculate first touch would have the Playmaker passing the ball with the same touch that he receives the ball. This leaves the defence with very little time to react.

Playmakers require very good passing ability to deliver their attacking passes

The Playmaker will typically be positioned so that he has a lot of the focus of how the team plays: this requires good off the ball intelligence.

The Playmaker is said to "dictate the tempo" of the game and/or the attacking options used by team (“pulls strings of attack”). The Playmaker should be good at teamwork or the Playmaker's possession may be wasted often by looking for his own opportunities.

The most lethal of Playmakers will do “defence splitting passes”. Defence splitting passes are the passes which become goal threats (key passes and assists). This requires the creativity to recognise these opportunities, and good decision(s) making to know when to execute them.

Playmakers tend to be deeper/more withdrawn than players in similar positions. As a goal threat by himself the Playmaker will shoot from long range.

Most importantly, Playmakers require very good overall mental attributes (in Football Manager 2014 this is the middle column of attributes).

In gameThe Advanced Playmaker can operate in the centre midfield, centre attacking midfield, or wide attacking midfield.

With attack duty the Advanced Playmaker will look to run at the defensive line from deeper positions, aims to craft out crossing or through ball opportunities as he moves into the final third

With support, the Advanced Playmaker will stay in the hole and look to spay passes to support players and forwards

First Touch

Passing

Technique

Creativity

Decisions

Flair

Teamwork

support - work rate, stamina

attack - dribbling, anticipation, off the ball

Model PlayersZinedine Zidane, Kaka

Weakness"too many chefs in the kitchen": you can have too many playmakers in your team. You need players stay back to defend or staying forward to attack.

Anchor Man

See also: Water Carrier and Holding Midfielder

The Anchor man’s main duty is to be positioned in the space between your defensive line and your midfield players (in the hole). The purpose of the Anchor man is to intercept the opponent's attacking moves, win the ball (hard tackling & in aerial duels) and then lay off simple passes to his more creative teammates.

Since the Anchor man's key duty is to "anchor" the defence, he doesn’t venture too far from his position either to close down the opposition or to support the more advanced players.

In gameThe anchor man is only available with a defend duty.

Heading

Marking

Tackling

Anticipation

Concentration

Decisions

Determination

Positioning

Work Rate

Strength

Model PlayersMakelele, Alexandre Song

Attacking Midfielder

The Attacking Midfielder is a basically a Central Midfielder in an advanced position of the field.

The Attacking Midfielder will fashion chances for himself and others in the final third of the field. This positioning will be against a lot of opposition pressure as they try to stop the ball from being played around this area. For these reasons Technical ability and good mental strength/ability are paramount.

In gameWith support duty the Attacking Midfielder is willing to help out with Midfield and tends to sit in the hole rather than get into the opposition's penalty box.

With attack duty the Attacking Midfielder looks to craft out chances for forwards as well as being in the penalty box himself.

First Touch

Passing

Technique

Creativity

Decisions

Flair

Work Rate[/b]

[/list]

Attack - Dribbling, Off the ball, Acceleration

Support- Long Shots, Teamwork, Balance

Used whenThe Attacking Midfielder is sometimes said to be an "offensive pivot" of the team

AlternativesEnganche

Ball Playing Defender

The main job of the Ball Playing Defender is to stop the opposing attackers from playing and to clear the ball from danger when required.

Unlike a standard central defenders, the Ball Playing Defender is encouraged to launch defence splitting through balls from deep to generate counter attacking oppotunites: this require good passing ability and some creative talent.

In gameWith a Cover duty, the Ball Playing Defender will drop a little deeper and sweep up through balls behind the defensive line.

With a Defend duty, the Ball Playing Defender will stay in line with his defensive partner and look to break up attacks, mark opposing forwards and prevent the ball from getting into the box

With Stopper duty – the the Ball Playing Defender will push ahead of the defensive line and close down players before they get to the area.

Heading

Marking

Passing

Tackling

Technique

Composure

Concentration

Creativity

Decisions

Determination

Positioning

Jumping

Strength[/b]

[/list]

Stopper - Aggression, Bravery

Cover - Anticipation, Acceleration, Pace

Defend - Teamwork

Model PlayersVincent Kompany, Ricardo Carvalho & Pique

WeaknessThis is a risky position... relative to other Central Defenders who get the ball out of your penalty area in a no nonsense manner. You should not have 2 Ball Playing Defenders together.

Ball Winning Midfielder

Box-to-Box Midfielder

Central Defender

Central Midfielder

The Central Midfielder has the technical ability to play in Attacking, Support or Defensive roles, but tends to lack the stamina, vision and drive to perform more than one simultaneously.

The Central Midfielder is the link between your Defense and your Attack. How the your Central Midfielder plays will largely dictates how the rest of the team play.

In gameWith Defend duty, the Central Midfielder stays back in front of the defense and plays a simple supporting game for those playing further up the pitch

With support duty, the Central Midfielder looks to hold his position in the middle of the park and play balls into players ahead of him

With Attack duty, the Central Midfielder looks to get forward to support the forwards, drift wide to support the flanks in the flanks in the final third and play in teammates ahead of him.

In game First Touch

Passing

Decisions

Determination

Teamwork

Work Rate

Defend - Heading, Marking, Tackling, Positioning

Support - Long Shots, Tackling, Creativity, Positioning, Off the Ball

Attack - Dribbling, Finishing, First Touch, Long Shots, Creativity, Off the Ball

Complete Forward

A Complete Forward possesses all the mental and technical attributes of a Deep Lying Forward, the goal scoring ability of a Poacher and the strength and power of a Target Man. The Complete Forward is a role for the very best attacking players.

He is equally adept at playing in others, fashioning chances for himself and getting on the end of team moves. Such a player transcends tactical instructions and should simply be allowed to do his own thing (ie. Roams from position). This does mean that the Complete Forward is good mentally: good decisions, positioning and off the ball intelligence.

In gameWith an attack duty the Complete Forward will lead the line, spearhead attacks and craft out chances for himself and others.

With a support duty the Complete Forward will look to drop into space, run at the defence, take more long shots, drive to the flanks and/or play ball through the defensive line.

Aggression and Bravery is also useful

Dribbling

Finishing

First Touch

Heading

Long Shots

Passing

Technique

Anticipation

Composure

Creativity

Decisions

Determination

Off The Ball

Teamwork

Acceleration

Agility

Balance

Jumping

Pace

Strength

Model Playersthink Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid but playing in the Centre Forward position (not hugging the touchline so much); Zlatan Ibrahimovic; Edinson Cavani; Samuel Eto’o

Used whenPossibly in a 4-5-1

WeaknessYour player is probably not good/balanced enough to be a Complete Forward.

Complete Wingback

Probably the most physically demanding role in the game. The Complete Wingback aims to get forward whenever possible.

In gameThe Complete Wingback is only available with Attack duty.

Aggression and Long shots are also very useful attributes.

Crossing

Dribbling

Marking

Tackling

Decisions

Flair

Positions

Teamwork

Work Rate

Acceleration

Stamina

Model PlayersMarcelo

WeaknessYou may find your Complete Wingback will sometimes not get back into position in time to help with the defense, or is not far forward enough to contribute to the attack.

Deep Lying Forward

Deep Lying Playmaker

The Deep Lying Playmaker operates/aims to initiate attacking moves via pinpoint passes to players positioned higher up the pitch. The Deep Lying Playmaker is said to "dictate the game" because of their ability to spread the ball across the field from their deep position. Americans would understand this position to be "the Quarter-back role".

The Deep Lying Playmaker may "drift" from their position to find space to attack. The Deep Lying Playmaker should be well positioned to receive the ball and to provide some defensive cover.

Although the Deep Lying Playmaker is a creative player, because of the positioning the Deep Lying Playmaker should be reasonably competent in defense. This does not mean the Deep Lying Playmaker is a defensive specialist. This is why the Deep Lying Playmaker is not considered to be a Defensive Midfielder. It is likely that the Deep Lying Playmaker is deployed alongside a combative defensive minded midfielder.

The Deep Lying Playmaker is a playmaker. See Advanced Playmaker for more information on playmakers.

In gameIn support duty the Deep Lying Playermaker will bring the ball out of defense and look for long shot opportunities as well as supplying through balls

With a defend duty the Deep Lying Playermaker will fulfil extra defensive responsibilities by holding position in front of the defence and will rarely look to support attacks

Passing

Tackling

Technique

Composure

Creativity

Decisions

Positioning

Teamwork

Strength

defend - marking

support - first touch, off the ball

Model PlayersXavi, Paul Scholes, Luka Modric

Weaknesslike other playmakers, the Deep Lying Playmaker performs better when there is time to do their magic (read:needs space)

Alternatives See Regista

A Volante is a Deep Lying Playmaker operating in the position of a Defensive Midfielder who uses positioning to opportunistically intercept the opposition's attacking moves. ‘Volante’ literally means "the steering wheel" in Brazilian Portugese and describes the defensive pivot of the team. Much like an Anchor man, the Volante aims to secure the defense and not venture into the attack

Defensive Forward

The main duty of the Defensive Forward is to put pressure on the defensive line with a high pressing (superior athleticism is essential).

The Defensive Forward will close down the opposition player in possession, chase loose balls and generally stop the opposing defensive players having any time on the ball.

In attack, the Defensive Forward will keep attacking things as simple as possible, preferring to bring other players into the game than create his own chances.

In game

With defend duty the Defensive Forward will stay a little deeper and put pressure on the opposition's Defensive Midfielders.

With support duty the Defensive Forward will press and put pressure on the backline (i.e. the Central Defenders).

Marking

Tackling

Teamwork

Work rate

Stamina

Strength

Support - First Touch, Long Shots, Passing, Pace

Defensive Midfielder

The Defensive Midfielder’s main duty is to protect the defensive line from breaking attackers by closing them down quickly (this high pressing requires good physical ability).

Positioned in front of the defense and roaming the field laterally (sideline to sideline). The Defensive Midfielder should have the ability to read the game so that they will always be well positioned.

The Defensive Midfielder should be able to keep hold of the ball while the defence and attack are reorganising themselves after a period of opposition pressure ("shielding the ball"). This is why Defensive Midfielders typically act as a "pivot" or "fulcrum" (an important player when a team changes from defence to attack).

When the team is in attack the Defensive Midfielder will support the creative midfielder's possession by being a back passing opportunity or by making supporting runs.

The Defensive Midfielder is usually used to temporarily cover the positions of Central Defenders and Fullbacks/Wingbacks while they join the attack.

In gameWith a Defend duty, the Defensive Midfielder will hold position between the midfield and defensive line and recycle possession from a deep position

With a Support duty, the Defensive Midfielder will step into the midfield line and support attacking moves.

Determination is also an important attribute.

Marking (depends if zonal or man marking)

Tackling

Decisions

Positioning

Teamwork

Work Rate

Acceleration

Stamina

Strength

Defend - Concentration

Support - Passing

Model PlayersJavi Martinez, Sergio Busquets

Defensive Winger

The Defensive winger uses high pressing of the opposing fullbacks/wingbacks to win back the ball high up the pitch with tackling or by intercepting the ball.

Once the ball has been won the ball, the Defensive Winger will:

hold up the ball for the rest of the team (to reorganise to get into advanced attacking positions);

drive to the byline (dribbling down the sidelines); or

get in a quick/early cross or through ball for the Centre Forwards.

In gameWith a Defend duty the Defensive Winger will try to win the ball, get past his man and put in early cross for the forwards

With a Support duty the Defensive Winger will try to run at the defence in the final third once he has won the ball. Running at the defense aims to cause panic and indecision prior to shooting or attempting to make through ball/cross to a teammate.

Acceleration and Strength are also an important attributes.

Crossing

Dribbling

Marking

Tackling

Technique

Decisions

Teamwork

Workrate

Pace

Stamina

Model PlayersJavier Zanetti, Park Ji-Sung

WeaknessWon't exploit the weakness of your opponent on the flanks - i.e. no good at attacking

Used when countering against teams that attack on the flanks; and

your attack focuses on creative players through the middle.

AlternativesIf you have a high defensive line, you should probably use a wingback instead.

Enganche

Enganche literally means "hook" in Spanish (Argentina) - i.e. the enganche is the hook that joins that joins the midfield and attack

The Enganche is the side’s prime creator who sticks to his position and becomes a pivot to his team as they move around him. The Enganche differs to the Trequartista because the Trequartista likes to roam from his position (drifting around and looking for space between the lines).

In gameThe Enganche is only available with attack duty.

Finishing

First Touch

Passing

Technique

Anticipation

Composure

Creativity

Flair

Off the Ball

The Model PlayerJuan Roman Riquelme

Other Model Players Maradona, Ortega

Used whenAs the Central Attacking Midfielder (AM(c) or CAM) in the 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-1-2.

False Nine

The False Nine positions deeper than a typical Centre Forward so that the Centreback pair have nobody to naturally mark. Essentially the objective is to get the Centrebacks out of position so that your team can exploit the space behind the defenders somehow. This is usually done with the help of pacey Inside Forwards or attacking Wingbacks. This can also be exploited by the False Nine himself by running at the Centrebacks to pressure them (SI should have included dribbling as an important statistic with dribbling as an included instruction - but this is not possible in Football Manager 2014).

The role of the False Nine became prominent in the modern game when players in the central attacking midfield position were becoming a team's main goal threat. The was mostly a deliberate development by managers such as Sacchi, Spalletti, del Bosque and Guardiola who wanted their star attacking Centre Forwards/Midfielders to be more versatile (i.e. the Guardiola trait of not using several specialists). Sometimes the development was accidental: Laudrup discovering the enormous talent of a previously unknown attacking midfielder (Michu), or by Allardyce when West Ham's Forwards were out injured in 2013 (several different players) or by Moyes when Everton’s Centre Forwards were Injured in 2009 (Tim Cahill).

The name of the "False Nine" comes from the fact that a typical Centre Forward has the number 9 shirt by convention, but the False Nine plays more like a number 10. "False 9" is actually disingenuous because the False 9 wants to score just like a regular number 9. The below image is courtesy of Wikipedia (this is a narrow 4-4-2 formation);

The Goalkeeper is not shown and has always been number 1.

The False Nine is a playmaker.

In gameThe False Nine is only available with support duty.

Dribbling and Teamwork should have been included as an important attributes.

First Touch

Long Shots

Passing

Creativity

Off the ball [teamwork]

Work rate

Strength

Model PlayersOccasional Examples: Michu in some games for Swansea in 12/13, Cesc Fabregas playing for Spain (most games in Euro2012 until Torres or Negredo came on), Messi in Barcelona of 2011, Francesco Totti under Spalletti, Tim Cahill playing for Everton in 2009.

Weakness teams defending very deep (“low block”)

tight man-marking against your false nine

must have a very high longshot attribute

your team could suffer from a lack of incisiveness in front of goal (you won’t score much). See above.

The False Nine can't have attack duty in Football Manager 2014 - which I think is just stupid. If you want your False Nine to be a serious goal threat, you are better off using a Deep Lying Forward with attack duty or something else.

Used when The False Nine is used in the 4-6-0 formation (or a variation thereof): false nine(Messi), inside forwards and midfield domination – see Barcelona of 2011.

all of your Centre Forwards are injured and you have good attacking midfielders who can play in the Centre Forward position (Allardyce and Moyes)

Occasional Examples: Michu in some games for Swansea in 12/13, Cesc Fabregas playing for Spain (most games in Euro2012 until Torres or Negredo came on), Messi in Barcelona of 2011, Francesco Totti under Spalletti.

AlternativesYour “False Nine” is probably not good enough to be your main goal threat while playing in a deep position. If you want a reliable goal threat, just use an actual Centre Forward of some kind …. unless your False Nine is Lionel Messi or Francesco Totti, in that case, do as you please.

Fullback

Wide defenders focused on the assigned defensive duty. It is a physically demanding role due to the amount of space a fullback is required to cover.

The Fullback will only occassionaly get forward into attacking positions.

Usually marks a designated wide attacking player. Speed and Concentration are important for stopping opposing wingers crossing the ball.

In gameStrength is also an important attribute

Marking

Tackling

Anticipation

Concentration

Positioning

Teamwork

Work Rate

Acceleration

Stamina

Defend - *

Support - Crossing

Attack - Crossing, Dribbling, Off the Ball

Goalkeeper

“Shot-stopping” Goalkeeper {standard}

The standard GoalKeeper has three main functions: to save incoming shots at goal, clear the ball away from goal mouth and to direct your defence.

As the furtherest player back, the goalkeeper can see the entire defensive line and how the defenders should be positioned. Directing the defense is particularly important during free kicks when the goalkeeper organises the wall.

Your Goalkeepers technical shot stopping ability goes together with their mental strength (key attribute for this in FM14 is determination). The Goalkeeper should be alert and ready for danger at all times (Compsure, Concentration and etc.) Making a mistake in goal hurts morale much more than an outfield player.

In gameThe goalkeeper role focuses on simple and risk-free use of the ball, with the keep simply look to play the ball away from goal to an open player. If a player is not open, the keep will player it long and safe

The Goalkeeper will distribute the ball differently between match strategies. For more cautious tactics, he will aim to clear the ball deep whereas for more aggressive ones he will feed the defence in order to start off passing moves

Kicking, Throwing and Punching are important depending on the goalkeeper's and your preferred distribution method.

You should consider Jumping, Aerial technical ability and your Goalkeeper's height when assessing your Goalkeeper's ability to deal with the ball in the air.

Flair is a negative attribute in a standard shot-stopping goalkeeper (the less flair the better).

Aerial Ability

Command of Area

Communication

Handling

One on Ones

Reflexes

Bravery

Composure

Concentration

Decisions

Positioning

Agility

Model PlayersPetr Cech, Iker Casillas, Manuel Neuer

WeaknessThe Goalkeeper does not normally play with the ball at their feet (and could be described as being "uncomfortable" with the ball). If you find your goalkeeper is often making passes because of opposition pressure, then you should change your tactic or use a Sweeper Keeper instead. A Goalkeeper who is uncomfortable with the ball at their feet is likely to make very dangerous mistakes when pressured (i.e. from high pressing from opposition forwards) .

Inside Forward

See also: Central Winger and False 10 and Inverted Winger

The Inside forward aims to cut inside from the flanks and run directly at the centre of the opposition’s defence. This tactic works best when the Inside Forward’s strongest foot is opposite to the flank he is playing on.

Inside Forwards tend to run into channels to panic the defence (the space between the opposition Centreback and Fullback). This works when the Inside Forward has the ball or not because it creates space for your Centre Forward.

The attacking movement of the Inside Forward can open up space for overlapping full backs as well as overloading a retreating defender. There is a danger that the Inside Forward will end up running into cul-de-sacs (no available options to pass or dribble into space).

The Inside Forward supports the Centre Forward with passes and by being a passing opportunity.

In gameWith attack duty, the inside forward will run directly at the defence with the options of shooting, passing or crossing ash he moves into the final third.

With support the Inside Forward will cut diagonally into the space behind the defence and play through balls or take longs shots if the opportunity arises

Dribbling

Passing

Decisions

Flair

Off the Ball

Teamwork

Acceleration

Pace

Support - Long Shots, Technique

Attack - Crossing, Finishing, Creativity

Model Players David Villa (when he is on the wing), David Silva, Samir Nasri, Oscar, Juan Manuel Mata, Santi Cazorla

Weakness the defense has “screening”/"holding" defensive midfielders

a covering Centreback / Sweeper.

any congested centre field/goal-mouth: make sure you don’t have too many players in the centre of the pitch being marked. The Inside Forward needs space to run into.

Libero

Limited Defender

The main job of the limited defender is to stop the opposing attackers from playing and to clear the ball from danger when required

The aim is to win the ball without giving away a free kick and get it cleared safely up field in a no-nonsense manner.

In gameWith defend duty, the Limited Defender will stay in line with his defensive partner and look to break up attacks, mark opposing forwards and prevent the ball from getting into the box

With Stopper duty, the Limited Defender will push ahead of the defensive line and close down players before they get to the area

With Cover duty, the Limited Defender will drop a little deeper and sweep up through balls behind the defensive line.

Heading

Marking

Tackling

Determination

Positioning

Jumping

Strength

Stopper - aggression, bravery

Cover - anticipation, acceleration, pace

Defend - teamwork

Model PlayersNemanja Vidic & Carles Puyol

Poacher

The poacher sits on the shoulder of the last defender looking to break the defensive line and run onto through balls from his teammates. Although the poacher is always ready to run at his marker and is happy to cross the ball when required, his main aim is trying to put the ball in the back of the net.

His focus is so extreme that he rarely offers much help in constructing attacking moves, preferring to remain central and sniff out opportunities in and around the box. This includes taking advantage of any defence mistakes such as loose balls and intercepting passes.

The Poacher is not as common as it used to be: now modern forwards are required to contribute more to the attacking build-up play of their team. It is strongly recommended that you have some kind of supporting forward to play with the poacher.

In gameThe Poacher is only available with an Attack duty. Aggression and Bravery are also useful attributes.

Dribbling

Finishing

First Touch

Anticipation

Composure

Off The Ball [intelligence/Positioning]

Acceleration

Agility

Balance

Pace

Model PlayersThierry Henry, Klaan-Jas Huntelaar, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gabriel Batistuta, Inzaghi, Romario (all retired historical legends) and in the current game we have Radamel Falcao

Weaknessgood Man marking against your poacher

you have one less player in the attacking build up

you may be wasting the talent of a player who can create goal opportunities for teammates

Regista

Regista literally means director in Italian.

The Regista is a more aggressive version of the deep-lying playmaker suitable for possession-orientated systems that press high up the pitch.

Given complete freedom to dictate play from deep positions, the Regista offers a dynamic and unpredictable creative outlet from behind the attack who seeks to maintain intense pressure by constantly looking for new chances as his more advanced teammates get into goalscoring positions.

In gameThe Regista is only available with support duty.

Creativity and Determination are also important attributes.

First Touch

Passing

Tackling

Technique

Composure

Decisions

Off the Ball

Teamwork

The Model PlayerAndrea Pirlo

Used whenIt is suggested that you have a defensively minded midfielder working with your regista: Pirlo's partner while at Milan was the excellant ball winning Gattuso (now Pirlo has the exceptional combatitive Vidal). Basically you should have some kind of holding midfielder working with your Regista.

Alternatives Unlike the Regista, the Volante's priority is protecting the defence by maintaining their deep position. The Regista wants to move forward and influence the attacking play.

Shadow Striker

A Centre Forward operating in the Central Attacking Midfielder position.

In gameThe Shadow Striker is only available with Attack duty.

Finishing

First Touch

Passing

Tackling

Technique

Anticipation

Composure

Flair

Off the Ball

Work Rate

Agility

Stamina

Sweeper

The Sweeper does not man mark and has fluid positioning around the goalmouth so that he can "sweep up" any balls that gets past the defensive line.

Rarely used in the modern game because it tends to lead to inflexible defences and defensive midfielders are preferred.

In gameThe Sweeper is only available with defend duty.

Aggression is also a useful/important attribute.

Heading

Marking

Passing

Tackling

Anticipation

Composure

Concentration

Decisions

Positioning

Acceleration

Balance

Jumping

Model PlayersFranco Baresi, Ronald Koeman

Used whenUsed in the cantenaccio formation.

Sweeper Keeper

Target Man

A Target man can transform an average team into a good one by using his sheer physicality to disrupt the opposition’s defence and open space for his striker parter and supporting midfielders.

Positioned deeper than a poacher, the Target man stays forward looking to recieve passes from his teammates (usually long balls - direct passing). The Targetman should then be able to shield the ball from opposition pressure so that he can play his teammates into attack. This is the primary tool of the Target man so that he distracts the opposition (pulls opposition players to the Target man away from teammates thus creating space for attacking).

The Target man uses his strength and aerial presence to bring teammates into play rather than relying on technical ability. How the Target man plays teammates into the attack depends on the duty assigned.

The Target man is a potent aerial threat especially on set piece corners.

In gameWith support duty the target man will look to win flick-ons and play simple possession passes to his teammates to bring them into play

With an attack duty the Target man will lead the line and open space for teammates to move into.

You must also consider the height of the Target man.

First Touch

Heading

Aggression

Bravery

Determination

Teamwork

Work Rate

Jumping

Strength

Support - Long shots

Attack - Finishing, Anticipation, Composure, Creativity

Model PlayersJan Koller, Drogba

Trequartista

Trequartista literally means "three-quarters" in Italian.

The Trequartista is a Playmaker and needs to have very strong mental attributes.

While the Trequartista is similar to the Advanced Playmaker in that he aims to drop space between the opposition’s midfield and defence (“into the hole”), the Trequartista does far less defensively and simply roams around looking for space when the team is not in possession. This space is usually found three quarters of the way up the field which gives the name of the role.

The rest of the team will need to carry the Trequartista when defending (ie. a team trend to be more defensive minded). When the team win the ball back the Trequartista will be the main creative attacking outlet. This does not necessarily mean that the Trequartista is the main goal threat. It is far more likely that the Trequartista will instead be a kind of support striker for an Advanced Forward or Poacher type of player.

Basically the Trequartista is just an attacking midifielder who has the creative licence to work the field looking for attacking opportunities: whether for himself or for teammates via passing.

Typically the Trequartista is a player of exceptional ability (and could be said to be a "fantasista": a star player who is a playmaker).

See Advanced Playmaker for more information on the role of the playmaker.

In gameThe Trequartista is only available with attack duty and can operate in the centre attacking midfield or centre forward positions.

Work rate and stamina are also very useful attributes. I don't understand why teamwork wasn't included as an important attribute... because it is.

Finishing

First Touch

Passing

Technique

Anticipation

Composure

Creativity

Flair

Off the Ball

Agility

Model PlayersFrancesco Totti, del Pierro, Antonio Cassano, Diego Forlán

Weakness needs space (read: time)

very tight man marking of your Trequartista

doesn't have defensive duties

Used whenAs the Central Attacking Midfielder, the Trequartista could be used in the 4-4-1-1 (See Diego Forlán when he played for Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup).

Wide Target Man

The Wide Target Man will be the main outlet for clearances and long balls from the back. Ideally positioned against a smaller and weaker full-back, he will be asked to get hold of the ball and keep it before recycling it to a team-mate.

See Target man for more information.

In gameThe Wide Target man is available with support and attack duty.

Crossing

Dribbling

Heading

Technique

Decisions

Flair

Off the Ball

Acceleration

Agility

Balance

Jumping

Pace

Strength

Alternatives A regular Target man with instructions to "roam from position"

Wingback

A more adventurous fullback running the full length length of the touchline.

In gameAggression is also an important attributes

Marking

Tackling

Decisions

Positioning

Teamwork

Work Rate

Acceleration

Stamina

Defend - *

Support - Crossing

Attack - Crossing, Dribbling, Off the ball

Winger

The Winger has three main duties: to be a wide presence, to beat (get past with the ball) the opposing fullback and deliver the ball to the ball to teammates in the opposition's goalmouth.

The winger hugs the touchline when the team is going forward, ready to surge into space and attack the byline

To beat his man on the outside, the winger needs to be quick and technically proficient.

The Winger should understand when there are good crossing opportunities going wide, or when there are scoring opportunities by cutting inside. The Winger must be good at crossing to deliver the ball accurately.

The Winger is usually considered to be a forward, whereas the wide-midfielder (a similar position) would be considered as a midfielder.

In gameWith support the winger’s job is to try to quickly get past his man and get in an early cross for the centre forwards

With an attack duty the winger will try to run at the defence in the final third, aiming to cause panic and indecision prior to shooting or attempting to make a through ball/cross to a team mate.

Crossing

Dribbling

Technique

Decisions

Flair

Off the Ball

Acceleration

Agility

Balance

Pace

Model PlayersGareth Bale, Angel Di Maria

Weakness Good marking from opposing fullback

your team can't win the aerial duels in the goal box (crosses are usually delivered in the air)

not a role for posession focused teams

Alternatives similar to a Wide-Midfielder except the Winger is focused on attack

“Interiores” – wingers who move into central positions when their side has the ball. The wide positions of the Interiores would then be covered by attacking fullbacks/wingbacks.

Source: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=190613409

Football Roles Explained

Introduction

Advanced Forward

Advanced Playmaker

Anchor Man

Attacking Midfielder

Ball Playing Defender

Ball Winning Midfielder

Box-to-Box Midfielder

Central Defender

Central Midfielder

Complete Forward

Complete Wingback

Deep Lying Forward

Deep Lying Playmaker

Defensive Forward

Defensive Midfielder

Defensive Winger

Enganche

False Nine

Fullback

Goalkeeper

Inside Forward

Libero

Limited Defender

Poacher

Regista

Shadow Striker

Sweeper

Sweeper Keeper

Target Man

Trequartista

Wide Target Man

Wingback

Winger

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