Speedy DC can't jump!

Hi I have a new great regen who's a worldclass prospect but he only got a 9 for jumping... For such players in a back four lineup, would you play him slightly deeper than the rest or slightly higher up the rest in terms of mentality?

Am thinking of playing him like a canavaro! good?

Dicanio10!!

Dicanio10!!

but not the great one dicanio10

I would retrain him to be my CMd.

Retrain him for fullback position.

Ooh guys reallly????? he's 21 years old but long been established at previous two clubs as DC (and only DC) for 2 full seasons. I have great full backs already and is needy of a DC really.

Would playing him deeper as a DC help? to counter those fast dinhos?

Dicanio10!

Dicanio10!

but not a fastdinho10

as long as things like possition and anticipation and potentially strength are good then a 9 for jumping (which isn't actually THAT bad) isn't a big problem.

You can train him on Aerobic - he's still young enough that he has room to grow physically. Given his high Pace, he ought to train well in Aerobic, and the points will go elsewhere: Acceleration, Jumping, Agility, Reflexes.

That said, I don't mind having one pacey DC who can't jump. I would never even try to play with two.

Some things to check - set-piece instructions, your speedy DC should be set to "Stay Back", as he doesn't contribute much in an attacking sense and his pace will really help you cut out the counter-attack threat. You might also set him on "Mark Small" or guarding the Far Post rather than the usual "Mark Tall" instruction a centre-back gets.

I wouldn't have him defend deep; he'd give me the confidence to push the defensive line up a little bit and play an offsides trap - even if you do get a killer through ball, he has a chance to catch up with a pacey striker in a way that the typical lumbering "Pace 9, Jumping 17" defender doesn't.