Player Attributes and Attributes Calculator...

I have decided to create a crude attributes calculator that will help me compare players, so that I am left with a single number that represents an "overall value." This is because it seems that many of the attributes a player has are interesting and usefull but NOT NECESSARILY critical to positional success. If you do not like what I have come up with...OK. If you wish to help me improve upon it, by all means, offer constructive comments. Anyway, here it is.

These are the five most important attributes for each position on the pitch that I employ. They appear in order of importance for that given position.

Goalkeepers - Handling, Reflexes, Anticipation, Positioning, Agility

Defenders - Marking, Composure, Bravery, Positioning, Acceleration

Defensive-Midfielders - Decisions, Marking, Teamwork, Positioning, Aggression

Wing-Midfielders - Acceleration, Stamina, Teamwork, Positioning, Crossing

Attacking-Midfielders - First-Touch, Decisions, Composure, Teamwork, Creativity

Strikers - Finishing, First-Touch, Anticipation, Pace, Acceleration

Only measure the top five attributes when creating a comparison. The most important attribute-value is multiplied by 3. The next two most important attribute-values are multiplied by 2. The final two (of the top-5) attribute-values are only multiplied by 1. For example, if the position in question is Goalkeeper, then the five most important attributes for that position (in order) are handling, reflexes, anticipation, positioning and agility. The most important attribute (handling) will have its value multiplied by 3. The next two most important attributes (reflexes and anticipation) will have their values multiplied by 2. The remaining two (positioning and agility) will have their values multiplied by 1. The sum of the all of the values after they have been multiplied is to be divided by 9. The remaining number represents a player's "overall value" out-of-20. If our goalkeeper, in this scenario, had a handling of 16 (x 3 = 48), reflexes of 14 (x 2 = 28), anticipation of 17 (x 2 = 34), a positioning of 18 (x 1 = 18) and an agility of 12 (x 1 = 12), then the sum of those numbers would be 140. Divide 140 by 9 and you are left with a 15.55. This means that our goalkeeper has an "overall value" of 15.55. This becomes especially important when having to compare similar players vs. their different salary/transfer fee. This is a tool to help determine if a particular player is "worth what he is paid."

Like I said I use this calculator. Perhaps others have created something similar. Maybe they have even shared it on this forum. What I am looking for is someone to help me refine this or even turn it into a macro in excel. Ultimately, I will be quite pleased if someone out there is helped by me making this tool for the game. I will reiterate that this is ONE OF MANY comparitive tools when looking at two or more different players. It just helps me...

This wouldn't help me at all but it helps you, go ahead

Seems like a very interesting premise; how effective do you think it is?

My only problem with it is that I don't really agree with the key position attributes. These are what I always look out for, although I suppose they may be different depending on different tactics:

GK - handling, aerial ability, reflexes, one-on-ones

Defenders - tackling, marking, heading, positioning, pace

Wingers - crossing, dribbling, pace

DMC - defenders' stats plus passing and long-shots

MC - a problem position for me; I never really know what to look out for, but usually go for strong technical stats across the board, plus creativity

Striker - finishing, composure, pace

Obviously I look for certain attributes in all players, e.g. passing, pace, first touch, strength, teamwork, work-rate etc too, but especially when in lower-leagues, the above is what I mainly look for.

I have done this on FM07, 09 and 10....

It works brilliantly for me (and on 10 its easier to dump into excel via having customised attribute views for def, mid, str, etc)

However, on FM10, my tactics seem to be letting me down

AMC should consider long shot or finishing.... minetend to shoot a lot.

You all bring up excellent points!

I use the 3-5-2 formation with 3 center-backs, 2 defensive-mids, 2 wing-mids, 1 attacking-mid and 2 strikers. I can be convinced of arguments as to why other attributes should replace some listed here. Please offer these arguments with a pro-con approach because it really helps me 'nail down' the five most salient attributes for each position. BTW, the reason the overall number is divided by 9 is that attribute 1 is multiplied by 3, plus the 2 from attribute 2, plus the 2 from attribute 3, plus the 1 from attribute 4 and the 1 from attribute 5. I did it this way because I think that even with the 5 most important attributes, one is the penultimate and two more are extremely important. The final two of the five are still top-5, but not as decisive as the other three...

I don't know how you decided which attributes to include in your calculator, but you shouldn't trust too much the hints offered in the game of what are the most important attributes, because in some positions, these hints fail to mention attributes that are heavily considered in the CA value of players of a position. (see community.sigames.com/showpost.php?p=3275601&postcount=670 for the weightings of different attributes on the CA in FM09). For example, these hints fail to mention pace and acceleration as being important for CB when they are the most heavily weighted attributes for them (on par with strenght, jumping, heading, marking, tackling, concentration and positioning), while it mentions bravery and teamwork which are less weighted.

The list I've linked is probably a much more useful tool to consider when deciding how to evaluate players in a position, even if these weights have been slightly changed in FM10 (which I don't know).

I don't know how you decided which attributes to include in your calculator, but you shouldn't trust too much the hints offered in the game of what are the most important attributes, because in some positions, these hints fail to mention attributes that are heavily considered in the CA value of players of a position. (see community.sigames.com/showpost.php?p=3275601&postcount=670 for the weightings of different attributes on the CA in FM09). For example, these hints fail to mention pace and acceleration as being important for CB when they are the most heavily weighted attributes for them (on par with strenght, jumping, heading, marking, tackling, concentration and positioning), while it mentions bravery and teamwork which are less weighted.

The list I've linked is probably a much more useful tool to consider when deciding how to to evaluate players in a position, even if these weights have been slightly changed in FM10 (which I don't know).

You bring up a great point. I actually use attributes based on my own experiences as player growing up and what I see while coaching IRL.

I've done exactly the same thing in Excel. But there's a post in the tactics & training forum which defines the weights for current ability for every position - and that's what I've used.

CAUTION: You might want to think carefully before you take a look at this: some would probably say it's cheating (because it means you end up looking at 30 or so attributes, some of them with tiny weights), and it's wholly unrealistic that a real manager would do this: it's up to us to decide on a smaller set of attributes which we think are important (as The Sean proposes in his original post)

But anyway, here's the thread I mentioned.

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=18848&page=7

And The Sean - I'd be willing to make you an Excel calculator, based on whatever weights you want. Just drop me a private message.

Edited to add: Oops - I've just seen that lance101 already pointed out the key thread

Thank you both. Macon, I will send you a p/m with what I have come up with. I am not trying to circumvent the training/tactics forum. What I am asking is not really pertinent to that. You see, I have already identified what I believe is important. Additionally, I have already assigned my own weighted values to them. What I wanted to see was A) if anyone would help me with the excel work (thanks Macon) and B) if anyone else did this or had some input from their own experiences. I am not the least bit interested in turning this into a tactics/training discussion as this is simply another evaluative tool that helps me identify which players to keep and which to get rid of.

BTW, I actually do a rudimentary version of this IRL. I evaluate my high school team on a series of different drills and grade them on their small game work. This is typically what the first week of practice looks like, as the boys are trying out for the team. Naturally, that timeframe is not the only evaulation that I give the boys. It is just one of many evaluative tools.

i hate to be pain in the arms, but i believe that it is also the tactics which decides which attributes player needs, not just position.

CB in 3-4-3 formation most certainly doesn't need the same attributes as his collegue which is playing in 4 - 4- 2.

even if he plays in same position he is playing in different formation and has different duties. I agree lot of them are the same, but they are differently weighted IRL and differently used.

good example might be david beckham who is outstadnding RM but calculator that would include pace and dribbling (and exclude crativity, anticipation...) for RM position, would be heavily wrong and would think some pacey valencia is much better at the same position.

same applies to almost all positions and making this calculator can help you to find good players only for certain position/duties. The best overall calculator is still your own decision and thinking.

I forgot to comment on your position here. You are dead right that the tactics will dictate the attributes necessary for each position. I just wanted to see what others thought.

Another possibility is using FM genie scout. In the program you can give weight to different attributes for different positions. Of course it is tempting to look at CA/PA and use it to find unknown talents, but you can restrict yourself

I have done this on FM07, 09 and 10....

It works brilliantly for me (and on 10 its easier to dump into excel via having customised attribute views for def, mid, str, etc)

However, on FM10, my tactics seem to be letting me down

How do you dump it into Excel? I've always wanted to do something like this but can't bear the pain of individually typing in hundreds of values