positioning is a defensive stat?

I was wondering this, because that is what everyone says, yet there are plenty of high-profile strikers with >15 positioning. (I'm not talking about eg. Dion Dublin, who is a legit defender-striker). I can't imagine that the SI staff somehow let all these players slip through with an anomalous attribute...

Peter Crouch

Didier Drogba

Alberto Gilardino

Vincenzo Iaquinta

Henrik Larsson

Fernando Morientes

Giampaolo Pazzini

Potato

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink

Yakubu

so is it strictly defensive? If it is, I wonder that it was allowed to happen - there are hundreds of such players with >15 positioning defined in the database, according to my quick search in the Data Editor.

There aren't a lot of stats that are only for offence or defense. A player with high positioning will stay in the correct place on the field for the situation. If people say it's a defensive attribute, it's because if your central defender isn't where he needs to be, it will directly cost you a goal, where as a striker in the wrong place isn't going to put you a goal down.

positioning is one of the key attributes for all players and position.. deffenders with good positioning will be more effective in their jobs becuse they will be in positions to anicipate passes, crosses, get tackels in etc..

With strikers and attacking players its also key to have good positioning so they can get into the right areas to make something happen or score..

So i would say its a vital attribute to have for any player..

no, I only ask because I've been told multiple times that positioning is *purely* a defensive stat, and off the ball *purely* an offensive stat. I'm pretty sure the latter is true, because there is not a single natural central defender (even those that can play other positions) with off the ball > 15, yet there are hundreds of strikers with positioning > 15. so it does makes me wonder if I've been misinformed.

You've been misinformed.

Originally posted by ugen64:

no, I only ask because I've been told multiple times that positioning is *purely* a defensive stat, and off the ball *purely* an offensive stat. I'm pretty sure the latter is true, because there is not a single natural central defender (even those that can play other positions) with off the ball > 15, yet there are hundreds of strikers with positioning > 15. so it does makes me wonder if I've been misinformed.

I've also read that many times on here (and especially in the data forums) so I think you are totally right and that this situation is a little weird

Originally posted by Abs_UK:

positioning is one of the key attributes for all players and position.. deffenders with good positioning will be more effective in their jobs becuse they will be in positions to anicipate passes, crosses, get tackels in etc..

With strikers and attacking players its also key to have good positioning so they can get into the right areas to make something happen or score..

So i would say its a vital attribute to have for any player..

It's purely a defensive attribute.

The attacking equivelent is Off the Ball.

well if that is the case then i think its wrong.. positioning attribute should be for all position, as thats one of the first things a player is tought from an early age, how to play their position..

and if this is the case whithin the game then like the OP posted why is so many attacking players haveing high positioning attribute???

Positioning is for defenders, Anticipation is for attackers

I too have read many a time that positioning is purely a defensive attribute, which I don't believe it should be. I believe it's importance should be higher for defenders, but take a tall target man such as Crouch. Surely a high positioning attribute is important here in order to place himself better in order to increase his chances of winning the ball?

Originally posted by FrazT:

Positioning is for defenders, Anticipation is for attackers

i was gonna say that. tbh, they could even go the other way. a defender can anticipate which way an attacker is going to try and get round him, and lunge in earlier and win possesion back. or the striker could drop off a marker for that split second and get in a position for a cross & fisrt time shot. i've played both positions irl, although i played very differently, you need both abilities.

but on FM, it doesn't seem so. stats need to be linked more appropreately.

I thought positioning was for everyone because being in the right place at the right time is key. Off the ball, I thought that it meant how well they can make runs. So it would be important for strikers.

I guess some of the players you have listed are especially Drogba are well known for defending set pieces and corners etc in their own box???

Otherwhys im out of ideas.. ;p

What you're describing is "Off the Ball" - that is positioning for attackers. Its just semantics.

Forget defensive and attacking, instead think of 'without the ball' and 'with the ball'.

Positioning is how well the player positions himself when his team DOES NOT have the ball. It can an attribute for any type of player. So for the strikers you have listed, they are players who instinctively take up good positions when their team do not have the ball.

Off the ball is how well the player positions himself when his team DO have the ball. So a player with high off the ball will have a good natural sense of how to get into attacking positions and where to position himself when his team have the ball.

What you have described makes sense if you think about the stats under these terms.

C.

I should add that these definitions of positioning and off the ball can be thought of as being more useful in defensive or attacking situations respectively.

A striker positioning himself well when you have the ball (off the ball stat) is more important than his positioning when you do not have the ball (due to his not being in a key defensive position).

Likewise, a defender positioning himself well when you do not have the ball (positioning stat) is a greater priority than his positioning when you do have the ball (off the ball).

That's why they can be thought of in terms of defensive and attacking attributes. However, ideally you would want a team where every player is excellent at taking up good positions both on and off the ball, regardless of their positions on the pitch.

Hope that makes some sense?

C.

Positioning - defenders.

Off the ball - attackers

Anticipation - all. Defenders need anticipation for things like maintaining an offside trap or spotting a winger, deep midfielder etc about to make a run.