Player Attributes

Just a thought.

How low do you go on attributes when searching for a player?

I'm in the Championship & I would go down to 6 in all attributes apart from essential.

I don't pick players like that.

I look at average ratings and how high their key attributes are.

I then look what is particularly low - i.e. do I want a guy who has rubbish concentration?

As a small club, if I see a player with decent ave. rating over the past few seasons at a similar or higher level, then that and scout reports are more important to me than stats.

I certainly have some stats that I need though, they need at least +10 in nat. fitness and stamina, or I probably won't touch them.

It depends.

My approach tends to be to look for two kinds of player:

1 - a specialist who can excel in a specific role

For instance, managing in the BSN i have a midfield player who has 14 Passing, 14 Composure, 14 Creativity and 14 Decisions, but many of his other stats are poor, he can't defend and he's tactically sub-par. Certainly, if i had a "cut off" like you describe it would involve my central midfielders having higher than 4 Positioning, 4 Tackling, 6 Concentration, 6 Off The Ball and 6 Acceleration which are his attributes. The man has obvious weaknesses but he also has some very good stats in key positions that have made him a quality playmaker for me.

2 - an all-rounder who has few weaknesses

Here i would apply more of a "not lower than x" for important or semi-important attributes. How low i'd go would depend how high his key attributes were. As a rough guide, if a player has all 13's in key attiributes than i'd probably be prepared to go as low as 7 for other semi-important attributes; if he has 12's i'd go down to 8; if he has 11's i'd go down to 9. This isn't strictly how i operate but the point is the less they excel in their key attributes the less tolerant i am going to be of their weaknesses.

Ultimately i judge players case by case, weigh up their strengths versus their weaknesses and assess how i can make use of them and how they'll fit in with the other players in my squad.

It's also a good point by Jody Flint to look at average ratings. It helps to account for things that you cannot see.

Yes fully agree with you there.

I always tend to look for Key attributes first as they are a must have for me & then glance the rest

Don't really search for anything specific, scout players, look at average rating etc..attributes just concentrate on main ones usually. Like wingers, I usually play direct wingers, so good dribbling, crossing, pace etc...is essential. Creative midfielder then passing, flair, creativity etc...striker, pace, finishing, composure etc...defenders, heading, marking, concentration, tackling etc..

I usually like to have 3 specialist players for each position as in 3 cb's, 3 fb's, etc...of stats that are specific to full back but then usually an extra player or two in each position who is sort of all round decent, like 10/11's...rather than 14/15 in one area but 6/7 in others.

Never forget that * do NOT make a team though!!!

You could have a first eleven of all 5* & not win anything

In my save with Leeds united, If I was looking for a defender I would look for 15+ in tackling,marking,heading....And look at there previouse form, anything over 6.9 is ok.

I dont know about anyone else but in attributes *10* would generally be the minimum I would like my players to have, unless there a striker for example then you wouldnt be botherd by a *3* in marking and tackling...

I have a winger with 6 for balance but absolute brilliant stats for everything else!!! Mauro Milano

I usually just look at a player. As i buy players to fit my system rather than build my system around them i look for similar positive attributes to that of the player i currently have playing there. I have certain defenders on some saves that will only play on the right or left side if my DC area. Because i have a big physical defender on the right and a pacey defender on the left. Only time this is changed is if all of the pace or physical guys are injured.

I tend to look at recent form, and scout reports etc.

Recent form, Past history (if beyond season1), and how they do on trial for me are more important than attributes. Found some players with shocking key attributes that do wonders for my team(talking 2 and 3's here). Scout reports are also very important, although annoyance of why the tend to compare them to my best player, this part I ignore. Anything from "below average for First Team/Average for Youth team" will see a player get at least a trial with me.

Thats Interesting ATW

As I saw in a recent post I think there is too much emphasis on the CA/PA System in game.

I would much rather have player X will fit in the team whether attributes are good or not.

As I said in previous post I have an accomplished AMR (26) whose stats are brilliant apart from balance (6), but Ass Man only rates him as 2.5*

Not sure, but when you're playing in the low reaches (data editor activated leagues) CA really doesn't mean that much as all players you can attract are crap anyway. It probably would be more important in the top leagues over a season, although a player here or a player there can play above themselves - sadly despite my many arguments SI (and certain researchers of a certain nationality....) don't realise this.