Can you retrain players to become Natural in a certain position in FM2012?

Just wondering, as it seems to be taking a while, a lot longer than it did in FM2011 at least.

I didn't think you could train a player to be natural? Surely if he is natural at a position it comes naturally? I though the highest you could retrain a player in a position was accomplished.

I didn't think you could train a player to be natural? Surely if he is natural at a position it comes naturally? I though the highest you could retrain a player in a position was accomplished.

I agree with this. It should just be common sense that a new position can never become a "natural" position for any player.

On FM2011 you could definitely retrain a player to become Natural in a position

Yeah i've trained players to natural in FM11 before, you should at least be able to train a player to the same level as they are in a natural position (if theyre accomplished they have a lower star rating in that position)

i think over time, if they play that position constantly, it becomes their natural position if they're already accomplished and what not. but it takes quite a while. i could be wrong, but i doubt it but seriously, i could be wrong.

I suppose you could become a natural in real life. I'd class Gareth Barry as a natural central midfielder but he used to be a left full back.

I agree with this. It should just be common sense that a new position can never become a "natural" position for any player.

look at the progression over time of a few players.

a few years ago, steven gerrard was a natural CM/DM. now he's a natural AMC but accomplished in CM and competent DM. Dirk Kuyt was a natural striker, now he's an accomplished striker but a natural AMR... so on, so forth.

Sol Campbell started out as a striker, Bale was a left-back and last year he tore up some of Europe's best defences at left midfield

Sol Campbell started out as a striker, Bale was a left-back and last year he tore up some of Europe's best defences at left midfield

Evra was also a striker. If a player starts playing a new position and then only plays that position from that point on, why can't he become natural in that position? Especially if he spends years at it.

As for the original question, FM12 just came out. You won't know until you try.

You can indeed.

Fernando starts off as competent at CM but I've trained him to be natural there.

You can indeed.

Fernando starts off as competent at CM but I've trained him to be natural there.

it's settled then.

I can confirm you can indeed train players to be natural in a postion they weren't before, even one they have absolutely no knowledge of (DC to MC). The higher their versatility rating the easier it should be to achieve this. I've noticed some players take 2 years and some are never able to fully master that position (like in my case a left footed full back was never able to be natural in DR position even tho he started with acomplished).

Another thing I've noticed is that if you stop position training players who achieved natural they will drop back to acomplished, which doesn't really make sense.

It annoys me that you have to keep training them (and keep playing them?) in the new position to keep it Natural, but I'm surprised that people are surprised that this is possible. Often it's the best way to make lemonade with the regen lemons you are given. Some of my best LB/RBs were 'born' DMs.

Every Arsenal game I start I always retrain Walcott and Wilshere to AMR and MC respectively. Although it may take away some stat increases it tends to get better performances from them I find.