David Alaba (PA spoilers)

Why do SI continue to underrate him ??

Last year was bad enough but this time to rate his PA lower than 160 is just silly, then they rate Jack Collison above 150. It doesnt add up.

After suffering Philip Lahm's low ratings for the last 5 years was bad enough this takes michael.

If you want to take issue with this, then the Data Issues forum is the place to post in the relevant thread. Please read the posting guidelines before posting and remember that these types of numbers are decided on by individual team researchers and by definition are going to be based on personal opinion.

Thanks.

Can you or I move this thread ??

I think people can get too hung up on CA/PA. I never check it anymore on the editors, but know from past games that it doesn't necessarily mean that player is going to do better or worse than another player with higher or lower CA/PA. It's about that player in your team and how he performs. That simple.

To go back in real life football history for an example....Kevin Keegan as player way back probably had far less CA/PA than somebody like a Matt Le Tissier etc, but he had other qualities that meant he achieved so much more than Le Tissier ever did in the game. Shedloads of England caps, captained England, won European and League titles, European Footballer of the Year awards where Le Tiss (love the Tiss btw....respect to him ) won....mmm....hmmm.....?? Nothing.

Alaba was pretty good for me for 2 seasons. Lots of assists and plenty of goals too. Had to sell him because he wanted a Min Fee Release Clause that was too low. He was 20-22yo when I had him. I also never worry about CA/PA.

This it the thread you want...

[Germany] (Official) Data Issues

If raising an issue with any data keep this in mind...

Please note that much of the data in the database is of a subjective nature and many people will have different opinions about this kind of data and this must be respected. We would request you all to adhere to the following three point plan when posting in the data topics:

· State what you think is specifically wrong with a particular piece of data.

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To put some things into context though, a player with PA above 160 (or with -9 or -10) is someone who has the potential to be amongst the best players in the world. There are other figures that may affect how well they progress in the game though, such as some of the hidden personal trait attributes, such as professionalism, ambition, etc.

I don't know the player well enough to say if your assumptions are correct or not, but I wouldn't be preoccupied with CA and PA ratings so much. Constructive criticism and observations are always welcome though, but bear in mind that no researcher has a crystal ball when it comes to prognosticating the potential of a player. Like anyone, we can only try to make an educated guess, based upon current ability and progress we've seen.

Prognosticating, Heath? Ever used that in a sentence before?

David Alaba is a fine player in my save. After Bayern loaned him to Porto and Juventus in successive seasons, Chelsea decided he was good enough to spend £27.5 Million on, and he's still there in 2024, having just retired from international football with 131 caps. 55 goals in 242 league appearances for Chelsea as well.

People need to stop posting CA/PAs without spoilers. Some of us don't want to know!

I think people can get too hung up on CA/PA. I never check it anymore on the editors, but know from past games that it doesn't necessarily mean that player is going to do better or worse than another player with higher or lower CA/PA. It's about that player in your team and how he performs. That simple.

To go back in real life football history for an example....Kevin Keegan as player way back probably had far less CA/PA than somebody like a Matt Le Tissier etc, but he had other qualities that meant he achieved so much more than Le Tissier ever did in the game. Shedloads of England caps, captained England, won European and League titles, European Footballer of the Year awards where Le Tiss (love the Tiss btw....respect to him ) won....mmm....hmmm.....?? Nothing.

Not the best of examples. Le Tissier played for a team who were a lot weaker than Keegan's Liverpool, and internationally Le Tissier played at a time when England had never had such a volume of great forwards. Swap their clubs and eras and MLT would probably do just as well as Keegan (I can't say as Keegan was before my time). A better example would be someone like Robinho or Adriano, immensely talented players but let down by various attitude problems, or maybe a comparison between RVN and Zola- RVN scored more goals but Zola was argubly the better all round player.

So David Alaba is underrated despite being probably the best centre mid in the world on my FM11 game. Okaaaaaaaay.

Not the best of examples. Le Tissier played for a team who were a lot weaker than Keegan's Liverpool, and internationally Le Tissier played at a time when England had never had such a volume of great forwards. Swap their clubs and eras and MLT would probably do just as well as Keegan (I can't say as Keegan was before my time). A better example would be someone like Robinho or Adriano, immensely talented players but let down by various attitude problems, or maybe a comparison between RVN and Zola- RVN scored more goals but Zola was argubly the better all round player.

Bit cheeky to diss my examples when you can't by own admission comment on one of them.

And to be fair to me (and we do like to be fair ) I was never going to hunt too hard for a better example. Bit hungover etc.

But you get my point if you remember the two or read back on Keegan. Le Tiss could have moved anywhere he liked really. He had the CA/PA. He stayed at Southampton by choice in his comfort zone, big fish little pond and won nothing. Arguably way more CA/PA in real terms than Keegan as well.

If Le Tiss were in FM he might have big CA/PA but low workrate, determination and be labelled 'unambitious'.

If Keegan were in FM he might have lower CA/PA but massive workrate, determination and be labelled highly 'ambitious'.

Ask any manager who'd they prefer. Ask any football buff who won more or had more success. Which was my only point; CA/PA is too focused on and argued over too often in this forum. If he does a job for your team and is successful who cares about CA/PA. Shouldn't be looking at it anyway imvho. It's hidden in-game.

I think some managers would prefer Le Tiss. It isn't that he wasn't very determined, but he wasn't especially ambitious and he was very loyal. If Arsenal had offered him a contract instead of Southampton then he'd probably have been a key player for them. I do know about Keegan's career, even though I haven't seen much of him. Likewise, was Keegan really not very gifted?

But yeah, CA isn't important, it just indicates how good a player's attributes roughly are. Attributes matter more.

No worries. Horses for courses. I think Keegan maxed out his abilities with other attributes, with obvious ability but acheived more than some who had more ability imvvvho. But agreed on points that ability is only 'part' of the story of what makes it work for your team or whichever manager.....which is why as said don't really get the PA/CA debates. Must be a nightmare to be a researcher here; you're never going to please most people.

After all...one man's thoroughbred is another's donkey and viccy verccy. Which makes football what it is.

Alaba seems to do ok for himself in my saves. I'm trying my best not to sign him as I am avoiding players I used in my last save. Its actually quite hard

So no Alaba, Lukaku, Otamendi, Dzeko, Kroos, Chiellini, Gourcuff etc. I still signed Adler though. I had no choice. He was cheap and VDS was old.

I think some managers would prefer Le Tiss. It isn't that he wasn't very determined, but he wasn't especially ambitious and he was very loyal. If Arsenal had offered him a contract instead of Southampton then he'd probably have been a key player for them. I do know about Keegan's career, even though I haven't seen much of him. Likewise, was Keegan really not very gifted?

But yeah, CA isn't important, it just indicates how good a player's attributes roughly are. Attributes matter more.

Tommy Smith said in his book that Keegan wasn't the most gifted, but the amount of effort he put in training etc made him the player he was.

Technically Le Tissier was superb but regardless of his ambition etc he was always too slow and fat which cancelled out some of that natural talent. Also at the time when Le Tissier was available to England he would also have had to get passed a handsome Peter Beardsley. Beardsley and Keegan would probably run more in one match than le Tiss in a season. Despite the fact that Keegan is a nut job these days, he was a superb footballer.

Paul Gascoigne is another player of the same ilk imo. Gifted but lazy and, in Gascoignes case, unprofessional. I would imagine he would be given more CA/PA than someone like Gerrard or Lampard but I know who I would rather have in my squads. Neither of those are among the most technically gifted in Premier history but there attitudes and lifestyles are that of professional sportsmen of the highest calibre and is the basis of their success and longevity.

Anyway this game has an editor so if you are so bothered about a players PA then just change it.

I think some managers would prefer Le Tiss. It isn't that he wasn't very determined, but he wasn't especially ambitious and he was very loyal. If Arsenal had offered him a contract instead of Southampton then he'd probably have been a key player for them. I do know about Keegan's career, even though I haven't seen much of him. Likewise, was Keegan really not very gifted?

But yeah, CA isn't important, it just indicates how good a player's attributes roughly are. Attributes matter more.

Your age limits your ability to comment on a Le Tissier vs Keegan debate. Sorry