Most important position in the team ?

What position would you consider to be vital , when building a team ?

I chose a defensive midfielder to break up the oppositions play , vital when playing my preffered 4-5-1 formation

For me the position is CB.

Im a Striker myself, but watching as the game unfolds at my own goal, its great knowing there is a strong leader back there to deal with the game from a situation that I cant help with.

defensive midfielder in my 4-1-3-2 formation. I remember taking over everton once in the relegation zone, purchased Diarra for that position and he was the main driver in turning things around.

goalkeeper, by a mile. you can have as many great stars as you like in the outfield 10, but if the man between the sticks is pants, they youre gonna win nothing

All of them I guess, but I'd say it depends on how you build your tactic. I went for creative midfielder, because no matter what system you have, you need some creativity to spark the offense (well, there are a few exceptions I guess).

I chose a defensive midfielder to break up the oppositions play , vital when playing my preffered 4-5-1 formation

Rangers fan by an chance? (Joking)

Personally i'd go for creative midfielder - thats where your goals are coming from!

Depends who I'm managing really - some teams I find a DMC to be most important, but since I had to give a single answer for the poll I opted to go for the answer at Werder Bremen which has been my main team in FM08 - because of the style I like to play there it is the creative midfielder (2 of them actually, but one or the other is "most important" ) who I opted for.

Depends of the size of the team i'm managing. When managing a top team a really creative midfielder adds a lot, but i'f i'm llming, the goalkeeper seems to be the main man for me

Wingers...

goalkeeper, by a mile. you can have as many great stars as you like in the outfield 10, but if the man between the sticks is pants, they youre gonna win nothing

I completely agree with rinso!

i play 4-2-3-1 so to be honest the most important player in my team is the AMC as he provides attacking threat but he also has tactics so that he helps in defense. I played Aguero there until my regans kicked in.... now i have a class player from Saudi Arabia!

Personally a creative midfielder, carving open your opposition defence to create chances for your strikers to finish off

I dont agree with this, you can't have a most important position only your favourite. Id have to say a creative player tho they are the most exciting to watch

Ridiculous question.

If you think about it logically tho, the only position where if it was removed it would lead to a definite defeat, is the Goalkeeper. Thus, probably the most important.

Of course you can have a "most important". If you have a limited budget and can only afford one player who will actually improve your team and your entire team is crap then you determine a position that is most important to sign that one player for.

Of course you can have a "most important". If you have a limited budget and can only afford one player who will actually improve your team and your entire team is crap then you determine a position that is most important to sign that one player for.

Very good definition, Glam. I agree completely. I feel like I could get more good out of upgrading to a quality keeper than any other single position.

Didn't Brian Clough once buy Shilton simply because the 10 points ( back when it was 2 points for a win ) or so he reckoned he would earn the team, would win them the league? Goalkeeper for me too.

I was going to vote CBs or GK, because I've found that if they are crap then it's almost as if the game is trying to "punish" you. The game goes, "he can't win this game". No matter how many goals you score the opposition always tends to score 1-2 more...

But I actually voted for creative midfielder, more specifically AMC. I've found that having a AMC with farrow to ST, that can read the play and passing, putting through balls to the ST. Also when AMC has farrow to ST, he makes a lot of runs that CBs are rather poor to deal with in FM08.

Course you can have a most important position , Just look at teams like Bolton and Stoke who play long balls up to there target men . Without a target man , these teams wouldnt be half as good IMO.

Why only put target-man?

I don't use them, i like to play with quick strikers (Antonio Cassano and Bellucci for example).

So i voted for defensive midfielder (Palombo is invaluable in my team).

Anyone who doesn't vote GK wants their heads looking at.

As rinso has said the difference between an average GK and a good GK is larger than any other position on the pitch.

i voted creative mid. when i joined espanyol, they had no money whatsoever, and i was in desparate need of a GK. i found an 18 y/o brazilian regen calles soares, who was much better than the 16 & 17 year olds which the AI was selecting for espanyol before i joined. his stats were better than the others, but very average.

he was very well protected by the very good CBs espanyol had, and the fact that we had so many creative DM/CM/AMCs which kept the ball down the other end. they suited my managerial style more than my previous club who had better players.

so Cougar2010, GK is an extremely important position (obviously), but my most important position is according to how my teams play. i was forced to make-do with what i had/could afford, and its worked well so far with soares.

Goalkeepers are boring.

I always value and like AMC the most, just as my favorite star Francesco Totti!

Goalkeepers are boring.

Yes but you wouldn't win much without a good one

creative midfielder because they create goals and as far as my knowledge goes you can't win a game if you can't score

My defence is crap so I concede goals anyway. You can win games when you concede goals, but you sure can't if you don't score any.

Obviously if you can get a player twice as good in any position it'd be a huge help, but I'm not too fussed about the absolute quality of my goalkeeper in general. As long as he does a decent job he'll do me. I play to score goals, not to keep them out first and foremost.

My defence is crap so I concede goals anyway. You can win games when you concede goals, but you sure can't if you don't score any.

Obviously if you can get a player twice as good in any position it'd be a huge help, but I'm not too fussed about the absolute quality of my goalkeeper in general. As long as he does a decent job he'll do me. I play to score goals, not to keep them out first and foremost.

Yes I suppose, I hate being proven wrong, but I stand by what I voted for, If I had a team full of rating 10 for every attribute (concered with position) I would defiintely pick a keeper, but that's just my opinion!

You can win games when you concede goals, but you sure can't if you don't score any.

I play the opposite way - why do you need to score a bunch of goals if you don't give up any!

Defensive midfielder for me, crucial to breaking up opposition attacks and starting off our own attacking moves.

In the fantasy world of computer football managers, like most of you guys, then Creative Midfield is maybe the most important.

But in real life football terms, for anyone out there who thinks they even have a shred of football knowledge, the most important will be the goalkeeper or centrebacks.

A team is built from the defence up, not the other way around.

Start with a solid goalkeeper and solid back-four, first and foremost.

My recent save game tells me GK. I've bought an experienced GK with high influence and communication. The effect its had on my shoddy back 4 is amazing. I don't concede through sloppy defending as much. By buying 1 player I've improved 5 positions on the pitch. I reckon you'd struggle to have that effect on a team with any other position.

Its a good poll though, interesting seeing different peoples opinions.

man between the sticks!

Think it depends on the type of team you are and style. Personally I feel my defensive midfielder is my most important simply because my style of tactics I usually play center around 1 or sometimes even 2 great defensive midfielders. When my star DM is injured the tables reflect it, seems to effect my games far more than any other position.

Gotta be a striker, if you don't score you don't win.

I place the team over any one position, though my favourite positions are always the wings.

There's nothing more satisfying to me than two either footed wingers.

I play the opposite way - why do you need to score a bunch of goals if you don't give up any!

You have to score at least 1 if you are to win a game - that was my point. You can still win however many you concede, but if you just can't score it doesn't matter how few you concede you'll never win!

My central attacking midfielder is always my most important/influential player.

Steven Gerrard, Maxi Rodriguez etc....

You have to score at least 1 if you are to win a game - that was my point. You can still win however many you concede, but if you just can't score it doesn't matter how few you concede you'll never win!

Many players can score goals, strikers , mids and even defenders from corners or fouls but only one guy can catch the ball in his hands.

the most ironic addition to this discussion...

my goalie is a playmaker

the most ironic addition to this discussion...

my goalie is a playmaker

Yes, I just saw this on screenshots thread, now that is odd!

In my team, all players are as important as the next. You can't have a team without 11 players.

i meant to post one in the OTF fm08 thread. duh, me

soares actually has quite a high PA, might retrain him as a n AMC if he can change a game like that.

joking.

Goalie them someone who can bang in the goals, they will be the difference makers.

The captain and vice-captain.

My central attacking midfielder is always my most important/influential player.

Steven Gerrard, Maxi Rodriguez etc....

And are usually...

The captain or vice-captain.

I always have the captain as the CM/CAM, I like the captain to be in the heart of the team.

Captains usually are best as central defenders or midfielders true.

Went for the GK myself. Played a game in South Africa with a second div team and my outfield players were better than the opposition but every shot they took that managed to beat the defence scored because the goalie was crap. Even if the ball was hit straight at him it'd go in. Annoying.

the most ironic addition to this discussion...

my goalie is a playmaker

well i thought it was a joke, but my GK soares has just made an assist for my striker from a clearence. he chipped the ball forward to my striker who controlled it then banged it in from 25 yards.

might have to rethink my initial choice of best position now...

I always build my teams from a GK and an 'allround' winger who can defend and attack with pace. if you have an incredible gk then the defence is less important, if you have an incredible midfielder the attack is a lil less important. just a god place to start. i also find that they're the most likely to massively influence the outcome of a close game.