Attributes - what do they mean?

So, as I wait for the last percentage of the release dat update to download, let me, without any scientific research, ponder the relative value of the player attributes we spend so long examining......

Would I be right in saying......

18-20: A World Class player (in that particular attribute). The player's ability is equal to a player who could play for a top team at the World Cup or Champions League, or if we're talking an 18, the player's skill is equal to a player who could play for one of the top clubs in one of the "big three" European Leagues (EPL, La Liga, Serie A).

15-17: Continental Level. The player is good enough to be known throughout the continent he plays in. Roughly speaking, good enough to play for a Europa League winning side, quarter finalist level side at the European Championships, top team in one of the middle ranking leagues such as Holland, Turkey, Russia etc, or at a team likely to finish just outside the top four in one of the afforementioned big three leagues.

13-14: National Level. Good enough to be known in the country he plays in. Mid table club at one of the big three leagues, European contender at one of the middle ranking leagues. Could be a leading player for a second tier team at one of the "big three" nations.

10-12: Distinctly average. Second tier player in one of the big three leagues, could be a playing for a mid table or relegation contender side at one of the middle ranking nations.

< 10 - Poor in this ability. Lower league level.

Does anyone have another system for estimating the player abilities? Would anyone like to refine the entry for players rated <10 further (eg, 1-2 Sunday League? 3-4 - Regional League?)

19-20- all time great in this particular attribute

16-18- excellent in this particular attribute. Very few players are better than him at this.

14-15- very good, you couldn't describe him as not being good at it but he wouldn't stand out as an example of a player who excelled in this area at the highest level.

12-13- good for the highest level, but again, doesn't stand out. Sometimes makes errors, or can be beaten fairly easily, or has moments where they appear deficient.

9-11- average at the highest domestic level. Wouldn't be described as one of his strengths.

8 or below- poor at the highest domestic level, an obvious weakness.

Roughly speaking, take two points away for each league you drop (i.e. excellent Championship finishers would be expected to have 14-16 finishing, excellent League 1 finishers have 12-14, obviously there will be some players with more than that but they'll either have massive weaknesses elsewhere or be moving on soon).

Joe McKee is the biggest set pieces taker ever.

In most cases higher is better. Watch out for attributes like aggression and eccentricity as the higher these are they are, the more likely they'll be booked/sent off or in the latter case do crazy things!

Joe McKee is the biggest set pieces taker ever.

Bet he don't hit them like this though... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cugzbxHlJtQ

A guide to freekicks from someone discussing in the data forums;

Definition from FM2011 for free kick taking.

Free Kick Taking: This reflects how good at taking free kicks the player is. It applies to both direct shots at goal and deliveries into dangerous areas from wider or deeper positions. A player who is proficient in taking free kicks can be a valuable commodity – scoring five free kicks a season and adding five more assists from them can be a huge bonus.

If he was a world class free kick taker (best handful of players in the world) then wouldnt he be banging in goals and creating assists every second or third game considering the a-league standard.

From my point of view whilst he is a good free kick taker I highly doubt he is world class. Surely somewhere between the region of 15-18 would be more realistic. It would highlight that he is far above the average of the a-league but not bordering on the best in the world when it comes to scoring and creating goals from free kicks.

I actually remember reading in one of the manuals that give league specific section i.e. 16-20 premier etc. but I have gone through all my games and its not in any of them so I have concluded that it was written in wither CM 97/99 or CM 99/00 they are the only 2 that I have owned but not longer got.

Its not based on 1 attribute though, or even 2. A particular set of attributes contributes to how good a player is. I play for a Welsh Sunday league team and one of the lads who plays, is a 5 foot 7 greyhound! In terms of FM attributes, i'd easy say 18 acceleration and 18/19 speed. This would make him one of the fastest people in the game, and rightly so, but this alone doesn't make him world class or anywhere near this.

It is a set of attributes which constatute actually how good that player is.