FM2011 Player Position Calculator

[robzilla]

Completely updated for FM2011, this spreadsheet allows you to see which role & duty is the best fit for a given player's attributes. Simply enter the player's attributes in the first column and see ratings for each role & duty highlighted. Shows arithmetic mean (average), median and high/low attribute values for each role & duty.

Also very useful when evaluating players with a view to purchase or loan. Enter the player's attributes and see if and where he will fit into your tactics.

Included are two sheets, one for outfield players and one for goalkeepers - just copy each sheet as many times as you need.

FM2011 Player Position Calculator (xls format)

N.B. I have omitted "Long Shots" from the calculations for the role/duty combinations where the game specifies it. This is because I do not factor it in to my decisions either when buying players or when selecting a role & duty. I always turn off long shots for everyone via individual instructions in my tactics, unless a player has a very high "Long Shots" attribute.

[Lightig]

Thanks a lot robzilla, I'll test it

[Conman14]

So the one with the best score would be his ideal position/role?

[robzilla]

Yup you got it

[Guido]

Looks like a great tool, used a simular but differnt one in FM 10. What does the medium/low/high section mean or stand for and how is it used?

[robzilla]

Well the other values are there to aid you in making your decision about which role/duty combination your player is best suited to. While the mean is a good rough and ready figure to use for comparison, it can sometimes mislead and a few high values can mask low values in potentially key areas.

The median gives you an idea as to the spread of values within the important attribute set which has been identified. The high and low shows where you may have a weakness which requires closer inspection. A high score for a particular role/duty combo coupled with high numbers in both the low and high columns means the player is ideally suited for that role & duty and has good numbers in all the key attributes required for it.

[Danhimself1707]

i think im missing something here....ods format doesnt seem to work......or does it work with the xls format version?

really silly question i know lol

[ANUBUS]

thanks rob its always nice to see other community members taking the time and doing things like this and sharing it with other members from the bottom of my heart i thank you.

[robzilla]

@ANUBUS Thanks for your kind words, I hope you find it useful

@Danhimself1707 The ods version is for OpenOffice Calc and the xls version is for Microsoft Excel, that's all. You only need to download one, depending on whether you've got MS Office or OpenOffice (you'll need one or the other). Having said that, I'm pretty sure that both apps will open each other's files anyway.

[ANUBUS]

is there a way to save a players sheet page after you enter it all in ? reason i ask is this is a usefull tool for FML as well

[dontbotherimlost]

Thanks. I will definitely try this out.

[fdawsoniv]

This gave some surprising results for one or two guys on my team.

How exactly can you put this into effect, though?

[robzilla]

is there a way to save a players sheet page after you enter it all in ? reason i ask is this is a usefull tool for FML as well

Not sure what you mean by keeping the players sheet? What I do is create multiple copies of the sheet within the workbook, one for each player. So for the team I'm currently managing I will have about 25 sheets.

[robzilla]

This gave some surprising results for one or two guys on my team.

How exactly can you put this into effect, though?

By choosing the role & duty combo that best suits each player when designing your tactics

[fdawsoniv]

Won't that create an imbalanced bunch of individuals instead of a team?

[Bluebeard]

Not necessarily - you could test players you haven't bought yet and that way find the perfect solution to that missing final piece of the jigsaw. It also helps you choose which way to compromise e.g. is the team stronger by playing a DC at fullback to play 4 at the back or would you be better pushing him forwards to DMC? No-one's suggesting it's better to play a stupid formation if the average rating thrown out by this program would be higher if you did.

Before I give this a whirl, do you have to input the stats yourself or does it link to FM? A link between this and FM Scout would be immense!

[robzilla]

Indeed it would but alas, no. It's a manual process. I usually update the stats twice a year; once in January and once in July. Also, as and when I want to evaluate a potential signing. You get quite quick at it after a while! It's also helpful when comparing two players competing for one position.

[Guest]

where can i get the fm10 player position calculator from,,,if someone could let me know that would be great

[ANUBUS]

thats what i as wasking so just save the sheet as the players name then open a new one for other players

[robzilla]

Yes, one sheet for each player.

[robzilla]

I have it, I'll upload it tomorrow.

[mikcheck]

I'm also interested in one for FM2010. I'll be waiting. Thanks robzilla.

[robzilla]

Oh sorry guys my computer blew up and I have to send the PSU to Holland to be repaired so it's going to be a while before I can get that FM10 version to you.

[mikcheck]

Hi robzilla. That's too bad. But it must be one somewhere to download

[mikcheck]

If it is just insert player attributes in excel, it's the same thing for fm2010 right?

[ImOnFire15]

How do you use it. It's confusing

[fdawsoniv]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there are a couple different player roles available in FM11-hence the new spreadsheet.

ImOnFire15-What you do is take the attributes of a player you want to evaluate from the game and enter them into the spreadsheet (Corners, Heading, etc . . .). Then the spreadsheet will give you a rating for that player at every possible role in the tactics creator (Poacher, Trequartista, Advanced Playmaker Support, etc . . .). It can help you determine what style of play each player is suited to and, for example, what kind of striker partnership you should employ.

Once you get the numbers in, it makes player evaluation a little easier by trimming out unimportant attributes. There are, of course, other things you'll still want to factor into your decisions.

[robzilla]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there are a couple different player roles available in FM11-hence the new spreadsheet.

ImOnFire15-What you do is take the attributes of a player you want to evaluate from the game and enter them into the spreadsheet (Corners, Heading, etc . . .). Then the spreadsheet will give you a rating for that player at every possible role in the tactics creator (Poacher, Trequartista, Advanced Playmaker Support, etc . . .). It can help you determine what style of play each player is suited to and, for example, what kind of striker partnership you should employ.

Once you get the numbers in, it makes player evaluation a little easier by trimming out unimportant attributes. There are, of course, other things you'll still want to factor into your decisions.

Thanks for that, there does appear to be a bit of confusion about this so thanks for the explanantion. Just to clarify, the ratings for each position are calculated by adding up the values for each attribute that the game considers important for a particular role & duty combination. The "important" attributes are taken from the in-game tactics screen. If you look at the first screengrab in the OP, the fields that are highlighted - dribbling, finishing, first touch, etc - are the ones that are used for that role & duty (in this case Poacher/Attack).

So, how does this help? Here are some scenarios to illustrate:

1. Imagine you have a great striker (e.g. Wayne Rooney). You want to know how to get the best out of him, how should you play him? Deep-lying forward with support duty? Poacher with attack duty? Trequartista? Feed his attributes into the spreadsheet and it will tell you. Say you have another forward that you want to play alongside Rooney. Feed his attributes in and he comes out as let's say, the same as Rooney. Maybe it's not such a good idea to play them together then, perhaps choose another striking partner who can excel in a different, complementary, role? The tool gives you the information you need to make decisions like that.

2. You have 2 great CBs who are your first choice pairing, but how do you know whether they should have limited defender, central defender or ball-playing defender? Whole about role? Stopper, cover or defend? This tool tells you where each one can excel. Again as with strikers, if both CBs are excellent at "cover" but not "stopper" perhaps they shouldn't both play together? Perhaps a stopper/cover combo would work better? Again, the tool won't tell you what to do but it gives you the information you need to make those decisions.

3. You have a midielder who can play DM/M/AM - where would he be best and with what role? Is he box-to-box, ball-winning, playmaker? This tool tells you where he will play best (e.g. if he excels at deep-lying playmaker you could put him at DMC or MC with this role. If he excels at advanced playmaker you could play him at MC or AMC with this role.)

4. You have 2 CMs that you want to play together. Do they complement each other? Is one more suited to an attacking role and one to a defensive role or are they too similar and both want to do the same job? This tool will tell you.

5. You are looking for a striker and you know you want someone who can be a target man, as you already have a pacey striker to play alongside him. Feed the attributes of any potential signing into the tool and it will show you if he fits into your tactical framework.

You get the picture...

[henryzz]

Could someone please post a link to the 2010 version?

[robzilla]

OK as I can't use my computer at the moment (and won't be for a week or two) I have knocked this version up for FM10 using a combination of the current FM11 version and the formulae that I pulled out of a really early version of the FM10 one I have on a USB stick. Hopefully this will work, any issues just give me a shout.

FM2010 Player Position Calculator (ods format)

[mikcheck]

Hi robzilla. The link doesn't work.

Edit: It works now. Thank you.

[mikcheck]

I'm having a problem Robzilla. When I insert the attributes, the mean value is always the same as gerrard. The values always remain the same, no matter which player attributes I put in that list.

[robzilla]

Ok that is odd, I've never had that problem.

• Is this on the FM10 version or the FM11?
  
• Are you using Excel or Calc?
  
• Is this on the original sheet or a new sheet you created?
  

[mikcheck]

Hey robzilla. Is the one from FM2010 but i'm using the one from FM2011 because the positions are the same and i think that the required attributes are also the same for each positions.

Thanks. Great job.

[robzilla]

No they're not, that's why I created a new version for FM11. Some new positions are available (see the role/duty list is different) and the attributes for some role/duty combos have been tweaked.

As to your issue, I really don't know what is going on there. Anyone else having problems?

[mikcheck]

Ok didn't have noticed that yet. Dont you have the xls format? Because xls format you uploaded for FM2011 works fine.

[Trent End Tree]

Just trying out the 2011 version and it is looking like a really useful tool for helping to make decisions.

Many thanks Rob.

[robzilla]

Ok didn't have noticed that yet. Dont you have the xls format? Because xls format you uploaded for FM2011 works fine.

Yes here is the FM2010 Player Position Calculator (xls format)

[mikcheck]

Thanks! Works now.

[tigerhgrrrrrr]

This is great. But, at lower league levels it is common for players to appear best suited to roles & duties posible only for postions other that their "best" positions.

I have a few theories for this that I wont bore you with but does anyone know how to correctly judge this as an overall player assessment?

[robzilla]

You're right, it is common for this to happen, not just with lower league players, but also young players. You have a few options here. You can either pick the most suitable role & duty combo that fits with one of the the player's "best" positions, or you could consider retraining the player to a new position to take advantage of his best role & duty. With young players, remember their attributes will shift over time so the "best" role & duty can and does often shift too. You always have the option of playing a player out of position but we know the match engine will penalise you for this - although to what extent, I personally don't know.

[Trent End Tree]

Just out of interest what do people see as a good score for a player at each level. I tend to play as Forest initially and looking at some examples I'd say roughly 13 or more for the best position looks like a decent player for that level. I'm considering a Southampton game and thinking anything over say 11.5 would be a good League 1 player. Anyopne have any other thoughts?

[robzilla]

As a rule of thumb for the top leagues (e.g. EPL, La Liga) it seems that a solid 14 or above is a good player, over 15 an excellent player, over 16 probably close to a world class player and over 17 is simply amazing. Very rarely do you get a player with a high mean value of 17 or more, but I have seen it.

Remember though that this tool is really more about judging a player's suitability for a particular role & duty, rather than a measure of his overall ability, but obviously there is some correlation, as a player with high values all over his sheet is obviously going to be a very good player.

[Trent End Tree]

Absolutely, it is only one part of the overall decision but I think rough ideas of a cut off are quite useful for reducing your targets down to an effective shortlist. It is quite interesting comparing a couple of targets, getting a feel for how they differ and then also comparing that with the terms they are looking for and their relative ages and so on. I have to say I'm finding it very useful so thanks for putting it together.

[robzilla]

No problem, glad you find it useful

[phnompenhandy]

I'm testing this now by entering the data for Arsenal players, since we know them well and can therefore judge the accuracy of your utility. I'll post more results later but early indications suggest some of your weightings need a little tweaking. Specifically, Diaby comes out as a winger primarily, with poacher as his second position/role. His weakest role is a s central midfielder/defend!

[gr8spot]

looks interesting. Can anyone tell me how to use this?

[phnompenhandy]

looks interesting. Can anyone tell me how to use this?

At the bottom of the page, right-click the Gerrard tab and copy it. Do this many times, one for each player you want data for (and copy Reina's for your goalkeepers). Then on each age enter the data of your player. The page will automatically work out the ratings for each position/role.

[tigerhgrrrrrr]

You're right, it is common for this to happen, not just with lower league players, but also young players. You have a few options here. You can either pick the most suitable role & duty combo that fits with one of the the player's "best" positions, or you could consider retraining the player to a new position to take advantage of his best role & duty. With young players, remember their attributes will shift over time so the "best" role & duty can and does often shift too. You always have the option of playing a player out of position but we know the match engine will penalise you for this - although to what extent, I personally don't know.

Totally agree. It explains why sometimes playing an SC at DC, he will for no apparant reason play very well. Its the "James Milner" thing. He can be quite effective at right back.

[phnompenhandy]

Right, I've gone through the Arsenal first team. Many positions seem fine, but a few need looking at. These are not 'the Milner effect'; they are definitely due to incorrect weightings for certain positions.

I will record the player's name, main position according to FM11, then the top 2 or 3 preferred positions according to Robzilla's calculator. By the way, I'll omit goalkeepers.

Clichy D/WB Wingback Defensive Forward Fullback

Sagna D/WB Wingback Fullback Defensive Forward

Vermaelen DC Limited Defender Ball-winning midfielder Central defender

Squillaci DC Limited Defender Ball-winning midfielder Central defender

Koscielny DC Anchorman Fullback Limited defender

Song DC/DM Ball-winning mid Anchorman Fullback

Denilson MC Advanced Playmaker Deep-lying playmaker Attacking midfielder

Arshavin M/AM Trequartista Poacher/Attacking midfielder

Fabregas MC Deep-lying forward Trequartista Attacking midfielder

van Persie AMR/ST Trequartista Deep-lying forward Poacher/Advanced PM

Chamakh ST Targetman x2

Walcott AMRL/ST Poacher Winger Inside forward

Diaby M/AMC Poacher Winger Trequartista

Nasri - closed the app now but his top 3 are all striking positions, not midfield.

My analysis is that most are spot on, but Diaby and perhaps Denilson need looking at. It may be due to them being world-class players, but it seems there are too many Trequartistas. The fullbacks should not be able to play in a forward position.

Hope these results help in honing your utility Robzilla - it's a great spreadsheet!