Player Roles

[Joe Rhymes With Moe]

I have a question about the recommended and preferred player roles.

As far as I understand it, these are based entirely on the players attributes (although some may be hidden).

The fact that they are sometimes different must mean that a slightly different algorithm is used to calculate them.

My question is this: If I want to play a player "out of role" (but not "out of position") is there some kind of penalty for that in terms of the player's performance?

The reason I ask is because currently my best two central midfielders are both "Advanced Playmakers" (both recommended and preferred), and I didn't like playing them both together for this reason. But I noticed that one of them briefly (for one game) switched to be a "Box to Box Midfielder". So I played them together. But then he switched back again. I'm guessing that the fact that he switched must mean that although Advanced Playmaker may be his "optimal" role, he is almost as good as a Box to Box Midfielder.

So is it a bad idea to continue to play him in this role even though it is no longer "recommended"?

[Joe Rhymes With Moe]

I also have the same situation with my strikers; 6 strikers who are usually all Advanced Forwards but three of them occasionally become Poachers and one occasionally becomes a Trequartista.

I don't really like playing with two strikers of the same type, I imagine they get in each others way or something, it's far nicer to have two different roles filled up top.

Instead of one reccomended role for each player couldn't they get a "score" in each role? Or a Natural, Accomplished, Competent type scale?

[#4]

I look at it in exactly the way you have described - the preferred role is a guide not an absolute as roles are often quite similar. Whilst, as you point out, there are hidden stats to consider (or not seeing as though we can't see them!) the 'physical stats' will usually dictate where i play a player. For example, I have Fellaini who's preferred position seems to be DLM however i will often play him as a BWM without any noticeable detriment to his or the teams performance.