I move on to the next player to buy, if <<attribute>> is less than 12

[Methos]

So you have a list of players to buy and you are browsing through them. There are players that are a big no because they lack in one particular attribute.

Which attribute being less than 12 do you dismiss that player for?

Goalkeepers

Full backs

Central Defenders

Defensive midfielders

Central Midfielders

Attack Midfielders

Wingers

Strikers

A typical answer would be:

Goalkeepers : Handling

Full backs: Acceleration

Central Defenders: Positioning

Defensive midfielders: Decisions

Central Midfielders: Decisions

Attack Midfielders: Vision

Wingers: Acceleration

Strikers: Acceleration

EDIT: I meant to say that the player can have good 18, 19, 20 in other significant attributes. The player could be godly, but it's just that one attribute that is too low so it breaks the deal.

[trajano080]

Usually passing is one for all positions.

[ryan045]

Whatever stat is lowest in the role they're playing

[johnhughthom]

Goalkeepers : Jumping

Full backs: Stamina

Central Defenders: Jumping

Defensive midfielders: Nothing would be a deal breaker

Central Midfielders: Passing

Attack Midfielders: Nothing necessarily a deal breaker

Wingers: Acceleration

Strikers: Finishing

[oneronaldo]

Goalkeepers : One-on-Ones

Full backs: Tackling

Central Defenders: Jumping

Defensive midfielders: Positioning

Central Midfielders: Work Rate/Passing

Attack Midfielders: Passing

Wingers: Pace

Strikers: Finishing

[Plachy]

Not many really in defense, I don't like young players with low determination or work rate but 12 would be more than adequate.

I'm quite willing to forgive a lot in defence if 12 is the 'floor' of this challenge, these positions are very hard to find world-class ones in so I build the formation around the better ones I am able to sign (i.e. exploit the side with a better full back if he is able to play attacking). My attack is always good, so this can remain relatively static.

Attackers I have very specific demands: Wingers need to be fast, able to cross, dribble and have all physicals above around 14 (except jumping reach) by the age of 20. Strikers rarely get signed now if their pace and acceleration aren't above 16 with finishing above 18. I can forgive most things for a world class player though, either if he's young enough to train or has everything else I need in a player for that position.

Goalkeepers : Don't care

Full backs: Pace if pushed

Central Defenders: Heading if pushed

Defensive midfielders: Don't play one

Central Midfielders: Passing if pushed

Attack Midfielders: If I play one, finishing probably

Wingers: Pace, Pace, Pace

Strikers: Pace, Pace, Pace

Without wishing to come across like a pace demon, I feel when I watch games it's a skill that enhances loads of the others as it buys my players a lot of time. I wouldn't buy a player because he can run fast and isn't very good elsewhere, it's just that 12 is quite often acceptable for a lot of key role attributes when combined with pace.

[enigmatic]

Goalkeepers: Reflexes (more like 14/15 as the minimum threshold at any decent level)

Central Defenders: Jumping (and if I have the luxury, Pace or Acceleration, Marking, Strength, Tackling, Positioning and Ideally Concentration and Anticipation. This is one position where strengths don't necessarily compensate for weaknesses)

Attackers: At any decent level Pace or Acceleration and Finishing, Composure

For other positions it depends much more on their general balance of characteristics than avoiding any specific weaknesses, though I'd tend to prefer my wide players to be quick

[Plachy]

Quick question about defenders jumping.... can one player compensate for a lesser one in a pairing?

I've had a look at my current three starting CBs and I have one with 18, one with 12 and one with 14. The one with 18 is demonstrably the biggest loss when he doesn't play, but the other two I would guess have very similar CAs, the one with 12 looks slightly weaker. But my defence is miles better with the weaker jumper in the team, because he can pass a ball and is a big more versatile. On his own he wouldn't succeed but with my other dominating CB it surely can't be a problem?

[mrw072]

I wouldn't say I had an absolute key attribute for a player in each position, but if I was forced to choose, i'd say something like:

Goalkeeper: Communication

Full Backs: Tackling

Central Defenders: Strength

Central Midfielders: Decisions

Wingers: Crossing

Strikers: Composure

[enigmatic]

Quick question about defenders jumping.... can one player compensate for a lesser one in a pairing?

I've had a look at my current three starting CBs and I have one with 18, one with 12 and one with 14. The one with 18 is demonstrably the biggest loss when he doesn't play, but the other two I would guess have very similar CAs, the one with 12 looks slightly weaker. But my defence is miles better with the weaker jumper in the team, because he can pass a ball and is a big more versatile. On his own he wouldn't succeed but with my other dominating CB it surely can't be a problem?

Depends who's marking who. If the opposition is playing a 5'10 lone striker and you have other players in your team that can "mark tall players" it's not an issue at all. But if the opposition is crossing towards a 6'4 target man your tall defender isn't always going to be the one doing the marking.

[WizbaII]

This goes against my recruitment strategy. The first thing I do when recruiting is not to look for strengths. It's to root out the players who have even one weak attribute in the position I need them for.

However, if I am forced to accept players with weaknesses, then I will insist that they at least have high Teamwork. That will allow me to try to deal with the other weaknesses tactically.

[leonavich]

I usually don't go for DC's without strength and heading. One will generally have a bit of pace to chase counters and long balls, but I like them to both be fairly good in the air and strong as that works well when tackling \ marking, even if they are weak. Perhaps strength more so to pick one, but I like that at about 14 as a minimum.

Midfield, I find I don't really look for anything in particular, as there are various strengths and weaknesses based on how you use them, but stamina is pretty high as is first touch, as I often move to a high tempo game at some stage in most matches, whether early or late in the match. Fitness helps with all the running and speed of the game while first touch helps with retain possession, getting out of those jams were passes go astray, so probably first touch to choose one.

Strikers, I think off the ball and acceleration are good for my style. I like to play off the last man, so get caught off side often if these stats are low. Quick off the mark to beat the offside trap and being able to get into the position as attacks build. Finishing, composure, etc are obviously important too, but I have had strikers with low stats in the single digits still perform well when in the right position, so those are more so the key stats for me.

[WarroOxford]

Work rate and determination are both big ones for me. Preferably for all positions, but mainly the CMs/DMs. I think this is a key in LLM because even if you have one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to technical prowess, you can scrap out some decent results by having a team that'll work harder than the opponents and won't give up. I've overdelivered on expectations by having a team top five in the league for work rate and not even being in the top half for pretty much everything else. You could throw teamwork into that as well, but mainly work rate/determination. Sometimes I even find high teamwork a deterrent because star players are almost TOO willing to look for a second options. Great for when you have a system that requires a lot of player movement though, of course.

Unless I'm signing an advanced playmaker to play on the wing, I rarely if ever sign a wing player with less than 12 pace, regardless of the level we're at. Same for strikers with composure, unless I'm signing a defensive forward I will rarely sign a striker with lower than 12 for composure.

[isignedupfornorealreason]

Goalkeepers : Handling - This is pretty much a bread and butter skill, but... I will avoid keepers who aren't well rounded enough (12 in everything except kicking/throwing/eccentric) because in my opinion, this is the most important position in the entire team.

Full backs: Decisions - To explain; In FM15 my best ever full back was Manchester United' Reece James. He deputised for Luke Shaw, in fact, he was better than Luke Shaw in every possible way, except attribute-wise. Seriously, go look him up in FM15, Reece James is quite possibly one of the most awful defenders technically and ability wise. But he averaged something like 8+ a game, and NO ONE, not even Messi could keep him in his pocket. Why? His mental attributes were ridiculous, 16-20 in Teamwork, Work Rate, Determination, Positioning and a host of other mental attributes. Since then, I will always allow myself to recruit a technically poor full back in favour of a mentally strong one.

Central Defenders: Bravery - You can position yourself and tackle like a champ, but if you won't allow yourself to take a Van Persie shot to your testicles, you're not really that good of a defender.

Defensive midfielders: Composure - They can get away with some defensive issues because they should have two strong lads behind him. Where I don't want him falling apart is when he's in the transition phase and has to bring the ball out of defence. Even as the humble anchor-man, I need him to be a 'stud', charming the ball and passing it on to his teammates. I don't need him wobbling and punting it out of left field.

Central Midfielders: Decisions - A big one, but also Composure for the above reason.

Attack Midfielders: Composure, Anticipation, Vision - For playmakers, these three need to be high or I'm shifting them over to the Central Midfield slot. And obviously, passing and technique are non-negotiable. I can't pick just one attribute here sadly.

Wingers: Decisions - Big one this one, a winger with decent decision making is worth his weight in gold. One with awful decisions is infuriating. A fantastic dribble and nutmeg is pointless if you're smacking the ball into the corner flag when a cut-back would have led to a goal.

Strikers: Composure - Too many people get hung up on Finishing. Composure is where it is at. If you can't be composed enough to score, you're being sold. Everything else is gravy, but technique is another one I won't scrimp on, no point smacking shots away if you can't hit it sweetly.

[WizbaII]

isignedupfornorealreason, so you're saying technique doesn't only apply to crosses and passes, but also to shots? so a guy with 17 for long shots and finishing but poor technique is not actually good at shooting? Anyway, I agree with you on pretty much everything except the Bravery for Central Defenders. Rather than be brave, I'd rather have a CD with good Decision-making. I mean bad decisions on an attacker is annoying, but bad decisions on a defender costs goal after goal. I believe this is why Mourinho was fine to sell David Luiz to PSG and many managers wouldn't play him as a CD.

[Gabriponte22]

Goalkeeper: jumping, handling, reflexes

Fullbacks: Must have as most green attributes as possible

CB's: Heading, tackling, marking

DM's: I do not use DM's

Midfielders: Must have as most green attributes as possible

I do not use wings and AM's

Strikers: finishing, dribbling, heading, strength , pace, speed

[Soninho]

I had a rule in previous cm/fm's to never get players with under 10 in bravery cause that stat never changed.. Wanted as many two digits as possible, maybe some sort of ocd, but have learned to oversee this nowdays because it's not static anymore...

[Fired]

Goalkeepers : Reflexes

Full backs: Anticipation

Central Defenders: Tackling

Defensive midfielders: Workrate

Central Midfielders: Passing

Attack Midfielders: First Touch

Wingers: Acceleration

Strikers: Finishing

[tieio]

Nobody neds crossing, everyone in this game crosses like a God no matter what, especially FB's.

[isignedupfornorealreason]

isignedupfornorealreason, so you're saying technique doesn't only apply to crosses and passes, but also to shots? so a guy with 17 for long shots and finishing but poor technique is not actually good at shooting? Anyway, I agree with you on pretty much everything except the Bravery for Central Defenders. Rather than be brave, I'd rather have a CD with good Decision-making. I mean bad decisions on an attacker is annoying, but bad decisions on a defender costs goal after goal. I believe this is why Mourinho was fine to sell David Luiz to PSG and many managers wouldn't play him as a CD.

I would say technique applies to everything in relation to striking the ball. But from how I interpret it, a player with good technique will pull off the more difficult attempts better than someone with weaker technique. So, in an ideal world a chance would be clear, under no pressure and no defenders challenging the striker. But that's not always the case. A player with higher technique should, in theory along with high composure, be able to pull off those difficult shots and score/get the keeper making a save. (I could be wrong ofc.)

I agree on decision making, it is vital, but the reason I picked Bravery is because although defenders can defend via great positioning, anticipation and all that, if they shy out of a challenge or refuse to get into a goal mouth scramble, that can be just as costly. I think of John Terry and Phil Jones, diving header the ball into the ground at the risk of breaking their necks/teeth, in order to deny the opposition the ball. That's what I want from them, since they are figuratively the last line before the keeper's on his own.