Minimum attribute search for roles

[OJ403]

I'm just going into the 35/36 season, so all real players are long retired. I'm managing Nuneaton Town in the Premier League, competing for the top 4 and massively ambitiously the title, but this is highly unlikely.

So I'm looking to sign 3 players to help me achieve my goals. A centre back, a support stiker and an out and out goal scoring striker. But due to the regen heavy game I'm obviously not familiar with any players making it difficult to find the players I want. So I wanted to narrow down my searches using minimum attributes, but I'm unsure as to which to select and at what value. Here's what I'm thinking:

Central Defender:

- Marking, Tackling: 15

- Anticipation, Composure, Concentration, Positioning, Teamwork: 14

Support Stiker:

- Finishing: 15

- Passing, Dribbling, Vision, Technique: 14

- Strength, Acceleration: 13

Out and Out Striker:

- Finishing, Acceleration: 16

- Anticipation, Off the Ball: 15

 

Does anyone think I'm missing any or I've set the bars too low/high?

[bangkonggedek]

On which attributes to prioritize over the other ones, ultimately it all depends on the type of football you want to use.

Having said that though, personally for top half Premier League standard central defender I'd go for at the very least of 13 in Jumping Reach. And if you manage to acquire a defender with the average for the aforementioned mental stats of 15 (except Composure, more on that later) you can even afford a defender with Tackling as minimal as 12, IMO. Just my personal experiences and preference here, but a well drilled defensive unit should only view tackles as a last resort. Well-timed interceptions, marking your oppositions well and steadfast positioning for the whole 90 minutes of the game are more important.

If you're using 2 central defenders, I'd suggest one of them are your typical tough guy with high Bravery, Marking and good Aggression (min. 15, 15 and 13 respectively). For his partner, try to get one with a good tactical reading of the game (min. 14-15 each for Anticipation, Concentration, Decision and Positioning).

As for Composure, if I want my team to play fast transitions from the back line, I found the ones with the lower points (not abysmally low though lol) will actually do it better. They just cut the nonsense and play it vertically better. Once I even had a seemingly excellent defender with a Composure of 18 just keep on losing the ball stupidly, which I believe was because of his Agility, Balance and Technique weren't really good enough to control the ball under pressure. Will appreciate fellow forum members' further opinions on this matter.

For your Support Striker, regardless of any deeper specific roles I'd set it at min. 15 for Passing, Dribbling, and Technique. Then, min. 14 for Balance, Composure and Off The Ball. Usually 13 for Agility, Finishing and First Touch would be sufficient, I think.

Out and Out Striker pretty much the same as what you were thinking, plus at least 14 for Agility as well. But for added flavor I'd like my striker rather feisty, so min. 13 for Aggression and Bravery would be nice. If you're playing patient football it might be a good idea to get someone with decent enough First Touch, I suppose. Something like 12.

[OJ403]

@bangkonggedek

This is my other central defender:

And I managed to acquire a partner with 17 tackling and 13-16 in marking/heading with decent enough mentals (think they varied from 12-16 in the ones we've mentioned) for £25m. I have another average CB I could flog for £10m-£15m, then perhaps buy a mental monster as you suggested so I have plenty of options. I have more or less totally failed to find a support stiker with my parameters so will try yours next time I'm near my laptop. Which 2 or 3 attributes would you say are least important for him, should I need to be vaguer? And again with the O&O striker, I have struggled on my parameters so will try yours next time I'm near my laptop.

Since the OP I have discovered my need for a back up RW-A. I haven't looked for one yet, but they should be easy to come by. I'm thinking acceleration (16/17), dribbling and crossing (both 14) and technique, flair and finishing (all 13).

With regards to tactics I'm trying to play fast-ish paced attacking football, but not giving up the ball carelessly. To put it simply imagine if Klopp, Sacchi, Simeone and Frank Lampard (I'm a Ram) had a baby. My football is what you might get. I have posted this in the tactics forum if you want further information.

[bangkonggedek]

Geez, tbh I'm a bloody cheap sucker for bargains so any defenders with those attributes like the ones possessed by yours up there is golden to my eyes. Driven, 17 Natural Fitness, 19 Jumping and 20 Strength... what a unit

Perhaps even though his bravery is only 12, he can do a good enough job as your strong enforcer. But that more than decent Vision and Either-footedness are very tempting though...

The other defender should do well as the partner, I think.

As for the Support Striker, instead of that I will just say that for that particular style of football, maybe the priority would be to get someone who should be able to pass the ball and changing directions very quickly. So good Passing, Agility, First Touch and Balance are the minimums. Then Dribbling.

Finally, for the Out and Out Striker, in order of importance for me it would be Off The Ball and Anticipation at the top list of priority, then Acceleration. Agility perhaps won't be as important as it would've been in a slower, probing for chances style of play. But on the other hand, Balance might improve the shot on target percentage for such a fast-paced attacking game, at least theoretically. Don't know exactly whether the current ME take that factor into account. May other forum regulars have better insights on that matter than I do.

[OJ403]

Yeah he's quite possibly my favourite central defender in my entire FM career. If I remember rightly he cost me £2.5 million, with an optional 3 yr extention. You get one of those and your never leaving. 8 yr contract? Yep-diddly-doo. Affectionately known as Big Bobby M - you know he's good when he gets a pet name 😂😂😂 Our 3rd captain as well. I'm currently training him the PPM "tries long range passes", literally just cause of that 16 vision and that either footedness. At one point all three of my options were either footed, one had 15 passing and 10 vision, the other 12 for both. Beautiful.

Striker wise at the club at the minute I've got a rough diamond O&O striker, probably Europa League level, so if I can't find my ideal stiker he will do then I'll reassess in the January. And I have a target man type as a support option so a more technical one could be ideal for balance. Do you think this guy could do a job as the technical supporter?

Annoyingly I've never been able to fit him into my tactics long term, so much so he is currently a backup WP-A on the right for when I flip my tactic.

[bangkonggedek]

WTF dude I dunno why do you rate him so low, but if it were my team he'll slot in perfectly as the second striker! A mere 3 1/2 stars player but with ≥ 15 in all the right places: First Touch, Passing, Technique, Decisions, Visions, Agility and Balance. Plus those sweet, sweet Anticipation+Long Shots combo to shoot those stray ball outside the box, and those 3 player traits in combination on top... A very nice little package that will do the job nicely without the nagging feeling that the bigger clubs will circling around him in the future after a few decent performances in the big stage

[bangkonggedek]

By the way I just noticed that he got that Realist personality. I usually found those types to be a bit of a twit off the field, and an utter sh*thouse magnet on the field May I see the screenshot for this José Enrique Checa fella that he particularly looks down upon? Can't be that bad of a player, is he?

[OJ403]

Yeah he was signed when we played 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 to play the playmaker, but then I dropped this for the 4-4-2 and hes just bitted and bobbed about. He also has a 4th PPM: tries killer balls... Its just I've got a load of cash to spend (approximately £100 million atm) and with only 1 or 2 seasons left before FM19 I'm pushing desperately for success. I might play him first choice in that role until January as he has shown promise there before and if he doesn't perform then buy the finished article. I reckon most if not all of his goals and assists came as the CF-S this season as I had an injury crisis where I had one fit recognised striker. Tbh despite in his report suggesting he's consistent, he isn't, but that's probably user error on my part. 

I signed Checa as his back up when we played the 4-2-3-1, but his star ratings blinded me to the fact he's pretty average. He's sort of my utility man these days. "Jack of all trades, master of none". Other than the first class name, he's underwhelming.

This is a season or so old as well, he is now accomplished at AML and competant at MR, but his attributes are largely the same. And tbh I agree with Arend; Checa was pissing and whining about not playing and unfortunately "your sh*te, we dont play an AM, you can't play the WP-A role cause you can't pass, you can't play CM cause you can't tackle, so kindly f*ck off and clean Mauro's boots" wasn't an option when he moaned, so I just said the atmospheres good, he didn't like it, so I said the "I'm the boss so respect me" option, which he didn't enjoy.

And RE using Arend as the support stiker, he's out injured until November/December time, which could be an issue...