Which positions are most in demand

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ManCity does not define all of soccer. They won last year; this year, it will be someone else. What about when Leicester City won, or Chelsea, or whomever?

You can't get hung up on one team's performance one single year and re-interpret all of soccer around that one time.

Agreed you cannot just use one team. Enter team 2. The USWNT - http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/23042864/crystal-dunn-versatility-key-uswnt-moving-forward-win-mexico

Sorry buddy. I am just picking the best teams in the world as examples for how MFs are having success in the back.

Do you have a better explanation for how these teams brought MFs to the back and had such success? Money and luck? C'mon.

You can attack me all you want, I have thick skin so no worries. But explain the Inverted Full Back success...

Let me try to understand your logic. Fullbacks are having success as inverted fullbacks at ManCity. Some midfielders are able to play fullback position when they are deployed as inverted fullbacks. Therefore, the fullback position is easy to fill and unimportant. Your logic is flawed. ManCity spend over 100 million pounds on this position last year, so they clearly value position more than you do. Here's anther take on the importance of fullback position from a respected soccer journalist, it's a bit dated, but may of the basic concepts remain true. https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2009/mar/25/the-question-full-backs-football

The logic is not flawed. You just disagree with it. Let's not keep going around in circles.

1. Midfielders are having success in 2017-2018 due to the Inverted Fullback tactic. As one example - ManCity (Pep) surprised everyone, maybe even themselves, with the success of this last year and this year.
2. The inverted fullback brings the outside backs higher on the field and closer in. It helps counter attacks by stopping the tendency for team to attack inside sooner. It allows ManCity to move the mids up so that 6 can attack and press constantly.
3. This tactic requires fast players with ball skills so they don't get beat outside. So mid players and wingbacks like Zinchenko and Delph can fill that role. Yes, Mendy can too because he is fast. If Pep does not keep throwing him out of his office, he will get minutes.
4. Because of this tactic change, more players can now fit this inverted fullback role. You can get 5-6 mids on the field.
5. The traditional strong, tough, powerful, left footed full back becomes less important. MFs become more important because they give you flexibility.

And by the way it is okay to disagree. Two reasonable people can disagree. It does not mean that you or I do not understand soccer.

This thread is to discuss which positions are most in demand. I am simply stating why fullbacks are not the most in demand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ManCity does not define all of soccer. They won last year; this year, it will be someone else. What about when Leicester City won, or Chelsea, or whomever?

You can't get hung up on one team's performance one single year and re-interpret all of soccer around that one time.

Agreed you cannot just use one team. Enter team 2. The USWNT - http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/23042864/crystal-dunn-versatility-key-uswnt-moving-forward-win-mexico

Sorry buddy. I am just picking the best teams in the world as examples for how MFs are having success in the back.

Do you have a better explanation for how these teams brought MFs to the back and had such success? Money and luck? C'mon.

You can attack me all you want, I have thick skin so no worries. But explain the Inverted Full Back success...

Let me try to understand your logic. Fullbacks are having success as inverted fullbacks at ManCity. Some midfielders are able to play fullback position when they are deployed as inverted fullbacks. Therefore, the fullback position is easy to fill and unimportant. Your logic is flawed. ManCity spend over 100 million pounds on this position last year, so they clearly value position more than you do. Here's anther take on the importance of fullback position from a respected soccer journalist, it's a bit dated, but may of the basic concepts remain true. https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2009/mar/25/the-question-full-backs-football

The logic is not flawed. You just disagree with it. Let's not keep going around in circles.

1. Midfielders are having success in 2017-2018 due to the Inverted Fullback tactic. As one example - ManCity (Pep) surprised everyone, maybe even themselves, with the success of this last year and this year.
2. The inverted fullback brings the outside backs higher on the field and closer in. It helps counter attacks by stopping the tendency for team to attack inside sooner. It allows ManCity to move the mids up so that 6 can attack and press constantly.
3. This tactic requires fast players with ball skills so they don't get beat outside. So mid players and wingbacks like Zinchenko and Delph can fill that role. Yes, Mendy can too because he is fast. If Pep does not keep throwing him out of his office, he will get minutes.
4. Because of this tactic change, more players can now fit this inverted fullback role. You can get 5-6 mids on the field.
5. The traditional strong, tough, powerful, left footed full back becomes less important. MFs become more important because they give you flexibility.

And by the way it is okay to disagree. Two reasonable people can disagree. It does not mean that you or I do not understand soccer.

This thread is to discuss which positions are most in demand. I am simply stating why fullbacks are not the most in demand.

Above has been a good discussion and maybe supplies another answer to the original question. Which players are most in demand? Versatile ones. Midfielders with the speed and defensive abilities to slot in as fullbacks, and fullbacks with the technical and technical ability to slot in as D-Mids in an inverted fullback role.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ManCity does not define all of soccer. They won last year; this year, it will be someone else. What about when Leicester City won, or Chelsea, or whomever?

You can't get hung up on one team's performance one single year and re-interpret all of soccer around that one time.

Agreed you cannot just use one team. Enter team 2. The USWNT - http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/23042864/crystal-dunn-versatility-key-uswnt-moving-forward-win-mexico

Sorry buddy. I am just picking the best teams in the world as examples for how MFs are having success in the back.

Do you have a better explanation for how these teams brought MFs to the back and had such success? Money and luck? C'mon.

You can attack me all you want, I have thick skin so no worries. But explain the Inverted Full Back success...

Let me try to understand your logic. Fullbacks are having success as inverted fullbacks at ManCity. Some midfielders are able to play fullback position when they are deployed as inverted fullbacks. Therefore, the fullback position is easy to fill and unimportant. Your logic is flawed. ManCity spend over 100 million pounds on this position last year, so they clearly value position more than you do. Here's anther take on the importance of fullback position from a respected soccer journalist, it's a bit dated, but may of the basic concepts remain true. https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2009/mar/25/the-question-full-backs-football

+1000

[Anonymous]

I agree that outside backs are in highest demand, but I also agree with the poster who said versatility is the best quality. I know players who went to college and had only played MF, but when they got there, it wasn't what the team needed. Never having played anywhere else, they just didn't convert well and wound up with a lot of bench time.

The developmental answer is to train and play in more than one position. I'm not sure that people who think players can just be slotted in wherever actually played. Some players can; others that haven't been coached to be versatile and aren't as mentally elastic can't.

The one thing I miss about ODP was that my DC usually played a different position for ODP than their club teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that outside backs are in highest demand, but I also agree with the poster who said versatility is the best quality. I know players who went to college and had only played MF, but when they got there, it wasn't what the team needed. Never having played anywhere else, they just didn't convert well and wound up with a lot of bench time.

The developmental answer is to train and play in more than one position. I'm not sure that people who think players can just be slotted in wherever actually played. Some players can; others that haven't been coached to be versatile and aren't as mentally elastic can't.

The one thing I miss about ODP was that my DC usually played a different position for ODP than their club teams.

Huge problem with most of our youth travel Clubs. With the design to win early, they pigeonhole kids into positions. If your kid does a decent job on defense and nobody else does, your kid will never move out of defense even if he is one of the better forwards.

I have two kids and only 1 Club out of the 4 we've been with routinely rotated kids through the positions, even requiring all kids a stint in goal.

The only way I was able to ensure my kids maintained versatility was having them play for their father in the off-season so they could play the positions they never got to play during the season. We also switched Clubs.

Now I am constantly told that me kids have such great versatility. They excel in many different positions and the coaches can reliably place them anywhere. It has been interesting to see different coaches perception of where they should be. Several coaches had one of my kids pinned for a left wing. Now he does not get moved out of center defense or wingback and he's not a 'big' kid. We did get the spiel that they can't trust anyone else back there.

I find you can raise the topic and the coaches will swear up and down that kids will all play a variety of positions this year---and then it starts up and the same kids go into the same positions every single game, and they don't even give them the opportunity to play other positions in scrimmages.

This is all before puberty when nobody knows what their affinity/characteristics will be down the road. That goalkeeper they love might not make it past 5'6" and now he's screwed because he never developed good field skills.

You have to constantly watch your kids training and make sure they are getting what they need to develop all around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that outside backs are in highest demand, but I also agree with the poster who said versatility is the best quality. I know players who went to college and had only played MF, but when they got there, it wasn't what the team needed. Never having played anywhere else, they just didn't convert well and wound up with a lot of bench time.

The developmental answer is to train and play in more than one position. I'm not sure that people who think players can just be slotted in wherever actually played. Some players can; others that haven't been coached to be versatile and aren't as mentally elastic can't.

The one thing I miss about ODP was that my DC usually played a different position for ODP than their club teams.

Huge problem with most of our youth travel Clubs. With the design to win early, they pigeonhole kids into positions. If your kid does a decent job on defense and nobody else does, your kid will never move out of defense even if he is one of the better forwards.

I have two kids and only 1 Club out of the 4 we've been with routinely rotated kids through the positions, even requiring all kids a stint in goal.

The only way I was able to ensure my kids maintained versatility was having them play for their father in the off-season so they could play the positions they never got to play during the season. We also switched Clubs.

Now I am constantly told that me kids have such great versatility. They excel in many different positions and the coaches can reliably place them anywhere. It has been interesting to see different coaches perception of where they should be. Several coaches had one of my kids pinned for a left wing. Now he does not get moved out of center defense or wingback and he's not a 'big' kid. We did get the spiel that they can't trust anyone else back there.

I find you can raise the topic and the coaches will swear up and down that kids will all play a variety of positions this year---and then it starts up and the same kids go into the same positions every single game, and they don't even give them the opportunity to play other positions in scrimmages.

This is all before puberty when nobody knows what their affinity/characteristics will be down the road. That goalkeeper they love might not make it past 5'6" and now he's screwed because he never developed good field skills.

You have to constantly watch your kids training and make sure they are getting what they need to develop all around.

What a well laid out post! And the goalkeeper comment is on point. I've seen many a keeper who was fantastic at the youth level, but never got tall enough to be considered at the higher levels in the older age groups. Any good developmental program should rotate players. If your kid is playing the same position game after game, year after year, that's a problem. My kid has played almost every position on the field. At the younger age groups, they should try everything, but at the older age groups, they should still move around some. Don't just only play left wing, holding mid, or whatever position. Each position has a different way to do it well, so celebrate that.

Someone talked about Crystal Dunn as a midfielder who got moved to left back. That is such an incorrect representation of her. She has a long history of playing almost anywhere on the field except in goal. She's such a versatile player that coaches sometimes end up playing her where they may have a gap, and not where she could have the most impact. She played both forward and right back while still in college, left back, midfield, and in her late youth, yes boys and girls, she played as center back. So she's not a career midfielder who recently got converted to left back. She's a career versatile player who has made it a characteristic of who she is to be able to play anywhere.

It is also well known that for example Rapinoe (who I really love and has long been one of my favorite players) is not. Dunn got moved to left back because she has a history of being able to go wherever the team needs. Rapinoe would never be moved back there (or Lloyd or Morgan, etc), because she can't.

[Anonymous]

I am an economist. The answer to this topic is simple. The position that is highest in demand in soccer is the Playmaker.

The three highest paid soccer players in the world are Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar Jr. The ones up top who can create and score are the most in demand and it’s not even close.

Supply and demand folks...and by the way my kid is a GK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that outside backs are in highest demand, but I also agree with the poster who said versatility is the best quality. I know players who went to college and had only played MF, but when they got there, it wasn't what the team needed. Never having played anywhere else, they just didn't convert well and wound up with a lot of bench time.

The developmental answer is to train and play in more than one position. I'm not sure that people who think players can just be slotted in wherever actually played. Some players can; others that haven't been coached to be versatile and aren't as mentally elastic can't.

The one thing I miss about ODP was that my DC usually played a different position for ODP than their club teams.

Huge problem with most of our youth travel Clubs. With the design to win early, they pigeonhole kids into positions. If your kid does a decent job on defense and nobody else does, your kid will never move out of defense even if he is one of the better forwards.

I have two kids and only 1 Club out of the 4 we've been with routinely rotated kids through the positions, even requiring all kids a stint in goal.

The only way I was able to ensure my kids maintained versatility was having them play for their father in the off-season so they could play the positions they never got to play during the season. We also switched Clubs.

Now I am constantly told that me kids have such great versatility. They excel in many different positions and the coaches can reliably place them anywhere. It has been interesting to see different coaches perception of where they should be. Several coaches had one of my kids pinned for a left wing. Now he does not get moved out of center defense or wingback and he's not a 'big' kid. We did get the spiel that they can't trust anyone else back there.

I find you can raise the topic and the coaches will swear up and down that kids will all play a variety of positions this year---and then it starts up and the same kids go into the same positions every single game, and they don't even give them the opportunity to play other positions in scrimmages.

This is all before puberty when nobody knows what their affinity/characteristics will be down the road. That goalkeeper they love might not make it past 5'6" and now he's screwed because he never developed good field skills.

You have to constantly watch your kids training and make sure they are getting what they need to develop all around.

What a well laid out post! And the goalkeeper comment is on point. I've seen many a keeper who was fantastic at the youth level, but never got tall enough to be considered at the higher levels in the older age groups. Any good developmental program should rotate players. If your kid is playing the same position game after game, year after year, that's a problem. My kid has played almost every position on the field. At the younger age groups, they should try everything, but at the older age groups, they should still move around some. Don't just only play left wing, holding mid, or whatever position. Each position has a different way to do it well, so celebrate that.

Someone talked about Crystal Dunn as a midfielder who got moved to left back. That is such an incorrect representation of her. She has a long history of playing almost anywhere on the field except in goal. She's such a versatile player that coaches sometimes end up playing her where they may have a gap, and not where she could have the most impact. She played both forward and right back while still in college, left back, midfield, and in her late youth, yes boys and girls, she played as center back. So she's not a career midfielder who recently got converted to left back. She's a career versatile player who has made it a characteristic of who she is to be able to play anywhere.

It is also well known that for example Rapinoe (who I really love and has long been one of my favorite players) is not. Dunn got moved to left back because she has a history of being able to go wherever the team needs. Rapinoe would never be moved back there (or Lloyd or Morgan, etc), because she can't.

Oh now I understand! Left back or center is ten key to a winning team! LOL

[Anonymous]

Correct - and now the MFs that were recently converted to the back as a pro are actually center backs because they played there as a youth! LOL

Maybe we are all fullbacks! I do think the Neymar and Ronaldo are secret fullbacks but not sure about Messi he seems more of a CB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Correct - and now the MFs that were recently converted to the back as a pro are actually center backs because they played there as a youth! LOL

Maybe we are all fullbacks! I do think the Neymar and Ronaldo are secret fullbacks but not sure about Messi he seems more of a CB.

The same posters, taking everything personal again. You made a simple mistake about Dunn's background. She was not and never has been a career midfielder. If such a versatile player as her were to get any label, it would be forward. That is the position she spent the most time as during her youth. Even then, she played other positions, and when she went to college, she played forward, outside back and center back. When she played for Spirit's pro team, she came on as forward.

I get it. You love midfield and your kid probably plays it. But soccer requires 11 players on the field, and the smart move is to have little Mia play multiple positions. If you don't want to do that, fine. Just don't be surprised if later on, little Mia finds herself passed over in favor of players with a bigger resume.

Incidentally, Japan, whose women's program rivals our own in being among the top programs in the world, takes the versatile approach. They want any player to be able to move anywhere on the field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correct - and now the MFs that were recently converted to the back as a pro are actually center backs because they played there as a youth! LOL

Maybe we are all fullbacks! I do think the Neymar and Ronaldo are secret fullbacks but not sure about Messi he seems more of a CB.

The same posters, taking everything personal again. You made a simple mistake about Dunn's background. She was not and never has been a career midfielder. If such a versatile player as her were to get any label, it would be forward. That is the position she spent the most time as during her youth. Even then, she played other positions, and when she went to college, she played forward, outside back and center back. When she played for Spirit's pro team, she came on as forward.

I get it. You love midfield and your kid probably plays it. But soccer requires 11 players on the field, and the smart move is to have little Mia play multiple positions. If you don't want to do that, fine. Just don't be surprised if later on, little Mia finds herself passed over in favor of players with a bigger resume.

Incidentally, Japan, whose women's program rivals our own in being among the top programs in the world, takes the versatile approach. They want any player to be able to move anywhere on the field.

No we are laughing at your posts because you think 'versatile players' and backs are the most in demand. That's just plain wrong. Why is Crystal Dunn not the highest paid female player? Because Alex Morgan has a more valuable skill than her. Why is Marta paid so much? Because like Morgan she has the rare skill that everyone wants - scoring goals. I love defense too. But look at the thread title - sorry but it is not the backs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correct - and now the MFs that were recently converted to the back as a pro are actually center backs because they played there as a youth! LOL

Maybe we are all fullbacks! I do think the Neymar and Ronaldo are secret fullbacks but not sure about Messi he seems more of a CB.

The same posters, taking everything personal again. You made a simple mistake about Dunn's background. She was not and never has been a career midfielder. If such a versatile player as her were to get any label, it would be forward. That is the position she spent the most time as during her youth. Even then, she played other positions, and when she went to college, she played forward, outside back and center back. When she played for Spirit's pro team, she came on as forward.

I get it. You love midfield and your kid probably plays it. But soccer requires 11 players on the field, and the smart move is to have little Mia play multiple positions. If you don't want to do that, fine. Just don't be surprised if later on, little Mia finds herself passed over in favor of players with a bigger resume.

Incidentally, Japan, whose women's program rivals our own in being among the top programs in the world, takes the versatile approach. They want any player to be able to move anywhere on the field.

No we are laughing at your posts because you think 'versatile players' and backs are the most in demand. That's just plain wrong. Why is Crystal Dunn not the highest paid female player? Because Alex Morgan has a more valuable skill than her. Why is Marta paid so much? Because like Morgan she has the rare skill that everyone wants - scoring goals. I love defense too. But look at the thread title - sorry but it is not the backs.

Oh I realize you are laughing. Donkeys are good at laughing too. You just don't know yet the joke is on you.

You use Dunn as an example of how easy it is to move a MF to wing back when it suits you, but dump her and say she's less important when you discover she isn't a midfielder.

She is also young, much younger than the players you mentioned, so it will take more time for her to reach that senior level of importance. Keep dumping on her though. Some lessons are best learned the hard way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correct - and now the MFs that were recently converted to the back as a pro are actually center backs because they played there as a youth! LOL

Maybe we are all fullbacks! I do think the Neymar and Ronaldo are secret fullbacks but not sure about Messi he seems more of a CB.

The same posters, taking everything personal again. You made a simple mistake about Dunn's background. She was not and never has been a career midfielder. If such a versatile player as her were to get any label, it would be forward. That is the position she spent the most time as during her youth. Even then, she played other positions, and when she went to college, she played forward, outside back and center back. When she played for Spirit's pro team, she came on as forward.

I get it. You love midfield and your kid probably plays it. But soccer requires 11 players on the field, and the smart move is to have little Mia play multiple positions. If you don't want to do that, fine. Just don't be surprised if later on, little Mia finds herself passed over in favor of players with a bigger resume.

Incidentally, Japan, whose women's program rivals our own in being among the top programs in the world, takes the versatile approach. They want any player to be able to move anywhere on the field.

No we are laughing at your posts because you think 'versatile players' and backs are the most in demand. That's just plain wrong. Why is Crystal Dunn not the highest paid female player? Because Alex Morgan has a more valuable skill than her. Why is Marta paid so much? Because like Morgan she has the rare skill that everyone wants - scoring goals. I love defense too. But look at the thread title - sorry but it is not the backs.

Oh I realize you are laughing. Donkeys are good at laughing too. You just don't know yet the joke is on you.

You use Dunn as an example of how easy it is to move a MF to wing back when it suits you, but dump her and say she's less important when you discover she isn't a midfielder.

She is also young, much younger than the players you mentioned, so it will take more time for her to reach that senior level of importance. Keep dumping on her though. Some lessons are best learned the hard way.

Gotcha. You are just the thread police. I thought you were here to discuss the topic 'Which positions are most in demand.' Now I see you are just completely lost on the board and have nothing to add.

[Anonymous]

For the economist out there, Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar do not play the same position. They are generational talents, and Messi is in the discussion of being the best player ever. They sell jerseys and fill the stadiums. The discussion is not which position is the best paid or has the most prominent talent, but about which position is the hardest to fill.

[Anonymous]

Thread police? That comment is completely out of touch with everything I said. I guess when you have nothing meaningful to offer, you think going after me personally is a good strategy.

You must be that same poster from other threads that likes to make personal attacks. Did you bring your sidekick too, or are you here all by your little lonesome?