A stranger in a strange land, players who dont/didn’t fancy their optimal position.

[Red the Bear]

From the modern times I've heard that Kimmich prefers a midfield role while probably being the best rb in the world.

So what other historical or modern examples do you known of ? Any stories relating to the drama it may have caused or perhaps forced transfers or breakdown in relations with the manager or teammates would be appreciated.

 

[The Mitcher]

From the modern times I've heard that Kimmich prefers a midfield role while probably being the best rb in the world and Mbappe seemingly fancies being the main man in the front three while evidently being more suited to where he is at the moment*.

*(correct me if I'm wrong)

So what other historical or modern examples do you known of ? Any stories relating to the drama it may have caused or perhaps forced transfers or breakdown in relations with the manager or teammates would be appreciated.

Mbappe started off as a striker.

Alaba and Pavard thinking they are CBs.

 

[Red the Bear]

Mbappe started off as a striker.

Alaba and Pavard thinking they are CBs.

Thanks for the correction.

Bayern seemingly providing a lot of examples in recent times is interesting.

 

[Withnail]

A stranger in a strange land

 

[arnoldS]

Alaba and his weird wish to run the midfield.

Was never anything near good enough in that role, not even for the national team.

 

[Red the Bear]

A stranger in a strange land

Might be the mandella effect but I always remembered it as a stranger in a stranger land.

 

[Zaphod2319]

Might be the mandella effect but I always remembered it as a stranger in a stranger land.

Read the book in high school. Great read, I was led to the novel by a song by Oingo Boingo. Aside from a great story, it was the inspiration for the waterbed. The guy that tried to patent the waterbed in 1968 was refused because the description in the book in 1961 was so detailed.

 

[Red in STL]

Most goalkeeper's are wannabe strikers, and if one of them actually scores you never hear the end of it

 

[BarryWinks]

Arsenal's Maitland-Niles seemed to have a problem with both Emery and Arteta because they wouldn't play him in central midfield where he felt he was better despite the former playing him often as a fullback.

 

[strongwalker]

Mbappe started off as a striker.

Alaba and Pavard thinking they are CBs.

Alaba thinks he is a midfielder while he was an absolute beast as LB and is a worldclass CB you mean? There is also his successor Davies who wants to be winger.

 

[AngeloHenriquez]

The Ox felt he was a midfielder when clearly he was better wide

 

[Loon]

Wasn't Henry converted from his original position by Wenger?

 

[Samid]

A stranger in a strange land

The absolute worst Lost episode ever made.

 

[Loon]

The absolute worst Lost episode ever made.

But a terrific novel.

 

[Rnd898]

The Ox felt he was a midfielder when clearly he was better wide

Yeah. I remember Conte wanting him to play wing-back for us in 2017 and we even agreed a fee with Arsenal. Even though Moses had a great season at RWB position where we won our last league title I'm pretty sure Ox would've been a starter if he'd joined. In the end the move fell through because he wanted to play in midfield instead and Liverpool offered him that.

In hindsight I'm kinda happy we never got him because he was hardly ever fit for Liverpool.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

Welbeck could have been a great wide forward / winger but was insistent on playing centrally. His career could have been much better.

 

[DickDastardly]

'Trapped inside this prison....."

 

[Varun1]

Walcott was better as a winger but preferred the striker position. Had a strop at Arsenal if I remember correctly.
Subsequently played as a winger at every other team.

Rooney when he fancied himself as a CM?

 

[northernsoul74]

Sir Alex was very keen for Lee Sharpe to play left back but Lee wasn’t so keen.

 

[matherto]

Kimmich is a Lahm regen.

Did Schweinsteiger want to be a winger or was he just put there before become a world class CM?

 

[Red the Bear]

While not exactly a change in position ince too I believe started to see himself as more of a playmaking cm than the workhorse he used to be which i assume contributed to his heated relationship with Fergie who certainly had some colorful words for him back then.

Read the book in high school. Great read, I was led to the novel by a song by Oingo Boingo. Aside from a great story, it was the inspiration for the waterbed. The guy that tried to patent the waterbed in 1968 was refused because the description in the book in 1961 was so detailed.

I too got acquainted with the book from a pop song, we didn't set the world on fire by Billy Joel to be exact.

I read it a bit earlier than high school though so perhaps not exactly the best decision I've made although I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it.

 

[JPRouve]

Mbappe started off as a striker.

Alaba and Pavard thinking they are CBs.

Mbappé started as an inside forward and the playmaking type. But because Monaco had a bunch of strikers injured, he ended up having to play striker and was pretty good. It was a surprise that he adapted almost immediately.

Also the OP is wrong, Mbappé doesn't fancy being the main man in the front three and the role he had an issue with waas one closer to a traditional striker.

 

[wolvored]

McTom was a striker and Rio was a midfielder at the start.

 

[BerryBerryShrew]

Maybe Kudus? He seems to have real promise as a CF (and played there with success at the World Cup) but he is insistent on continuing as a midfielder.

Lahm wanted to be a midfielder rather than a defender.

Also Fabinho was an excellent RB. I've no idea if he had a preference to play there over DM though.

 

[JPRouve]

Maybe Kudus? He seems to have real promise as a CF (and played there with success at the World Cup) but he is insistent on continuing as a midfielder.

Lahm wanted to be a midfielder rather than a defender.

Also Fabinho was an excellent RB. I've no idea if he had a preference to play there over DM though.

Fabinho favors the fullback position, at least that's what he stated when he was at Monaco when Jardim started to use him in midfield.

 

[Physiocrat]

Walcott was better as a winger but preferred the striker position. Had a strop at Arsenal if I remember correctly.
Subsequently played as a winger at every other team.

Rooney when he fancied himself as a CM?

Walcott would have been a good second-striker but two man forward lines were out of fashion at his peak. He would have made a good wide forward today too. Unfortunately for him he played at his best when 4231 was the norm.

 

[ElDiabloRojo]

'Trapped inside this prison....."

"Lost and far from home"

 

[KirkDuyt]

Wijnaldum broke through as a left winger. As did Matic when he played for Vitesse.

 

[NoLogo]

Kimmich is a Lahm regen.

Did Schweinsteiger want to be a winger or was he just put there before become a world class CM?

Schweinsteiger started his career on the wing, but was probably always of the opinion himself that he would be better off in central or defensive midfield. So he is more an example of a player who knew what his best position was before he was deployed there.

 

[sincher]

Beckham always wanted to play in the middle, often to the extent that he often did, even when he was supposed to be on the right. He was better on the right because he was such an excellent crosser, and also for the balance of the midfield.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Rashford as a keeper after his recent interview with Neville

 

[B20]

Desailly made to play as a midfielder for Milan.

 

[sincher]

Arsenal's Maitland-Niles seemed to have a problem with both Emery and Arteta because they wouldn't play him in central midfield where he felt he was better despite the former playing him often as a fullback.

His best position was left back, in the changing room. Never good enough for Arsenal in any position.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

Bale was a devastating traditional left winger who stayed wide and put in crosses became obsessed with following Ronaldo and playing centrally - he was still good but he bulked up and lost his pace and got injured a lot when he could have been one of the best pure wingers there's been.

Gerrard was obsessed with playing in the middle and dominating midfields like Roy Keane when he was actually better as a roaming midfielder with other midfielders to do the donkey work - played some of his best football off the wing or as attacking midfielder.

Beckham always wanted to play in the middle, often to the extent that he often did, even when he was supposed to be on the right. He was better on the right because he was such an excellent crosser, and also for the balance of the midfield.

Agreed, he was an average centre midfielder and a complete disaster as a regista type player. People say nowadays he'd be like KDB but really it's wide areas where he showed most of his talent. In his younger years he wasn't as slow as he was made out to be, maybe because he was in comparison with Giggs or Overmars at the time, but he had some pace. He'd probably still be best in wide areas in today's game, attacking right back or wing back or even still as a winger.

 

[Henandez14]

Surprised no one has mentioned Rivaldo

 

[Ish]

TAA thinking he’s an attacker/wide midfielder

 

[Red in STL]

Rashford as a keeper after his recent interview with Neville

Yeah I saw that, and GNev was a CB I think originally