Rank the value of a position in football

[Fosu-Mens]

Irrespective of whatever the actual positions are:

1st - Goalscorers (score to win games, normally strikers/forwards)

2nd - Chance Creators (usually midfielders but FBs now is getting popular)

3rd - Stoppers (outfield players are more valuable than GK for me, as they stop higher/earlier and can contribute more, keepers are last resort)

*
World's best players are usually a combination of the first two, with goals more often than not the key-est criteria. Chances for stoppers (eg. CBs usually) to win it is slim but not impossible. It has been like this from before up till now.

Personally for me, Chance Creators players are the most valuable, whether they're midfielders (usually) or even strikers/FBs/CBs/GKs.

Difficult to score without creating chances. Then again, an extremely efficient attacker would not need many chances, so it becomes a numbers game...

Still, I agree with your personal opinion. Chance creators, or players involved with anything between the two boxes, are the most important and fundamental for a team. What happens in the two boxes can be performed by specialists.

 

[KirkDuyt]

A teamsport doesnt really lend itself well to this approach. It depends on other factors. If you're a team with 75% possession and steamroll most opponents, it's not that big a deal if you have an average goalkeeper or less than amazing centre half. If you're perpetually under pressure it's the other way around.


I do think playing as an attacking full back in a dominant team is the least difficult position in football.

 

[broccoli]

CF
AM
CB

 

[UnrelatedPsuedo]

the most important positions are the core of the team, the three positions that form the back bone. 1, striker; 2 CM; 3 CB. After that it comes down to how the team plays, what formation they follow, in which positions do they have their best players etc.

I don’t think that CB waiting is sensible anymore.

There’s a dearth of CB talent in football. We used to talk about CB pairings. Now it’s possible to have one great CB paired with an average one and that’s enough.

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

Most important in attack. Wingers.

Most important in defense. Central defensive midfielders.

Although one amazing keeper can stop the opponents even if you concede chances.

 

[Sandikan]

Surprised fullback is so underrated on here as a position. Top 3 for me without a doubt.

I think it goes back to park level roots, where you'd put the crappest player in your team there.

 

[Sandikan]

Least important is central defenders for being a top side. They are important, but it is most easy to carry crap there if your squad is great. They are the least important in attack even if passing from the back can improve your side. If you defend well as a team you can still win many games. We have seen it with City a lot although they have struggled more this season with less cover in front of them. A great leader like Van Dijk can be key still, but you can have a Lovren with him and still look great.
Two crap central defenders normally hurt you, but if the rest of the side is great you can get away with it more than other positions. This is for top teams that dominate the games. For mid table sides central defenders are more important in order to deal with crosses, set pieces and holding the team together.

You're kind of disagreeing with your own argument a bit here.

We've seen with Man City how they've struggled this year. On midfield and attack they are still surely the best in the country, but the defence has been a joke.
A lot down to Laporte being out of course.
.

 

[billybee99]

Depends how you define an average goalkeeper, who’s the last average goalkeeper to win a top league for example. When a goalkeeper makes an outstanding save he is basically scoring you a goal, if that makes sense.

Real Madrid won 4 CLs with what most would consider to be an average to good keeper.

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

You're kind of disagreeing with your own argument a bit here.

We've seen with Man City how they've struggled this year. On midfield and attack they are still surely the best in the country, but the defence has been a joke.
A lot down to Laporte being out of course.
.

It is also because they have not shielded them as well in midfield this season. If you got a strong defensive midfield you can get away with it.
Kante allowed Leicester and even Chelsea get away with poor defenders when they won it.
Fernandinho have done that job before and they have won with Stones playing a lot even before they got Laporte.
Pep has not adapted his tactics to it enough and gone too attacking without the cover in defensive midfield.
They have still won a lot and normally beats the weaker teams.
Let Pep play with Burnleys midfield and they would be bottom 5 with his tactics.
Give him Burnleys defenders and they would be around the same place or maybe slightly behind.

Of coure all positions are important and depend on who you plays. Defensivly vs Burnley having physically strong central defenders help you more than quick/strong fullbacks. Against PSG and Barcelona having top fullbacks is absolute key or the likes of Messi and Neymar will beat them for fun. We see that a lot although some teams
adapt the tactics to give them cover by being very defensive with the wingers they got or play 5 man defense.
If you play like Burnley with set pieces as a main source of your attack having tall/big central defenders is key over attacking fullbacks.

Still if you got top players up front you could probably get away with average defenders most of the time.
Maybe not in the CL against the very best sides that can hurt you. A great defense can take you far in a cup if you grind out some results.
Although it doesn't normally hold over him. Greece did it though with a crap attack.

 

[André Dominguez]

Wrong. Ajax and the netherlands had literally just some rando, milan had galli and rossi barcelona with victor valdes and claudio bravo, juventus with peruzzi, real madrid with keylor navas...

No, a top, top side does not need a top, top goalkeeper

It's the shite team that does

Same goes for CB's: they need to be very focused, but they are not required to be ball playing CB's Ronaldo Koeman or Hierro style (of course they can't be clumsy either)

 

[giorno]

Real Madrid won 4 CLs with what most would consider to be an average to good keeper.

Most would be wrong. Keylor is a great goalkeeper, one of the best.

But not a top, top goalkeeper on the level of Alisson or Oblak

 

[Physiocrat]

As others have said it depends on the context but in general given that it is more difficult to score than to keep it out the most valuable player will be not only a good finisher but can also score many solo goals from nothing. This might be termed the creative second-striker (who now seems to be an inside forward) obvious examples would be Messi and Ronaldinho although Ronaldo (R9) could also score goals from nothing at his peak so it isn't one specific position but in general I would go for this type of player being the most valuable

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

As others have said it depends on the context but in general given that it is more difficult to score than to keep it out the most valuable player will be not only a good finisher but can also score many solo goals from nothing. This might be termed the creative second-striker (who now seems to be an inside forward) obvious examples would be Messi and Ronaldinho although Ronaldo (R9) could also score goals from nothing at his peak so it isn't one specific position but in general I would go for this type of player being the most valuable

Yeah agree with that. Wingers/forward with great individual skills can carry a team far.
Bale with Spurs carried them like crazy. Mahrez, Vardy with Leicester.
Robben with Holland a number of times. Hazard with Chelsea etc.
Ronaldo and Messi of course, but they have often had great teams around them with other world class players.

 

[Skills]

4-5-1:

GK £70m
LB £50m
RB £50m
CB £80m
CB £70m
CM £70m
CM £80m
RW £100m
LW £100m
AM £120m
CF £120m

Manager: priceless.

Funny you say that, because most managers probably have a net-negative value. Spurs had a top 3-ish manager (as per my criteria) and actually had to pay compensation to get rid of him.

 

[giorno]

Funny you say that, because most managers probably have a net-negative value. Spurs had a top 3-ish manager (as per my criteria) and actually had to pay compensation to get rid of him.

Also why clubs will always chose star players over managers. They're just so much cheaper and easier to replace. Afterall a great team can win with a competent manager.

Plenty of world class players around. Managers who have as much impact as world class players can be counted on one hand

 

[T00lsh3d]

Interesting question. I think if it was asked 10-20 years ago the unanimous answer would be goalkeeper. But the general quality of keeping/style of football has changed that that’s not the case anymore. Has to be a decent centre forward nowadays

 

[IRELANDUNITED]

Fullback is second only to striker in the modern game.

No, its not

 

[AaronRedDevil]

ST
AM
CM
GK
CB
FB

 

[MackRobinson]

A goalscorer is important, but the value of a great CM is sometimes massively underestimated.

I agree completely. CMs are on the ball the most, do the most running, provide service to attackers and/or shield the defense. Kante's impact on Leicester and Chelsea and Makélélé's impact on Real and Chelsea are good examples. CM/DM is the most important position IMO. After that goalscorers, chance creators and stoppers like @Rifer alluded to.

CM/DM
ST/Wide forward
AM/Winger
CB
FB/Wingback
GK