Players positions

[Rich]

Why do some people on here think that some players, maybe being described as a striker, think that for some reason, they can't adapt and play in a different position, as and when necessity dictates? 

I've seen many posts moaning at team selection where so and so has been played at wing back or,  shunted to full back, or wherever. It just seems like another tool to have a bash at the manager.

If you've ever played the game, it is quite possible for a player to be adaptable and have the attributes/skills to fulfil a number of positions. I've seen lots of cases where players have started out as a striker and ended up as a quality defender, or even a defender turned into a keeper. I understand this happens a lot on the training pitch to see if those players are adaptable, or give them a different perspective on what's required elsewhere. It's all part of their football education.

Most recently people were moaning about Sam Bell being used as a wing back.  I expect the reality is, like others, we/he won't know his best position for another couple of years yet, along with the likes of Scott, Pring, Towler, Benarous, I believe even Weimann is classed as an out and out striker, when he's more versatile than that. And Scotty was signed as a fullback, I believe.

I'll name a few more: Whitehead, winger to fullback then centre back. Burns, striker to centre back. Cashley, full back to keeper.

Feel free to add any more that have changed position.

 

 

[Johnny Musicworks]

Donny Gillies forward to defender and Keith Curle 

 

[Robbored]

Scott Murray went from full back to winger.

Of the current squad I reckon Dasilva could would make a decent midfielder. He has all skills necessary to do well in engine room.

[Davefevs]

Dennis Bergkamp was a RB in Ajax youth team.

There are gonna be pros and cons.  I do see benefits in playing different positions, you can understand passing angles, positioning etc.

[cidered abroad]

Tanner was a striker when he started at Man U and has been converted to right back on his journey from MU via Carlisle.

NP likes players with speed and so that could be a reason for him to see what Sam Bell could do there. It didn't go too well for Sam but will add to his experience and I wouldn't be surprised to see him there again in the future.

[ralphindevon]

Keith Curle made the biggest impact for me.

To call him an average winger would have been very kind to him, he didn’t exactly set the place alight at Rovers and Torquay despite electrifying pace.

We signed him and next thing he’s an England international centre half.

[Silvio Dante]

Being able to play multiple positions is the sign of an intelligent and all round footballer - best exhibit in our squad is Scott, who’s played RB, RWB, DCM, CM and ACM this year. He can do it because he’s got the awareness, without needing the leadership/talking as much. 
 

If you take Bell at RWB, yes, he may be able to play there eventually but currently his positional awareness (stemming from an instinct to get further forward) makes him high risk.

I agree that you don’t always know the best position at a young age - coaching 10 year olds who all want to be strikers beat that into me - but what you look at in any fundamental different position is the basics - eg as a defender, how’s the positioning, how’s the awareness, how’s the “stance”, do they do force diagonals, do they time the tackles correctly. Unfortunately you cannot typically learn that at the championship level “on the job”.

With Bell, again, Pearson would have seen the “physical” attributes of pace and stamina, and technical of crossing, and would have wanted to see could he do the above. And although those aren’t really talent factors, they’re bloody difficult to learn which is why you don’t see wholesale position changes from 18+
 

 

[Robbored]

22 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Dennis Bergkamp was a RB in Ajax youth team.

There are gonna be pros and cons.  I do see benefits in playing different positions, you can understand passing angles, positioning etc.

Many of the Dutch players back then were coached ‘total football’ as young lads and eventually developing into to be very versatile - I wonder what happened to that model of coaching..

[chinapig]

Gerry Sweeney played midfield and full back.

Trevor Tainton, winger who became one of our best ever midfielders imo.

[Silvio Dante]

Oh, I nearly forgot. Also playing someone in a different position when you think they’ve got the attributes can magnify the poor side of their game that may not have been as obvious elsewhere. By common consensus Vyner did well at CM under Holden (or better than expected), but you misjudge a ball or miss a tackle there it’s lower risk. Pushing him into the back four/three again just highlights limitations.

 

[chinapig]

4 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Many of the Dutch players back then were coached ‘total football’ as young lads and eventually developing into to be very versatile - I wonder what happened to that model of coaching..

At youth level Ajax players had to play in a variety of positions to develop a wide range of skills. No idea if they still do that.

[Red Shadow]

John Galley went from striker to centre half.

[Davefevs]

4 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

Oh, I nearly forgot. Also playing someone in a different position when you think they’ve got the attributes can magnify the poor side of their game that may not have been as obvious elsewhere. By common consensus Vyner did well at CM under Holden (or better than expected), but you misjudge a ball or miss a tackle there it’s lower risk. Pushing him into the back four/three again just highlights limitations.

 

I played the vast majority of my football at Centre Half - typically I watched the game down the pitch.  I after I came back from my ACL I played up-top as a target man pretty much - again I only had to play one-way, looking the opposite way down the pitch.  If I played in CM, that was a different kettle of fish needing to play 360 degrees.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Davefevs

[alexukhc]

Bradley Orr

[chinapig]

In the modern game I think it's often better to think in terms of roles rather than positions.

Take the various England right backs for example. Walker, Trippier, James and Alexander Arnold. All called right backs but each performs a different role for their club side.

[Gazred]

2 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I played the vast majority of my football at Centre Half - typically I watched the game down the pitch.  I after I came back from my ACL I played up-top as a target man pretty much - again I only had to play one-way, looking the opposite way down the pitch.  If I played in CM, that was a different kettle of fish needing to play 360 degrees.

Could of been copy and pasted from Paul Warhurst's biography!

[1960maaan]

14 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Many of the Dutch players back then were coached ‘total football’ as young lads and eventually developing into to be very versatile - I wonder what happened to that model of coaching..

I think it was the Ajax academy, at one stage got players to move around and experience the other positions. With the theory it gave them a better understanding of what the team mate was doing.

[Robbored]

11 minutes ago, chinapig said:

At youth level Ajax players had to play in a variety of positions to develop a wide range of skills. No idea if they still do that.

It was a model that worked for them back in the 70s and early 80s. Holland reached two World Cup finals losing both.

I remember at the time many pundits were cooing about ‘total football’ - it was certainly a new approach back then.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Robbored

[SBB]

Paul Warhurst 

[RedRock]

Wasn’t Harry Kane a keeper?

I did the same transition from keeper to striker and it gives you an unbelievable advantage as you can pretty accurately second-guess what the keeper is going to do. The number of ‘chipped’ goals I scored was unbelievable. You know when the keeper is ‘getting set’ and you just work him in that split second. Simples (at least at pub league standard!). 

Think Ray Cashley went from full-back to keeper. 

[Lanterne Rouge]

Didn`t Tins start out as a winger?

[Simon79]

All about having a footballing brain, understanding the game. For example, Wayne Rooney could play in any position you put him in. Some players just haven’t got the understanding, composure or awareness to play multiple positions, which in reality is crazy. COYR 

[Davefevs]

Just now, Simon79 said:

All about having a footballing brain, understanding the game. For example, Wayne Rooney could play in any position you put him in. Some players just haven’t got the understanding, composure or awareness to play multiple positions, which in reality is crazy. COYR 

I always thought Gerrard would be the best RB in the world had he switched there…wasn’t bad in midfield to be fair.

[Silvio Dante]

Didn’t Calum O’Dowda go from ineffectual winger to ineffective centre mid to ineffective full back?

Proof positive it can be done with no reduction in performance.

 

[Simon79]

8 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I always thought Gerrard would be the best RB in the world had he switched there…wasn’t bad in midfield to be fair.

Another great example of a player who understood the game & could of played multiple positions. Might be wrong, but I think Gerrard actually started as a right back. COYR 

[The Gasbuster]

5 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

Didn’t Calum O’Dowda go from ineffectual winger to ineffective centre mid to ineffective full back?

Proof positive it can be done with no reduction in performance.

 

Not forgetting ineffective wing back as well, of course.

[Silvio Dante]

22 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I always thought Gerrard would be the best RB in the world had he switched there…wasn’t bad in midfield to be fair.

I was always on the Gerrard side of the Lampard-Gerrard argument. Miles better player.

For Chelsea, Lampard played often as the “1” off Drogba and his average position was akin to a second striker. Huge number of shots taken. When asked to play in a midfield 2 for England, he couldn’t do it - instinctively pushed forward and meant our best CM had to sit as opposed to go box to box, detracting from his game. As we also didn’t have the same focal point as Chelsea, Lampard didn’t pick up as many “spares” to shoot in the forward position.

I’ll die on this hill, but Lampard was a very overrated footballer who found a system that was a perfect fit but was poor - and unintelligent on the pitch - outside of those confines.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Silvio Dante

[Simon79]

9 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

I was always on the Gerrard side of the Lampard-Gerrard argument. Miles better player.

For Chelsea, Lampard played often as the “1” off Drogba and his average position was akin to a second striker. Huge number of shots taken. When asked to play in a midfield 2 for England, he couldn’t do it - instinctively pushed forward and meant our best CM had to sit as opposed to go box to box, detracting from his game. As we also didn’t have the same focal point as Chelsea, Lampard didn’t pick up as many “spares” to shoot in the forward position.

I’ll die on this hill, but Lampard was a very overrated footballer who found a system that was a perfect fit but was poor - and unintelligent on the pitch - outside of those confines.

I might have to join you then! COYR 

[Rich]

56 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

Being able to play multiple positions is the sign of an intelligent and all round footballer - best exhibit in our squad is Scott, who’s played RB, RWB, DCM, CM and ACM this year. He can do it because he’s got the awareness, without needing the leadership/talking as much. 
 

If you take Bell at RWB, yes, he may be able to play there eventually but currently his positional awareness (stemming from an instinct to get further forward) makes him high risk.

I agree that you don’t always know the best position at a young age - coaching 10 year olds who all want to be strikers beat that into me - but what you look at in any fundamental different position is the basics - eg as a defender, how’s the positioning, how’s the awareness, how’s the “stance”, do they do force diagonals, do they time the tackles correctly. Unfortunately you cannot typically learn that at the championship level “on the job”.

With Bell, again, Pearson would have seen the “physical” attributes of pace and stamina, and technical of crossing, and would have wanted to see could he do the above. And although those aren’t really talent factors, they’re bloody difficult to learn which is why you don’t see wholesale position changes from 18+
 

 

You're not suggesting that Bell was selected to play there, without first being tried on the training ground, or occasionally in the under 23's, are you? That would be high risk.

[Offside]

50 minutes ago, alexukhc said:

Bradley Orr

Yes, he sticks in my mind too -  an indifferent midfielder who became a very decent right back.