Stats aren't everything, the combination argument
Average Rating: 5/10 Hits: 306 Submitted: Nov 9, 2007
This is an interesting article looking at the argument that perhaps stats aren't everything when it comes to Football Manager, rather a combination of a good level of a number of specific stats is what makes a good player in FM2008.
Inspired by various articles, and the most remarkable one been the ‘Strength Vs Pace' argument wrote by Adam of TI. I deemed it necessary to write a stats are not everything article, never got round to it in the end. I can remember reading an article on GK, called ‘Combinations' in which it spoke of a similar idea, only about the right stats make he player, which is obviously common sense, but so much as to a quick glance at a player, seeing 20's and stats of double figures in the technical department - leading to the layer been purchased. So I am not going to bore you for the next, however long it takes you to read this with redistribute shit, with a lick of paint. Yet, it is right under your nose, something any player of the game who looks into it enough and gives it the level of concentration required will realise. The importance of technical attributes is becoming less and less, it's the day of the mental players, he physical players.
Notably, it becomes obvious that players are much greatly appreciated for there attitude and there physical attributes rather than there technical ability. Such thing is clearly viable when you start to look at the teams who achieve well at academy, centre of excellence level. None shy of 6'0 and about the same in width. The players who could muscle a whole team of at once, whilst running past them to beat the offside trap. Obviously if it works in real life, it will work in Football Manager, this is what the people at SI get paid to do - replicate the game as close as they can to real life.
When buying a player, a quick glance over to see if the striker has 20 finishing and what not, just wont do anymore. Nor will seeing if a defender has one of a few things, Heading, Tackling and Marking. What's the use? When you have 20 tackling, yet you can't catch the striker running at you with the ball, whom has 20 pace. You can make the comparison between a football player and the next big thing on the music scene. They need simple ingredients; Look, Personality and Sound. Now you can't really create a person, or there look. But with the technology they can edit the sound, anyone can sing, not every one can sing well, but music company's can create that. In relation to a football player, they need a few simple ingredients; Mental, Physical and Technical attributes. ‘You can't teach pace' Arsene Wenger once said, and its obvious you can't teach mental attributes, but you can teach elements of technique. Now like the singer or group, they must have basic talent, otherwise they wouldn't be on the game in the first place. But they can get by quite alright without it.
There is numerous experiment that could be taken out to conclude or in fact support the theorem. Creating a team souly around Physical and Mental attributes, and then one in which its based around Technical attributes, and compare the success of both teams. Personally its not something I feel is de rigueur as it is clear, or at least I hope this article has made it clear so far, as to why the former would be more triumphant.
Back to the argument of combinations and such. Constancy obviously comes from the mental attribute ‘consistency' in and amongst other things related which make up the important combinations. In terms of physical attributes a player can become consistent through them also. Notably, having good stamina leads to a consistent performance from the start, right though to the end of the match. But there is no point me going on and spoon feeding you what works and what doesn't you need to do some work fro yourselves.
All in all, I hope this has been an eye opener for you, if you ever muttered under your breathe throughout the course of reading this, anything on the lines of ‘I never thought of that' then I know this past ten minutes hasn't been a complete waste of time.
Notably, it becomes obvious that players are much greatly appreciated for there attitude and there physical attributes rather than there technical ability. Such thing is clearly viable when you start to look at the teams who achieve well at academy, centre of excellence level. None shy of 6'0 and about the same in width. The players who could muscle a whole team of at once, whilst running past them to beat the offside trap. Obviously if it works in real life, it will work in Football Manager, this is what the people at SI get paid to do - replicate the game as close as they can to real life.
When buying a player, a quick glance over to see if the striker has 20 finishing and what not, just wont do anymore. Nor will seeing if a defender has one of a few things, Heading, Tackling and Marking. What's the use? When you have 20 tackling, yet you can't catch the striker running at you with the ball, whom has 20 pace. You can make the comparison between a football player and the next big thing on the music scene. They need simple ingredients; Look, Personality and Sound. Now you can't really create a person, or there look. But with the technology they can edit the sound, anyone can sing, not every one can sing well, but music company's can create that. In relation to a football player, they need a few simple ingredients; Mental, Physical and Technical attributes. ‘You can't teach pace' Arsene Wenger once said, and its obvious you can't teach mental attributes, but you can teach elements of technique. Now like the singer or group, they must have basic talent, otherwise they wouldn't be on the game in the first place. But they can get by quite alright without it.
There is numerous experiment that could be taken out to conclude or in fact support the theorem. Creating a team souly around Physical and Mental attributes, and then one in which its based around Technical attributes, and compare the success of both teams. Personally its not something I feel is de rigueur as it is clear, or at least I hope this article has made it clear so far, as to why the former would be more triumphant.
Back to the argument of combinations and such. Constancy obviously comes from the mental attribute ‘consistency' in and amongst other things related which make up the important combinations. In terms of physical attributes a player can become consistent through them also. Notably, having good stamina leads to a consistent performance from the start, right though to the end of the match. But there is no point me going on and spoon feeding you what works and what doesn't you need to do some work fro yourselves.
All in all, I hope this has been an eye opener for you, if you ever muttered under your breathe throughout the course of reading this, anything on the lines of ‘I never thought of that' then I know this past ten minutes hasn't been a complete waste of time.
