With all the talk about how we are developing our young players, iIthough it would be interesting to see what BS readers think is the ranking of importance for the 10 field positions in order to field a succesful team. My list would be: 1. Attacking Mid 2. Def. Mid 3. Striker 4. Center back 5. Left back 6. Striker 7. Right Outside Mid 8. Right back 9. Center back 10. Left Outside Mid I felt that after the first four, I could have gone many different directions. Granted, you buld a team around the talent you have, but what do you think needs the better athlete/player?
I found it interesting on your list that left outside mid is least important...I guess I don't understand why the left and right sides are not equally important...on most of the teams I have played for, often the best players play on the left side, as many players who play on the right can't use their left foot... Really though, I play for a Premier team and in that Club all the players are good. I would say center back and forwards are our strongest players. I also play for a travel team. On that team, our strongest players are our outside mids and center back. This is because the two outside mids are pretty much responsible for going back and covering for the outside backs and going up and scoring goals....90% of our goals in the spring season were scored from the midfield.
On a rec team, where you may only have three or four talented players per side, I feel that having a strong spine, or center, can carry you through a season. A lot of rec teams succeed by putting their best athlete at center-mid and their best defensive player at stopper or center back. Of course, these teams usually have their best forward at center striker. As you get to the premier level, the great athletes are plentiful and this changes. On defense, you need speed at each side to limit runs. On the attacking side, I think that it is more important to have your best players on the flanks. A player who can carry a ball from midfield, get to the attacking third and consistantly make good crosses, is much more valuable than the person in the box who finishes the play. Although I won't dicount the value of having players in the box with a strong nose for the goal, those players are usually easier to come by than the one who can change field position and place the ball in the box with consistancy.
Obviously teams can be successful without a natural striker - Man United - but if you can lay your hands on a natural finisher (one who converts at a high percentage), that is the single most important player on the team, as long as their play on the ball doesn't effect flow (Ruud).
I'd say everyone is of equal importance, with a little bit more in the center positions. Everyone has a job to do and if one person is lacking in their area, you can get scored on.
Where would you put goalkeeper? I know you only mention field players but I am curious. Regarding field players if you could only have 2 great players, I would vote for a striker and a two-way midfielder.
As a rec coach playing 8v8, we put our strength at center halfback and at least one position at fullback, maybe 2 strong fullbacks if playing a strong team. Then we fill left and right halfbacks. We put our slower, less skilled players as forwards, make then stay up and hope they get lucky. Most of our scoring comes from our halfbacks who are able to keep most of play in our offensive side.
Who is Ruud van Nistelrooy without people feeding him the ball? Where would Messi and Christiano Ronaldo be without players doing their 'dirty work'? Importance of a player varies from team to team, week to week and also on the formation you run. All field players are equally important! As far as developing players is concerned, rotate them around as much as you can when they are young; that will help them tremendously in their development.
If you ever get your hands on a clinical closer, you will find that to be a treasure of surpassing value! Sure they may need to be serviced, but not everyone can close at a reasonable rate. Find a true closer, and you will capitalize on more opportunities. It's a very refined skill, a talent, even. In this area (SoCal), there may be 3 - 4 bona fide closers in each age group.
Each field player is important. Positions don't matter; players are what is important. A good coach designs the system (aka formation) to fit the players; not fit the players to the system.