Well, generally speaking anyway. For me, the five possibilities run right up through the middle of the field: Goalie Centerback Defensive Mid Attacking Mid Forward Without going into too much detail, I would reduce the above to: Goalie Defensive Mid Forward I'm not sure why I include Defensive Mid in my final 3; probably 'cause I've always admired the position. The ability to break up the other team's advances, retrieve the ball, and get it going back the other way has always seemed of paramount importance to me. But I'll ignore my own biases and reduce it to: Goalie, and Forward Maybe it comes down to whether you think offense or defense is more important. Any thoughts? I'd be interested to hear them as I don't consider myself a soccer expert per se, and have always wondered what a serious soccerphile would say.
i agree with ya flashman. i think a defensive midfielder that has the ability to break up another teams attack, settle the ball in the middle of the field and then advance the attack up the field is the most important position on the field. a player with a good understanding of his/her defensive responsibilities but yet an ability to join the attack on offense when it is needed...
I agree with your three. I've done plenty of coaching, and the three trickiest positions, and hence where I spend the most time training, are 1. keeper 2. d-mid 3. striker Keeper require constant care and maintenance. They need confidence in order to carry out their positions. They usually get their own workouts. D-mid is tricky because they are constantly transitioning from attack to defense and back. They pretty much need to be the complete soccer package, with speed, assertion, and technical skills. It also helps if they can read the game, and that is where I spent most of the time coaching a d-mid. Strikers require poise. It takes months to break in a new striker, and they can run hot-and-cold. My teams tend to spend a great deal of time at "finishing school." Ah, the importance of a good last touch.
well, so far we have a vote for a d-mid, an a-mid and a vote all 3 finalists. (hey! that's not allowed! we're looking for only one! ) if you were to start a team and only had one choice, would you choose edgar davids, the pit bull, or zinadine zidane? i presume most would choose zidane but i suspect there's many a coach out there who might go the other way. what about henry v. davids? or henry v. zidane? what about friedel v. davids? it's all theoretical i know. but do coaches try to build their teams from the back forward, the forward back, or from the middle in both directions? looking for more thoughts!!
I would say the d-mid, for all the reasons already mentioned. Well, calling the position defensive mid does it disservice since an organizing midfielder is asked to so much more. A good d-mid can hide an aging or inexperienced backline. He can also join the attack and create mismatches. Wherever the action is, the d-mid is required to be there. The position requires speed, vision, strength and endurance. It's the center of the team, physically and psychologically.
id have to go with that ballwinning Dmid BUT if i were startin a team with a free 1st pick, id probably go with henry or chivu depending on what else is available
The goalkeeper's position is the most important on the field of course! How is a team going to win a match if no one is guarding the net? You can survive without a defensive midfielder and also without a striker, but not without a goalkeeper.
In Brian Clough's book 'Walking On Water' he talks about how - when he was building a team - he would first of all find a great keeper, a great central defender and a great centre-forward. After that the rest of the side builds itself. Having said that, he is a purple-faced tosser with an ego the size of Gibraltar and whose brain has been pickled by years of alcohol abuse. But he did know how to manage a team.
I think the thread is asking most important relative to highest quality needed in the position, assuming a full 11 players on the field.. In others words, assuming 11 players, which is the most important. I dont think goalkeeper is close to being the most important. (this is coming from a goalkeeper too) Many of the best goalkeepers on paper(goals against and shutouts) had very quick and efficient defenses that allowed very few quality ooportunities. Whereas goalkeepers that are very good with lackluster defences see alot of action and are often "left out to dry" with 2 vs 1 breakaways and impossible saves... I guess my point, is that a decent keeper with a better defense can get very good results... I have seen excellent teams win championships with an average keeper who does nothing the entire season...
he was coaching at a time when they just kicked the ball forward and the center forward headed it in.
Didn't Ajax used to exclusively sign center-forwards? And if I'm remembering this correctly, they would put the best center forward at... well, center forward, the second best would play central midfield, and the third best would be stopper, and then they would fill out the wings the same way.... Can't remember how they got goalkeepers, but anyway. In any case, as to the question: it's a team sport. If you're weak in any of them, that weakness will be exposed eventually. So they're all pretty freakin' important.
The most important position on the field is the coach who reminds his players that there is no "most important" position on the field.
The most important position is, of course, the one you're playing at the moment. (Ahem) I'd agree that goalkeeper is the most necessary position -- after all, it's the only one called out in the Laws of the Game as being "required". That doesn't make it the most important. As a coach, I've won without good goalkeepers, I've won without good central midfielders, and even without good central defenders. But I've never won without good forwards, because you ultimately need good forwards to score.
I would say its the goalkeeper because of his uniqueness. A team can accommodate for weakness everywhere else on the field but there is no substitute for a bad goalie. One great save or one great shot can turn the outcome of a game. There are ten players that can make the great shot but only one can make the great save.
I'm no coach, but I have seen many a goal scored because of defensive blunders. The goalie is only as good as the defense in front of him. Since there are usually more than one CD, having only one good can be problematic. Sooo, I will say D-mid since he can help both the defense and the offense.
I dont think there is a correct answer to the question but I was a goalie. And I have an opinion that there are 10 men in front of me. So I definitely dont think a goalie is the most important. Well not at kids soccer anyway.
The title of this thread is: "What's the most important POSITION on the field". There is only one answer: Goalkeeper. Without someone between the posts your team would lose by a ridiculous score. You cannot win if your own net is unguarded. The goalkeeper's position may not be the most difficult to fill, but it's certainly the most necessary! Many people here mix the title of this thread up with "In which position would you want to have your best player if you could choose". That's a whole new question.
Keeper is by far the most important. call me biased, but there's no way you could win without a keeper. We are the most omportant folks on the field, and we know it. Besides, what's Arsenal without David Seaman? Vive le AFC! OPArsenal
Most Important Position Everyone is missing this one. The most important position is the referee. Without him there is only chaos.
i think all of you are missin the point of the game. It doesn't matter what position is most important. Its how the team plays. You can have an awesome forward and he wont be able to score because the midfield can't get him the ball. Or you can have an awesome goalkeeper but the defense is too weak, it gives up too many shots and some will go in. This is a pathetic thread.