What's your position?

[Super_Ally 0]

Do we as fans get too bogged down on people playing "out of position"?

 

Reading on anther forum and people are going tonto at 2 left backs playing last night. Now granted I missed this one and it may have been atrocious. But I can quite reasonably see Smith playing in front of Wallace or vice versa working quite well based on the individual attributes they have.

 

Gareth Bale started out as a left back. Were Spurs/Southampton fans going nuts about him being used out of position.

 

Mascherano played for a long time at centre back for Barca despite lacking the physical qualities necessary.

 

Rooney and Weelbeck have played wide in midfield for Man Utd.

 

I realise these are exceptional cases or in some cases world class performers. But if I used obscure examples from my local team you wouldn't be aware of them and they would be no more valid.

 

I don't think the issue is always whether someone is in their preferred position but whether or not they have the attributes to do a specific job for the managers game plan in another position.

 

Is it really that big a deal? All that is before you get into the fact that formations are fluid throughout the game and so formations and positions don't define players completely anyway.

[Gingerger 0]

I think it's only annoying when a specialist player for a certain position is left out to accommodate someone else playing out of position. Especially if that player is perceived to be a lesser performer in the position.

[calscot 0]

Another question is when do you decide what someone's position is? And why?

 

We had the weird case of people going mental about Chritian Dailly playing up front "out of position" when it was his original "natural" position and he'd being playing "out of position" as a defender for a while...

 

For me, I think it's obvious that most decent, professional footballers should be able to play more than one position with the only caveat is that they pick up a lot of experience in their most played position which can be invaluable.

 

The way people go on, their logic suggests that if the position is so fixed to just one, then players must also only have one natural formation and one natural set of tactics and changing them is "stupid".

 

For me, football is more fluid than that.

[Blinkyman 0]

Quote:" I don't think the issue is always whether someone is in their preferred position but whether or not they have the attributes to do a specific job for the managers game plan in another position.

 

Is it really that big a deal? All that is before you get into the fact that formations are fluid throughout the game and so formations and positions don't define players completely anyway."

 

Quote:"Another question is when do you decide what someone's position is? And why?"

 

"For me, I think it's obvious that most decent, professional footballers should be able to play more than one position with the only caveat is that they pick up a lot of experience in their most played position which can be invaluable.

 

The way people go on, their logic suggests that if the position is so fixed to just one, then players must also only have one natural formation and one natural set of tactics and changing them is "stupid".

 

For me, football is more fluid than that."

 

Very good points & one of my pet hates on all forums.

I've been struggling to put it into words and think sometimes it is simply a case of 'needs must'. All sorts of negative comments across forums re the team selection yesterday. if you really try to predict the team for the next game, considering injuries, who isn't match fit, can you risk him on this surface, against this team, it isn't so easy. Getting the most skillful player anywhere on the pitch, regardless of starting position is what counts in the long run.

Lee "Shoehorn" McCulloch being the perfect example.

[pete 2,499]

What's your position?

 

When with the wife I go for 69. When in the Pub I normally for a seat by the bar.

[Gribz 966]

I think you get various types of player - naturally talented like Messi who is purely attack minded but could play any where in midfield or upfront. Then you get vertilise players like say McCulloch who can and will play anywhere for the team. He isn't the most naturally gifted but will still fit in in different areas. Could Messi play centre half or as a holding midfielder? Probably yes but he wouldn't be as nearly as effective at professional La Liga level.

 

Players obviously get a natural and favoured position and it that high level a team should be playing to all players strengths for the benefit of the team....so therefore I always prefer to see players in 'preferred' positions. Opposition will expose the team if they see a slight weakness and in turn it can reflect on the players.

 

Also you can maybe get away with 1 or 2 players out of your XI at max playing slightly out of position. But when you have 4 or 5 then the proof will be in the pudding on the park.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

spurs didn't win something like bales forst 30 games a lb.

 

you better believe they were going nuts.

[Frankie 8,684]

Stevie Smith was originally a winger and I don't mind him playing there for tactical reasons.

[54andcounting 0]

We are not the only team to utilise players you know.

 

During an injury crisis at Southend, Mohsni played up front and scored 14 goals. When he first turned up for training at Murray Park, Stevie Smith was astonished to see him play at centre-back, since the left-back had once marked him in a game against Southend, when Mohsni played as a right winger.

[chilledbear 16]

Jimmy Millar, John Greig, Sandy Jardine, Dave Smith and many more, they all ended up playing in different positions.

 

I guess we should wait and see if they make a success of the move. Although most did it when they were younger unlike Jig and Smith.