Every player position requires certain skills. This section of the manual is meant to explain which abilities go well with which positions. In Trophy Manager you can use your common sense and choose your line-up by intuition. Sometimes your intuition might even lead to a more effective combination of players. But it is still nice for all those of us who do not share the perfect intuition to get some guidance when it comes to skills and player positions, so here it is: The superb guide to skills and player positions in TM!
The Goalkeeper: The Goalkeeper position is the easiest position to choose players for in TM. Keepers have two main skills: Handling and reflexes. These two skills basically decide how good your keeper is at saving the ball. On top of the two main skills pace, strength, jumping, aerial ability and one-on-ones (not a weighed list) are good skills for a keeper to possess. Communications and stamina only have a slight influence. Kicking and throwing are strictly attacking skills which determine your goalies' ability to start dangerous counter attacks. Most important: Handling and reflexes. Important: Pace, strength, jumping, aerial ability and one-on-ones. Full Backs & Wing Backs: Full backs and wing backs have both defensive and attacking roles to play. The primary function of both is two shut down the opposing side's wingers and act as backup for the central defenders whenever it is necessary. They need pace, marking and tackling and to some extend strength and heading to fulfill this role. In the other end of the pitch the right combination of technique, crossing, pace and passing can make them feared winger-weapons that can turn your opponent's stalwart defenders into spinning tops. Most important: Pace, marking and tackling. Important: Strength, heading, technique, crossing and passing. Central Defenders: Central defenders are supposed to defend. That is what they do. Defend. Which means that they will need marking and tackling and an iron physique, especially strength. Oh! and heading, by the way. And then sometimes, if they are to come up with a constructive long pass or start a counter attack, they could use passing, crossing, technique and/or pace. Most important: Tackling, marking, strength, heading and pace. Important: Passing, crossing and technique. Defensive Midfielders: The role of defensive midfielders is to sweep the area behind the midfield and relieve your defence from some of the weight of the opposition's attack. Their prime strengths should be marking, tackling, work rate and positioning. But also passing, strength and heading, and to a lesser extend stamina, pace, crossing and technique. Most important: Positioning, work rate, passing, tackling, marking, strength and heading. Important: Stamina, pace, crossing and technique. Midfielders: Midfielders are the most allround players on the pitch. They have to support your attackers and attacking midfielders, aid your defence and bind together the organization of your team. They can make use of good playmaking abilities like passing, crossing and technique. Defensive virtues like marking, tackling, work rate and positioning can also come in very handy. And good finishing abilities can be a game-winning choice too: finishing, long shots, heading and strength. Most important: Positioning, work rate, marking, tackling, passing and technique + crossing and pace for ML and MR. Important: Stamina, heading and strength. Offensive Midfielders: Offensive midfielders concentrate on participating in the attacking play. This is why it is crucial that an attacking midfielder has good playmaking and finishing skills. If your OMC is to make the play and make use of his biased position he is going to have to be a good passer, have a reasonable technique and crossing and be able to finish with head and feet alike. Work rate, positioning, passing, technique, finishing and long shots are the right skills for the job. Most important: Work rate, positioning, passing, technique, finishing and long shots. Important: Heading, strength, tackling, marking. Wingers: The most important thing wingers do for your team is to broaden your offence and put some high pressure on your opponent. Wingers should possess skills which enable them to get past the opposition's full backs and deliver crosses to your forwards. The key skills are: Pace, technique and crossing. Secondly work rate, positioning, strength and stamina. It is very likely that your wingers will end up with quite a few finishes, so finishing, long shots and heading are also useful skills.. Most important: Pace, technique and crossing. Important: Work rate, positioning, finishing, long shots, heading, strength and stamina. Forwards: Forwards are supposed to score goals. To do so they need good finishing skills: Finishing, long shots and heading. To get to the ball and make it easier to finish well they need technique, positioning, work rate, stamina and pace. Most important: Finishing, long shots, heading and strength. Important: Technique, positioning, work rate, stamina and pace.