Football being a team game, has players assigned to specific positions on the field, which helps the team get the best out of a player. These positions are measured and assigned, depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the players. Some players even change their position depending on their growth and prowess in a new ability.
These attributes are measured by analyzing a number of factors including their game stats, performance, scouting reports, and expert reviews. Whenever a player performs better than other players in his position, his stats and attributes reflect his strengths and skills, making him a fan favourite or the one to look out for. Understanding player attributes helps fans, analysts, and even managers evaluate a player.
Player attributes in football are grouped into five categories: attacking, defending, creativity, tactical, and technical skills.
- Attacking is about scoring goals and creating chances, while defending focuses on stopping opponents and protecting the goal.
- Creativity measures a player’s ability to set up plays and make things happen on the pitch.
- Tactical skills cover decision-making and positioning – knowing where to be and what to do at the right time.
- Technical ability is about touches, dribbling, and passing accuracy.
These attributes help paint a full picture of a player’s strengths, weaknesses, and overall impact on the game. While tactical and technical qualities shape overall gameplay, attacking, defending, and creativity directly impact match results. Attacking, creativity, and defensive stats give us a clear picture of a player’s role and influence on the game. In this article, we’ll break down what these attributes really mean and how they shape the way football is understood today.
Attacking Attributes
Attacking attributes measure the player’s ability to score and contribute to goal-scoring opportunities. Some of the key factors included while calculating attacking attributes are:
- Goals scored
- Shots on Target
- Expected goals
- Dribbles completed
- Touches inside the box
Goals scored indicate the player’s success in front of the goal. A crucial statistic especially for attackers and forward players, which directly influences the match outcome. Strikers like Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland are known for their prowess in goalscoring and are expected to score more every year.
Expected Goals or xG measure how many chances a player gets in a match. A player with more goals than expected goals is well regarded rather than a player who has lesser goals than xG.
Shots on target indicate the accuracy of the player. The more the shorts on target, the better are chances of scoring. These indicators usually showcase a forward’s goal scoring prowess.
Dribbles completed gives us the skill of the player to beat the defenders and take the ball ahead. A successful dribble often results in a chance to score, as it indicates how well the player could handle the ball. Messi is regarded as one of the best dribblers in the game, with an average of 3 successful dribbles per match in the 2024 MLS Season.
Touches inside the box also indicate the big chances for scoring. Every touch inside the opponent’s box adds to the offensive play while gaining a chance to score.
These indicators are crucial for evaluating strikers, wingers, and attacking midfielders whose main job is to create and finish chances.
Creativity Attributes
Creativity attributes measure a player’s ability to set up teammates and dictate play. These metrics define masters of the midfield and attacking playmakers. Some of the key factors that measure the creativity of a player include:
- Key Passes
- Assists
- Expected Assists
- Pass Completion Rate
- Progressive Passes
- Crosses and Through Balls
Key Passes are passes that lead to an opportunity. Generally, midfielders and wingers get to make the most of key passes, sending the ball to the attackers. An assist on the other hand, is the final pass before a goal.
Expected Assists or xA are the amount of chances a player usually creates. A high xA with a lower number of assists indicate a poor performance from the forwards.
Pass Completion Rate measures the amount of successful passes made by the player. But, a high pass completion rate does not always denote that the player is a risk taker.
Progressive Passes indicate the number of passes played forward. These passes progress the game, breaking the opposition’s defence.
Crosses and Through Balls are crucial passes which escape the defensive line of the opposition and send the ball straight to the attackers. Crosses pass the defensive line aerially, while Through Balls make the ball dribble “through” the defensive line. A successful cross or through ball is considered an assist in football if it directly leads to a goal being scored by a teammate.
Players with a high creativity rating are often playmakers who start the attack and break down the opponent’s defense. De Bruyne has a 99 rating for creativity, making him one of the most prolific playmakers in the game.
Defending Attributes
Though attackers and playmakers get most of the credit, defenders are equally important. Defending Attributes indicate how good a player is in breaking down the opponent’s attack and lessen their chances of scoring. Some key factors to determine defending attributes are:
- Tackles Won
- Interception
- Clearances
- Aerial Duels Won
- Blocks and Recoveries
Tackles Won indicate the number of times a player broke down the opposition’s attack and won back the ball.
Interceptions measure how good the player reads the game and stops the opposition’s attack before it even begins. These indicators are important to determine the prowess of defensive midfielders and defenders.
Clearances measure the ability of the player to relieve the pressure on the team while preventing chances in their half.
Aerial duels, especially in set pieces, are crucial in measuring the strength of the player. Winning an aerial duel either means they could create a big chance and convert into a goal or defend the goal in vital situations.
Finally, Blocks and Recoveries measure the work rate and awareness of a player in blocking shots, recovering the ball and starting counter attacks.
Defensive attributes are important for defending midfielders, centre-backs and full-backs, who lay out the team structure while stopping the opponent in scoring. Players like Virgil Van Dijk and Ruben Dias in the Premier League are known for their defending prowess and have a higher defending attribute rating.
Conclusion
No player plays well in every category. Strikers focus on scoring the goal and defenders maintain their efforts towards stopping the opposition. Creative midfield players tend to balance their play between attack and defence thus contributing as a playmaker. Players like Luka Modrić and Joshua Kimmich showcase better performance in all the three categories.
Understanding these attributes doesn’t just increase your appreciation for player performances but also helps in analysis, scouting, and fantasy football. Whether assessing forwards, wingers, playmakers, centre-backs or full-backs, these attributes give you a better idea of a player’s impact on the game.