Player Roles in Soccer Manager 2021

Each position in your starting 11 is given a role, which is how you would like them to play. All players have a preferred role however, you are still able to put players into roles that are not in their preferences. Therefore, remember that this will definitely have an effect on how they perform in matches. Here are all the possible roles for each position and what they mean.

On-field player positions

Goalkeeper

Keeper

Performs just as any keeper, with the responsibility of protecting the goal.

Modern Keeper

Basically a Sweeper Keeper. This is a goalie that is quick and fast and is able to come off the goal-line to clear the ball. This basically means that your goalkeeper plays both as the keeper and as the last man back. Very few goalkeepers are capable of this role.

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Defense

General Defender

The basic role of a Center-Back. These defenders are well-balanced in terms of their defensive abilities

Stopper

As the name suggests, this type of Center-Back. will be the main tackle-maker, playing more defensive as the Center-Back.

Ball-playing defender

The opposite of the Stopper. This kind of CB will be looking to create a play with his strong passing abilities.

Full back

Plays a more defensive role and stays back while attacking.

Wing back

Plays a more offensive role and pushes forward to help out in attack

Midfield

Ball-Winning Midfielder

Plays a defensive role in the midfield, making the tackles in the middle of the pitch

Deep-Lying Playmaker

Tends to start the play deep in the midfield, playing passes forward from the deep midfield.

Box-to-Box Midfielder

Helps out in both attack and defense, moving up and down the pitch. Usually fits with a well-rounded midfielder with good stamina

General Midfielder

Similar to the General Defender, this role is a basic and balanced role for midfield players

Playmaker

Tends to control the midfield with his presence, supplying his surrounding teammates.

Advanced Playmaker

Focuses on providing chances for attacking players rather than for the entire team.

Wide Midfielder

Plays as a normal midfielder but positions far out wide. Tends to provide support in both attack and defense

Winger

Plays wide but focuses mainly on coming forward and providing for the attacking players.

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Attack

Wide Forward

Plays like a winger, but focuses on scoring goals rather than providing assists. It is better to play the wide forward with an inverted foot, to allow for cutting in

Support Striker

Maintains a close partnership while providing full support to the main striker

General Forward

The basic role for an attacker, well balanced like the General Defender and Midfielder

Target Man

Stays up-front in a good position ready to receive the ball and score the goal

Finisher

Likes to push against the defensive line and beat the offside trap with pace

Deep-Lying Forward

Tends to drop back and play as the provider for other forwards and wingers

 

Team Instructions and Tactics in Soccer Manager 2021

Setting your team instructions will result in how your team will play football in a match. You will need to make sure that this will fit in with your formation and the quality of your players.

General

Width

Determines how far out wide your team plays. Bear in mind that playing with high width will leave space in the middle, and playing with low will leave space out wide. Try to cover these areas with players to sort out the problem.

Mentality

This will be the basic mentality of how your team will play. You should keep this balanced beforehand and then change in-game.

General Balanced Playing Style

Tempo

Determines the overall speed of play. Thus, this will have an effect on how the speed at which the ball is moved. If you have high chemistry, a fast tempo will be quite effective.

Creativity

How strict you want to be with the players. High creativity will therefore result in players moving about playing adventurous passes. Whereas, Low creativity will mean that players will tend to stick to a position and play simple and safe passes.

Attack

Passing Style

Can be set to “Short”, “Direct”, “Longball” and “Mixed“. This will contribute to the creativity of the team and how they play whilst in possession.

Attacking Style

Relates to the are at which your team will attack. This can be down the middle, or down the flanks. Choose this setting based on your formation and how many players are in those attacking areas.

Attacking Playing Style

Forwards

Determines how your attackers will attack. They can either shoot whenever possible, work on getting the ball into the box, or have a mix of both. Shooting on sight is better is riskier, but can be good if your team is losing, working the ball into the box takes time, but is safer.

Wide Play

This determines how your wide players will get the ball central. They can either work the ball into the box, play early crosses, or play late byline crosses, or have a mix. Byline crosses work best when your wide players are inverted (use the opposite foot to the side on the pitch, such as a left-footed RW). Working the ball into the box is better for central play, whilst crosses work better with Target Man strikers.

Defense

Pressing

Can be set to your own area, your own half, or all over. The larger the pressing area, the more pressure there will be. However, a larger area to cover will also tire out your players. It is best to switch to pressing all over whilst your team is losing.

Defensive Playing Style

Tackling Style

Can be normal, hard, or aggressive. The stronger the tackle, the likelier it is to get the ball off the opponent, however, it is also a lot riskier. Aggressive tackling results in a higher number of fouls.

Back Line

Determines the position at which the backline sits. This can be high upfield, or deep downfield, or balanced. A high backline will be a lot more attacking but leaves a lot of space behind the defense for attackers to run into on the counter. A deep backline plays more defensive, allowing for less room for the opposition to attack. However, this will reduce the numbers in attack.

 

Getting your Manager upgraded

The first thing you will have to do when you start playing Soccer Manager 2021 is to choose your manager. There are 3 to choose from:

• Suit Manager – Gives a financial boost
• Tactical Manager – Gives a tactical boost
• Training Manager – Gives a training boost

No matter which one you choose, you can still upgrade your manager in each of the categories. Each time you play a match, you will gain Manager XP, which contributes to your level. Reaching a new level will grant you with Manager Points which you can spend on upgrading traits. Make sure to keep on top of this as this will give you huge benefits in-game.

 

Scouting Network

This facility allows you to control and upgrade your scouting facilities in Soccer Manager 2021. You can send you club scouts on assignments to find potential players. Upgrading the facility will increase the number of scouts as well as boost their effectiveness. Your scouts will bring in detailed reports on scouted players. You can get to know everything from the scouts – from how good the player is to the exact mentality he has, all can be found in these reports.

Avoid signing players simply going by their stats. Look at the scout report to see how well they would fit into your squad and how likely it is that they would want to join you.

Training Ground

This facility is the area where you will be able to train your squad in various activities as well as see each individual player’s progress. Upgrading the facility will boost the effectiveness of training drills as well as increase the training capacity of your squad.

You can look at each individual report to see how well each player is performing. Improving players are more likely to grow whilst declining players are more likely to drop in quality.

Always keep a close eye on the match fitness of each individual player. Make sure to keep this at a high value to ensure the players are fit for matches as this will have an effect on their quality.

 

Club Zone

This is the financial center of your club. Here, your upgrades will boost your income in many ways, such as through TV revenue, merchandise, and more. You can upgrade each separate building in the Facility Finances section. Some buildings will boost your income whilst some will help in preventing and recovering from injuries.

Sponsorships are also essential in finances. You can choose from a range of brands to have on your kit sponsors and these will pay you with some good money. All the sponsors vary in duration, installment size, and total earnings. So you can choose if you want a steady income or a quick income boost.

Youth Academy

This is the part of your club where you can grow your own academy players. You can view all the youth players in your academy as well as the stats they currently have. Upgrading this facility will increase your youth squad capacity and boost the stats of the players.

Always keep an eye on the youth squad and once ready. It is a good idea to bring a youth player to your squad. If they are promising youngsters who fit in your team, be sure to give them playtime and help them grow into first-team players. If they don’t fit in, you can always use them for squad depth, or you could move them on and make a little money from selling the players.

 

Upgrading your Club

In Soccer Manager 2021, your entire club infrastructure can be upgraded using your cash budget. Each upgrade will take time to be put in place, but it will result in some big benefits for your club.

Stadium

Each part of the stadium stands can be upgraded in SM21, which will allow for a higher capacity in the game. A larger audience will of course mean more revenue from match tickets. Although upgrading your stadium takes time, these upgrades will boost your seasonal income by quite a bit.

3. Set the instructions according to your formation

It is a good idea to set your team instructions based on how your squad prefers to play. If you have an abundance of playmakers, you can set a high level of creativity. An abundance of slow-paced players will mean that it is better to set the tempo to a low speed. Do this for all the other tactics as well.

You should also take the formation into consideration as well. Try to get a play style sorted out before you set tactics. For example, you may want to play a lot of crosses since you have good Target Man strikers. You will then be able to set your tactics accordingly.

4. Take note of the opposition’s tactics

You are also given a short scout report of your next opposition. You will be given the team’s formation, the key player, and any squad information – injuries and suspensions. Set your tactics considering these as well.

It is always a good idea to try and contain the Key Player as much as possible. This man will most likely be the main danger against your team, so make sure to get your players in a good position to oppose this player.