Most important/valued position in football (soccer to our american cousins)

A few of us were having a chat about this at work and i was the only one that said the keeper. They both said forwards! Their argument is the forwards are the ones that score the most goals lol.

What's everyone elses opinion. I was outnumbered there but i asked them if they had ever played competitive football and they both said no..thats where the problem is i think. Anyone who has played competitively appreciates the value of a good keeper.

In the prem i would say the difference between an average keeper and a great keeper is maybe 10-15 pts over the season??

Anyway...what does everyone else think.

You just know someone is gonna say right wing ;D

It's a team sport but if forced I'd probably say keeper too... England haven't really managed to get a keeper to replace Seaman (get the jokes out of the the way :p) and look at us, despite having arguably a stronger team than say 1996 etc we fail to perform.

I know we've had problems with management to etc but I think with a better keeper we'd have done much better.

I used to play in goal to a decent level as a kid, only stopped when being 5'7 became a problem, more fool them, Im 5'9 now ;) Remember playing against Wales U21 once for Bristol Boys (I know, gay as fuck init ;D........didnt register at the time). They absolutely pissed on us for the entire match, We managed to nick a goal and I only conceded one, a pen. They were way better than us so we could have had a prime Ruud Van Nistlerooy on our squad it wouldnt have mattered.

So I'd say keeper too.

Naturally ;D

the most important position in soccer is the security guard / cop in the stands to combat the violence created by the mobbing soccer hooligans. it's the only sport that, at times, should have seen 1-year bans on a global scale.

fookin hooligans. ---> :foruml10gc5:

But I know how much you crazy wankers like it... ;D

agree with you for keeper, fk me schmichaels won more games for united than any other player

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Originally Posted by Drago

agree with you for keeper, fk me schmichaels won more games for united than any other player

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Agree its a team sport but thats who i thought of too. Schmeichel was so fucking dominant, king of one on ones. Strikers must have shat emselves with him hurtling at you. Guy was a monster and some of the saves he pulled off still makes me think he is an alien.

Well I'd go with a forward to be honest.

Not just because they score goals but clearly because soccer managers value strikers the most as they are prepared to pay millions for them.


I mean when was the last time you saw a goal keeper go for £30 million?

Here's a list of the most expensive transfers

Top 10 Most Expensive Football Transfers

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Originally Posted by Bilbo

Well I'd go with a forward to be honest.

Not just because they score goals but clearly because soccer managers value strikers the most as they are prepared to pay millions for them.


I mean when was the last time you saw a goal keeper go for £30 million?

Here's a list of the most expensive transfers

Top 10 Most Expensive Football Transfers

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Number 4 on that list is a keeper mate. Gianlugi Buffon. 4th most expensive player ever at 32.6m

im sorry but i think your all wrong... All the top teams have that holding midfielder who protecs the back 4 and breaks the play up... He is some times called the water carrier, and plays such as Hargreaves, Essien, Mascarano etc all preform this job for there club sides... Roy Keane and Patrik Viera were two of the best examples in recent years, just look how important they were...

I'd say keeper also. I used to play keeper when I was younger. When I watch soccer on TV, one thing I see goalies doing wrong a lot is they misplay the action when there is a breakaway, or if the ball is momentarily loose near the goal. Goalies miss the opportunity to attack the dribbler, dive at the ball, take the attacker's legs out, whatever. Do you agree?

Manager IMO

Peter Cech is Chelsea's most important player, him (and the back four) were the main factors in them winning their 2 titles. But Man Utd wouldn't have won the league last year without Ronaldo, so it's difficult. Keepers = more points per season imo

It's hard to single out a position that is not the keeper. But players in other positions might sometimes win games singlehandedly - strikers, midfielders or defenders (like Beckenbauer) for that matter.

Also, Brazil has never really had a world class keeper for example, and they've done pretty well over the years. Might have done better with a Schmeichel, Cech or Buffon though.

If keeper were the most important position, wouldn't the US team do better? We produce more good keepers than anything else. :confused:

Keepers can certainly steal a game (see Oliver Kahn against the US in the World Cup quarterfinals) and they are one of the most important. I guess it depends on how you think about it. It's probably impossible to win consistently at a high level with a mediocre keeper, but if you can't score or defend, the best keeper in the world can't save you.

I'll take a great center-midfielder anytime. I don't think any position can dominate a game like a great center-mid. A guy like Zidane can practically carry a whole team - like he did in the 2006 semi.

Perhaps I'm being biased, because the U.S. never seems to able to produce anyone decent at that position.

I think the keeper is too. I maybe a bit partial because the goal keeper in soccer is like the libero in volleyball and that was the position I played in college.

Offense wins games, Defense win championships...

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Originally Posted by gudnite vienna

im sorry but i think your all wrong... All the top teams have that holding midfielder who protecs the back 4 and breaks the play up... He is some times called the water carrier, and plays such as Hargreaves, Essien, Mascarano etc all preform this job for there club sides... Roy Keane and Patrik Viera were two of the best examples in recent years, just look how important they were...

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I love this position (it was my favorite to play) and it's a great asset to have a great one, but I think it's easier to make up for a weakness in this position than it is to cover for a bad keeper or lack of a good attacking midfielder or forward.

Center Mid....they have the opportunity to touch the ball the most and have an effect on attack and defense.

PROOF
Can Liverpool win without Reina?
Can Liverpool win without Torres?
Can Liverpool win without Gerrard?


.....CENTER MID

Keeper.

I guess the way i thought of it is which position could you not absorb a weak player.

I think maybe any other position on the field you may be able to absorb a weaker player into the team.

For example a team of good players with one weak outfield player, the team could possibly absorb that players weakness across the team and still do well. Whereas i don;t think a weak keeper can be absorbed simply because (IMO) so much rests on him. Last line of defence and all that, also nowadays has to be skilful on the ball with the backpass rule and also initiates the next attack with distribution.

I guess there can be an argument for any position but i think the teams with really strong keepers tend to do better.

Big H's point about Petr Chech is very valid. I know he had a great defence in front of him but 25 clean sheets in a season is incredible. Also again...untd would not have won the title without ronaldo.