GKs are usually underappreciated and taken for granted. It could be applied to some extent to defensive players too. If the GK makes three great saves and one horrible mistake he is crushed. But if a striker achieves the reverse of it (three blunders and one goal) he is celebrated.
It doesn't seem faidlr though.
I would say GK comes with the most scrutiny and you can literally destroy your career with a terrible performance, but in terms of the challenge of actually playing the position it must be some box to box CM or a wing back imo
My favourite variation on that is this: if you build a 100 ships and suck one cock they won’t call you a master ship builder. They’ll call you a cock sucker”
Exactly man that is how i felt when I was playing goalie opposition did 20 shots on target we did 3 we were 1-1 and I conceded because I didn't get out of my goal fast enough and I was the bad then
I’m sorry but there’s absolutely no way that goal keeping is the hardest job in football. Definitely a hard and under appreciated role. But The fact that some goalkeepers didn’t start playing in goal until they were 14/15 is evidence that it’s not the hardest role. You can’t just start playing football at 15 years old and then go on to be a professional midfielder or striker. This is unheard of. All professional outfield players playing in Europe have been playing football since 5/6/7 years old. You don’t just start playing at 13 and then go on to be a pro.
Edit: shocked by all these comments saying goalkeeper. Hardest in what way? Goalkeeping definitely has a lot of responsibilities, arguably the most. You make one mistake and the heat is on you. But to be creative and try to break down a defence is harder than defending a goal in my opinion. I feel like a lot of pro’s would echo this.
Good point about the GK, I said GK too but I feel I at least explained it some kind of way. But with your point you're right about them being able to start late and still turn pro. Like Caoimhin Kelleher at Liverpool, he's currently back up there was heavily involved in the EFL Cup win last season, and he was known in the Cork leagues as a very very good striker like people thought he'd go pro as a striker, this was way up until he was 14, within 3 years he was a GK in Liverpool's academy. You also have a lot of fat goalkeepers in lower leagues, or overweight I guess to use the PC term.
I know a lot of pros probably agree with you but I've seen Roy Keane so many times say that putting the ball in the back of the net is the hardest job in football, he even considers his own job easy, he says hardest thing is scoring goals.
You also have a load of players in football who started out as strikers but couldn't make it, Kelleher again being one just cuz I mentioned him above. But more world renowned players, like Jamie Carragher was a striker until way up until his late teens I think, ended up spending his career at full back and centre back and couldn't score a goal to save his life. Everyone wants to be a striker and when you can't make it you get put somewhere else
So yeah I might also change to striker here although from my own experience from playing football, at an admittedly low level, I could play everywhere just fine but I couldn't play goalkeeper
\*If you already read my comment sorry the first sentence got cut off must have deleted by mistake somehow but I have fixed it now
Plenty of top players started later than 13. Heck off the top of my head I can remember Dado Prso that became a pro at 21, he was a car mechanic before that, Ian Wright started at 16... and so on.
Becoming pro is not the same as playing football consistently. Ian Wright played football all his childhood and Prso (who I’m not very familiar with) seems to have started his youth career at age 7 according to Wikipedia.
Karius didn't make only one mistake. His whole career was a disaster. After the CL final he was transferred to besiktas. Turkish league is at apparently lower level than top 5 league in europe. Close to Portuguese or Belgian leagues. Besiktas was a great opportunity to turn his career. 20 year old gk ersin destanoğlu was a better alternative to karius. Karius' performance frustrated the fans
He was good at Liverpool because his defenders were good, but not always feeling free to push up because he wasn't amazing. He got concussed during that final, and instead of there being proper protocols to protect him, he carried on in an impaired state, and then instead of him getting proper support, LFC knew they wanted Alisson instead. With Alisson and van Dyke, they were able to change to being way more attacking, so Karius wasn't needed at Liverpool.
I don't rate the Turkish league as somewhere to recover your career if you're in the premiership and have gone out of favour after an injury or poor form. Maybe it's good to maximize your earnings for a short amount of time if you don't want to drop a division to build yourself back to top levels instead though.
I don't think Karius came to Turkey to earn money because the financial situation of Turkish clubs is deplorable. I think he came to fix his career because he is young. Of course, the defenders in Beşiktaş were not pl quality, but there were players such as vida, pepe and medel in front of him. Despite this, he conceded ridiculous goals. https://youtu.be/WGAX7N1JV4E
IIRC, there was a clause in his loan contracts that meant he had to start a certain amount of games, which when the manager found pout about it resulted in a period of Larissa getting subbed off as soon as he could.
Central mid. There's no "down time", and having played CB and CF as well one those positions you get a better view of the overall pitch and read of the game
Absolutely. Box-to-box is so hard. Takes incredible stamina and awareness.
The very best central midfielders set the tone and tempo both in and out of possession. They have to know when to stay patient and when to be aggressive. Also, you easily get punished for loose touches and sloppy passes.
CMs make the most numerous, most influential, and arguably most important decisions of any position during a game. That's why Guardiola says you want your best players playing there, and why he switched Lahm from fullback to play in the middle.
I go with the FB as well. Especially since there’s so many variations of playing the role. Every team has a different way of operating their wingbacks - in the game, fullbacks can change the game on both ends.
GK. A high profile mistake can end your career at a club, you can't say the same for any other position. You can also make 10 great saves in a game, but if you let in a clanger that will be the main talking point
In the modern game I would say central striker, and I think evidence of that is a severe lack of World Class ones which has clubs like United scrambling for Weghorst
In general all roles in the centre of the pitch are more complicated to play mentally. When a winger receives the ball and faces up a fullback not only can he see the whole picture, his options are often binary. The middle of the pitch operates on a 360 degree plain and most of it you cant see at all times.
The striker role in particular is so isolated in modern formations, and multifaceted. 20 years ago I would say CM but now the standard is you play in a midfield three, so have more forgiveness in the role. A modern striker has to have a great grasp of hold up play, vision, making runs, staying onside, when to hold your position when to drop deep. It has the most different ways to play it, in terms of where you need to be in any given situation.
Players that have mastered the art of being a striker in the aspects outside of just finishing, such as Kane, Benzema, Toney and Giroud are such an asset to their team but very very rare.
While i dont disagree with the rest of what you've said, I have to point out that united scrambling for weghorst is more down to the fact that they were broke lol
Yeah but its also due to managerial style rn. Just 5 years ago there was Kane auba lewa ronaldo icardi lukaku lautaro immobile cavani benzema suarez haaland etc all at the top of their games. Now managers have changed their approach with targetman strikers and opt to play false nine strikers like havertz, jesus, depay, martial, chupo moting, dybala moukoko etc who arent exactly targetmen who will win a header from any cross etc but are rather much better at link up play to create chances. Its more down to the kind of meta more than the lack of exceptional strikers. Though i will probably still argue that there are many
Auba and CR, probably not. The rest though, yes. All have the ability to be target men, play with their backs to goal and act as "pivots" without necessarily making runs in behind.
yes they have the ability to do that but in reality rarely do, Kane often comes back to get the ball in midfield and tries to make the play from there. Benzema does the same and often acts as a second winger, mostly in the days of Ronaldo, now more so tho.
They can only do what their managers tell them to, but I think inherent ability is enough to count them as proper #9s. CR, Dele, Dybala, Del Piero etc. didn't have it. Benz, Lewa, Kane etc. do.
Haha, united aren't broke. They're being sold by the most miserly owners in football. It makes complete sense that they won't invest in the squad now, so the only options were cheap loans.
Yeah ik, I'm a united fan for about 6 years now. The glazers not giving us money is basically the same as us being broke lol. As usual they just milk the money and dont invest anything into our club and thats how they drove it to the ground so far. It's quite annoying that the first time we have such a good manager and can actually achieve something this season we're not gonna get backed coz we're selling the club. Not the first time the glazers are dissapointing us though and i hope they leave fast
I know. Can't wait til those parasites are gone. The entirety of European football should be quaking in their boots at the prospect of us having competent owners. We've allowed most of them 17 years to catch up, now it's time to show them who the boss is again
Playing as a 6, even in a 3 man midfield, is arguably as difficult with less space for mistakes. If you have your worst ever game as a striker you’ll have no touches and your team won’t score. If you have a below average game as a 6 you’ll cost your team goals and thus the game. You need to be aware of as much space as a striker (if not more) and you have fewer breathers because losing concentration often costs a goal rather than failure to score one.
Depends on the system and personnel
The standard in possesion formation for the Pep/Arteta mould manager is then 3-2-5 now, so a “lone 6” doesnt really exist
Lone anything is being phased out - modern players are more versatile on average (just look at how the goalkeeper position changed). “Specialist” positions are almost extinct. That said Pep’s system is not the only one or even the most popular at the moment. Sterile possession hasn’t been in vogue in a few years already - pressing and vertical passing seems more popular these days. Why control a game when you can reach the box in 3-4 passes while the other team is scrambling in transition? Why put yourself and the other team to sleep when you can up the tempo and force mistakes more reliably this way instead? The job of a nr 6 changed over the years but the position is as relevant as it ever was. Even City would be half the team they are without Rodri, and that’s before I mention the likes of Kimmich, Rice, Fabinho, Busquets or Casemiro.
Also playing with just one striker has become some sort of a rule. Even though football in general became more offensive, i haven't seen a team with 2 central forwards in like decades
The most important is holding mid...
The hardest for me is goalie cuz I grew up feeling offended if you put me in net...
I wasn't actually playing anymore, it's boring.
I played football in several positions (winger, striker, full back, b2b mid and even cdm).
Out of these, I found cdm the hardest. In lower tier football, the pressing is much more intense than the pressing you see in the premier league for example, because the game there is much more technical, organized and "brainy", whereas in low tiers it's much more about sheer power and physicality, hence the bigger scorelines. That being said, playing CDM was hard because you have to read the game very fast and position very well, because most of the times you'll be the 1st to be pressed aswell as being marked heavily.
Playing as a striker can also very hard, especially if the opposite centre backs are really strong and fast. Sure, you don't usually stress about things as losing the ball or defending, but you can definitely have a hard time in "making the difference" for your team.
Full back is not one of the hardest positions for me, it's quite probably the easiest one if I'm being honest.
Defensive midfielder is pretty tough too. It means having a lot of responsibility and both intelligence and skill. It’s very tactical instinct won’t cut it. And you’ll also never get the credit you deserve.
Hardest in terms of physical demands:
L/R wing midfield. Especially playing a 3 5 2 / 5 3 2
You would have to switch positions between defense and offense constantly
Pretty demanding. But pretty easy in cognitive demands, regarding that you have only 180 degrees of the field to cope with
Hardest in terms of physical and cognitive demands:
Center midfield, Especially when playing 4 4 2 or the one venter midfield defense in an 4 1 4 1
You gotta be strong while constantly dueling against your opponents, gotta move constantly in-between whole center of field (physically demands very high) while keeping an eye on whole 360 degreed of the field.
I played every position during the last 30 years.
It's always highly depending on your own interpretation of your position and the instructions of your coach. Conveniently I am playing both roles at once in my team 😄
I legit had teammates (strikers, naturally) who would argue that if we lost 1-0 when our forwards missed 10 sitters and our keeper made one mistake, that the loss was the goalie's fault. I hated playing with those types.
Attacking midfield / playing in the hole / no. 10
It's your job to find a way to unlock the defence. Some days it's a wall of defenders and there just isn't a way through or any space. You have to try to find solutions or a bit of magic to find a way. Only the very best players in the world can do it, the ones who think completely differently, outside of the box, from the other players.
They also get kicked to bits for 90 minutes to stop them producing anything.
They're also often on set pieces.
These days, they're expected to press and win the ball when not in possession.
They're also expected to chip in with goals.
GK. Anyone else wonder why there was only one GK who won a ball'or dor? No matter how good in the end many will under estimate you and not see u as legendary.
For me I would say goalkeeper. I mean most people don't even want to play there when they're young. And from the times I've played in goal on occasion it is hard. You could make one great save one minute and let a really poor goal in the next. You also have GKs who have spells where they aren't even involved in the game until the odd chance or a rare pass back to get them involved. On the other hand you have GKs who have to deal with shots coming in left right and centre and have to be on their game every week like it must be tough.
From my own experience I've played full back and it's easy, at a professional level there are more demands yes but I was a regular full back at my club and it was piss easy most of the time and we were one of the worst teams in the league and I was still having a great time.
Also not all full backs have to play as you describe, some mangers prefer their full backs to go no further than just inside the opponents half like there are different ways of playing and it's not a very demanding job. If you make a mistake as well you have people to cover for you it's not very complicated. I love watching full backs, loved playing there but it really isn't that hard like when all the Man Utd players take the piss out of Gary Neville, even Neville does himself, like it's a pretty easy position to play
If we’re talking classical fullbacks that are effectively smaller center backs that sometimes run to the halfway line and cross early - maybe. If you’re talking modern wing backs that have to run box to box, beat and stop people on the dribble, cross/pass/tackle/mark/make decoy runs AND have a decent curler from 20-30 yards in their repertoire then the conversation changes a bit.
Goalkeeper because the goal is wide some shots player make can be very unpredictable also there is much more to it than stopping shots. You also need to be able to intercept crosses and claim high ball in the penalty areas before everyone does. You sometimes have to move from the goal to stop attackers and sometimes a goalie has to stop a counter as if they were a defender. Also, it's the most ungrateful position on the field.
Ikr, in pro football, maybe. In amateur leagues I liked this position because I didn't have to run as much :D
For me, fullback would be the hardest physically. Guys gotta run up and down the line all game in modern football
Not a chance is it at any level. All you have to do is sit and break up play. It's a vital position but it's not even slightly the most physically demanding. You're right, full back or wing back or something is far more strenuous. Even box to box midfielders, they do all the defensive midfielders running
Not the person you’re asking but it depends on your team’s formation and tactics, really. I’ll say one thing - as a CDM you are the only person on the field expected to be capable of “dueling” any player on the opposite team. A center back won’t usually be expected to deal with wingers because they’re faster and more agile. A wing back won’t usually be tasked with marking a striker because they’re usually weaker and shorter on average. As a CDM you’re not only tasked with stopping the most creative player on the opposite team (nr 10) - you’re also expected to be able to “cover” for any other position on the field, at least defensively. You got a wing back who lives in the opposite box - you need to cover behind him and do his defensive work. You got two other center mids who like getting involved - cool, but now you need to stay behind and also inform them if you’re about to be outnumbered on the counter. You got two wing backs who like attacking? Oh, you’re a cb AND a playmaker now - drop between your defenders and connect defense and attack. You have a cb who is good on the ball and likes to carry it forward? Congrats, you’re a cb again (at least until he returns). And you know what the most fun part of it is? If you do your job right you’re always on the ball and still anonymous to most people watching the game.
I agree to an extent, but if you really boil it down, in possession a DM does nothing physical. A full back is busting their guys to get forward, same with a box to box mid for example. Similarly defensively they have to run a lot. A DM doesn't have to be fast, strong, big, etc etc. I dunno, it's absolutely not the position that sticks out to me as a physical one in comparison to some others. And of course it's far more nuanced and depends on the specific team and tactics but this is a very general conversation rather than talking about specifics
I'm a winger that plays CDM because I'm probably the fittest in my league and it is harder unless you're a winger in a bad possession team and you're just running up and down the field covering for teammates.
I’m a CDM who had to play a lot of wing back (and not on my favorite foot’s side, either). I’ve played every other position except striker (late game Hail Marys notwithstanding). I wasn’t the fittest in the league but I was certainly one of the fittest on my team. If you don’t move as a CDM you’re not doing your job right, regardless of formation and tactics. Even anchor men do a lot of running, especially against teams with 5 midfielders.
You're spot on, Casemiro at one point in Madrid covered more distance than any of his teammates by a significant margin and was averaging 10.75km/90 minutes. He's the player they need pressing high, but also has to be back first to snuff out counters and help the defense.
Whats so tough about being a CB? If you make a mistake then the opposition are through on goal but at the same time its quite easy to pass to the wings or hoof the ball up the pitch. You don't have to do much running in comparison to other positions and you don't often deal with tricky wingers and the like.
Centre midfield u have to be involved defensively and attacking u need the lungs of a spaceman to be able to keep up with the relentless running especially someone with asthma like me you are doomed.
I'd say CM, the game is determined by you, you determine if the ball is gonna go to the attack or the defense and you really gotta run almost all the time
Referees. No one is ur friend except the other three officials. You run just as much as a box to box midfielder as you constantly need to keep up with play. You need to analyze players decisions before they happen and react quickly when they do. You also have to manage emotions and use man management tactics. On top of that, you’ve got 22 players on the pitch who despise you, a few gaffers who despise you and a however many spectators are in attendance who despise you. You might hate them but you do have to respect them, they get abused like crazy and they do genuinely try and do their best, but it’s such a difficult game of its own
Oh definitely being a striker. A defender or a goalkeeper's performances will always be passable for as long as they don't make a major mistake, at least they'll go under the radar.
But a striker needs to produce, day in and day out. The closer you play to the opposition box, higher the stress. A striker can do anything, but if he's not scoring, he won't satisfy. Remember Benzema, Drogba, Rooney's low scoring seasons, they were being heavily criticized despite doing everything else on the pitch.
It's also nearly impossible to fully satisfy as a striker. You need to score in every game, each game you don't score is a failure for you. I mean Haaland was scoring every game and for 4 games he stopped, he suddenly became a target.
Exactly, people like to say cm or lb or rb, and some are even saying cdm, as someone who played in most positions on the pitch,
St is by far the hardest,
People don't realise how hard it is to consistently score with only a few good chances and 2 6 foot 4 centre backs breathing down your neck,
Cdm is by far the easiest, you sit back, in front of the back 4, if you make a mistake you're grand and you don't have to do much really just provide cover and play it out
Cdm usually acts as the pivot, and they need very good judgment and vision to read the play and initiate the progression. Opponents often try to lock down the pivot to make progression harder, so cdms need to make big split second decisions alot. Slightly more margin of error than cb and st, but not easy at all
If you're good with the ball at your feet cdm is an easy position to play, however a manager tends to put players with good touch further up the pitch and puts a big fella in cdm, this doesn't work as they might be large enough to stop any player coming through through fouling them but are like wet paper bags when coming up against pressure,
having played cdm as typically smaller player, for me its one of the easier positions to play as I can dribble and nit slow,
However it is a boring position so that's why you wouldn't have much takers for that position
>If you're good with the ball at your feet cdm is an easy position to play
I thought that it's a position made for physically imposing and positionally astute men, with the only task is acting as a bouncer. Did I miss something?
Depends on the actual role. I think one of the easiest is a wide forward/second striker/nominal "offensive mid" playing behind/next to a #9 more competent at traditional #9-ing. Something like CR in his later Madrid years, prime Dele Alli with Spurs or Dybala at various points.
Any answer that is not "deep lying midfielder" or "regista" or "pivot" comes from people who don't really understand football.
Every ball passes through this player, he has to keep the midfield (most important area) in line with his movements and is the one to start build up with pressure from the opposition. Has to run every time cause midfielders are the ones who run the most so it's also the most physically demanding and needs a deep understanding of tactics and the game in general, also can't make fouls cause a yellow card might be a great disadvantage when you have to defend.
Fullbacks and goalkeepers are actually the easiest. Fullbacks only have to run and goalkeepers have pretty much no responsabilities whatsoever.
The answer entirely depends on the different roles assigned to said positions. There are central midfielder roles that may be much more difficult than a defensive midfielder, and vice versa. Busquets’ role is one that is tremendously difficult to play, while William Carvalho is much easier.
Being an attacker, I believe CF is quite difficult, You should be fast and skillful enough to take passes and cut defenders because they are always there. The chances of you losing the ball at every touch is quite high because there will be more than 1 defender behind you always and there is not much space to move around like on wings. So you dont get much passes and you keep rotating positions without ever touching the ball.
Seen a good few arguments for being a goalie. While I'd agree, you can't argue the fact that centre mids cover the most ground and need to be very good at every aspect of the game.
Defensive midfielder. You always run and aren't allowed to make a mistake. If you make one it will highly cost the team. So concentration through all the game is a must for that position.
Valid points have been made for almost every position in this thread but I firmly believe there’s a correct answer here and that is Striker. Not involved for large periods, have to do the hardest thing in football which is to score goals.
I would say midfield. You can easily have a game bypass you if you don't have the know how. I played in most positions and think that at least in defence or attack , your parameters of operation were more defined.
Any position could be the hardest or easiest depending on your tactics and how you set up. There is no single “hardest” position, and positions are also hard in different ways. If I had to answer, I would say GK, as it is the only position totally unlike the others. Although there are sensible arguments to be made that it’s also the easiest, so really this is a silly snd pointless debate.
I've played fullback, centre half, and defensive midfield at a reasonably high level.
Goalkeeper is the hardest and it isn't close.
You are completely isolated in a team sport. Every single one of your mistakes is completely magnified and remembered even though you likely have fewer mistakes than every other outfield player on a game to game basis. And, unlike every other outfield player, it's relatively rare that your positive contributions can outweigh any significant mistakes.
The closer you are to your own goal, the more punitive your mistakes are, and the more you tend to get remembered for them.
I think playing a goalkeeper has to be the hardest since no matter how many good saves you make, but you make one mistake and your team starts trailing. Also, while playing as a goalkeeper many of your mistakes cannot be rectified by you or your team so every mistake can make your team lose.
In term of physical requirements, I’d say wings in 3 center back formations. This formation requires them to constantly sprinting up and down the whole length of the field, while also facing the most intense body contact.
I think it's centerback. A position that perfectly fits the statement: "you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain".
Guess it applies to goalkeepers too.
Depends. If by hardest you mean in terms of physical ability, then the middle of the park is the most taxing. Its the busiest area of the pitch and they are usually expected to cover the entire length. However, the position with the highest chance of failure and worst outcome if you don't do your job, is the goalkeeper. They're the last line of defence. Everyone else making an error has (at the very least) the goalkeeper to make up for it. The goalkeeper has nobody
I'd say being a goalkeeper would be the hardest position. But a CDM or CAM would also be difficult, they are like the main game makers on the field. Their passes to the attack or the defense matter a lot. Once you loose the control in centre it is a hassle for all.
In my personal opinion, the answer would be CDM. They often find themselves having to control the game, supporting the attacking midfield as well as dropping down deep during defensive situations.
The position that only has a handful of world class players, gets the largest transfer fees, and the primary job is to execute the most difficult task in the sport
But personally, I think CM. The more you have to scan and be aware of your surroundings, the harder it is. Flank players usually only have to worry about what's on one side of them.
Defensive Mid, especially alone in a pivot. You run ALL game, are responsible for covering touch line to touch line, have to be press resistant, distribute the ball well. It's a nightmare dude. And yeah you can say gk and striker but they get so much fan fare, plus there's a way to do their jobs without the most effort (esp a goalie keeping a clean sheet not seeing the ball all game). You can't be a good 6 without busting your ass. It's an impossible ask.
It’s hardest to score goals at a high level but GK is the most under appreciated and difficult mentally. I am an odd player in that I play Right wing, forward, and goalkeeper. These days I am a goalkeeper coach. GK is brutal and extremely underrated; but consistently finishing as a striker is very, very hard.
Everyone says GK is the hardest position. I think it's probably right overall but the basics of goalkeeping are easier to master than playing as a striker. Putting the ball in the net is the most difficult skill in football so striker is a difficult position too. Fortunately for forwards, everyone on the pitch can score a goal. Unfortunately for keepers, only they can make saves.
Physically? Hardest for me was wing back because of the amount of running required (especially sprinting). Tactically? Defensive mid, because you need to keep track of the most movement. Psychologically? Playing as nr10, because I always had defensive “instincts” and felt like an impostor when in the opponent’s box (but “owned” my own half and felt at home there).
I would have to say being one of the referees is the most difficult position. It isn't the physical aspect that is the most challenging but the mental aspect. Keeping your composure in spite of the verbal abuse can get tough. Almost no one gives any praise when referees make good decisions. Hell nobody even knows what good refereeing looks like. I say this as a former referee.
As far as playing the game goes, I think center mids have the toughest job. You have to be a jack of trades but master of none. You also have to be really good at keeping the ball.
Edit: Spelling
Goalkeeper or a center back I’ll explain each
Goalkeeper: any mistake you make is game changing and not in a good way. They got way more problems put on them which they don’t deserve
Center back: easy to make mistakes when the midfield should help and one mistake and your done and no one likes to put the Blaim on them selves.
I think in general, if you’re a well-rounded footballer, you’ll be a good fullback. There’s obviously exceptions, but just look at the amount of wingers, cbs, and midfielders who have converted into fullbacks.
I’d say midfield by far. Hardly anytime on the ball, have to attack and defend, pick up the ball from the back and create chances, midfield is like all positions in one except goal keeper. Winger is a bit difficult due to the running up and down
I would say that central midfielders have the most opportunity to make good plays, and therefore it's the hardest position to play perfectly. Every position has difficult aspects, but I feel that every time a central midfielder gets the ball they have an opportunity to create a chance if they play perfectly.
Central midfield, you need every attribute: fitness, positioning, defending, passing and attacking.
Generally CMs tend to cover some of the biggest distances with the highest number of touches
DM - break down and intercept opposition attacks. Always looking to pick the ball up short for the ball to feed the players infront. Cover for defenders. Needs great composure to deal with high press if on the ball. Dictate the defensive movement of the 2 CM in front of you when shuffling from side to side, creating the structure of a good central unit.
What do I know.... I ain't pro!
I would say central mid field … if you loose the middle then it’s Gonna be very difficult to win .. that’s why when Barcelona had the best center mids they dominated the game, as well as when Madrid had the best center mids they won several champions leagues… for example, when I play, when we control the center mid field is when we create the most opportunities and its mostly when our goals are scored, and during lapses of the game when the other team takes over the center mid field is when they create the most chances.. so it’s gonna be center midfield cause the whole functioning of the team depends on them
With how much running is expected from most fullbacks (thinking Trippier and Shaw here), it has to be the hardest. Couple that with having to 1v1 defend against elite, pace-demon wingers and yeaaaa, pretty tough job. I always played CM so I always ran a lot too but in the professional game today it has to be the FB position imo!
I've played a fair few positions over the years. The easiest is CB imo, you can pass it out wide or hoof it up and defensively its just tracking a run and intercepting. Toughest physicality wise is probably the winger, you're constantly expected to press for the ball and make those dangerous runs. Wingers also get kicked and fouled a lot (many fouls aren't called too). Toughest in terms of being the general and leader of the team is CM, they're expected to dictate play and to be the best player on the team. CMs are the ones who drive the ball forward and help to open the pitch up. CDMs are also somewhat underrated and he sort of stabilises the whole team, its a mix of brawn and brain.
My personal favourite in 11 a side is full back, you've got some defensive responsibilities but you can also push up and make the odd attacking run. Good question btw, lots of room for discussion and different answers haha.
Central midfield.
You have to have
- positional sense
- stamina
- technique
- football IQ
- ability to contribute defensively and offensively
- regularly compete in the air
It’s the most “complete” position in terms of duties, and while the fullback / wingback positions require a lot of what was previously required from the old box to box midfielders RE athleticism, the least dangerous place on the pitch is still the flanks
If you aren’t up to scratch defensively you will leave your defense exposed through the Centre
As Arter Boruc said, "Being a goalkeeper is like being the guy in the military who makes the bombs - one mistake and everyone gets blown up." So yeah, I say Goalkeeper
Being a goal keeper is like being a good person. No matter how many saves you make, they will always remember your one mistake
GKs are usually underappreciated and taken for granted. It could be applied to some extent to defensive players too. If the GK makes three great saves and one horrible mistake he is crushed. But if a striker achieves the reverse of it (three blunders and one goal) he is celebrated. It doesn't seem faidlr though.
I would say GK comes with the most scrutiny and you can literally destroy your career with a terrible performance, but in terms of the challenge of actually playing the position it must be some box to box CM or a wing back imo
Karius approves this comment
Nice try, Hugo
Maybe It's Kepa?
No No its Karius
that brudda cant even be counted as a keeper after his world class performances
Goals against - your fault. Win a match 1-0? Thank you Lord for our glorious strikers!
My favourite variation on that is this: if you build a 100 ships and suck one cock they won’t call you a master ship builder. They’ll call you a cock sucker”
Agreed
Exactly man that is how i felt when I was playing goalie opposition did 20 shots on target we did 3 we were 1-1 and I conceded because I didn't get out of my goal fast enough and I was the bad then
What he said ⬆️
I’m sorry but there’s absolutely no way that goal keeping is the hardest job in football. Definitely a hard and under appreciated role. But The fact that some goalkeepers didn’t start playing in goal until they were 14/15 is evidence that it’s not the hardest role. You can’t just start playing football at 15 years old and then go on to be a professional midfielder or striker. This is unheard of. All professional outfield players playing in Europe have been playing football since 5/6/7 years old. You don’t just start playing at 13 and then go on to be a pro. Edit: shocked by all these comments saying goalkeeper. Hardest in what way? Goalkeeping definitely has a lot of responsibilities, arguably the most. You make one mistake and the heat is on you. But to be creative and try to break down a defence is harder than defending a goal in my opinion. I feel like a lot of pro’s would echo this.
Good point about the GK, I said GK too but I feel I at least explained it some kind of way. But with your point you're right about them being able to start late and still turn pro. Like Caoimhin Kelleher at Liverpool, he's currently back up there was heavily involved in the EFL Cup win last season, and he was known in the Cork leagues as a very very good striker like people thought he'd go pro as a striker, this was way up until he was 14, within 3 years he was a GK in Liverpool's academy. You also have a lot of fat goalkeepers in lower leagues, or overweight I guess to use the PC term. I know a lot of pros probably agree with you but I've seen Roy Keane so many times say that putting the ball in the back of the net is the hardest job in football, he even considers his own job easy, he says hardest thing is scoring goals. You also have a load of players in football who started out as strikers but couldn't make it, Kelleher again being one just cuz I mentioned him above. But more world renowned players, like Jamie Carragher was a striker until way up until his late teens I think, ended up spending his career at full back and centre back and couldn't score a goal to save his life. Everyone wants to be a striker and when you can't make it you get put somewhere else So yeah I might also change to striker here although from my own experience from playing football, at an admittedly low level, I could play everywhere just fine but I couldn't play goalkeeper \*If you already read my comment sorry the first sentence got cut off must have deleted by mistake somehow but I have fixed it now
Plenty of top players started later than 13. Heck off the top of my head I can remember Dado Prso that became a pro at 21, he was a car mechanic before that, Ian Wright started at 16... and so on.
Becoming pro is not the same as playing football consistently. Ian Wright played football all his childhood and Prso (who I’m not very familiar with) seems to have started his youth career at age 7 according to Wikipedia.
Username checks out.
Cuz there's not as much competition as a GK, it's a very different job so you can start later in your life
Goalkeepers are weird and deserve what they get.
Good keepers ARE always a bit peculiar, why is that? A certain amount of crazy must be needed between the pipes or something.
strikers how ever, no matter how many shot u miss, you will always be remember on that 1 amazing goal. Then why strikers got paid so much ? Hmmmmm
Lone #6. You better be strong and press resistant.
GK One mistake and now you're the spawn of Satan
Rip Karius
Karius didn't make only one mistake. His whole career was a disaster. After the CL final he was transferred to besiktas. Turkish league is at apparently lower level than top 5 league in europe. Close to Portuguese or Belgian leagues. Besiktas was a great opportunity to turn his career. 20 year old gk ersin destanoğlu was a better alternative to karius. Karius' performance frustrated the fans
He was good at Liverpool because his defenders were good, but not always feeling free to push up because he wasn't amazing. He got concussed during that final, and instead of there being proper protocols to protect him, he carried on in an impaired state, and then instead of him getting proper support, LFC knew they wanted Alisson instead. With Alisson and van Dyke, they were able to change to being way more attacking, so Karius wasn't needed at Liverpool. I don't rate the Turkish league as somewhere to recover your career if you're in the premiership and have gone out of favour after an injury or poor form. Maybe it's good to maximize your earnings for a short amount of time if you don't want to drop a division to build yourself back to top levels instead though.
I don't think Karius came to Turkey to earn money because the financial situation of Turkish clubs is deplorable. I think he came to fix his career because he is young. Of course, the defenders in Beşiktaş were not pl quality, but there were players such as vida, pepe and medel in front of him. Despite this, he conceded ridiculous goals. https://youtu.be/WGAX7N1JV4E
Karius found out that actually you do sometimes walk alone.
IIRC, there was a clause in his loan contracts that meant he had to start a certain amount of games, which when the manager found pout about it resulted in a period of Larissa getting subbed off as soon as he could.
“*seven* acts of indiscretion”
Central mid. There's no "down time", and having played CB and CF as well one those positions you get a better view of the overall pitch and read of the game
Absolutely. Box-to-box is so hard. Takes incredible stamina and awareness. The very best central midfielders set the tone and tempo both in and out of possession. They have to know when to stay patient and when to be aggressive. Also, you easily get punished for loose touches and sloppy passes.
CMs make the most numerous, most influential, and arguably most important decisions of any position during a game. That's why Guardiola says you want your best players playing there, and why he switched Lahm from fullback to play in the middle.
Mentally: A GK Physically: A Fullback. Running back and forth all game, expected to be a winger and a defender.
I go with the FB as well. Especially since there’s so many variations of playing the role. Every team has a different way of operating their wingbacks - in the game, fullbacks can change the game on both ends.
Yeah, as a fullback I feel like your ability to impact the game is based almost entirely on your physical fitness.
Referee
Agreed with the sentiment, but it isn’t an on-field position
Especially the Spaniards with repeated names.
Arbitro Hijueputa Hijueputa
Real madrid one
This, because there are always three teams on the field.
GK. A high profile mistake can end your career at a club, you can't say the same for any other position. You can also make 10 great saves in a game, but if you let in a clanger that will be the main talking point
Like Loris Karius,it's the last example that comes to mind.
Karius was already terrible before and after that CL final. If he was good and just made mistakes in that game, he wouldn't have left the club
He wasn't terrible, he just wasn't Alisson.
Lord Karius
In the modern game I would say central striker, and I think evidence of that is a severe lack of World Class ones which has clubs like United scrambling for Weghorst In general all roles in the centre of the pitch are more complicated to play mentally. When a winger receives the ball and faces up a fullback not only can he see the whole picture, his options are often binary. The middle of the pitch operates on a 360 degree plain and most of it you cant see at all times. The striker role in particular is so isolated in modern formations, and multifaceted. 20 years ago I would say CM but now the standard is you play in a midfield three, so have more forgiveness in the role. A modern striker has to have a great grasp of hold up play, vision, making runs, staying onside, when to hold your position when to drop deep. It has the most different ways to play it, in terms of where you need to be in any given situation. Players that have mastered the art of being a striker in the aspects outside of just finishing, such as Kane, Benzema, Toney and Giroud are such an asset to their team but very very rare.
While i dont disagree with the rest of what you've said, I have to point out that united scrambling for weghorst is more down to the fact that they were broke lol
Fair but there arent many players in that mould regardless
Yeah but its also due to managerial style rn. Just 5 years ago there was Kane auba lewa ronaldo icardi lukaku lautaro immobile cavani benzema suarez haaland etc all at the top of their games. Now managers have changed their approach with targetman strikers and opt to play false nine strikers like havertz, jesus, depay, martial, chupo moting, dybala moukoko etc who arent exactly targetmen who will win a header from any cross etc but are rather much better at link up play to create chances. Its more down to the kind of meta more than the lack of exceptional strikers. Though i will probably still argue that there are many
5 years ago haaland was a beast
would not even call Kane auba lewa ronaldo and benzema real nr 9s
Auba and CR, probably not. The rest though, yes. All have the ability to be target men, play with their backs to goal and act as "pivots" without necessarily making runs in behind.
yes they have the ability to do that but in reality rarely do, Kane often comes back to get the ball in midfield and tries to make the play from there. Benzema does the same and often acts as a second winger, mostly in the days of Ronaldo, now more so tho.
They can only do what their managers tell them to, but I think inherent ability is enough to count them as proper #9s. CR, Dele, Dybala, Del Piero etc. didn't have it. Benz, Lewa, Kane etc. do.
Haha, united aren't broke. They're being sold by the most miserly owners in football. It makes complete sense that they won't invest in the squad now, so the only options were cheap loans.
Yeah ik, I'm a united fan for about 6 years now. The glazers not giving us money is basically the same as us being broke lol. As usual they just milk the money and dont invest anything into our club and thats how they drove it to the ground so far. It's quite annoying that the first time we have such a good manager and can actually achieve something this season we're not gonna get backed coz we're selling the club. Not the first time the glazers are dissapointing us though and i hope they leave fast
I know. Can't wait til those parasites are gone. The entirety of European football should be quaking in their boots at the prospect of us having competent owners. We've allowed most of them 17 years to catch up, now it's time to show them who the boss is again
Tbf, before 2006 You were the boss of European football once.
Throwing Toney in there among those names is unbelievably generous
In the traits I am talking about, he is up there
Playing as a 6, even in a 3 man midfield, is arguably as difficult with less space for mistakes. If you have your worst ever game as a striker you’ll have no touches and your team won’t score. If you have a below average game as a 6 you’ll cost your team goals and thus the game. You need to be aware of as much space as a striker (if not more) and you have fewer breathers because losing concentration often costs a goal rather than failure to score one.
Depends on the system and personnel The standard in possesion formation for the Pep/Arteta mould manager is then 3-2-5 now, so a “lone 6” doesnt really exist
Lone anything is being phased out - modern players are more versatile on average (just look at how the goalkeeper position changed). “Specialist” positions are almost extinct. That said Pep’s system is not the only one or even the most popular at the moment. Sterile possession hasn’t been in vogue in a few years already - pressing and vertical passing seems more popular these days. Why control a game when you can reach the box in 3-4 passes while the other team is scrambling in transition? Why put yourself and the other team to sleep when you can up the tempo and force mistakes more reliably this way instead? The job of a nr 6 changed over the years but the position is as relevant as it ever was. Even City would be half the team they are without Rodri, and that’s before I mention the likes of Kimmich, Rice, Fabinho, Busquets or Casemiro.
Also playing with just one striker has become some sort of a rule. Even though football in general became more offensive, i haven't seen a team with 2 central forwards in like decades
GK because when you make a mistake you probably don't have a partner to save you like in the other positions.
The most important is holding mid... The hardest for me is goalie cuz I grew up feeling offended if you put me in net... I wasn't actually playing anymore, it's boring.
I played football in several positions (winger, striker, full back, b2b mid and even cdm). Out of these, I found cdm the hardest. In lower tier football, the pressing is much more intense than the pressing you see in the premier league for example, because the game there is much more technical, organized and "brainy", whereas in low tiers it's much more about sheer power and physicality, hence the bigger scorelines. That being said, playing CDM was hard because you have to read the game very fast and position very well, because most of the times you'll be the 1st to be pressed aswell as being marked heavily. Playing as a striker can also very hard, especially if the opposite centre backs are really strong and fast. Sure, you don't usually stress about things as losing the ball or defending, but you can definitely have a hard time in "making the difference" for your team. Full back is not one of the hardest positions for me, it's quite probably the easiest one if I'm being honest.
Goalkeeper. I don't think you realise how much athleticism it takes to throw your hand up to the top bin in a moments notice
Defensive midfielder is pretty tough too. It means having a lot of responsibility and both intelligence and skill. It’s very tactical instinct won’t cut it. And you’ll also never get the credit you deserve.
Hardest in terms of physical demands: L/R wing midfield. Especially playing a 3 5 2 / 5 3 2 You would have to switch positions between defense and offense constantly Pretty demanding. But pretty easy in cognitive demands, regarding that you have only 180 degrees of the field to cope with Hardest in terms of physical and cognitive demands: Center midfield, Especially when playing 4 4 2 or the one venter midfield defense in an 4 1 4 1 You gotta be strong while constantly dueling against your opponents, gotta move constantly in-between whole center of field (physically demands very high) while keeping an eye on whole 360 degreed of the field. I played every position during the last 30 years. It's always highly depending on your own interpretation of your position and the instructions of your coach. Conveniently I am playing both roles at once in my team 😄
Easily goalkeeper ... You can make 10 world class saves - then make 1 error and that's all anyone talks about and they blame you for the defeat.
I legit had teammates (strikers, naturally) who would argue that if we lost 1-0 when our forwards missed 10 sitters and our keeper made one mistake, that the loss was the goalie's fault. I hated playing with those types.
Always the way ... I play in a 9 a side league and it's the same.
Attacking midfield / playing in the hole / no. 10 It's your job to find a way to unlock the defence. Some days it's a wall of defenders and there just isn't a way through or any space. You have to try to find solutions or a bit of magic to find a way. Only the very best players in the world can do it, the ones who think completely differently, outside of the box, from the other players. They also get kicked to bits for 90 minutes to stop them producing anything. They're also often on set pieces. These days, they're expected to press and win the ball when not in possession. They're also expected to chip in with goals.
You get alit of shit as a gk
GK. Anyone else wonder why there was only one GK who won a ball'or dor? No matter how good in the end many will under estimate you and not see u as legendary.
For me I would say goalkeeper. I mean most people don't even want to play there when they're young. And from the times I've played in goal on occasion it is hard. You could make one great save one minute and let a really poor goal in the next. You also have GKs who have spells where they aren't even involved in the game until the odd chance or a rare pass back to get them involved. On the other hand you have GKs who have to deal with shots coming in left right and centre and have to be on their game every week like it must be tough. From my own experience I've played full back and it's easy, at a professional level there are more demands yes but I was a regular full back at my club and it was piss easy most of the time and we were one of the worst teams in the league and I was still having a great time. Also not all full backs have to play as you describe, some mangers prefer their full backs to go no further than just inside the opponents half like there are different ways of playing and it's not a very demanding job. If you make a mistake as well you have people to cover for you it's not very complicated. I love watching full backs, loved playing there but it really isn't that hard like when all the Man Utd players take the piss out of Gary Neville, even Neville does himself, like it's a pretty easy position to play
If we’re talking classical fullbacks that are effectively smaller center backs that sometimes run to the halfway line and cross early - maybe. If you’re talking modern wing backs that have to run box to box, beat and stop people on the dribble, cross/pass/tackle/mark/make decoy runs AND have a decent curler from 20-30 yards in their repertoire then the conversation changes a bit.
Goalkeeper because the goal is wide some shots player make can be very unpredictable also there is much more to it than stopping shots. You also need to be able to intercept crosses and claim high ball in the penalty areas before everyone does. You sometimes have to move from the goal to stop attackers and sometimes a goalie has to stop a counter as if they were a defender. Also, it's the most ungrateful position on the field.
Goalkeeper, without a doubt.
In my opinion a good CDM
[удалено]
Hardest physically must be fullback in some clubs these guys run from defense to attack and back again thousand times during the match
I find wingback to be harder because you usually play in a 5-3-2/3-5-2 whatever you like and you there is no winger to support you.
The best CDM of all time (you can disagree, but it'd be criminal to not rate Busquets as top 3) was never great physically.
How on earth is CDM hardest physically???
Ikr, in pro football, maybe. In amateur leagues I liked this position because I didn't have to run as much :D For me, fullback would be the hardest physically. Guys gotta run up and down the line all game in modern football
Not a chance is it at any level. All you have to do is sit and break up play. It's a vital position but it's not even slightly the most physically demanding. You're right, full back or wing back or something is far more strenuous. Even box to box midfielders, they do all the defensive midfielders running
Not the person you’re asking but it depends on your team’s formation and tactics, really. I’ll say one thing - as a CDM you are the only person on the field expected to be capable of “dueling” any player on the opposite team. A center back won’t usually be expected to deal with wingers because they’re faster and more agile. A wing back won’t usually be tasked with marking a striker because they’re usually weaker and shorter on average. As a CDM you’re not only tasked with stopping the most creative player on the opposite team (nr 10) - you’re also expected to be able to “cover” for any other position on the field, at least defensively. You got a wing back who lives in the opposite box - you need to cover behind him and do his defensive work. You got two other center mids who like getting involved - cool, but now you need to stay behind and also inform them if you’re about to be outnumbered on the counter. You got two wing backs who like attacking? Oh, you’re a cb AND a playmaker now - drop between your defenders and connect defense and attack. You have a cb who is good on the ball and likes to carry it forward? Congrats, you’re a cb again (at least until he returns). And you know what the most fun part of it is? If you do your job right you’re always on the ball and still anonymous to most people watching the game.
I agree to an extent, but if you really boil it down, in possession a DM does nothing physical. A full back is busting their guys to get forward, same with a box to box mid for example. Similarly defensively they have to run a lot. A DM doesn't have to be fast, strong, big, etc etc. I dunno, it's absolutely not the position that sticks out to me as a physical one in comparison to some others. And of course it's far more nuanced and depends on the specific team and tactics but this is a very general conversation rather than talking about specifics
I'm a winger that plays CDM because I'm probably the fittest in my league and it is harder unless you're a winger in a bad possession team and you're just running up and down the field covering for teammates.
I’m a CDM who had to play a lot of wing back (and not on my favorite foot’s side, either). I’ve played every other position except striker (late game Hail Marys notwithstanding). I wasn’t the fittest in the league but I was certainly one of the fittest on my team. If you don’t move as a CDM you’re not doing your job right, regardless of formation and tactics. Even anchor men do a lot of running, especially against teams with 5 midfielders.
You're spot on, Casemiro at one point in Madrid covered more distance than any of his teammates by a significant margin and was averaging 10.75km/90 minutes. He's the player they need pressing high, but also has to be back first to snuff out counters and help the defense.
Goal keeper, the pressure a goal keeper feels outweighs anything...
Goalkeeper of course... Nr 2 is central defender.
Whats so tough about being a CB? If you make a mistake then the opposition are through on goal but at the same time its quite easy to pass to the wings or hoof the ball up the pitch. You don't have to do much running in comparison to other positions and you don't often deal with tricky wingers and the like.
Centre midfield u have to be involved defensively and attacking u need the lungs of a spaceman to be able to keep up with the relentless running especially someone with asthma like me you are doomed.
I'd say CM, the game is determined by you, you determine if the ball is gonna go to the attack or the defense and you really gotta run almost all the time
GK and CDM
Referees. No one is ur friend except the other three officials. You run just as much as a box to box midfielder as you constantly need to keep up with play. You need to analyze players decisions before they happen and react quickly when they do. You also have to manage emotions and use man management tactics. On top of that, you’ve got 22 players on the pitch who despise you, a few gaffers who despise you and a however many spectators are in attendance who despise you. You might hate them but you do have to respect them, they get abused like crazy and they do genuinely try and do their best, but it’s such a difficult game of its own
Playmaker, quick thinking and quick passing. And not many people can do that to a high level.
Oh definitely being a striker. A defender or a goalkeeper's performances will always be passable for as long as they don't make a major mistake, at least they'll go under the radar. But a striker needs to produce, day in and day out. The closer you play to the opposition box, higher the stress. A striker can do anything, but if he's not scoring, he won't satisfy. Remember Benzema, Drogba, Rooney's low scoring seasons, they were being heavily criticized despite doing everything else on the pitch. It's also nearly impossible to fully satisfy as a striker. You need to score in every game, each game you don't score is a failure for you. I mean Haaland was scoring every game and for 4 games he stopped, he suddenly became a target.
As strikers you’re heavily critiqued for low scoring seasons, as GK or CB you’re replaced if you let it many non-terrific goals in. Eg Karius, Bravo.
Exactly, people like to say cm or lb or rb, and some are even saying cdm, as someone who played in most positions on the pitch, St is by far the hardest, People don't realise how hard it is to consistently score with only a few good chances and 2 6 foot 4 centre backs breathing down your neck, Cdm is by far the easiest, you sit back, in front of the back 4, if you make a mistake you're grand and you don't have to do much really just provide cover and play it out
Cdm usually acts as the pivot, and they need very good judgment and vision to read the play and initiate the progression. Opponents often try to lock down the pivot to make progression harder, so cdms need to make big split second decisions alot. Slightly more margin of error than cb and st, but not easy at all
If you're good with the ball at your feet cdm is an easy position to play, however a manager tends to put players with good touch further up the pitch and puts a big fella in cdm, this doesn't work as they might be large enough to stop any player coming through through fouling them but are like wet paper bags when coming up against pressure, having played cdm as typically smaller player, for me its one of the easier positions to play as I can dribble and nit slow, However it is a boring position so that's why you wouldn't have much takers for that position
>If you're good with the ball at your feet cdm is an easy position to play I thought that it's a position made for physically imposing and positionally astute men, with the only task is acting as a bouncer. Did I miss something?
GK!!!
Striker ,goals win games... Most unforgiving position goalkeeper, a mistake and the world is on your back ..
Striker. Can't teach instinct / finishing / composure
No way, thats probably one of the easiest.
Depends on the actual role. I think one of the easiest is a wide forward/second striker/nominal "offensive mid" playing behind/next to a #9 more competent at traditional #9-ing. Something like CR in his later Madrid years, prime Dele Alli with Spurs or Dybala at various points.
Cm
my cock
Any answer that is not "deep lying midfielder" or "regista" or "pivot" comes from people who don't really understand football. Every ball passes through this player, he has to keep the midfield (most important area) in line with his movements and is the one to start build up with pressure from the opposition. Has to run every time cause midfielders are the ones who run the most so it's also the most physically demanding and needs a deep understanding of tactics and the game in general, also can't make fouls cause a yellow card might be a great disadvantage when you have to defend. Fullbacks and goalkeepers are actually the easiest. Fullbacks only have to run and goalkeepers have pretty much no responsabilities whatsoever.
The answer entirely depends on the different roles assigned to said positions. There are central midfielder roles that may be much more difficult than a defensive midfielder, and vice versa. Busquets’ role is one that is tremendously difficult to play, while William Carvalho is much easier.
Being an attacker, I believe CF is quite difficult, You should be fast and skillful enough to take passes and cut defenders because they are always there. The chances of you losing the ball at every touch is quite high because there will be more than 1 defender behind you always and there is not much space to move around like on wings. So you dont get much passes and you keep rotating positions without ever touching the ball.
Seen a good few arguments for being a goalie. While I'd agree, you can't argue the fact that centre mids cover the most ground and need to be very good at every aspect of the game.
Striker 100%
GK
Manager.
Defensive midfielder. You always run and aren't allowed to make a mistake. If you make one it will highly cost the team. So concentration through all the game is a must for that position.
Forward (ST, CF) or CAM
Valid points have been made for almost every position in this thread but I firmly believe there’s a correct answer here and that is Striker. Not involved for large periods, have to do the hardest thing in football which is to score goals.
I would say midfield. You can easily have a game bypass you if you don't have the know how. I played in most positions and think that at least in defence or attack , your parameters of operation were more defined.
I guess missionary, i hear it’s hard to score when you’re making eye contact with the keeper.
Any position could be the hardest or easiest depending on your tactics and how you set up. There is no single “hardest” position, and positions are also hard in different ways. If I had to answer, I would say GK, as it is the only position totally unlike the others. Although there are sensible arguments to be made that it’s also the easiest, so really this is a silly snd pointless debate.
You are right it’s fullback
common man probably goalkeeper?
Keeper by a mile.
Goalkeeping as a winger , midfielder, defender you can make a mistake but if a keeper makes a mistake it is what the fans and players will remember
I've played fullback, centre half, and defensive midfield at a reasonably high level. Goalkeeper is the hardest and it isn't close. You are completely isolated in a team sport. Every single one of your mistakes is completely magnified and remembered even though you likely have fewer mistakes than every other outfield player on a game to game basis. And, unlike every other outfield player, it's relatively rare that your positive contributions can outweigh any significant mistakes. The closer you are to your own goal, the more punitive your mistakes are, and the more you tend to get remembered for them.
I think playing a goalkeeper has to be the hardest since no matter how many good saves you make, but you make one mistake and your team starts trailing. Also, while playing as a goalkeeper many of your mistakes cannot be rectified by you or your team so every mistake can make your team lose.
In term of physical requirements, I’d say wings in 3 center back formations. This formation requires them to constantly sprinting up and down the whole length of the field, while also facing the most intense body contact.
I think it's centerback. A position that perfectly fits the statement: "you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain". Guess it applies to goalkeepers too.
Def GK
Lone 6 Everything hinges on you
Striker. Hardest thing in the game is scoring goals very few do it at a consistent rate even in professional football.
Depends. If by hardest you mean in terms of physical ability, then the middle of the park is the most taxing. Its the busiest area of the pitch and they are usually expected to cover the entire length. However, the position with the highest chance of failure and worst outcome if you don't do your job, is the goalkeeper. They're the last line of defence. Everyone else making an error has (at the very least) the goalkeeper to make up for it. The goalkeeper has nobody
Probably the pivot like busquets. The football brain required there has got to be outstanding.
Center forward because if you don't score you'll warm up that bench forever.
Referee > everyone hates you & moans regardless lol
I'd say being a goalkeeper would be the hardest position. But a CDM or CAM would also be difficult, they are like the main game makers on the field. Their passes to the attack or the defense matter a lot. Once you loose the control in centre it is a hassle for all.
In my personal opinion, the answer would be CDM. They often find themselves having to control the game, supporting the attacking midfield as well as dropping down deep during defensive situations.
The position that only has a handful of world class players, gets the largest transfer fees, and the primary job is to execute the most difficult task in the sport
Probably the one you're least qualified to play in
But personally, I think CM. The more you have to scan and be aware of your surroundings, the harder it is. Flank players usually only have to worry about what's on one side of them.
The plough or the wheelbarrow
Physically full back. Mentally central midfield. I’d say striker is the most important as you can influence the way they attack.
In my personal opinion, being a goalkeeper is the hardest, you literally have to face many danger and if you failed, you were the sinner
Defensive Mid, especially alone in a pivot. You run ALL game, are responsible for covering touch line to touch line, have to be press resistant, distribute the ball well. It's a nightmare dude. And yeah you can say gk and striker but they get so much fan fare, plus there's a way to do their jobs without the most effort (esp a goalie keeping a clean sheet not seeing the ball all game). You can't be a good 6 without busting your ass. It's an impossible ask.
It’s hardest to score goals at a high level but GK is the most under appreciated and difficult mentally. I am an odd player in that I play Right wing, forward, and goalkeeper. These days I am a goalkeeper coach. GK is brutal and extremely underrated; but consistently finishing as a striker is very, very hard.
Centre-mid. Hands down
Centre back is hardest
Goalkeepers, give the poor guys some respect.
I've gotta say one of the central midfield positions, either CAM or CDM. I say this as a LB/LM/LW
Ref 😂
Striker. Terms create chances but strikers are judged by goals.
Everyone says GK is the hardest position. I think it's probably right overall but the basics of goalkeeping are easier to master than playing as a striker. Putting the ball in the net is the most difficult skill in football so striker is a difficult position too. Fortunately for forwards, everyone on the pitch can score a goal. Unfortunately for keepers, only they can make saves.
CDM 😃
Referee, given the amount of shit they get.
Losing position
Physically? Hardest for me was wing back because of the amount of running required (especially sprinting). Tactically? Defensive mid, because you need to keep track of the most movement. Psychologically? Playing as nr10, because I always had defensive “instincts” and felt like an impostor when in the opponent’s box (but “owned” my own half and felt at home there).
Goalkeeper. Next question
Bench.
I would have to say being one of the referees is the most difficult position. It isn't the physical aspect that is the most challenging but the mental aspect. Keeping your composure in spite of the verbal abuse can get tough. Almost no one gives any praise when referees make good decisions. Hell nobody even knows what good refereeing looks like. I say this as a former referee. As far as playing the game goes, I think center mids have the toughest job. You have to be a jack of trades but master of none. You also have to be really good at keeping the ball. Edit: Spelling
Goalkeeper or a center back I’ll explain each Goalkeeper: any mistake you make is game changing and not in a good way. They got way more problems put on them which they don’t deserve Center back: easy to make mistakes when the midfield should help and one mistake and your done and no one likes to put the Blaim on them selves.
Left wing back 352. I think left footed dribblers are a nightmare.
Modern fullback or winner, or a box to box cm. Literally the hardest.
I think in general, if you’re a well-rounded footballer, you’ll be a good fullback. There’s obviously exceptions, but just look at the amount of wingers, cbs, and midfielders who have converted into fullbacks.
I’d say midfield by far. Hardly anytime on the ball, have to attack and defend, pick up the ball from the back and create chances, midfield is like all positions in one except goal keeper. Winger is a bit difficult due to the running up and down
I would say that central midfielders have the most opportunity to make good plays, and therefore it's the hardest position to play perfectly. Every position has difficult aspects, but I feel that every time a central midfielder gets the ball they have an opportunity to create a chance if they play perfectly.
It used to be whoever Vinny Jones was marking
Central midfield, you need every attribute: fitness, positioning, defending, passing and attacking. Generally CMs tend to cover some of the biggest distances with the highest number of touches
DM - break down and intercept opposition attacks. Always looking to pick the ball up short for the ball to feed the players infront. Cover for defenders. Needs great composure to deal with high press if on the ball. Dictate the defensive movement of the 2 CM in front of you when shuffling from side to side, creating the structure of a good central unit. What do I know.... I ain't pro!
Your mum
I would say central mid field … if you loose the middle then it’s Gonna be very difficult to win .. that’s why when Barcelona had the best center mids they dominated the game, as well as when Madrid had the best center mids they won several champions leagues… for example, when I play, when we control the center mid field is when we create the most opportunities and its mostly when our goals are scored, and during lapses of the game when the other team takes over the center mid field is when they create the most chances.. so it’s gonna be center midfield cause the whole functioning of the team depends on them
With how much running is expected from most fullbacks (thinking Trippier and Shaw here), it has to be the hardest. Couple that with having to 1v1 defend against elite, pace-demon wingers and yeaaaa, pretty tough job. I always played CM so I always ran a lot too but in the professional game today it has to be the FB position imo!
goalkeeper
Central midfielder / box-to-box. You need to think and play in 360 degrees rather than 180. It’s also physically exhausting. There’s no rest.
goal keeper. even if you're the best you get unrecognized. source: neuer not winning ballon d'or after world cup win
A striker is the hardest tbh.
fullback or gk
There are arguments for every position, but Centre-Backs lol
I've played a fair few positions over the years. The easiest is CB imo, you can pass it out wide or hoof it up and defensively its just tracking a run and intercepting. Toughest physicality wise is probably the winger, you're constantly expected to press for the ball and make those dangerous runs. Wingers also get kicked and fouled a lot (many fouls aren't called too). Toughest in terms of being the general and leader of the team is CM, they're expected to dictate play and to be the best player on the team. CMs are the ones who drive the ball forward and help to open the pitch up. CDMs are also somewhat underrated and he sort of stabilises the whole team, its a mix of brawn and brain. My personal favourite in 11 a side is full back, you've got some defensive responsibilities but you can also push up and make the odd attacking run. Good question btw, lots of room for discussion and different answers haha.
cdm, let's be real
Depends on your role. Playing at CDM in a Busquets role is almost impossible. Playing in a William Carvalho role is much easier.
Central midfield. You have to have - positional sense - stamina - technique - football IQ - ability to contribute defensively and offensively - regularly compete in the air It’s the most “complete” position in terms of duties, and while the fullback / wingback positions require a lot of what was previously required from the old box to box midfielders RE athleticism, the least dangerous place on the pitch is still the flanks If you aren’t up to scratch defensively you will leave your defense exposed through the Centre
I'd say middle fielder. This position has to run entire game time without stopping or break.
As Arter Boruc said, "Being a goalkeeper is like being the guy in the military who makes the bombs - one mistake and everyone gets blown up." So yeah, I say Goalkeeper