Best Position For Your Weakest Soccer Player (Pros And Cons)

Soccer players are all highly skilled athletes, but that does not mean you can fill all positions in your team with equally competent players. Sometimes we have to do what we can with weaker players, but this opens up a bit of a dilemma: what is the best position for your weakest soccer player?

The two most forgiving positions for weaker soccer players are wingers and full-backs. There are exceptions since these two positions still need some skill and speed, and there are no inherently easy positions in soccer, but putting the weakest players in these positions is best for the team.

Ask a professional soccer coach or manager where to put the weakest player, and they will immediately respond with “the bench.” But we don’t all have that option. Whether it’s a youth team or for community outreach, sometimes we want to involve all the players, so let’s examine the advantages and disadvantages of placing your weakest players in the winger and full-back positions.

Table of Contents

• Which Positions Are Best For A Weak Soccer Player?
• Placing A Weak Player In The Winger Position
  • Pros Of Putting A Weak Player In The Winger Position
  • Cons Of Putting A Weak Player In The Winger Position
• Placing A Weak Player In The Full Back Position
  • Pros Of Putting A Weak Player In The Full-Back Position
  • Cons Of Putting A Weak Player In The Full-Back Position
• Conclusion

Which Positions Are Best For A Weak Soccer Player?

People often think of placing weak players in terms of “which position would be the easiest.” That’s not an excellent way to handle this decision because, in reality, there are no easy positions.

Think about the goalie, for example. It looks like a comfortable position to the uninitiated, and the goalie is the player who runs the least. But when push comes to shove, no other players can take their place.

Players in different positions can make mistakes, after which another player can pick it up and save the game. That’s not true of the goalie; if they slip up, it’s final.

So, if there are no easy positions, what should you consider when choosing the best positions?

You must think about the player’s abilities and shortcomings first and foremost. If you can put the weak player in a position where they can only focus on one thing and not be distracted by other aspects of the game, that will allow them to perfect that one thing they must focus on.

With this in mind, the two best positions for weak soccer players are wingers and full-backs. Again, not because these are easy positions but because they allow the player to focus on a particular aspect of the game. Let’s look at that more closely.

Placing A Weak Player In The Winger Position

Traditionally, wingers are fast players that can dribble well. These are also the characteristics that scouts look for when they are looking for a winger.

But when we evaluate the role of a winger, they don’t really need a lot of game intelligence. They don’t need to understand the strategy or every other player’s position.

If a winger is good at attacking the other team’s defenders, that’s all they need. Speed, dribble, shoot for the goal, or pass the ball. Teach a weak player to do that and to only focus on those four things, and they will make an excellent winger.

Of course, it depends on the player’s weaknesses.

A player who’s afraid of the ball won’t do well as a winger or in almost any position. Wingers are also traditionally confident and entertaining players, and confidence will go a long way to turning a weak player into an excellent winger.

Pros Of Putting A Weak Player In The Winger Position

• You can put stronger players in positions that require more skill and strategy.
• The weak player’s confidence will improve.
• The weak player will learn more about the game and perhaps become a stronger player.

Cons Of Putting A Weak Player In The Winger Position

• Depending on their particular weaknesses, they may struggle to get the hang of it.
• Wingers have to be fast and good at ball control, so if the weak player doesn’t have these qualities, it won’t work.

Placing A Weak Player In The Full Back Position

Wingers and full-backs play almost exactly opposite roles in the soccer team. Whereas the winger’s responsibility is to attack the opposing team’s defenders, the full-back should defend their side from the opposing team’s attackers (for example, their wingers). In some ways, the full-back is the last line of defense between the opposing team and the goalie.

The position of a full-back is popularly regarded as one of the most challenging positions in modern soccer. A player requires speed, loads of stamina, quick acceleration, and excellent crossing ability to succeed. They will have to run a lot to cover all the attacks from the opposing team and may have to tackle and mark.

However, despite the fact that it’s not easy, the role of a full-back is simple. They don’t need to drive the ball to the opponent’s goal, and they play little to no part in the strategic advances of the team toward the other side. The only thing a full-back has to strategize about is how they will handle an attacker trying to send the ball into the goal they are defending.

With this in mind, the same rule applies to placing your weakest player as a full-back or winger. Taking the players and training them to focus on only that one thing, forgetting about what the rest of the team is doing but defending their side as if they are the only ones doing so, will provide the necessary focus and skills they need to excel in the full-back position.

Pros Of Putting A Weak Player In The Full-Back Position

• Focusing on one or two skills will help the weaker player adequately prepare and train themselves to play an excellent soccer game.
• It allows the other players to be less concerned about the defense and more focused on the game’s offense.
• Developing these skills will improve the weaker player’s confidence, which will help them on and off the field.
• The weak player develops a deeper understanding of the game and perhaps becomes a stronger player.
• It allows the player to achieve something in soccer that they would typically not be able to do.

Cons Of Putting A Weak Player In The Full-Back Position

• Depending on their particular weaknesses, they may struggle to get the hang of it. A slow player, or someone who doesn’t have the drive to pursue the role, will never excel, though these are skills that they can develop over time.
• Not everyone has the stamina required to keep running for as long as full-backs have to. They must constantly be on the lookout for where the ball will be coming from and predict which action would be best.

Conclusion

There are many contrasting views about the best positions for the weakest soccer players, but these are the two positions that are the simplest to prepare for, even though they still require extensive training and practice.

Another way to decide which position is best for your weakest soccer player is to look at the player’s physical attributes such as being tall, short, fast, or slow. With that, you can find positions that tend to be suitable for the player.

If you need more information about the best positions for soccer players based on their body shape, I encourage you to check out the following articles:

• Best Soccer Position For Tall Soccer Players
• Best Soccer Position For Fast Soccer Players
• Best Soccer Positions For Slow Players
• Best Soccer Positions For Short Players