Teaching new non-primary positions?

[duccio]

Is it useful to teach players new positions they will not be primarily playing in? For example MC will move up and down the pitch with the flow of the game. One might think knowing more midfield positions than just the MC would enhance his game. What about role - does it have an influnce on the beneficialness of multiple positions? An MC playing as a box to box midfielder pushes forward and then pulls back to defend, and in effect often plays out of the MC position. I have a talented youngster who is natural MC, accomplished DM and competent DR. I intend to play him in box to box role (which my assistant thinks is the most suitable for him). Would it be good to teach him AMC position or would it just be waste?

What about DRs with WB roles? Would it be useful to teach them other positions on the wing?

[Kick Wilstra]

A Box-to-Box midfielder will not function better if he you also train him in DM and AMC, just as a DC will not become a bigger goalscoring threat with attacking corners if you train him in ST position, even though he's in the oppositions area then.

Training secondary positions even though you're not planning on starting someone there can still be beneficial though, I do it for tutoring purposes or training schedules. As an example, I've trained my 5 star DR into a competent MR because the Winger schedule trains all the attributes I wanted him to improve. I've trained him in DC as well because I though he would be good cover there but also because then my excellent DC could tutor him.