Does player's preferred foot matter in central positions (CM, CB)?

[IggyBug]

I play with a 4231 with a DLP(D) and BBM, is it important to have a left footed player on the left and a right footed player on the right or it doesn't matter? Likewise with center backs.

[CARRERA]

12 minutes ago, IggyBug said:

I play with a 4231 with a DLP(D) and BBM, is it important to have a left footed player on the left and a right footed player on the right or it doesn't matter? Likewise with center backs.

I dont think its super important, but players sometimes do prefer playing on the left or right, you can check that with hovering over "the green position dot" in the players menu. 

[Prolix]

A right footed player on the right (or left/left) will have an easier time shielding the ball from an opponent on the midfield side of them (in this case, the opposing CM) because their body is between the opponent and the ball. However, a player on their "opposite" side of midfield can have more passing lanes towards the center of the pitch.

Edited July 11, 2021 by Prolix

[smeagoltonez]

I think I read before that if you have two right footed players players in the centre then play will tend to be concentrated on the right of the pitch.

[jeerinho]

Central midfielders and BPD, they tend to dribble in the direction based on their preferred foot because of shielding the ball from their marker with their weak foot. When they make runs like that, it changes the shape of yours as well as opponent's formation. I felt that matching their foot has significant effect on opening up defenses especially when you have IF/IW playing in front of them. When your CM dribble to the wide areas, they make space for IF/IW to cut inside.

[NotSoSpecialOne]

17 hours ago, CARRERA said:

I dont think its super important, but players sometimes do prefer playing on the left or right, you can check that with hovering over "the green position dot" in the players menu. 

Isn't that only for the benefit of AI managers? Could be wrong but never noticed any difference in performance when playing someone not in their preferred side of a central pairing.

[HUNT3R]

19 hours ago, CARRERA said:

I dont think its super important, but players sometimes do prefer playing on the left or right, you can check that with hovering over "the green position dot" in the players menu. 

That doesn't have any direct effect, btw. Those preferences are mostly based on footedness. It helps AI team selection (especially where it's been set in the database) but there's no direct penalty for playing a player on the 'other' side.

[CARRERA]

1 hour ago, HUNT3R said:

That doesn't have any direct effect, btw. Those preferences are mostly based on footedness. It helps AI team selection (especially where it's been set in the database) but there's no direct penalty for playing a player on the 'other' side.

Ah ok, didn’t know that. Thanks :-)

[_mxrky]

I know in real life playing two left footers at cb is not a good idea but I don’t think it makes a difference in game

Edited July 12, 2021 by _mxrky

[Rashidi]

In some positions the footedness matters because of what it can bring to the role. For example. Say you aree playing a WB (L) and he is on the right flank. Then this player is likely to favour cutting inside. So it gives you options like IWBs who cut inside and stay inside.

[wazzaflow10]

On 12/07/2021 at 07:27, _mxrky said:

I know in real life playing two left footers at cb is not a good idea but I don’t think it makes a difference in game

? That can't be a thing.

[_mxrky]

1 minute ago, wazzaflow10 said:

? That can't be a thing.

It is. Left footers can’t make certain passing angles that right footers can

[wazzaflow10]

1 minute ago, _mxrky said:

It is. Left footers can’t make certain passing angles that right footers can

Wouldn't the same logic apply to two right footed CB's then?

[Falahk]

For cm's and dm's it don't matter that much

For cb's thought, it's very important since it impact how players move backwards in the ME, for example using two right footed cb's and a left footed lb, will create a small gap between the lcb and the lb that can be exploited 

[_mxrky]

On 14/07/2021 at 16:02, wazzaflow10 said:

Wouldn't the same logic apply to two right footed CB's then?

Right footers tend to have stronger weaker foots than left footed players 

[Hilly1979]

2 hours ago, _mxrky said:

Right footers tend to have stronger weaker foots than left footed players 

Are you able to back this up with evidence??