SEASON 4: PLAYER ROLES ; EPISODE 16: PLAYER ROLE (PLAYMAKER)

(UPDATE: Summer 2025) Hello again Soccermanagerite! Welcome back to another episode. If you are reading this blog and you’re in any of the following Facebook groups ( SoccerManager Worlds; SoccerManager Worlds: Gold Managers; SoccerManager New Gameworlds) then you would’ve seen my recent rant pertaining my game yesterday against Barcelona. Rest assured as I haven’t broken anything lol…

We’re back to work today as we take a look at another role that has some of the finest technical players playing within the beautiful game. We’ll be taking a look at the ‘Playmaker’ role and why it is SOOO special.

To perform this role well, it requires that your player is very confident and believes in his abilities, since majority of the ball will be in his possession when your team is on the attack.

‘Playmakers’are techincally suberb, great at using their body to get out of dangerous positions, have an incredible football brain, and are normally very adept at using both feet.

ATTACKING PHASE

Here is where these players come alive. The major difference between a ‘Playmaker’ and a ‘Deep-lying Playmaker’ is how often they make themself available for the ball. While a ‘Deep-lying Playmaker’ will be available particularly when the ball is in your half of the field, a Playmaker is available to collect the ball EVERYWHERE on the pitch. They are always scanning the pitch for the wherabouts of teammates, space, and opposition players, and they are always within 10 yards of where the ball is ( think of players like Pedri, Vitinha, or Angel Gomes).

DEFENSIVE PHASE

Contrary to popular belief, majority of ‘Playmakers’ today are defensively capable to aid your team in the protection of the goal as they normally have an insane work ethic, and due to their superb positioning, they often find themselves in the right place to cut out a passing lane or even win the ball back themselves (in other words, ‘Playmakers’ are no slouches, defensively).

POSITIONAL TRAITS

Playmakers are essentially the hub of your team, so they mainly want to operate as a M(C). When setting up your team instructions, it is pivotal that you tick the ‘use playmaker’ box whenever you have a sole ‘Playmaker’ within your team since they simply have to be used to really get the best out of them. (UPDATE: The new SMW format will require you to choose option ‘Yes’ for the use playmaker section under Attack. You’ll also have to ensure that you’ve chosen his name under the Player Instruction)

KEY ATTRIBUTES (from SM25 and beyond)

Positioning
Dribbling
Control
Long Passing
Passing 
Creativity (A Mandatory trait!!!)
Stamina
Work Rate
Composure
Flair 
Leadership 

BEST PLAYERS OF ROLE IN SOCCERMANAGER WORLDS

This is the most difficult list within the entire season so far as we are absoultely blessed with some fantastic ‘Playmakers’ in today’s game. Some of you Soccermagerites might balk at my decision here, but just know that this was not easy. (UPDATE: I’ve got 15 players to choose and it’s still not freaking easy… 👀)

Luka Modrić 🇭🇷
Marco Veratti 🇮🇹
Gonzalez Pedri 🇪🇸
Martin Ødegaard 🇳🇴
Ferreira Vithinha 🇵🇹
Frenkie De Jong 🇳🇱
Enzo Fernández 🇦🇷
Youri Tielemans 🇧🇪 
João Neves 🇵🇹
Alexis Mac Allister 🇦🇷
Nicoló Barella 🇮🇹 
Bruno Guimarães 🇧🇷
Fabián Ruiz 🇪🇸
James Maddison 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Joey Veerman 🇳🇱

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Aleix García 🇪🇸
Pascal Gross 🇩🇪 
Jorge Koke 🇪🇸