(UPDATE: SUMMER 2025) Howdy!!!!! Are you enjoying reading these episodes as much as I enjoy writing them? Well, why not tell a friend to tell a friend so we can allow millions of Managers across the globe to improve their knowledge of this game thus allowing Soccermanager to become even more exciting?! 🗣
This role that we’re discussing today is arguably the most complicated role to understand as well as play within the modern game. Yes lads, we’re talking about the ‘Support Striker’ role.
‘Support Striker’? What on earth are you talking about, SME (Soccermanager Experience ’s nickname)??? Glad you asked… The role of a ‘Support Striker’ is played by anyone who dosen’t mind sacrificing their own game for the betterment of their attacking partners.
Also known as a Dummy Runner (👀), ‘Support Strikers’ are very intelligent movers off the ball and they aim to draw their opponnets away from the danger zone in order to free up more space for their attacking teammates.
A thankless role, they cannot be obsessed with receving the ball or getting a lot of goal contributions since they must always focus on being a decoy in order for other players to thrive.
ATTACKING PHASE
During the attacking phase, you’ll find ‘Support Strikers’ floating around your opposition’s final third as they look to drag defenders all over the gaf. The one thing these players need is freedom since their movement is so exceptional that they have to be trusted with their capabilities of acting like a “ghost” on the field. ⚽ 👻
One final thing I must add is that in order to get the best out of your ‘S.S’, you’ll need to have some good ball players around him so that they can do their thing in possession while he does his thing off the ball (Oh, and you shouldn’t play with more than one ‘Support Striker’ within your Starting X1). UPDATE: Because one is many enough!
DEFENSIVE PHASE
The one good thing about having a player who is willing to sacrifice his attacking game for the betterment of his teammates is that you’re guaranteed that he’ll do the same within defensive situations. ‘S.S’s’ are incredibly hardworking and they will always put a shift in no matter how long they’re on the pitch.
POSITIONAL TRAITS
This is really tricky since almost every ‘Support Striker’ tends to be able to play anywhere within the AM(RLC),F(RLC) positions. But to get the best out of him, I suggest that you play him within the AM(C) or F(C) positions as he will be more capable of wreaking havoc when operating within central regions… You can still play your ‘S.S’ out wide in a 4-3-3A or 4-2-3-1B or behind the main striker in a 3-4-2-1, but as I mentioned before, you must ensure that the other players around him are technically good on the ball to get the best out of whomever you choose as your ‘Support Stiker’.
KEY ATTRIBUTES (From SM26 and beyond)
Positioning
Movement
Creativity
Stamina
Work Rate
Concentration
Leadership
BEST PLAYERS OF ROLE IN SOCCERMANAGER WORLDS
Another interesting observation about ‘Support Strikers’ is that there’s actually not a single player who is a designated ‘Support Sriker’. So, what this means is that the following list will be players who are not actually ‘Support Strikers’ but possess the attributes reqired if you ever needed to use them in this role. As a matter of fact, lemme give you a top 10 so you have more options:
(UPDATE) As a matter of fact, lemme give you a top 15 so you have even more… 😉
Belloli Raphinha 🇧🇷
Goes Rodyro 🇧🇷
Thomas Müller 🇩🇪
Sadio Mané 🇸🇳
Cristopher Nkunku 🇫🇷
Serge Gnabry 🇩🇪
Omar Marmoush 🇪🇬
Christian Pulisic 🇺🇸
Mason Mount 🏴
Leandro Trossard 🇧🇪
Julián Álvarez 🇦🇷
Giorgian de Arrascaeta 🇺🇾
Ferrán Torres 🇪🇸
Federico Chiesa 🇮🇹
Ayoze Pérez 🇪🇸
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Phil Foden 🏴
Ademola Lookman 🇳🇬
Anthony Gordon 🏴
Giacomo Raspadori 🇮🇹
Mikel Oyarzabal 🇪🇸
From this point onwards we will be explaining the “head honchos” of your lineup. The man dem who does what every pundit within the football globe considers the hardest thing to do within our beautiful game! 👟⚽ 🥅
The Soccermanager Experience 