What does arguably the greatest football player of all-time, Lionel Messi, have in common with a fish trying to climb a tree?
Before I answer, I’ll introduce FIFA, a football video game.
In FIFA players are given an overall rating based on their skills relative to the position they play. All their skills, such as passing, speed and their ability to dribble are given a score out of 99. These skills scores are aggregated to give an overall score.
Within the context of football the skillset of a striker and a goalkeeper are very different. For strikers there’s an emphasis on speed and their ability to shoot, whereas goalkeepers are judged by their ability to position themselves between the ball and the goal. The best players in their position have a rating in the 90s.
Back to Messi.
In his natural position he is a 93. However, move him to centre-back and he drops to 53, move him to goalkeeper and it drops further to 22.
As a goalkeeper Messi is a fish trying to climb a tree.
His best skills are lost. His opportunity to dribble is negligible, his ability to pass diminished and his speed better suited to the open field.
Sure he could spend hours training to improve his goal keeping. However, by simply changing position his overall rating quadruples instantly.
If even the GOAT becomes incompetent on the football field based on his position, what position do you currently find yourself in?
Are your best skills being utilised, or are you a striker playing defence?
What’s your best position?
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