How To Make Stats

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PLAYER ABILITIES

ATTACK

Key attribute for: CF, SS
Useful attribute for: WF, AM, CM, SM

As new abilities have been added to the PES series, the Attack rating - once an umbrella attribute that represented many different player characteristics - has decreased in importance in PES 2008, it's primary function is as an indicator of how well an attacker can resist the attentions of his marker.

DEFENCE

Key attribute for: CB
Useful attribute for: DM, SB

The higher the stats is, the better and faster a player is at performing challenges and sliding tackles. With the latter, it also has an influence on how quickly a player can get to his feet.

BODY BALANCE

Key attribute for: CB, CF
Useful attribute for: All players

Body Balance roughly equates to strength in PES 2008. A vital attribute in defenders but useful throughout your team, it enables players to withstand and apply physical pressure. A player with high Body Balance is much more likely to stay on his feet.

STAMINA

Key attribute for: All players
Useful attribute for: -

Determines how quickly a player will tire. The higher the value is, the greater his endurance will be.

TOP SPEED

Key attribute for: All platers
Useful attribute for: -

The higher this value is, the greater a player's running speed will be when he is not dribbling the ball.

ACCELERATION

Key attribute for: All players
Useful attribute for: -

How quickly a player can reach his top speed.

RESPONSE

Key attribute for: GK, CB, CF
Useful attribute for: All players

This is a very important attribute. Response indicates how quickly a player thinks: players with high levels will collect more loose balls, intercept more passes, and be better at getting into position for shots and headers. For CPU-controlled players (including goalkeepers) this can be said to show how fast a player's reflexes are.

AGILITY

Key attribute for: -
Useful attribute for: Creative players

Agility determines how quickly a player performs kicks, tricks, and general movements. The higher it is, the more rapidly he will perform them. This is especially noticeable with first-time kicks and passes.

DRIBBLE ACCURACY

Key attribute for: SM, AM, WF
Useful attribute for: All players

Players with high Dribble Accuracy are adept at moving with the ball at their feet. They touch the ball more frequently as they move, keeping it close, which enables them to maneuver with great speed and precision; it also makes them harder to tackle.

DRIBBLE SPEED

Key attribute for: All attacking players
Useful attribute for: All players

How quickly a player can move with the ball at his feet.

SHORT PASS ACCURACY

Key attribute for: Midfielders
Useful attribute for: All players

How precise a player can make passes along the ground.

SHORT PASS SPEED

Key attribute for: Midfielders
Useful attribute for: All players

Dictates the speed at which a player's short passes will move:

LONG PASS ACCURACY

Key attribute for: SM, WF
Useful attribute for: All players

How well a player can make airborne passes to a teammate. Naturally, this ability is massively important for players who are expected to regularly perform crosses.

LONG PASS SPEED

Key attribute for: SM, WF
Useful attribute for: All players

The higher this total is, the better the general speed of the long passes and crosses will be.

SHOT ACCURACY

Key attribute for: CF, SS
Useful attribute for: WF, all midfielders

If a player makes a good, clean connection with the ball while making an attempt on goal, his Shot Accuracy influences how precise his aim will be.

SHOT POWER

Key attribute for: CF, SS
Useful attribute for: CB, all midfielders

The higher a player's Shot Power, the more venom he can pack into an attempt on goal. This is also of relevance to defenders and goalkeepers: a higher rating means that they can clear the ball more efficiently.

SHOT TECHNIQUE

Key attribute for: CF, SS
Useful attribute for: All midfielders

This parameter defines how well a player can strike the ball when making a shot. It also determines how well a player can shoot while under pressure from an opponent, or when twisting to kick the ball at goal from an awkward angle.

FREE KICK ACCURACY

Key attribute for: -
Useful attribute for: Attacking players

The higher the value, the more accurate a player’s free kicks. Other attributes have a big influence on free kicks, particularly Swerve.

SWERVE

Key attribute for: Set piece takers
Useful attribute for: -

Determines how much curve a player can apply to a free kick or corner. One thing that you might not realize, however, is that this value also dictates how well a player can make the ball drop after it clears the defensive wall. A player with high Free Kick Accuracy but poor Swerve may be able to clear the wall and send his kick in the right direction from sub-25 yard distances, but the ball will rarely dip sufficiently to trouble the goalkeeper.

HEADER

Key attribute for: CB, CF
Useful attribute for: All players

At high levels, both passing headers (performed with the Short Pass Button) and headers aimed at goal (performed with the Shot Button) will be much more accurate.

JUMP

Key attribute for: CB, CF
Useful attribute for: All players

How good a player is at leaping to meet a high ball. Remember that this is less important (though still very useful) for very tall players.

TECHNIQUE

Key attribute for: AM, WF
Useful attribute for: SS, CF, SB, all midfielders

Primarily, Technique determines how well a player can trap and control the ball; it is also taken into account when a player makes a first-time pass or performs certain tricks. It also has a less obvious function: the higher it is, the more accomplished a player will be at performing chip shots.

AGGRESION

Key attribute for: -
Useful attribute for: All attacking players

This value dictates how likely a player is to run forward to join an attack. This is an ability administrated by the game engine: it has no bearing on any player under your direct control, and woks in the same way for both human and AI-controlled teams. A player with a low Aggression rating will be more inclined to stick to his assigned position in a formation.

MENTALITY

Key attribute for: All players
Useful attribute for: -

Mentality indicates a player's commitment and drive. When his Stamina level is depleted, a player with a high Mentality level will be much more likely to maintain his general level of dedication that a similarly exhausted player with low Mentality rating. The overall impact of stamina loss on abilities is also reduced.

GOALKEEPING SKILLS

Key attribute for: GK
Useful attribute for: -

Only really of relevance to goal custodians (its set to a default 50 for all outfield players). Goalkeeping Skills indicates how accomplished your man between the posts is at stopping shots.

TEAMWORK

Key attribute for: All players
Useful attribute for: -

One of the most complex player attributes, a player's Teamwork rating is a measure of how well he can interact with his teammates.

CONDITION/FITNESS

Key attribute for: All players
Useful attribute for: -

How much prone a player is at accumulating fatigue after matches. This is especially relevant in Master League campaigns, and should be an attribute you check which all prospective signings.

WEAK FOOT ACCURACY

Key attribute for: -
Useful attribute for: SM, WF, all players

The higher this value, the better a player will be at kicking with his "weaker" foot. An individual with an 8 is that rare beast: a genuinely two-footed footballer. It’s always worth knowing how proficient players are in this category, especially if the play in a position where they are regularly required to make crosses.


WEAK FOOT FREQUENCY

Key attribute for: -
Useful attribute for: SM, WF, all players

Determines how regularly a player will use his weaker foot.

INJURY

Key attribute for: All players
Useful attribute for: -

There are three Injury ratings: A, B and C. A player with A is much less likely to suffer harm than a player with a C.



Special Abilities

*DRIBBLING

This special attribute only applies to AI-controlled teams. If a player has the Dribbling special ability, he will be much more likely to run with the ball and attempt to get past opponents with trickery.

*TACTICAL DRIBBLE

Similar to Dribbling special ability - and again, not applicable to players on human-controlled teams - a player who has the Tactical Dribble special ability will use dribbling as a means to retain possession under pressure.

*POSITIONING

A player with the Positioning special ability will be much more effective at moving into space (and moreover, the right space) in the opposition penalty area. He will also be skilled at escaping markers.

*REACTION

If a player is not currently under your control has this special ability, he will make well-timed forward runs when his team is in possession. This can be especially useful when you are controlling someone who has the Playmaking or Passing special ability.

*PLAYMAKING

Individuals that have the Playmaking special ability are a relatively rare and very special breed. When they are in possession, their teammates in midfield and attack will be much more likely to find space and make intelligent runs. They are also adept at making penetrating passes.

*PASSING

Players with the Passing special ability are more adept at creating goal scoring opportunities; the quality of their final ball (be it a pass or a cross) can be noticeably higher, and will be easier for the receiving player to control.

*SCORING

The Scoring special ability helps players to shoot more accurately when not directly facing the goal, and generally improves the accuracy of all shots.

*1-1 SCORING

This enables strikers (and select wingers and midfielders) to slot the ball past a goalkeeper more effectively as he rushes out to meet them. It also improves the quality of chip shots.

*POST PLAYER

The sole preserve of strong and often tall strikers, the Post Player special ability makes them drop back into midfield to receive the ball - but only when under CPU control, of course - which they can then hold up to give their teammates time to join the attack. This also improves their ability to use their strength to hold off an opposing player.

*DF POSITIONING (LINES in PES6)

Forwards with this special ability are more accomplished at timing their forward runs in order to beat the opposition's offside trap.

*MIDDLE SHOOTING

This special ability improves a player's ability to make powerful and accurate long-range shots.

*SIDE

This is a characteristic that is administrated by the CPU and dose no affect players under your control. An individual with the Side special ability will be inclined to move out of the touchline during play, even if given a role in the center of the pitch.

*CENTER

Players with this special ability prefer to operate in the center of the park, and will generally drift there (or make active runs into the middle of the pitch) if situated on the wing. Again, this is something that only applies to players under CPU control.

*PENALTIES

If a player has this special ability, his shots aimed towards the roof of the net are more likely to be successful during penalty kicks.

*1-TOUCH PASS

Despite it's name, this special ability actually enhances a player's ability to make first-time shots.

*OUTSIDE

Players whit this special ability are more capable of hitting the ball clearly with the outside of their dominant foot, which makes it an important attribute for players (especially strikers) with a low Weak Foot Accuracy rating.

*MARKING

This special ability imbues CPU-controlled players with improved man-marking skills. It has no influence on players under your control.

*SLIDING

The Sliding special ability makes a player a far more accurate practitioner of sliding challenges: he can perform them with near surgical precision, even when behind an opponent. This greater technical ability also means that he is less likely to receive cautions from the match official.

*COVERING

Most common in defenders and holding midfielders, the Covering special ability improves CPU-controlled player's appreciation of potential weaknesses in his team's formation. If for example, a central defender moves out of position, a player with the Covering special ability will seek to plug the gap he leaves behind.

*D-LINE

Specific to players that can play at the back (and, more often that not, center-backs), a player with this special ability has a beneficial influence on his entire defense. He marshals the back line, improving it's ability to maintain it's shape and perform offside trap.

*PENALTY STOPPER

The first of two goalkeeper-only special abilities, the Penalty Stopper special ability makes a keeper more proficient at saving penalties.

*1-ON-1 STOPPER

If he has this special ability, a goalkeeper will be much better at getting some part of his body to the ball when he is in close proximity to a player making the shot.

*LONG THROW

Players with this special ability can hurl the ball over a longer distance (and at great speed) from throw-ins. When deep inside an opponent's half, this can be almost as good as a cross



TEAMWORK detailed explanation

Many players often neglect to study the Teamwork ability of squad members when selecting them for matches, which can be a massive oversight: it has a very definite influence on how individuals perform and, indeed, how your team behaves as a unit.

To see how well your players interact, based on their individual Teamwork ratings, you should examine he teamwork diagram at the Formation Settings screen. Select Change Player, then press the Long Pass Button to toggle through the three displays. As you can see as you move through members of your squad, the reciprocal "understanding" between each player and his teammates is displayed as a series of numbers. We won’t bore you with derails on how this is calculated, but this can give you a true indication of how well a player fits in with his colleagues - and, moreover, how well your team interacts as a whole.

During matches, Teamwork ratings govern a player's positional sense and ability to play the right kind of passes. At high levels, players will be much more likely to make well-timed runs, will play or receive passes with greater precision, and will just generally be in the right place at the right time on a more regular basis. Players with low Teamwork ratings, by contrast, will be more inclined to misplace passes, may frustratingly drift from their designated positions, and will have a tendency to more too late, too soon, or not at all during attacks. If a member of your team has low Teamwork attribute, you will often need to take it into account and adapt your playing style to compensate for his shortcoming.

It's no great problem to have a couple of player's with low Teamwork ratings in your side - there are plenty gifted wingers and attacking midfielders that fall into this category - but if too many individuals in your squad are not "team" player's, you'll find it more difficult to maintain possession and build flowing passing moves. As in real life football, it can be wiser to play your most consistent first eleven, not the players with the (ostensibly) most spectacular stats. Your chosen team may well have a surfeit of footballing geniuses, but that doesn’t mean that you need to field them all at once.

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