The Best Left Wingers (AML) in Football Manager

Looking to infuse your squad with speed, accuracy, and the impact of elite players?

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Here, you’ll discover more than just my personal selection of the top three right wingers – you’ll also encounter an extensive roundup of the world’s premier talents in this position.

The role of left wingers (AML – Attacking Midfield Left) in football is multifaceted and highly strategic, playing a crucial role in a team’s offensive dynamics.

Here are several reasons why the AML position is important:

• Width and Space Creation: Left wingers provide width to the team’s attack, stretching the opposition’s defense and creating space in central areas for midfielders and strikers to exploit.
• Isolation Against Fullbacks: Left wingers often face the opposition’s right-backs in one-on-one situations. Their ability to win these duels can lead to dangerous crosses or cut-backs from the byline, creating clear scoring opportunities.
• Goal Threat: Many left wingers are right-footed (inverted wingers) and can cut inside to shoot on their stronger foot, posing a direct threat to the goal.
• Versatility in Attack: AMLs can switch flanks, drift inside, or even drop deeper to participate in the build-up play, making the team’s attack less predictable and more dynamic.
• Overlapping Runs: The presence of a left winger allows for interplay with the left-back, who can make overlapping or underlapping runs. This can lead to numerical advantages and crossing opportunities from different angles.
• Crossing and Assists: Left wingers with good crossing abilities can deliver accurate balls into the penalty area, leading to assists and key passes that result in goals.
• Defensive Contributions: Wingers are also expected to track back and support the full-back defensively, contributing to the team’s overall defensive solidity.
• Tactical Flexibility: Left wingers can adapt to various tactical systems, whether it’s a traditional 4-4-2, a modern 4-3-3, or even more fluid attacking systems. Their role can be adjusted to suit different tactical approaches.
• Transition Play: In modern football, transitions are crucial, and left wingers are often pivotal in quick counter-attacks due to their pace and ability to carry the ball over long distances.
• Set Pieces: Left wingers often have the technical ability to take set pieces, such as corners and free kicks, which can be a significant source of goals.

As far as I am concerned, these are the three best left wingers in FM 2024.

 

 

 

What was My Method for Selecting the Top Choices?

Years of playing this captivating simulation have honed my understanding of the key attributes essential for players operating on the left flank. The critical skills and their minimum effective ratings are as follows:

Accceleration	14+
Pace	14+
Crossing	12+
Dribbling	14+
Finishing	12+
Long shots	10+

 

Now, let’s delve into the significance of each skill set:

• Acceleration (14+): This metric gauges the swiftness with which a player can attain full speed from rest. Such quickness is pivotal for any wide player, enabling them to launch into rapid sprints that can outmaneuver defenders, which is especially advantageous during quick breaks or when attempting to slip past the backline.
• Pace (14+): This indicates the maximum speed a player can achieve, both when dribbling and in open play. A winger with blistering pace can swiftly traverse the pitch, instrumental in both launching assaults into enemy territory and falling back to fortify the defense.
• Crossing (12+): The proficiency in swinging the ball from the flanks with precision is encapsulated here. Effective crossing is the cornerstone of crafting goal opportunities, and with even moderate skill, a player can be a formidable source of assists from the wings.
• Dribbling (14+): This skill reflects the aptitude to control the ball adeptly while in motion. Superior dribbling enables a player to weave through constricted spaces, retain possession amidst opposition, and outplay defenders in direct confrontations, thereby laying the groundwork for offensive plays from the sidelines or the route to the net.
• Finishing (12+): The ability to reliably convert chances into goals is measured here. A winger who finds themselves in striking positions often can make a marked difference in the game’s outcome with proficient finishing.
• Long Shots (10+): This attribute scores a player’s ability to take aim and shoot from beyond the penalty box. Even with an average rating, such a player possesses the capacity to pose a threat from afar, compelling defenses to stretch and potentially creating gaps for allies.

In essence, an athlete with these attributes would excel as a left winger, capable of generating opportunities for themselves and their team, maintaining a relentless threat to the opposition.

Their knack for finishing implies they can pivot inward to score, while their aptitude for long-range shots adds an additional layer of danger.

Check also:

• The Best Right Wingers (AMR)
• The Best Goalkeepers

 

List of all the Best Left Wingers in the World

Here are my picks for the finest left wingers, carefully selected based on previously mentioned attributes. The list has a variety of outstanding choices that can be great additon to any club.

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