Ever wondered why your players are caught out of position in FIFA 22 Ultimate Team?
Well, it could be down to the work rates of your individual players, and we are here to explain why having the hardest working team is not always the best plan!
Certain positions, formations, and playing styles will suit different work rates, so make sure you know what you are looking for before making your next signing.
What are work rates?
Each player in FIFA has a designated work rate for both attack and defence, and they are ranked either high, medium, or low.
These work rates can be managed in Career Mode, but in Ultimate Team you cannot change the work rates of an individual player.
The work rates are not indicative of how much your players are running, but rather they highlight how often they will join in attacking moves or come back on defence.
For example, a player with a high attacking work rate will take part in almost every attack, while a low attacking work rate will rarely venture forward.
While the work rates are not a do or die factor when it comes to team selection, they certainly should be something to check when signing for a specific position.
Ultimately, a top player will be better for your side than an average player no matter what their work rates are, but when deciding between two top players it could give you the edge!
Dynamic Defence
You want your defence defending. Simple as that. This means that you are looking for a high defensive work rate for all your backline.
As far as centre-backs go, a low attacking work rate is ideal, but medium is also fine as they should remain in position, especially when instructed to 'Stay Back While Attacking'.
League Objectives player Malang Sarr fits the Low/High work rate mould perfectly, but you will find most of the top centre-backs with medium attacking work rates.
Sevilla and France defender Jules Kounde boasts high work rates in both attack and defence, and this has led to FUT fans finding him out of position.
For full-backs, we prefer the same medium/high combination to ensure they are always ready to defend, but it does depend on personal preference.
Most of the top full-backs in the game have high attacking work rates, but you will find the new Future Stars Takehiro Tomiyasu, Nordi Mukiele, and Paolo Maldini with M/H.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joao Cancelo are two of the best full-backs in the game, but they both have medium defensive work rates which can leave you short at the back.
Our recommendation would be to opt for full-backs with High/High work rates as that is where you will find the best options.
Midfield Masters
Your midfield is often the heartbeat of the team, so this is likely where you will want your hardest-working players to be.
However, if you play with two in midfield, you may not want them marauding forward every time your team attacks as it could leave you exposed.
In this case, players like N'Golo Kante and Declan Rice are ideal as they have high defensive work rates, but only medium attacking work rates.
This makes them more selective about when they attack and can help to balance your side.
If you play with three in midfield, it is worth having at least one central midfielder who has High/High work rates and covers every inch of the pitch.
Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, and Aurelien Tchouameni are perfect examples of stars who can affect the game at both ends of the pitch, and have the stamina to do so!
Wing Wizards
Forget defending, you want your wingers causing problems at the other end.
4-4-2 users may want their wingers to help out a little, but for anyone using out-and-out wingers in a 4-3-3 variant, a low defensive work rate is ideal.
The likes of Ronaldinho, Moussa Diaby, and Adama Traore all have low defensive work rates, so they will always be ready to attack!
However, the majority of top wingers are High/Medium. High attacking work rates are crucial, so this is what you will likely be looking for.
Mohamed Salah, Raheem Sterling, Sadio Mane, and Vinicius Jr. all fall into that category, so there are plenty of players to pick from.
We would avoid wingers like Heung-Min Son as his High/High work rates will fatigue him much quicker, giving him less energy to sprint in an attack.
Flying Forwards
Picking your forwards is similar to the wingers, you want them focusing on attacking rather than defending.
Anyone who has been using the Flashback Harry Kane card will have noticed him dropping into midfield to help win the ball back due to his high defensive work rate.
While this is great in helping out your team regain possession, it then leaves Kane out of position, a nightmare if you are looking to counterattack quickly!
Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo are two prime examples of forwards with High/Low work rates, the ideal for a lone striker.
All their energy is saved while your team defends, meaning they are fresh to spring forward when you do win the ball back.
As far as central strikers go, a low defensive work rate is the most desirable, paired with a high attacking work rate.