Have you ever heard of a striker being described as "a clinical finisher" or a midfielder as "a midfield general"? Of course you have. But have you ever, outside of a computer game, heard a striker described
as having 17 out of 20 for finishing or a midfielder with 15 out of 20 for passing? Of course you haven't. Why not? Because we understand instinctively that our knowledge of a player's skills are a matter of
opinion - they're subjective, imprecise and verbal - and using numbers suggests a certainty that simply doesn't exist.
Let me let you into a secret - the reason smgs give players skill numbers is because it makes the programming job very much easier. However, it produces a totally artifical informational environment in the game
and destroys that skill of the manager we might describe as "discovering the qualities of the players". A significant management challenge has been lost and is replaced by what is little more than a comparison of
numbers.
SaaP dulicates the real-world description of players and their skills. Coaches, scouts, fans, press, other managers will all express their opinions verbally and you can take from these what you think they are worth.
There are some statistics - goal scorers, starts etc - and there are numerical opinion statistics such as ratings for match and training performances. And there is the match itself. From these and experimenting
with your selections and tactics, you will come to understand your players by a process of "discovery".
Deprived of their numbers some say there's a lack of information on skills but that's just nonsense - but there is sometimes a lack of judgement in handling the information.
SCOUT'S PLAYER OPINION
TEAMSHEET and TRAINING STATS