Free kick specialists and ck ones are overrated. It's indeed true they provide a goal source but any ST with good finalization/shoot quality is able to score pretty often from free kicks. As example, i used hutton for left fks last season (he is left footed) while i used callaghan (fk specialist) on right, and found out that averagily they scored/missed the same amount. That said, i try to alwais have one on field anyways.

As for corners, i do pick specialist but ONLY if they are scout level, hence with a crossing ablity near the highest one i have in team. If i got a ! 38 ck specialist i'd leave him for a scout (Q45) with 10 more points in crossing than the first one.

As for dribblers, they are useful but at given times. They might solve the riddle when your sts are struck, and manage to get past their markers. It becomes a lot more useful when you play through middle mode instead of through flanks, expecially on red arrows. Rob Denton scores a lot this season with his red arrow being a mc, usually overlapping on the amc.I do reckon that being able to raise the dribbler SA on a 18 yo MC which received power training to learn AMC and ST roles would be SO good, since sts tends to "tries get past markers" quite often.

Playmakers: I believe you are slightly mistaken over here. The fact they tend to get lots of yellow cards isn't due to being playmakers, but to them being usually DMCs. That said, i do believe playmaking ability is related to only one aspect of the game, being it the:

"XXXX with a YYYY pass"

part. When this shows up, you either:

a) see the receiver shoots towards the goal
b) opponent intercepting.

where the playmaking ability raises the % of a successful pass and probably (imho) raises the % of scoring from that shoot too. Combined with a shadow striker ability it becomes a quite nasty combo. So far whenever Becker (amc, ss) received from either my Ross, Diamond, Le Blanc - PM) he either scored or got a corner kick. Proof is thatcompared to last season my AMC scored A LOT more goals since when i play with either 2 or 3 playmakers.

One on one scorer might seem appealing, but it's just bullcrap. Since when i power trained Lenders into 1on1 he fails MORE than before his 1-1. Full stop.

Agreed on the rest.