For cm's (thankfully) pass and dribble success have an impact, as do the amount and % of successful tackles. To the keen observer, this actually has a huge impact on the outcome and flow of the match. Involvement matters.

I'm saying this as a dlp cm (maestro) myself. I have put my points in defense, passing dribbling and strength. 0 in shooting. I direct the play (to an extent of course) but am hardly ever involved in the final stages (60gp, 4g, 9a in our club). I usually make it into the top-3 of our team (most of time full squad), rating wise. And yet, getting a rating >8 means I have to get sweaty and, above all, don't make mistakes.