FOOTY... what is going on with full backs today ???i

[take5]

In my youth, full backs only had two jobs.

1)Hoof the ball upfield to someone who had the skill to do something with it. Dribbling was something these sub-species only did when they were eating food in the bar after the game.
It would be very unlikely that they could spell the words " ball control "

2) kick lumps out of the opposing winger.

My boyhood hero was a full back named Willie Coburn. ( St Johnstone ) What a guy!! I saw him kick lumps out of all who were stupid enough to try to pass him.

But, gradually, the full back has changed. An IQ of more than 45 is probably now the norm.

They have skills.

None more so than Marcelo, Brazilian full back with REAL MADRID.

Ive been watching this guy for a while now and just love his skills/ball control, which are up there with the best. IMHO

I saw something on the TV the other night, against Bayern Munich.

He made it look so easy, but I thought it was fantastic, and sums the guy up. Watch this short clip (only 6 seconds )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXdHcEuKyKQ

[struth]

Don't get to be a full back if you can tackle in this country

[rmcin626]

The best two left backs in the U.K. are Scottish.

[Macca]

Was at a mate's house a while back and he was watching an FA cup game between two lower league teams (can't recall who) and it was just like how football used to be in the 1970s. Lots of contact, lots of hoofing, players covered in so much mud it was hard to tell what side they were on, and so on. Sadly the match was abandoned when the floodlights failed with about 10 minutes to go.

[rigger67]

It's always been a half-and-half position, combining the physical attributes of a midfielder with the ability to attack like a winger and defend like a stopper. In essence, it's an all-round role which is why so many central midfielders make the transition to the position with ease and occasionally vice-versa (Lahm during the 2014 World Cup, for example).

Years ago, it would typically be the slot for the least-valued players in the squad.
Strikers, playmakers and keepers have always been the stars, with midfield generals and hardmen close behind, while the central defenders were usually captains and leaders .. leaving the poor old right and left backs (literally) bringing up the rear.

All that changed with the emergence of the attacking 352 and suddenly wing-backs were in vogue, sharpening the role yet more, until today we have these superhuman hybrids who must excel at pretty much every part of the game to succeed at the top level.

I wrote a speculative article for When Saturday Comes about five or six years ago suggesting that in the future there would be inverted full-backs who'd be stronger cutting in to deal with inside forwards (or wrong-sided wingers, if you like) and also to attack and shoot at the other end.
They dismissed it and it was never published but I felt rather smug when Pep first tried it at Bayern before doing it again with even more devastating effect at Man City.

I actually played about 300 amateur games at full-back but that was just because I was crap .. :lol:

[Len Co]

Same story in Rugby, in the old days a fb had a 50-50 chance of making a catch, 5-95 on a wet day, now they are sprinting back to the goal-line catching it over their shoulders, side-stepping the chasing wingers and booting it 80 yds back upfield. Oh no! Hang on a minute that's the props I'm talking about!

[Stratmangler]

I wrote a speculative article for When Saturday Comes about five or six years ago suggesting that in the future there would be inverted full-backs who'd be stronger cutting in to deal with inside forwards (or wrong-sided wingers, if you like) and also to attack and shoot at the other end.
They dismissed it and it was never published but I felt rather smug when Pep first tried it at Bayern before doing it again with even more devastating effect at Man City

Funnily enough, look what's come to light over on the Sky Sports news site http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/11347355/three-tactical-innovations-behind-pep-guardiolas-man-city-success

[struth]

The best two left backs in the U.K. are Scottish.

We have? Can't say I noticed much. Take it your referring to the Celtic lad and the Liverpool one.

Scotland produced a lot of good full backs back in the day. Mcgrain and jardine were 2 prime examples. I knew Danny a bit and used to chat with him in his pub a lot. Took a while to understand a word mind. Lol

[rigger67]

Funnily enough, look what's come to light over on the Sky Sports news site http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/11347355/three-tactical-innovations-behind-pep-guardiolas-man-city-success

I know, it's maddening for me, it really is .. especially given that I even had a snappy title for the piece : Full Back To The Future :D

[Macca]

I know, it's maddening for me, it really is .. especially given that I even had a snappy title for the piece : Full Back To The Future :D

That is good.

[Stratmangler]

I know, it's maddening for me, it really is .. especially given that I even had a snappy title for the piece : Full Back To The Future :D

Nice one :D

It's been interesting the way Pep used midfielders (Delph & Zinchenko) to cover Benjamin Mendy's position.
Delph has put in some top performances, and Zinchenko has come on in leaps bounds.
Laporte has done a decent job since his arrival in January.
I'm waiting for the game where Bravo plays in goal, and Ederson plays in his natural midfield position.

Players and positions is a fairly tenuous and mobile thing, just as it was with Cruyff and the Nederlands team in the early 1970s

[rigger67]

Not to mention Hungary in the 50s.
That "False 9" thing ?
They did it with Hidegkuti, the nominal centre-forward who dropped deep into midfield whenever the team didn't have the ball.

I think prior to that, Austria did it in the 30s with a player called Matthias Sindelar.

Incidentally, if you like this kind of stuff, try Inverting The Pyramid by Jonathan Wilson.
A truly monumental work on the history of tactics.

[Marco]

We have? Can't say I noticed much. Take it your referring to the Celtic lad and the Liverpool one.


Lol... You haven't noticed much? Tierney and Robertson's amazing performances have been lighting up pitches all season!

Marco.

[struth]

Lol... You haven't noticed much? Tierney and Robertson's amazing performances have been lighting up pitches all season!

Marco.

least i got the right 2 ;)

[Marco]

Lol, such as?

Marco.

[struth]

Well the 2 players mentioned Couldn't remember names but got teams right

[Marco]

Ah I see what you're getting at now:)

I thought you were implying I'd got the wrong two players.

Marco.