Back in the old days the main requirement of a defender was clearing his lines and not venturing forwards at every opportunity. I do feel now that sometimes defenders are too focussed on their attacking duties and neglect their position in defence.
To be a modern full back requires excellent technical ability and a swift turn of pace but tbh there are a lot of players who aren't up to this. Are academies concentrating too much on the attacking side of the game?
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The back pass to the 'keeper or the welly over the old Gable Stand.
Proper defending.
I'd say absolutely 'yes' that's maybe it's biggest weakness is vulnerability to counter-attacks, especially down the flanks. I think our issue last night was that as I say it's quite a fluid formation, it requires more movement, and our brief is clearly to work to ball on the ground at all times (almost without exception - which I disagree with). It went wrong because I think we looked a little sluggish/tired so movement wasn't great, we didn't cope well with Wigan's pressing so couldn't work the ball up the pitch the way we're set up to and they also played quite attacking themselves which squashed us into our own half more than we'd like - making it harder to play.
Regarding the end-to-end, technical full back role - my observation was that our (few and far between) incisive moments were the quick 1-2s from the middle to an advanced full back on the wing and back to middle again whilst taking out a couple of their players.
1. Know your wing opponent. Are they left, right footed or both, ditto for the strikers although that was usually for the centre half's to find out and tell us. If you don't know that you don't know how to shape up when they are coming towards you!
2. How quick are they, if they are quicker than you then early doors you need to slow them down the old fashion way. Dead leg was a favourite, Les Berry taught me that. He also favoured treading on toes whilst waiting for the corner if at all possible.
3. If in doubt, kick it out, they can't score from the stands. Preferably as well as out, up the pitch as well.
4. Your winger in front is your new best mate, he'll help when you're defending and you'll need to help when atacking.
Back to the modern day, the system Robinson favours rely on;
Very fit players as they will need to cover more grass than the average player in the 442 formation,
Players who are adaptable to more than one position and a very coherent and aware player who can see across the team the job at that moment every player is fulfilling.
As we advance the defensive mid needs to drop back almost as a sweeper in front of the centre half's, as someone has mentioned, a quick counter attacking team can really catch you out in this formation.
You also need very vocal players in the middle, well at least one, preferably the defensive mid, to give people a warning if they are straying, thats what you hear Robinson hollering all the time as theres no one on the pitch doing it (Kashi & JFC are too quiet, so are both centre half's, maybe Pearce but I don't think his footballing brain is quick enough).
What I think we'll see this year is a fair amount of goals, at both ends. We will get caught out as we attack in numbers but by attacking in numbers we'll score goals.
I think Robinson now has the players for this system. My concerns are 1. Solly - absolutely capable of playing the system, but with extra miles comes extra recovery time and we already know 2 games a week is extremely difficult for him. 2. If we have to play youngsters, playing this system requires a certain amount of match/playing time experience IMHO - they won't have that which I think is why some come on (KHG) and always look lost. 3. Plan B is....... carry on with the system, he needs to be able to change to a 532 or 442, the latter with the players on the pitch if we are getting over run. He doesn't seem to be able to or want to do this.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with 442, 452, 532 etc and the former two are easier for 'average' players to fit into. If injuries come, if suspensions come, blindly sticking to 4231 will be costly.
Glenn Johnson would be an example of a decent offensive full back but he regularly got shown up by wingers who kept him pinned back and busy defensively. Kyle Walker is the same however Danny Rose and Clyne at Liverpool are 2 that I think are strong defensively and offer a real threat going forwards
I thought Diawara was a superb tackler and enjoyed watching him play. CP was a brilliant reader of the game, very composed and good positionally.
As you mention Walker and Rose, take a close look at Spurs the next time they are on the box. No matter whether Pochettino plays with 2 or 3 CBs, the width always comes from Rose or Davies on the left and Aurier or Trippier (and Walker Peters) on the right. The cover comes from one of the two defensive midfielders. The CBs Vertonghen and Alderweirald shift sideways behind the hole left by the full back and their place is filled by one of the 2 DMs, (2 from Dier, Dembele and Wanyama)
The width they make creates the space for Son, Alli and Eriksen to do their stuff behind Kane.
Last night's game against Dortmund, Spurs used 3 CBs with Dier and Dembele playing in front shielding, giving licence to Davies and Aurier to break forward on the counter at every opportunity. If you get to watch the goals again at some point, Davies was the furthest Spurs player forward when Kane scored the 3rd.
You wont see Spurs out possessed very often these days but they were given a lesson in keep ball first half although Dortmund ran out of legs last 10-15 mins last night.
One thing for me, I always thought Walker relied to heavily on his pace to get himself out of trouble at times. His final ball is bloody attrocious. If you could combine Trippier's final ball and Walkers pace, you'd have the ideal full back and he certainly wouldnt be at Spurs. Having said that, was mightily impressed with Aurier last night. Strong, quick and got two feet. Can see why he was in so much demand now... https://streamable.com/06fld
Technically maybe not as good as our modern day defenders and defensive midfielders but they knew their roles and were seriously good defenders.
As much as I like players like Kyle Walker and Danny Rose, I do tend to think they lack some defensive qualities that some of the better modern defenders possess I'm thinking Philip Lahm as an example.
You just have to look at plenty of managers (even Curbs) who'd happily play left footed CBs at LB or defensive midfielders at RB. It is (like any other position) specialist and finally now we've realised that. Imo possibly one of the most important in the modern age, you have to be good at everything or you're very quickly found out. I guess it's just part of the evolution of football and I'd imagine at some point flat back 4s or even sweepers will come back.
On the other side of the coin some wingers in the old days were converted to full back notably our very own Brian Kinsey and less successfully Mike Kenning (albeit a short term fix). Also some players find they have less time on the ball as they move into senior football* and are able to read the game better whilst being more comfortable in possession at full back; I would put Mark Albrighton formerly of Villa now at Everton in this category.
We also had George Cohen and Ray Wilson in the 66 World cup winning team who loved an overlap in a 4-3-3 formation as did our own Billy Bonds and Bobby Curtis so I'm not so sure its evolution more a case that the role of the full back has turned full circle since the 60's.
edit; *Phil Warman was also a left winger for Lewisham Utd as a youngster before joining Charlton and was a decent left back who loved to get forward in the 70's.