This topic came up again recently with the side that I coach. I was thinking how the modern full-back plays. Really you could take the word ‘back’ out of the title. When you look at Evra, Cole, Richards, Baines etc. They spend much of the time in attack creating overloads. Alves probably the most extreme at Barcelona. It seems to me that the modern fullback tends to be one of the quickest fittest players. So I really encourage my full back’s forward in underlaps and overlaps. Which I know not everyone agrees with. I’ve heard people actually say to young full backs that they are not allowed over the half way line. They remind the lads that they are ‘4 defenders’. So they stay rigid 4 at the back. I’m not in line with this view. Not just because of Alves and Barcelona, because I recall how important our full backs were when I worked for Luton Town in Division 2.
For me the most important defensive players are the two centre backs and the deep midfielder. In the great teams of recent years they have all have a superbly disciplined Deep midfielder and this player is key to allowing the modern fullback to play a more attacking role.
Examples include Keane, Vieira, Makelele, Hamann, Gattuso, Mattaus, Tardelli, Gerrard, and so on. But here is my boldest most controversial bit. I have seen so many great talented players get big moves then not replicate the excellence. This is because what is around them. In particular, the amazing breathtaking forward play of Barcelona is enabled because of what is behind them. Mainly Sergio Busquets, along with two solid centre backs. Busquets is like the chief engineer with Vettel like Messi. Yes, I am a huge admirer of Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Villa etc. But I sadly also love great defensive display and team structure. That is that defensive triangle with Sergio at the top. Of course it also well witnessed the team ethic of winning the ball back in the attacking third. Dealing with the problem before it happens.
So, when the question came from my son, we decided to watch the game that was on that night. Surely it’s best to study the players at the top that play in your position?
This is what we discovered.
Chelsea V Marseille 28th September 2010 Champions League
Individual Player Analysis for Ivanavic and Mikel
My son has spent two years playing goal and had just played his 1st competitive game on pitch as a right back. He enjoys the game but was little lost and asked for my help. His manger had asked him to go to certain areas but he didn’t understand. So we decided to watch a game that night and look at what a player does in his position as a guide. We took the opportunity to analysis another player in my other son’s position of deep midfield.
We took advantage of the ‘tools’ of the trade from my work. I got the two lads to do the analysis. We did the 1st 45 minutes.
Chelsea were winning 2-0 by half time. Goals from John Terry from a corner. The second goal was a penalty which was won after Ivanavic attempted an attacking cross.
Jack - DM
- One of Mikels tackles was won in the furthest position shown on here on the right side of the pitch after Ivanavic was caught out too far forward
- Mikel had 94% passing success rate. Didn’t want to go long.
- Even with heavy involvement Mikel still was without the ball for 92% of the game. So much of his work is shape, positioning, tracking, organising.
- Most work is defensive centre area but would cover equally left and right with rotation.
- He never got in the attacking 3rd allowing forward players to stay there.
- 2 of his 3 bad passes were long.
LIAM RB
- Liam covers much less of the pitch in his games and rarely gets past the halfway line.
- Amazing how far forward Ivanavic gets but there is cover when he does from Mikel.
- He didn’t have much direct involvement. More running without ball, positioning, marking at set pieces and cover runs.
- We worked out that he was on the ball for around 70 seconds. Which is around 97% of his time without the ball.
- He could have kept the ball better, he should have kept it on the floor
- He must be EXTREMELLY fit with excellent stamina to cover the amount of pitch he does.
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