da marjack bet： What is the modern day full back? If you’re looking for the best around you needn’t look much further than Dani Alves and Maicon. The marauding Brazilians deliver crosses, score goals, have great energy, and more importantly are rarely at fault for conceding goals. Bar the latter, this is also relevant to current England right back Glen Johnson. Unlike the mentioned pair, Johnson is increasingly suspect at the back. And it has got to the point where I can’t figure out why Roy Hodgson or Fabio Capello persists with playing him there.
da brdice： One minute he’ll look like a rabbit in headlights whilst defending and then loses his concentration at vital times of a match. Then he’ll dribble past a few players and create havoc in the opposition penalty area moments later. This has been noticeable in England matches in the last couple of years. Considering these qualities, it’s a wonder why nobody has given him a chance in a more advanced role, with less defensive responsibilities.
Prior to Johnson, we’ve witnessed Gary Neville play consistently well in an England shirt for over a decade. Neville has been known in the past to be a “proper full back”. Defending well then playing from there. It seems that Johnson is built in the opposite mould. Attacking well then defending weakly. Maybe this is the way of the modern day full back. But it can damage your ‘goals against’ column quite severely if the full back isn’t quite the all rounder they need to be. Just ask Liverpool fans. If Johnson was played on the wing, he has the ability to affect the ‘goals for’ column much more frequently.
Switching a player from full back to winger has proven to bring the best out of certain players. Take Gareth Bale. Left Back all the way throughout his career until last season where Harry Redknapp gave the Welshman consistent starts on the left of midfield. That was the period in which his career took off. I specifically recall Bale carving open Arsenal and Chelsea within the space of three days last season from the left hand side. Without question he’s now become a serious asset to Tottenham and their Champions League credentials.
We also see the best out of full backs when there are fewer defensive responsibilities placed on them. Dani Alves has Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano covering him when he thrusts up the Nou Camp turf. Similarly, Maicon has Lucio, Walter Samuel and Esteban Cambiasso keeping an eye on any astray positioning. World Class individuals who know each other’s games very well, and will always assist their full backs when they attack. Does knowing they can bomb forward and not get caught at the back make Alves and Maicon the players they are? It certainly gives them a positive mindset.
My point is not that Glen Johnson should be dropped, far from it in fact. He just needs to be moved further forward. He possesses all the qualities to be a good winger, however less of the qualities that are needed to be a top flight defender. He will score you goals, create you chances, and won’t be the last line of defence if he’s a midfielder. Surely it’s worth a go.
Written By Rob Edwards