Stephen Puddicombe gives his thoughts on our defenders and discusses what we should be looking for from a modern full-back.
Tottenham’s full-back problem
Of the many poor tactical choices made by the two Tottenham managers this season, the utilising of the two full backs has been possibly the most frequent and frustrating.
Danny Rose, Kyle Naughton and (to a lesser extent) Kyle Walker have been criticised for their defensive errors this season, but their more important flaws have been generally overlooked – that is, their lack of contribution to attacks.
Danny Rose’s goal yesterday was certainly impressive, but the surprise in seeing him lurking in the penalty area emphasised how rare a sight it has been this season to see the full backs involved in the goals. Surely we should be seeing them in these kind of advanced areas more often?
A quick glance at the best teams in Europe reveals how much the full-back’s role has evolved. Bayern’s David Alaba and Philipp Lahm, Barcelona’s Danni Alves and Jordi Alba, and Real Madrid’s Marcelo and Fabio Coentrao are all primarily celebrated for what they provide going forward rather than going backwards.
The very notion of a ‘back four’ should probably be dismissed as out of date, given that full backs spend most of the time further up the field than centre backs. In the mid-week champions league fixtures, for instance, the full-backs of the attack minded teams (Athletico Madrid and Bayern Munich) were positioned ahead of the central midfielders, while Chelsea emphasised the need for defensive-minded central midfielders by using David Luiz, John Obi Mikel and Frank Lampard in their backs-to-the-wall set-up.
[authquoteleft text=”The very notion of a ‘back four’ should probably be dismissed as out of date[/linequote]Given how the onus of defending in modern football is more on the central midfielders than the right and left back, Rose and Walker should all be forgiven the occasional defensive lapse.
Of greater concern has been their lack of influence when in possession, with both displaying a frustrating tendency to make wrong decision. Walker often appears to rush his game at the expense of considered judgement, while Rose continues to aimlessly cross into the box at the expense of better options.
Yet both are fine athletes with exceptional pace who tick most of the boxes of what a modern full-back needs.
Perhaps, then, the fault lies not in the player’s lack of talent, but in the way they are being asked to set-up. Andre Villas Boas was of course notoriously defensive, while Tim Sherwood has failed to get to grips with he nuances of the game as it is today. And there is no evidence to suggest that anyone has told Rose to stop hoofing the ball long, or told Walker to curb his rash tackles.
Both full-backs spend too much time on the ball and attempt too many dribbles past players, whilst failing to understand that, above all, the full-backs job should be to supply width. The age of the touchline-hugging winger has passed, as inverted wingers move closer in-field to take up the space vacated by deeper-lying central midfielders.
[authquoteright text=”Perhaps, then, the fault lies not in the player’s lack of talent, but in the way they are being asked to set-up.[/linequote]As such, it is the full-backs responsibility to provide an outlet out wide. Rose and Walker, however, are too keen to attempt to beat players and create chances themselves, ignoring the more skilled playmakers in the team, like Christian Eriksen.
Compare this to Man City, for whom Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolorov behave disciplined, sticking to the touchline and playing simple passes to the likes of David Silva and Samir Nasri, whilst constantly making overlapping runs to create more space for the playmakers to use.
Spurs’ game is in need of much modernisation, and with a new manager on the way, hopefully next season will see strides into the right direction. Having seen how Brendan Rogers has improved players who only recently looked out of their depth, hope remains that the right man can turn Walker and Rose into two of the best full-backs in the league.
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16 Comments
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28/04/2014 @ 8:39 pm
!!!!! HAPPY ST TOTTERINGHAM’S DAY !!!!!!
18 YEARS IN A ROW
love
Arséne x
28/04/2014 @ 8:53 pm
Congrats on winning the Wenger Cup again this year guys, maybe you can push on again next year eh??
28/04/2014 @ 9:00 pm
Another fantastic season for arsenhole again…..those trophies are coming thick and fast. Just like that jazz in your face
28/04/2014 @ 10:28 pm
so either your saying we have loads of trophies like the loads on our face – or no trophies which means we have no jizz (not jazz btw) on our face, which makes your attempt at crude humour utterly redundant. like your team. but thanks for trying.
05/05/2014 @ 8:22 am
If you’re going to correct people on grammar and spelling then you should really know the difference between your and you’re.
YOUR posts are drivel and YOUR team are scum. YOU’RE 4th again after buying a £42.5m player and claiming you’d win the title and, YOU’RE celebrating 4th like a trophy as usual. Another 1000 games for Wenger pleeeease!!!!
29/04/2014 @ 11:32 am
Title challengers at Xmas to again worrying about getting into the top 4 come May.. My how your expectations have dropped this season. Congratulations on achieving the absolute minimum requirement that your clubs expenditure justifies.. I’d like to cast my vote – Wenger IN for another ten glorious years of bare minimum mediocrity. Enjoy your season tickets going up again Woolwich..
28/04/2014 @ 9:02 pm
I think Naughton has had it. Rose maybe salvageable but we desperately need a left back….centre back (dawson has to go) and right back competition for walker who still leaves me unconvinced with his decision making
28/04/2014 @ 9:17 pm
Don’t get fooled by Danny Rose goal he is bar far the worst left back in the prem
28/04/2014 @ 9:18 pm
Very good analysis. It is a pity the nice but dim, Tim could never understand your comments. He doesn’t even understand why we need a defensive midfield player to allow our more attack minded players the freedom to go forward. My worry with Rose is he thinks he is better than he is. He is a failed left winger, with just pace to beat a player. The sooner he realises that then he might improve. I thought when Rose played with Chadli in front of him he played his best football.
28/04/2014 @ 9:19 pm
Rose out get whatever Sunderland are prepared to offer
28/04/2014 @ 10:25 pm
it’s happened again
it’s happened again
one hundred million – but it’s happened again!
Happy St Totteringham’s day, you lovely tiny totts!
you are the gift that keeps on giving and we luv ya!
make sure you watch us lift the fa cup in May – you know, that trophy you haven’t won in over 20 years.
and enjoy those glory glory thursday nights again next season!
29/04/2014 @ 9:02 am
Good article. With a few tweaks to personnel and player roles on the pitch we will have a good season next year. Basically, if soldado scored this year we would be top 4 – all we lacked that one player to pipe up with crucial goals really.
29/04/2014 @ 10:41 am
Congratulations to the Woolwich Wanderers getting Champions League football so early against Tottenham with two games to go and probably one game to go against Everton. You guys should be proud of securing this with this many games to go after being top of the league in the new year. I do like the Woolwich Wanderers fans Olympic attitude to the Champions League, it’s not the winning, it’s the taking part. So many years participating in it who needs to win it, let Chelsea, Man utd and Liverpool have the embarrasment of that trophy.
I do love how Wenger and the team think about your mental health. I mean what team would want to put their fans through all them emotions of a title challenge, leave that to them crazy Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City fans. Bet you guys are relieved to let them go through all that ectasy and depression. They should make a trophy for 4th because the European section of the trophy cabinet must be bare and could do with some filling.
29/04/2014 @ 1:21 pm
both have had shocking seasons no doubt and at 23 and 25 are either gonna get much better? as back ups I think they can both do a job but as a first choice I’m not sure they are the answer, no obvious left backs available thou who would come to us and obviously kyle walker will come back, ideally a bit of experience at both left back and centre back could make a massive difference at the back.
29/04/2014 @ 3:10 pm
Spot on article.
29/04/2014 @ 3:11 pm
Funny that the Goons always get so carried away about finishing above a club they allegedly no longer consider rivals. It’s a bit…well…small time really. Ho hum.