In defence of the inverted winger

[The Fighting Cock]

Read why Stephen Puddicombe thinks the inverted winger is the future and why traditional wide men are on the way out.

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[Cripps14]

I am a very vocal supporter of seeing wide men take on a full-back. I think it is great to see a winger beat a man and makes that full-back then worry every time he comes up against the player in the match. However I also see the advantage of having a player who cuts inside and can chip in with goals himself.

I think my main problem with Spurs at the moment, is that none of the wingers whether inverted or not, ever change their game up a little. You can't tell me that a professional football player can only kick a ball with one foot. If that is the case, maybe he should be in the SPL or the Championship, rather than at a club with top four ambitions.

What I would like to see is a player sometimes cutting inside and other times taking on their man and whipping in a cross. When I watch Andros Townsend or Erik Lamela on the right of the pitch, I know that they will be cutting inside to have a shot or look for a neat little pass. As a supporter I like seeing a winger score a screamer from outside the box, but I also enjoy seeing a full-back being torn a new one/being sent off as he lunges in for a tackle from behind having been humiliated time and time again by a winger who gets past him with ease.

This variety is what is currently lacking from the Spurs side.

 

[Dannyboy]

The inverted winger has been derided at Tottenham due to the personnel. If it works for Chelsea that is due to Costa or Drogba being such a menace, and having a team play to their strengths but Chadli, Lamela, Townsend and to an extent Lennon consistently fail to produce by cutting inside (Chadli's goals haven't come as a result of being an inverted winger).

If we had the right players, fine but all we do is congest the final third and leave our full backs exposed, which I can't see is beneficial in the slightest.

 

[SouthernCross10]

if you are a traditional winger, you need just a little bit of skill to beat the fullback.
if you an inverted winger than you need the skill to be able to beat a man instead of just using your pace

 

[The Swellhead Spur]

Get Bolasie in!

 

[Juicy Sushi]

I am a very vocal supporter of seeing wide men take on a full-back. I think it is great to see a winger beat a man and makes that full-back then worry every time he comes up against the player in the match. However I also see the advantage of having a player who cuts inside and can chip in with goals himself.

I think my main problem with Spurs at the moment, is that none of the wingers whether inverted or not, ever change their game up a little. You can't tell me that a professional football player can only kick a ball with one foot. If that is the case, maybe he should be in the SPL or the Championship, rather than at a club with top four ambitions.

What I would like to see is a player sometimes cutting inside and other times taking on their man and whipping in a cross. When I watch Andros Townsend or Erik Lamela on the right of the pitch, I know that they will be cutting inside to have a shot or look for a neat little pass. As a supporter I like seeing a winger score a screamer from outside the box, but I also enjoy seeing a full-back being torn a new one/being sent off as he lunges in for a tackle from behind having been humiliated time and time again by a winger who gets past him with ease.

This variety is what is currently lacking from the Spurs side.

Arjen Robben is similarly mono-footed for the all-singing, dancing, pressing tika-taka machine that is Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich. In fairness to Andros, Erik and even Nacer, they aren't really one-footed. They have a dominant foot, but aren't actually useless with the other.

You aren't going to see many crosses whipped in by wingers surging down the by-line under Pochettino. He wants the ball central, with a throughball getting played to the striker. And in fairness, it does work, but the problem has been that our wingers have been easily isolated on the right because until Walker came back, we didn't have anyone doing much of the overlap and support role in the enemy half.

When Walker's back to 100% form we'll likely see a lot more threat from the right side because the opposing fullback and winger won't be able to focus on just one Spurs player anymore.

 

[Matias]

Gonna read the article asap, but "traditional wide men are on the way out" sounds a bit late to me Damn, they are nowhere to be found already.
Well I am sure there are more in England than anywhere else.
But here in Italy, I can only think of Candreva and Joaquin as traditional wingers.

 

[Benjamin]

inverted wingers have a tendency to bunch up in the wrong places on the pitch instead of cutting inside where you would expect them to. Where as a traditional winger usually has more passing options if he gets caught up in a tight position, the inverted style have a tendency to have absolutely nowhere to go because everyone is jammed into the same part of the pitch.

 

[Blanchflower]

The inverted winger has been derided at Tottenham due to the personnel. If it works for Chelsea that is due to Costa or Drogba being such a menace, and having a team play to their strengths but Chadli, Lamela, Townsend and to an extent Lennon consistently fail to produce by cutting inside (Chadli's goals haven't come as a result of being an inverted winger).

If we had the right players, fine but all we do is congest the final third and leave our full backs exposed, which I can't see is beneficial in the slightest.

Also watch how wide Hazard stays - he's right on the touchline for periods of the game, makes him easier to pass to and enable him to drive into the box 1on1 vs the fullback.

We take 3 to 4 more passes to get the ball to Lamela, then he's stood 20 yards in from the touchline with 3 men to beat.

 

[Aussie Ardiles]

The inverted wingers we have are more like inverted central mids. They dont stay out wide enough before joining in the build up play or cutting in and firing off a shot on their preferred foot. This creates that lack of width and a big cluster fuck of players in and around our box and bores the fuck out of every soul in around the Lane. They are also so inept of having a plan B and going around the outside that they get double teamed because sides know where they are going every time.

For all the clips and rave reviews we hear about Lamela (not a bashing post) I genuinely can't see him beating a full back on the outside with pace or trickery

 

[Juicy Sushi]

The inverted wingers we have are more like inverted central mids. They dont stay out wide enough before joining in the build up play or cutting in and firing off a shot on their preferred foot. This creates that lack of width and a big cluster fuck of players in and around our box and bores the fuck out of every soul in around the Lane. They are also so inept of having a plan B and going around the outside that they get double teamed because sides know where they are going every time.

For all the clips and rave reviews we hear about Lamela (not a bashing post) I genuinely can't see him beating a full back on the outside with pace or trickery

We have seen him to do that though. But beating one guy is not the same as beating 2-3 and that's what is being asked of anyone at RW at the moment. Until Walker's there to provide the overlap and open player we need, it doesn't matter if it's Lamela, Townsend or Lennon, that guy is going to have a minimum of two players (the FB and LW) to beat at all times.

 

[Aussie Ardiles]

We have seen him to do that though. But beating one guy is not the same as beating 2-3 and that's what is being asked of anyone at RW at the moment. Until Walker's there to provide the overlap and open player we need, it doesn't matter if it's Lamela, Townsend or Lennon, that guy is going to have a minimum of two players (the FB and LW) to beat at all times.

I think he brings it on himself a little coming inside asking for the ball to often rather than keeping the width. To be fair might be a direct instruction from Poch & co. Was right in front of him vs Palace against their LB who is a RB out of position and he didn't to go around the outside once. In many of these cases he was 1vs1 with the guy. Not sure what the missing ingridient is with him just yet (hoping it's not talent).

Another thing that continues to confuse me is all our managers reluctance to play Townsend on the left. Not only can he beat them on the outside, most of his good goals are after cutting onto his non-preferred and the less said about him cutting on to that left the better! :townhmm:

 

[Juicy Sushi]

I think he brings it on himself a little coming inside asking for the ball to often rather than keeping the width. To be fair might be a direct instruction from Poch & co. Was right in front of him vs Palace against their LB who is a RB out of position and he didn't to go around the outside once. In many of these cases he was 1vs1 with the guy. Not sure what the missing ingridient is with him just yet (hoping it's not talent).

Another thing that continues to confuse me is all our managers reluctance to play Townsend on the left. Not only can he beat them on the outside, most of his good goals are after cutting onto his non-preferred and the less said about him cutting on to that left the better! :townhmm:

Wasn't Andros injured? I think that was why he was away for a month.

I think Lamela is going to be much like Modric in that it will take him a solid 2 years to mature. He has gobs of talent, but is having to learn how to play in a league which has a very different approach to football. I can see bits and pieces of it clicking for him, but not consistently yet and part of that seems like it may be down to role, and part of it down to him. Pochettino wants that ball played into the centre, so he's always going to cut in. But unless we're breaking, cutting in isn't going to be completely successful as the other players are static and not penetrating to better shooting locations. That's a problem the whole team has, not just Lamela. Part of that comes from the tactics of other teams, and part of it comes from us. Such is life.

 

[Matias]

Lamela just doesnt't have it in him. I mean, that movement, beating his opponent on the outside to reach the touchline and cross? I bet it is not even an option in his mind. He's there for cutting in, like the Robbens, Hazards, Reuses, Pedros, Schurrles, Hulks, Lucases, Iturbes, Shaqiris, Draxlers, Mertenses, El Shaarawys and pretty much all other young wingers of this world.
That's a job for FBs nowadays.

EDIT - goal-line. I meant goal-line (right?), not touchline. Sorry, my "football English" is just developing.

 

[Aussie Ardiles]

Lamela just doesnt't have it in him. I mean, that movement, beating his opponent on the outside to reach the touchline and cross? I bet it is not even an option in his mind. He's there for cutting in, like the Robbens, Hazards, Reuses, Pedros, Schurrles, Hulks, Lucases, Iturbes, Shaqiris, Draxlers, Mertenses, El Shaarawys and pretty much all other young wingers of this world.
That's a job for FBs nowadays.

I know all those mentioned do cut in and cut in well but they also keep that go outside the full back there as an option. Seen Hazard go to the byline on his left many times. This then creates the uncertainty in the full backs mind about what he is doing next. With Erik it's 2 or 3 step overs onto his left coming inside or pass back to the CB

 

[1882]

If the inverted winger in question also has an inverted nipple, does that count for or against him!