Full-backs and the future

[stevespurs]

With so many inverted wingers these days, it could make sense to counteract it by inverting your full backs.

But if the wingers swap sides, could your fullbacks manage that too?

 

[MattPhilpott]

I think you're being slightly too generous to our FBs here, I'd say Alaba/Lahm, Marcelo/Carvajal, Alex Sandro/Dani Alves are better.

I love Walker, but to suggest that Lahm, perhaps the best full-back in the world over the last decade, is 'not close' to Walker is rather taking the piss a bit.

I would agree with you massively, always loved Lahm and think he has been one of the best, if not THE best full back of the millennium.
However the role of a Fullback has evolved and now the workload and skill set have changed, I don't think Lahm is necessarily cut out for what the demands of the position are, hence why he rotates into CDM once in a while.

Forgot about Alves and Sandro, fair point.

I'm not trying to rim our full backs senseless, I just think that currently, in terms of form, age, etc, I think we have one of the, if not the best FB pairing in Europe?

 

[chinaman]

Frank Gray of Leeds must be considered as the pioneer of attacking FBs.

 

[Deleted member 22380]

GKN needs to be converted to a full back or at very least a wing back.

 

[littlewilly]

Frank Gray of Leeds must be considered as the pioneer of attacking FBs.

Are you too young to remember his predecessor? Terry Cooper was peerless.

 

[chinaman]

Are you too young to remember his predecessor? Terry Cooper was peerless.

Frank was much better than Terry.

 

[littlewilly]

Frank was much better than Terry.

Okay. Conversation ends.

 

[ohtottenham!]

Are you too young to remember his predecessor? Terry Cooper was peerless.

Terry Cooper was brilliant, fast, read the game, couldn't get past him, and attacked, linked up great with Eddie Gray, and sent in a great cross. He was one of the few likeable Leeds players at that time along with Eddie Gray and Lorimer. What a team they had then... Johnny Giles, Madeley, Reaney, Allan Clarke, Mick Jones, Charlton, Bremner. F...ing hated them! Think any Leeds fan would tell you Terry Cooper was the best left back they ever had!

 

[littlewilly]

Terry Cooper was brilliant, fast, read the game, couldn't get past him, and attacked, linked up great with Eddie Gray, and sent in a great cross. He was one of the few likeable Leeds players at that time along with Eddie Gray and Lorimer. What a team they had then... Johnny Giles, Madeley, Reaney, Allan Clarke, Mick Jones, Charlton, Bremner. F...ing hated them! Think any Leeds fan would tell you Terry Cooper was the best left back they ever had!

Fantastic. Couldn't agree more. As much as I loved Cyril, every favourite team in my lifetime included Cooper at left-back.

 

[ohtottenham!]

Fantastic. Couldn't agree more. As much as I loved Cyril, every favourite team in my lifetime included Cooper at left-back.

Saw him at the lane, was a kid early 70s, and every time he got the ball there was fear. Think it was Beal and Kinnear that were defending him. Eddie Gray was also playing on the left, and that's who we thought would be the danger, but it was Cooper that was doing all the damage on that side.

 

[chinaman]

Terry Cooper was brilliant, fast, read the game, couldn't get past him, and attacked, linked up great with Eddie Gray, and sent in a great cross. He was one of the few likeable Leeds players at that time along with Eddie Gray and Lorimer. What a team they had then... Johnny Giles, Madeley, Reaney, Allan Clarke, Mick Jones, Charlton, Bremner. F...ing hated them! Think any Leeds fan would tell you Terry Cooper was the best left back they ever had!

The only likeable of that bunch was Giles. What a mid-field general. Lorimer ( timed at 75 mph )had the second hardest shot to our own Dave MacKay (95 mph).

 

[ohtottenham!]

The only likeable of that bunch was Giles. What a mid-field general. Lorimer ( timed at 75 mph )had the second hardest shot to our own Dave MacKay (95 mph).

Johnny Giles was a Roy Keane and Fabregas rolled into one. Great player, but nasty and sly as f..k! He was Leeds all over!

Mackay could have kicked the ball as hard as he wanted. That wasn't his game though. Lorimer was something else when he had the goal in his sights.

 

[yusrisafri]

Since we're on the topic of the future, I'd really love it if the laws of the game are changed to ensure that the person who is fouled inside the penalty box becomes the penalty taker instead of having a dedicated penalty taker. Then you dont get to see a player becoming topscorer in the league due to his many penalty goals.

If the penalty is given not due to a player being fouled, but rather due to handball for example,only then should the penalty be assigned to a dedicated penalty taker.

Thoughts?

 

[DJS]

Since we're on the topic of the future, I'd really love it if the laws of the game are changed to ensure that the person who is fouled inside the penalty box becomes the penalty taker instead of having a dedicated penalty taker. Then you dont get to see a player becoming topscorer in the league due to his many penalty goals.

If the penalty is given not due to a player being fouled, but rather due to handball for example,only then should the penalty be assigned to a dedicated penalty taker.

Thoughts?

I quite like your idea.

 

[davros]

Since we're on the topic of the future, I'd really love it if the laws of the game are changed to ensure that the person who is fouled inside the penalty box becomes the penalty taker instead of having a dedicated penalty taker. Then you dont get to see a player becoming topscorer in the league due to his many penalty goals.

If the penalty is given not due to a player being fouled, but rather due to handball for example,only then should the penalty be assigned to a dedicated penalty taker.

Thoughts?

Some thoughts...

1) the team who concedes the pen select the taker.
2) the team taking the pen select which of the opposition will be keeper for the penalty.
3) no more penalty spot. The penalty taker has one touch to strike a moving ball played into a 2m circle. The passer gets an assist if the penalty is scored.
4) if the penalty is saved, the taker has to wear his underpants on his head for the rest of the half.
5) if the penalty is scored then the keeper can 'undo' the goal by scoring in the empty opposition goal from inside his own D.
6) if a team scores a pen and the keeper 'undoes' the goal, they get a double goal if they score before they commit a foul or put the ball out of play.

 

[littlewilly]

Saw him at the lane, was a kid early 70s, and every time he got the ball there was fear. Think it was Beal and Kinnear that were defending him. Eddie Gray was also playing on the left, and that's who we thought would be the danger, but it was Cooper that was doing all the damage on that side.

That Leeds side was much maligned but I believe they were the best British side I've seen in my lifetime - Sprake, Reaney, Cooper, Charlton, Hunter, Giles, Bremner, Sniffer, Jones, Lorimer, Gray. They had an England player as a regular sub - but forgotten his name.

 

[gilzeantheking]

That Leeds side was much maligned but I believe they were the best British side I've seen in my lifetime - Sprake, Reaney, Cooper, Charlton, Hunter, Giles, Bremner, Sniffer, Jones, Lorimer, Gray. They had an England player as a regular sub - but forgotten his name.

Paul Reaney?

 

[philip]

Love our guys - so improved and so important to our play.

What's the future for full-backs, given they have such an important role to play in attack? Inverted? Swapping sides during a game? Playing with just one dedicated full-back?

Rose started out as a winger but has been taught how to defend and now looks a world-beater. I think that's been the case for a few full-backs over the years. What's the natural extension of this? I heard one pundit recently talking about how specialist goalkeepers might become a thing of the past. Can't see that happening but kudos to him for thinking out of the box...

What tweaks to the full-back position are we likely to see over the next 10-20 years?

This converting wingers to FBs isn't just at Spurs. Valencia is now Man Utd's no one FB.

 

[philip]

Since we're on the topic of the future, I'd really love it if the laws of the game are changed to ensure that the person who is fouled inside the penalty box becomes the penalty taker instead of having a dedicated penalty taker. Then you dont get to see a player becoming topscorer in the league due to his many penalty goals.

If the penalty is given not due to a player being fouled, but rather due to handball for example,only then should the penalty be assigned to a dedicated penalty taker.

Thoughts?

Nah, teams will get around that by treating the fouled player off the field during the penalty.

 

[Paq]

Interesting watching Tripps' play today. Great crossing ability even if he lacks Walker's athleticism. Feel like his positioning is improving too. Not sure if that's down to playing as a wingback.

Rose coming inside on one flank and Tripps' crossing on the outside is a nice combination to have from our fullbacks.