ToDarrenIsToDo
Well-Known Member
- Aug 22, 2017
- 1,665
- 6,291
City get around their fullbacks via the vast array of small, intricate, intelligent give and go players in their team. Our attacking players simply don't have the same quality as them so I think we need to compensate in areas where we can most improve, fullback or centre Mid.
When you look at how City play they have so many clever, sharp, intricate footballers they can choose from in those positions. Our only midfielder that comes close to the maestro players they have, most notably the Silvas and De Bruyne is Eriksen & the only player of decent quality we have that can take a man on with trickery is Son but he isn't in the same league as Sane, Sterling etc with his give and go football. The one touch give and go football does so much for Man City and it you watch them, a large amount of their goals come from getting around the back of the fullbacks, low hard crossses into no mans land for the opposition.
The only player at Spurs that does elements of taking someone on around the outside and gaining an advantage is Rose, occasionally Sonny. Lucas can do it but physically his size lets them back in once he's got around them so we can't rely on him.
Personally I'd like to see players who have the ability to do this, not always as their main job is to defend but from time to time at least. The one thing the oppositon hates is someone running at them, our fullbacks simply don't do that enough and this leaves our attackers as our only real source of creativity.
If a fullback has a right peg like Beckham, fair enough but ours don't, they seldom cross first time, taking a touch and letting teams have a solit second more to get settled and for me personally I think our fullbacks inability to run into the part of the attacking third where you are afford the most space really slows down our game and options.
If Eriksen picks the ball up and doesn't have runners at fullback he can pick out, it leaves him with half the scenarios to pick from. A fullback needs to be courageous enough to use the width of the pitch not just to offer more creativity but to stretch an oppositions defence out of shape which leads to more space and less focus on our attackers who get doubled up on. Our biggest issue is teams dropping deep against us and stifling the middle, intricate give and go movement and fullbacks with the ability to run into space with and without the ball gives the middle of the park more ability to get close and develop that intricate, quick give and go football.
Davies, Trippier, Aurier, for me they don't take enough attacking risks, they don't become a threat like a quality modern day full back should because they simply don't take people on enough and it stretches our attackers into the isolated wide areas which leaves Harry up top or dropping deep with Son making the runs. I think our fullbacks leave our attacking options lacking, we always seem to be outnumbered in the final 3rd because they only offer bodies no threat. I'd like to see the four up top closer together, with width coming from our fullbacks to allow it.
Width, the ability to run with and without the ball and no floated crosses, direct running, good angles and low, sharp zipped balls across the face of the goal with our attackers more central to help them pick out more than just Kane. Kane and Sonny close to the last defenders run, Dele slightly hanging back, Eriksen on the box sweeping up a loose clearance. I'd like fullbacks who can run with a tenacious manner to squeeze our quality closer to goal
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