The ideal player’s profile in each position in a Positional Play team – Part 2

Welcome to the 2nd Part of the article “The ideal player’s profile in each position in a Positional Play team“. In the article, I will try to present the ideal player’s profile in each position for a team who wishes to play positional play football. For the purpose to offer information more clearly, I will upload the article in 4 parts. In the second part, I will present the positions of the center backs and the full-backs.

For our reference, the formation of the team is 1 – 4 – 3 – 3.

The most characteristic example in our days, of a team who implements Positional Play at its best, is Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. You can find a detailed article on their tactics in the MBP post “MANCHESTER CITY’S OFFENSIVE PHASE ANALYSIS“

The Full acks #2 and #3

The full-back has evolved to become one of the most important members of a team. Especially for Positional Play teams who want to constantly attack. The full-backs can provide width in the attack, giving the chance to the wingers to get inside and create overloads.

In the last few years, we have seen the full-backs get inside in the attacking phase and play as midfielders or to push very high like wingers. Guardiola and Klopp are two coaches who use their fullbacks with many variations. Dani Alves (Barcelona), Cancelo (Manchester City), Trend Alexander Arnold (Liverpool), and Robertson (Liverpool) are full-backs who marked the specific position.

In a system of play that asks so much of the full-back, the profile of a player that fits this role has to display an array of footballing characteristics.

Defensive Phase

When the team is in the defending phase, the full-back will act as a traditional full-back. He will get inside next to the central defenders to protect the central areas and keep the offside line. A full-back who performs excellently in the attack with assists, passes, and crosses but neglects to come back in time to defend, will receive a critique from his coach.

Over-attacking-minded fullbacks are usually the weak points of a team because the opponents will target the space they leave for counter-attacks.

In an ideal scenario, after possession is lost, the full-back will immediately press if appropriate and then drops back to his position in the compact defense. In this phase, we should view the full-back role as one that supports the back line.

During the defensive phase, some very aggressive teams may use the full-backs to press high up the pitch and not stick next to the central defenders.

Full back’s Priorities

One of the full-back’s priorities is to understand and successfully complete his basic defensive duties. The full-back is first of all a defensive position.

For example, imagine a scenario where an opponent has the ball in a wide area. The defender should aim to force the opponent towards the touchline rather than the infield. This would significantly reduce the number of options available to the attacker. This has to do with how the full-back will reduce the space and press the wide player and which space will “show” to him.

However, when the opponent is in his defensive half, in a wide position, the full-back can strategically press the player from the outside and lead him inside, where many teammates are ready to defend and recover the ball. That tactic may lead to a counterattack.

Attacking Phase

In the attacking phase, the full-back will push up to offer width or immediate support to advance players. For this reason, the profile of the specific player, besides a great understanding of defensive positioning, has to be of an engine able to run up and down the pitch.

More than that, the player should play a significant role in the ball circulation by passing, receiving, and getting inside between the lines. Furthermore, full-backs today often attempt forward runs behind the opponent’s back lines, in the space, like a regular winger.

The inverted full-back is a modern trend. The reason is that they provide so many variations, possibilities, and options for combinations in the attacking phase.

The modern fullback participates more in the build-up of attacks, especially when playing in positional play teams who utilize ball possession to progress forward. Pep Guardiola is the coach who reborn the concept of the inverted full-backs. First in Bayern with Phillip Lahm and David Alaba and now at Manchester City.

Of course, to use players as inverted fullbacks they need to have specific characteristics such as high technical skills, especially in passing, receiving, and feeling comfortable getting in the center of the pitch.

Characteristics of the ideal player’s profile

• High technical skills (especially in passing, receiving, and crossing)
• Ability to run up and down the line (in teams who uses regular full back)
• Understand the space and time (for teams who use inverted full-backs to get inside)
• Good in regards to aggressive and pressing behavior

Main roles of the ideal player’s profile

• Defend in wide areas (leading opponent’s outside or inside depending on the area of the pitch)
• Become a wide winger when in attack
• Become a midfielder and get inside when needed

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The Center Backs #4 and #5

The typical center back’s responsibility is to protect the central area. Their main focus is to avoid penetrations, to individually defend the opponents who enter their space, and in general to help the team not concede goals.

In a positional play team, the demands from the center backs are much higher. They need to get involved with the ball circulation and act as a pressure relief for players further forward. It is essential for modern center backs to be very comfortable on the ball, especially under high pressure. By saying that, I don’t mean to always play short passes when the opponents have 4 – 5 players nearby. What I mean is that the central defenders must be calm and find the best possible solution, even if it is a targeted long forward or diagonal ball.

In modern football, the central defenders have become vital for any top team who wants to compete at the highest level. Let’s take as an example the top 10 most expensive transfers in the summer of 2021. In the list below you can see that 4 out of the 10 most expensive transfers during that summer were central defenders.

• Tammy Abraham – From Chelsea to Roma – Forward
• Ibrahima Konate – From RB Leipzig to Liverpool – Center Back
• Raphael Varane – From Real Madrid to Manchester United – Center Back
• Dayot Upamacano – From RB Leipzing to Bayern Munich – Center Back
• Ferran Torres – From Manchester City to Barcelona – Winger
• Ben White – From Brighton to Arsenal – Center Back
• Achraf Hakimi – From Inter to PSG – Right Back
• Jadon Sancho – Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United – Winger
• Romelu Lukaku – Inter Milan to Chelsea – Forward
• Jack Grealish – Aston Villa to Manchester City – Winger

Modern examples

Two of the most suitable defenders, for a positional play team, of the last decade in football are Gerrard Pique of Barcelona and John Stones of Manchester City. See below some of John Stones’s best defensive and goal moments from Manchester’s City official Youtube Channel.

Roles and characteristics

A lot of defenders struggle with this notion of being composed under pressure and knowing that if they make a mistake it is likely that it will be a crucial one that will lead to conceding a goal. No other player in other positions will feel the same pressure anywhere else on the pitch.

The defenders are asked almost to become midfielder-minded players but with a more defensive sensitivity. The central defenders are key components of the entire team’s organization. Through verbal and nonverbal communication they help the team to stay in the proper structure, following their game model. This is due to the fact that from their position they have a more clear picture of what is happening in front of them.

Van Basten and Rijkaard often spoke about the invincible connection that should exist between the back line and the front line. It is for these purposes that at least one of the center backs is mandatory to be technically very skillful and to understand the game. He should have a good vision for movements ahead of the back line.

Characteristics of the ideal player’s profile

• High technical skills (especially in passing, receiving, and crossing)
• Feel comfortable pushing forward with or without the ball
• Understand the space and time
• Ability to cover spaces behind the back line in long balls with speed (when they play with a high defensive line)

Main roles of the ideal player’s profile

• Defend in central areas, especially in the penalty box
• Become a midfielder when build-up (create numerical superiorities in the middle)
• Get in wide areas to defend in counterattacks to cover full-backs who have pushed up

Conclusion

The ideal player’s profile for the central defenders is not a clear black or white. It depends on the game model and the philosophy of the coach. Of course, we have to always never forget that the center backs and full backs are first of all defenders. Their primary role is to prevent the opponents from scoring a goal. But, the ability to participate in ball circulation is what separates the good defenders from the top ones. They play a vital role in the early phases of the attack, during the build-up. The demands for the back line in regards to the attacking phase has been increased a lot since the last decade.

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For more theoretical and practical information on Positional Play you must read the below books:

Positional Play in Modern Football