How Do You Even Play Fullback For Liverpool?
The fullback is perhaps the worst-understood, most heavily scrutinized position among soccer fans nowadays. Liverpool fans are particularly harsh in this regard. It’s something to hear that a world-class right-back like Trent Alexander-Arnold “can’t defend” regularly from pundits and fans alike. And that’s before we get into the deluge of criticism that Jarell Quansah and Curtis Jones endure anytime they step in at the back. Andy Robertson is probably the most maligned player of our starting XI. But this naturally raises the all-important question: what does a good fullback look like?
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In The Firing Line
Under Klopp, and to a lesser extent under Slot, Liverpool’s defense has been regarded as somewhat patchy. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson typically bear the brunt of criticism. Trent, in particular, labors under the perception that he’s poor on defense. One particularly bold pundit even said Trent “hates” defending in the wake of the Manchester United draw this season. Fans are routinely brutal to Robertson. If I had a dollar for every “Sell Robbo” post out there, I could probably afford a minority stake in the club. Now, I believe that such criticism is unwarranted at best and embarrassing at worst.
Objectively, Trent and Robbo are two of the best fullbacks in the world. Curtis Jones is inexperienced at the back. Yet, his performances in that position have been respectable, only really middling in comparison to the giant shoes he had to fill. Quansah is a versatile, if inexperienced, defender for whom praise or jeers seem to depend more on whether he plays wide or central. But that perception of our fullbacks has to come from somewhere.
Fear Factor
There are two explanations for this. The first is that opposing attacks tend to come from the wing because every striker on the planet is terrified of Virgil van Dijk. The other is that there’s a massive disconnect between what fans and pundits expect our fullbacks to do and how they’re intended to be playing.
For over a decade, Liverpool has played what Rinus Michels has called “pressing football”. Whether it’s Klopp’s high-octane gegenpress or Slot’s more controlled Dutch-style high press, the basic principles remain the same. The philosophical elements of this style are often lost in the swamp of journalistic cliché. This tends to be the case when pundits have to discuss coaching. But the goal of pressing football is to always focus on generating offensive pressure.
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Johan Cruyff distilled its essence very well when he said, “I would rather lose 5-4 than 1-0.” At its core, it is an extremely demanding style of play that requires athleticism, intelligence, and positional awareness. More importantly, it is psychologically very demanding. The system requires a high tolerance for defensive failure. Fullback is almost certainly the most difficult position to play in a pressing system because of this. I can attest to this from firsthand experience.
As a coach, trying to get my high school fullbacks to play the position properly in a pressing game is like pulling teeth. It’s counterintuitive and deviates from how they’ve learned to play the game since childhood. Most of them just want to mark their wingers and call it a day. Youth-level defenders tend to regard conceding goals as a demoralizing failure, even when the game plan demands some level of risk. A teenager’s response to this is to make adjustments on the fly and defend the way they assume they’re supposed to, which will throw off everyone else. I’ve got the added complication that kids who play defense are scared to get near the goal. However, I presume that’s not much of a problem at the professional level.
Your Defense Is Offensive
Ever since Klopp arrived at Anfield, defense has been offense. For Arne Slot’s Liverpool, this mentality is visible in how and when Slot makes his subs. Broadly, Slot’s subs are calculated to protect a lead by making it bigger. It will only shift to a more defensive mentality in the final third of a match. This also influences how the defenders work.
In pressing football, the fullback’s responsibility in possession is to facilitate the counterattack by being positioned to pick up a half clearance and potentially move the ball up towards the goal if needed. The defensive line becomes a two or three-back as it shifts to fill in the space the fullback has left open to facilitate the attack. Michels himself conceded that this leaves a defensive vulnerability if possession is lost. But the solution there is to rely on the creative abilities of the individual defender. Trent fits this style of play like a glove. Indeed, he was originally a playmaking midfielder, but switched to defending at Steven Gerrard’s insistence, as the position was less competitive for starting positions.
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There’s certain to be some eager to rewrite history in light of Trent’s impending departure, but by the numbers, Trent is a flawed but prolific defender. Defending is not his strong suit, sure, but it doesn’t have to be. His primary job is to create chances or take them if he’s properly positioned. In a league where congested midfields are the rule rather than the exception, he makes counterattacks possible. He is a triumph of technical ability over pure tenacity. He does not fit the mold of a typical wide defender that you might see at Man City or Arsenal (or, you know, Real Madrid), but manages to be incredibly effective because he’s just that good with the ball.
Robertson is more traditional in this regard. People ought to remember that he’s a record setter in assists for a defender. Whatever his flaws as a defender, he plays his role in the pressing game extraordinarily well. Indeed, his greatest flaw is that he is sometimes not intense enough on the press, both an offensive and defensive liability in the pressing game.
Do It Your Way
Liverpool has proven this season that you don’t need to play samey soccer to win titles. Player freedom and playing positions in creative, unconventional ways have been the key to our success in both of our Premier League-winning seasons. Our fullbacks, both regular and backup, deserve praise for this. I imagine that Trent might miss this freedom at Real Madrid. It’s been key to his world-class stature, but we’ll see how that shakes out.
One of the reasons why he will be so difficult to replace is that it is difficult to find a player with his combination of intelligence, technical ability, and playing sense that also plays the position of fullback well, as we’ve seen with Curtis Jones’ struggles with the position. But Arne Slot knows better than anyone what to look for, and it’s different from what Guardiola and Mikel might look for. The fans could learn something from that.