by SCIAG »
09 Nov 2020 15:18
Hound Hmm interesting theory
Right footer at left cb and left footer at RCB?
So there’s an emerging consensus that it’s important to have centre backs playing on their stronger side, or at least who are comfortable using the foot in question, because if they want to bypass the midfield with a longer pass then it’s easier to do so by playing through the channel than by trying to go through the middle of the pitch.
This is why Nathan Ake went for so much money, why Lucas Hernandez went for so much money, Gabriel at Arsenal (and Pablo Mari), Solksjaer was on record about wanting a left footer, Barcelona have been through a bunch of them, Chelsea snapped up Malang Sarr, etc. Tyrone Mings somehow getting in the England squad makes more sense when you consider that he’s left footed. And on the other side, Kurt Zouma getting in the France squad ahead of Aymeric Laporte makes a bit more sense when you realise Laporte is competing with Umtiti, Hernandez, Lenglet and Kimpembe, but Zouma is only really competing with Varane and Upamecano.
You do get right footed centre backs who specialise at playing on the left side - John Terry, Van Dijk, De Ligt - but all three of those are/were very comfortable with their left foot. At Reading you’d maybe look at someone like Ivar or Liam Moore. But I don’t think Ingimarsson would be considered a ball-player these days, he was better than Sonko but compare him to players like Cooper or Hector who grew up playing the ball out and he seems awkward.
Wouldn’t hyper focus on it, or play a much weaker player because they’re left footed, but I think the advantages of playing a player on the right side outweigh the disadvantages. Centre backs tend to play further apart in possession these days anyway not sure an extra body width is hugely important or not something that can be addressed through better positioning. McIntyre and Gibson will probably be more in-demand than Holmes over their careers.
(fwiw, my guess is that if we have to play McIntyre and Gibson as our two centre backs then McIntyre will play on the right - saw him do it a few times when partnering Jules or Axel at youth level)
