Anonymous
10/01/2018 07:28
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Mendy is a head case and his days were numbered long before he broke his foot. He was also a non-factor in the Man City Championship last year. They had to scramble to find him the minimum 5 games for him to qualify as a team member.
You spelled world-Cup winning, world class leftback, wrong.
Ok. You are right. Mendy of the best left back in EPL. World class. A major factor for Man City. One would think that losing him for all but a handful of games last year would have devastated the team.
But no! They used other players, including a mid fielder to fill the role and broke records! Won the Championship in historic fashion.
So answer this. Which is it? Is finding someone to play left back easy to do? Or is the position not important?
Thanks for proving my point.
I have not posted previously on this whole train of thought, but to answer your question: neither. It is not easy to find someone to play left back unless a team gets lucky or has tons of money (which Man City has the deepest pockets in all of the EPL), and the position is critical.
So Man City and the USWNT have had great success with MFs playing the inverted left back due to luck and money? Got it.
Anonymous
10/01/2018 06:26
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Mendy is a head case and his days were numbered long before he broke his foot. He was also a non-factor in the Man City Championship last year. They had to scramble to find him the minimum 5 games for him to qualify as a team member.
You spelled world-Cup winning, world class leftback, wrong.
Ok. You are right. Mendy of the best left back in EPL. World class. A major factor for Man City. One would think that losing him for all but a handful of games last year would have devastated the team.
But no! They used other players, including a mid fielder to fill the role and broke records! Won the Championship in historic fashion.
So answer this. Which is it? Is finding someone to play left back easy to do? Or is the position not important?
Thanks for proving my point.
I have not posted previously on this whole train of thought, but to answer your question: neither. It is not easy to find someone to play left back unless a team gets lucky or has tons of money (which Man City has the deepest pockets in all of the EPL), and the position is critical.
Anonymous
10/01/2018 06:18
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Mendy is a head case and his days were numbered long before he broke his foot. He was also a non-factor in the Man City Championship last year. They had to scramble to find him the minimum 5 games for him to qualify as a team member.
You spelled world-Cup winning, world class leftback, wrong.
Ok. You are right. Mendy of the best left back in EPL. World class. A major factor for Man City. One would think that losing him for all but a handful of games last year would have devastated the team.
But no! They used other players, including a mid fielder to fill the role and broke records! Won the Championship in historic fashion.
So answer this. Which is it? Is finding someone to play left back easy to do? Or is the position not important?
Thanks for proving my point.
Your point was not proven. You ramble incoherently and are essentially just agreeing with yourself. Finding someone to play any position is easy to do. Finding someone who will maximize what you can get out of the position is something else entirely. Your point about Delph and Zinchenko filling in at leftback is cute, but you must not have seen City’s run of games against Liverpool, in which Salah went to town starting his moves out wide on that same wing. Furthermore, the attack was limited because, as someone else pointed out, Pep had Delph/Zinchenko tucking into the midfield (they’re natural mids) which meant all the width that was generated on the left side was dictated by Sane. City broke records because they are City and they have great depth and versatile players. Furthermore, they signed Laporte from Bilbao in the January window, specifically because he’s a left footed centerback who could shift out wide and fill in if needed (they were light on options as well at centerback due to Stones and Kompany’s injury troubles). Danilo filled in at leftback at first, and at no point were they able to overload the left side like they have when Mendy was available. Also, Bielsa rates Mendy highly. Pep rates Mendy highly. Leonardo Jardim rates Mendy highly, and he played a starring role in their run to the semifinals of the Champions League (ever heard of it?) while knocking out Man City along the way (wonder why they bought him). Lastly, Didier Deschamps held a spot on the 23 for Mendy and you better believe he would’ve started at the World Cup over Hernandez if he hadn’t torn his ACL (you didn’t even get the injury right). So no, your point wasn’t proven, but your ignorance sure was. So again, I think you spelled ‘world-class leftback and World Cup winner’ wrong. I don’t have an interest in your response because it’s quite clear you don’t really know what you’re talking about. Enjoy your life, Mendy will keep on winning titles in the meantime.
You are so old school. Thanks for the essay to describe the inverted back position. Tucking Delph into mid does not limit the attack. It allows the mids to play higher and improves attack, at the expense of the wide field. It’s a tactic. Man City could attack more, their record scoring proves it. It was discussed earlier. All this does not take away the fact that many teams are using mids for left backs. My point was never that Mendy is not World class. But if you think Man Coty did not succeed with others playing the role last year, then you have blinders on for the position. My guess is because your DS or DD plays the position given your sensitivity.
Anonymous
09/30/2018 22:19
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
Anonymous wrote:other players shift to support those wingbacks? i saw my DC left high and dry in that position taking lots of criticism after being unsupported after just run at least a dozen sprints from box to box.
Normally, yes, if an outside back makes a run, another player covers her.
It also depends on the team and training for it to function well, and also if the outside back is making meaningful runs or just constantly running forward so often that it becomes hard for the team to keep up with all the constant out of position play and if it interferes with the other teammates' abilities to perform their own position, because every time they go to do their position, the outside back has run up to take it over. Then when the ball comes back, the same wingback shifts back and tries to take over there too. It doesn't work well with "wonderwoman/superman" players who try to do it all themselves. That's a misunderstanding of the position. There is a lot of demand on the wingbacks, but they aren't expected to do everything. They need to balance making runs with knowing how to trust their teammates and give them the ball.
On a team that is in harmony, the outside back makes some runs while the forward wing or midfield covers, but he/she also knows how to release the ball and allow the winger to be a winger. It's both. It's more sophisticated and requires the players to work together, rather than either take over or fail to support.
Anonymous
09/30/2018 22:11
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Mendy is a head case and his days were numbered long before he broke his foot. He was also a non-factor in the Man City Championship last year. They had to scramble to find him the minimum 5 games for him to qualify as a team member.
You spelled world-Cup winning, world class leftback, wrong.
Ok. You are right. Mendy of the best left back in EPL. World class. A major factor for Man City. One would think that losing him for all but a handful of games last year would have devastated the team.
But no! They used other players, including a mid fielder to fill the role and broke records! Won the Championship in historic fashion.
So answer this. Which is it? Is finding someone to play left back easy to do? Or is the position not important?
Thanks for proving my point.
Your point was not proven. You ramble incoherently and are essentially just agreeing with yourself. Finding someone to play any position is easy to do. Finding someone who will maximize what you can get out of the position is something else entirely. Your point about Delph and Zinchenko filling in at leftback is cute, but you must not have seen City’s run of games against Liverpool, in which Salah went to town starting his moves out wide on that same wing. Furthermore, the attack was limited because, as someone else pointed out, Pep had Delph/Zinchenko tucking into the midfield (they’re natural mids) which meant all the width that was generated on the left side was dictated by Sane. City broke records because they are City and they have great depth and versatile players. Furthermore, they signed Laporte from Bilbao in the January window, specifically because he’s a left footed centerback who could shift out wide and fill in if needed (they were light on options as well at centerback due to Stones and Kompany’s injury troubles). Danilo filled in at leftback at first, and at no point were they able to overload the left side like they have when Mendy was available. Also, Bielsa rates Mendy highly. Pep rates Mendy highly. Leonardo Jardim rates Mendy highly, and he played a starring role in their run to the semifinals of the Champions League (ever heard of it?) while knocking out Man City along the way (wonder why they bought him). Lastly, Didier Deschamps held a spot on the 23 for Mendy and you better believe he would’ve started at the World Cup over Hernandez if he hadn’t torn his ACL (you didn’t even get the injury right). So no, your point wasn’t proven, but your ignorance sure was. So again, I think you spelled ‘world-class leftback and World Cup winner’ wrong. I don’t have an interest in your response because it’s quite clear you don’t really know what you’re talking about. Enjoy your life, Mendy will keep on winning titles in the meantime.
Anonymous
09/30/2018 22:07
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Mendy is a head case and his days were numbered long before he broke his foot. He was also a non-factor in the Man City Championship last year. They had to scramble to find him the minimum 5 games for him to qualify as a team member.
You spelled world-Cup winning, world class leftback, wrong.
Ok. You are right. Mendy of the best left back in EPL. World class. A major factor for Man City. One would think that losing him for all but a handful of games last year would have devastated the team.
But no! They used other players, including a mid fielder to fill the role and broke records! Won the Championship in historic fashion.
So answer this. Which is it? Is finding someone to play left back easy to do? Or is the position not important?
Thanks for proving my point.
Last year, ManCity added three outside backs (Walker, Mendy, and Danilo) paying for them 127 million pounds in transfer fees. Obviously, Guardiola values the outside back position a lot more than you do. But, hey, what does silly Guardiola know, when it is so easy to fill this position by converting midfielders.
Anonymous
09/30/2018 21:22
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:RantingSoccerDad wrote:Anonymous wrote:To be clear, it's not kickball. The outside backs dribble up to the wingers. And the wingers also track back to the back. When I say they are covering it, I mean they are covering it.
I know that's a shift from old school strategies, but it's becoming fairly common practice.
What's not kickball? USWNT? They're definitely not playing kickball (not now, anyway). Didn't mean to imply they were.
The teams that tend to have the outside backs and wingers control the outsides of the field and have the midfielders play the middle. The midfielders used to cover the middle including the outside borders of the middle. Now that outside territory is covered by outside backs, not via big boots and long balls. Through possession.
Yes. The wingbacks on my sons’ teams come fully up the side. We have two center mids (one attacking; one holding) and the 2 wingbacks (right and left backs ) have runs all the way up the line. It is the most physically demanding as they are playing back/ but going all the way up as forwards—other players shift to cover them. It’s a very exciting position. It’s not the fullback of yesteryear. A “wingback” is an “attacking fullback”. It combines that of the winger with the fullback and players in this position have to have incredible stamina. They are running 80/90 yards up and down the field tirelessly. They get the best of both positions—making good hard tackles, but also creating crucial assists in the attack. They can dribble and take players on.
Those with limited knowledge of the game don’t know the differences with wingbacks and traditional defenders/outside backs.
Thank you, yes. That's exactly it. The position is demanding enough that it takes a certain skillset and player. They have to be good ball winners, good shot takers, have speed, and a very high level of technical skill. Just this past weekend, our team had goals against it from the right back, and the previous weekend as well. She was good at going up, but kept failing to track back over and over. Yes, the others kept covering for her, but at some point, while you have to go up, you still have to make sure you aren't just abandoning your post.
Anonymous
09/30/2018 21:21
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
other players shift to support those wingbacks? i saw my DC left high and dry in that position taking lots of criticism after being unsupported after just run at least a dozen sprints from box to box.
Anonymous
09/30/2018 21:19
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:if you can back fill a LB with a MF, then they are not harder to find than a F or GK.
Every position has its specialties and related skills. Some people can be moved; some can't - in all cases for all positions. I even know GKs that moved successfully to field and vice versa (grant you, after a certain age, the position is too specialized and you can't, but up through middle school, it can be done). Some forwards can be moved to MF; some MFs to forward; some forwards to CB; some LBs to MF. A versatile player can be moved to lots of places to varying degrees of success. However, it also fails as often as it works. This is why ideally, no player should remain in one position, especially in the younger years but even as they get older. They should at least play related positions on the field from time to time, as different coaches may want/need different things, or see a player as good or not at their "preferred" position.
To add on, I mean in different lines. MFs should also play outside of MF; the forward line should play elsewhere; and the back line. I don't just mean a left wing move to the right, or a holding mid move to the attacking spot.
Anonymous
09/30/2018 21:10
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
Anonymous wrote:RantingSoccerDad wrote:Anonymous wrote:To be clear, it's not kickball. The outside backs dribble up to the wingers. And the wingers also track back to the back. When I say they are covering it, I mean they are covering it.
I know that's a shift from old school strategies, but it's becoming fairly common practice.
What's not kickball? USWNT? They're definitely not playing kickball (not now, anyway). Didn't mean to imply they were.
The teams that tend to have the outside backs and wingers control the outsides of the field and have the midfielders play the middle. The midfielders used to cover the middle including the outside borders of the middle. Now that outside territory is covered by outside backs, not via big boots and long balls. Through possession.
Yes. The wingbacks on my sons’ teams come fully up the side. We have two center mids (one attacking; one holding) and the 2 wingbacks (right and left backs ) have runs all the way up the line. It is the most physically demanding as they are playing back/ but going all the way up as forwards—other players shift to cover them. It’s a very exciting position. It’s not the fullback of yesteryear. A “wingback” is an “attacking fullback”. It combines that of the winger with the fullback and players in this position have to have incredible stamina. They are running 80/90 yards up and down the field tirelessly. They get the
best of both positions—making good hard tackles, but also creating crucial assists in the attack. They can dribble and take players on.
Those with limited knowledge of the game don’t know the differences with wingbacks and traditional defenders/outside backs.
Anonymous
09/30/2018 21:10
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
Anonymous wrote:if you can back fill a LB with a MF, then they are not harder to find than a F or GK.
Every position has its specialties and related skills. Some people can be moved; some can't - in all cases for all positions. I even know GKs that moved successfully to field and vice versa (grant you, after a certain age, the position is too specialized and you can't, but up through middle school, it can be done). Some forwards can be moved to MF; some MFs to forward; some forwards to CB; some LBs to MF. A versatile player can be moved to lots of places to varying degrees of success. However, it also fails as often as it works. This is why ideally, no player should remain in one position, especially in the younger years but even as they get older. They should at least play related positions on the field from time to time, as different coaches may want/need different things, or see a player as good or not at their "preferred" position.
Anonymous
09/30/2018 20:06
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Mendy is a head case and his days were numbered long before he broke his foot. He was also a non-factor in the Man City Championship last year. They had to scramble to find him the minimum 5 games for him to qualify as a team member.
You spelled world-Cup winning, world class leftback, wrong.
Ok. You are right. Mendy of the best left back in EPL. World class. A major factor for Man City. One would think that losing him for all but a handful of games last year would have devastated the team.
But no! They used other players, including a mid fielder to fill the role and broke records! Won the Championship in historic fashion.
So answer this. Which is it? Is finding someone to play left back easy to do? Or is the position not important?
Thanks for proving my point.
Anonymous
09/30/2018 19:39
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
Anonymous wrote:Mendy is a head case and his days were numbered long before he broke his foot. He was also a non-factor in the Man City Championship last year. They had to scramble to find him the minimum 5 games for him to qualify as a team member.
You spelled world-Cup winning, world class leftback, wrong.
Anonymous
09/30/2018 16:58
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
if you can back fill a LB with a MF, then they are not harder to find than a F or GK.
Anonymous
09/30/2018 16:52
Subject: Which positions are most in demand
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Mendy is a head case and his days were numbered long before he broke his foot. He was also a non-factor in the Man City Championship last year. They had to scramble to find him the minimum 5 games for him to qualify as a team member.
Last year, Mendy was ManCity's no.1 transfer target and he was one of their best players before he injured his ACL. This year it seems like there were reports of a spat the the manager, but he clearly has talent.
Whatever with Mendy. I think the point is that this top team was able to successfully replace him with a mid fielder.