The Kids Turned Out Fine.
about modern day fullbacks as the new raumdeuters, roles over positions, and what we can learn from the academy graduates.
I’ve been watching Nico O’Reilly with huge admiration. The boy sticks out fairly awkwardly in a mechanic Manchester City squad of veterans and hundreds of millions. And in his awkwardness exists this unique blend of characteristics – a tall frame, gliding nature and a blind optimism that has brought to life to a City side that had started to play like it knew too much.
A new genre of fullback appears to be emerging. Think Lewis-Skelly, Hall, and O’Reilly.
Positions are too strict a term, it’s not one I love to box players in anymore but traditionally these three are players who look like brilliant midfielders, right?
They’re not fullbacks who hold width strictly, nor are they the inverted fullbacks of recent praise. They’re wanderers.
Raumdeuter was a term made famous when used to describe Thomas Mueller meaning the interpreter of space. This is a term that describes our new fullbacks aptly.
Football is always changing. In conversations spanning a few years I’ve repeatedly mentioned that for high possession sides, and probably all sides, I’ve thought fullbacks are the positions – teams and coaches can use to utilise space best.
Given how teams defend in structured, centrally compact shapes, fullbacks are typically the multi-functional purpose players that can ghost into dangerous areas, receiving the ball in those spaces not by waiting for the ball but by arriving into them.
Although wingers generally seem to be pushed towards contributing defensively, in their upbringing, they tend not to like tracking back (why would they? They’re wingers!) and having the defensive awareness to now manage Lewis-Skelly types moving off of them before crashing the box is one coaches should be keeping a privy eye to.
Who picks up a run from that deep on the field? Diagonal running becomes notoriously difficult to pick up too. The central midfielder is disadvantaged in his running in this way.
David Moyes mentioned centre-backs are almost the new #10s but I’d pose that fullbacks are the new box to box midfielders. Think a Steven Gerrard in the manner he hit cross field passes, how he defended big spaces in transition,
The romanticism around these positions is lost. I aspired to be like the players I watched as a young boy. The kids growing up today may aspire to be a goal-scoring Gvardiol or Calafiori.
For now, the footballing outcasts, either too young, older or perhaps trying to make a name for themselves a step above what they’re used to, are the ones making this role their own.
Extremely talented academy midfielders at the best of clubs with paths blocked by the best of midfielders appear to have less competition at fullback and have put their stamp on those positions. Box to box midfielders at fullback is a strong solution.
Why not maximise that? It only sounds crazy because of the language used and connotations around the the positional term fullback but somebody like Jude Bellingham would look brilliant in that ghosting yet marauding box crashing full back role. He’d be able to pick the ball up early on the flank back to goal, he’d be in central midfield positions if there was a turn over, he’d be able to probe defences from attacking midfield zones, he’d be able to crash the box to score with foot or head.
Instead of that position feeling that an after thought, putting your best multi-functional, well-rounded players in a role that maximises their quality makes sense.
Convincing a brilliant name like Jude to do that though feels impossible because of what being a fullback means but perhaps in years to come, the new kids on the block end up inspiring a new generation of ‘fullbacks’.
Carra said, ‘nobody grows up wanting to be a Gary Neville,’ but perhaps future Ballon d’Or winners will grow up wanting to be a Josko Gvardiol.
– Umir.
Thanks for reading this piece.
My name is Umir, I am a professional scout, analyst and football consultant. I am also a qualified medical doctor and journalist.
Feel free to reach out to me via direct message on X (Umirf1) or email me at: contactumirf1(at)gmail(dot)com.