The standards defenders are held to nowadays are impossibly high. I blame the fact that we now get 20 replays and 15mins of analysis for every goal conceded. Of course the CBs can be highlighted for virtually every goal that goes in due to the nature of their position. Of course there is always a different action they COULD have taken.
Take van Dijk last night. Yeah, he could have stepped out and engaged Lookman, but Lookman was travelling at pace and from his body shape, had set himself to shoot across the goal. In that split micro-second, you see van Dijk decides to plant his body and make a barrier, blocking the shot into the far corner. At the last minute, Lookman whips the ball nearpost and scores.
So yeah, you can say vVD could have engaged...but if he had given a penalty away the same pundits would have said "no need to dive in/going nowhere". Yeah he could have set-up to block a nearpost shot, but the percentage call based on Lookman's body shape in that split moment was the shot was going far post. Sky rarely go back and analyse all the mundane tackles, blocks and headers defenders make, because they are so outcome-orientated it'a untrue.
Another example...the most hated player on this forum...our captain, Harry Maguire. Against Newcastle, ASM shapes to shoot and Maguire covers, again, all at high-speed (and whilst instructing Dalot to cover the outside run). ASM doesn't shoot and takes another step. 99/100 this would leave him unable to get a shot off as you can see, ASM is now off-balance and is starting to fall away from the ball. Maguire would have known this was the low-percentage option, just like vVD knew the near-post shot was the low percentage option. Somehow, ASM managed to generate enough power and accuracy to get a shot on target and for it to nestle right into the corner of the net. I actually think if ASM tried that again 100 times, he wouldn't manage it again. So yes, Maguire ends up looking bad, because he goes with the first dummy and over-covers...but that is the percentage play. If ASM hits that early and scores, Maguire gets pelters again.
I'd love to see attackers held to these standards. CBs are measured in freeze-frames and micro-seconds. The likes of Rashford and Bruno (and even players like KdB) run about making mistake after mistake, giving the ball away in bad areas, overhitting passes, taking wild-shots, making poor decisions etc...yet eventually something comes off and they score/assist and they are a "genius" again.
Who would be a CB in modern football? Forced to defend halfway up the pitch, absolutely must be fantastic on the ball and be able to pass out against a press AND any slight mistake is pounced on. It's ridiculous.
