Antony at leftback…

IrishRedDevil

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Tenacious.
Good tackling.
Ball retention.
Strong.
Tracks back.
No attacking threat.
Better than Lindelof.

Do it.
 
Tenacious.
Good tackling.
Ball retention.
Strong.
Tracks back.
No attacking threat.
Better than Lindelof.

Do it.
He's not strong and he clearly does have an attacking threat as we attack much better as a team when he's on the pitch. This is a horrible idea for many reasons.
 
Funny enough, I had a conversation with somebody yesterday about Antony. He's better at tracking back and the defensive work rate side of the game than he is for the offensive side, in my opinion. Maybe even as a wing-back.
 
can we just find someone from the youth teams like young West Brown to play right back so that we can play Dalot on left?!!!
 
Switching him to the left wing so he could actually cross and pass easier might be an idea.

Although it'd would be classic us, again buying a 75-80m man and then finding out he's better on the left wing.
 
I’d love to see a list of all the threads on the caf where someone has suggested playing someone out of position due to injury problems.
 
can we just find someone from the youth teams like young West Brown to play right back so that we can play Dalot on left?!!!
Sorry to break it to you, but Wes is getting old.
Might want to check your pension while your age is creeping up to you.
 
Sorry to break it to you, but Wes is getting old.
Might want to check your pension while your age is creeping up to you.
Wes just bankrupted, he can earn more as player than for mutv. Motivation!
 
Most FB's didn't start as FB's. In fact, most likely started as wingers. So the suggestion of Antony as a LB isn't too far fetched like some here seem to think
 
No, but creative thinking is welcome here.

It's one thing to defense high up the pitch and track back, but quite another thing to defend in your own third.
 
No. I think the Amrabat experient has shown you can't just chuck anyone in at left back and expect them to perform at CL/PL level, no matter what qualities they may or may not have.
 
Call me old fashioned but I like my fullbacks to be defenders unless they’re wingbacks, in which case it doesn’t matter because they don’t have to keep a backline flat.
 
I think he'd thrive in the middle. As a secondary striker or advanced midfielder.
 
No. I think the Amrabat experient has shown you can't just chuck anyone in at left back and expect them to perform at CL/PL level, no matter what qualities they may or may not have.

Who said "chuck anyone"? He said Antony. A left footed right winger. You know, like Sully March is for Brighton but just played LB on the weekend vs Liverpool. Amrabat is a right footed centre midfielder. Playing him at LB was never a good idea. But converting a winger to a FB is how most FB's become FB's in the first place...
 
Funny enough, I had a conversation with somebody yesterday about Antony. He's better at tracking back and the defensive work rate side of the game than he is for the offensive side, in my opinion. Maybe even as a wing-back.

This is true, and the OP idea is an interesting one. The biggest objection that comes up immediately for me at the thought of Antony as a FB is about decision-making and consistency. You can afford to do try-and-fail as a winger, but not as a full-back. And Antony does a lot of it. His mindset and instincts are arguably too risk-oriented for that role. And he doesn't seem to me the type that can easily adjust these things.
 
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A defensive winger and a fullback is not the same job. Different skillset.

And we don't play with wingbacks. Actually almost the opposite, currently.
 
I think it would definitely worth trying out if we are short at LB again, however, I do not expect ETH to make that tactical change out of pride. Imagine the ridicule he would get from the media and on social media for spending £85m on a player that he knew inside out and then completely reshaping him to a new position due to his complete ineffectiveness in the role he was bought to do.

If ETH isn't here next season then I think its worth experimenting with, however, I fully expect Antony to not be here next season anyway - most likely on loan somewhere.
 
If Antony was going to convert to any position, it'd be central midfield I'd bet. He's actually quite press resistant, and has a great workrate, and is diligent about tracking back etc. He's technically solid. He's just rubbish at everything a good winger should be good at, and a one trick pony cutting in from the left.

I don't think he'll ever become a CM, or a leftback. He'll just be a rubbish winger, but if I was going to play him out of position, it'd be on the left of a midfield three.
 
Maybe not at leftback, but we need to do something with him.

He needs to be reinvented. Plenty of players have changed positions and made a job out of it. We just can’t accept ‘failed winger’.
 
Maybe not at leftback, but we need to do something with him.

He needs to be reinvented. Plenty of players have changed positions and made a job out of it. We just can’t accept ‘failed winger’.
Yes sell him and cut our losses
 
Antony has entered the "Caf says play him at left back" phase of his stint, following in the footsteps of fellow spenny Brazilians Anderson and Fred.
 
Maybe not at leftback, but we need to do something with him.

He needs to be reinvented. Plenty of players have changed positions and made a job out of it. We just can’t accept ‘failed winger’.

Why? We can just get rid of him, if he's not good enough. He won't be the first or the last.