I’m delighted by AWB as a defender. That’s what he was bought for as we were leaking 50 goals a year.Shaw is better than AWB by some distance. The honey moon period for AWB will be over next season and people will be frustrated by his complete lack of ability on the ball. He makes it easy to press us and other than sliding tackle, his defensive side of the game is average.
I just feel in the long run he will need to be upgraded and thats staggering considering how much we spent on him.
I respect your opinion mate, just feel football has moved on from defensive full backs and to be a truly top dominating team one will need the fullbacks to be great at going forward.I’m delighted by AWB as a defender. That’s what he was bought for as we were leaking 50 goals a year.
He is still very young so I hope he can add the attacking elements to his game.
But generally speaking I prefer defenders who can actually defend first. Other stuff is a bonus.
I don’t disagree re the requirements for a top full back.I respect your opinion mate, just feel football has moved on from defensive full backs and to be a truly top dominating team one will need the fullbacks to be great at going forward.
Anyway I pray he gets better and at thesame time hopeful Laird lives up to his potential and give us a different option.
Very good point!Do people really not think our defensive fullbacks and in particular the upgrade from Young to AWB defensively isnt one of the main reasons we had a good defensive record this season? We actually had the least conceded goals from open play. Where we were prone to goals was set pieces.
We had attacking fullbacks in previous seasons in Valencia and Young, and they were found wanting defensively. And last season we shipped a load of goals so we spent £120 million on defenders. AWB is very important to our defense.
Now that doesnt mean there arent times when you'd want to play a different style and bring Dalot off the bench or something. But in order to do that we'd need to play without Pogba because the difference with Liverpool's system for example is that their midfielders hold their shape and get back to help the 2 CBs who are the only ones who stay in their own half when Liverpool have the ball.
We cant have Pogba and Fernandes through the middle, and then Davies on the left and an attacking rightback on the right. Liverpool cant do that so why could we? Bayern dont have a Pogba in there either as Thiago and Goretzka are both pretty good ball winners. And both Liverpool who play a different system and Bayern who play the same system have midfielders with more mobility than Matic, who win the ball and do their defensive duties.
Yep exactly. We cant have it all. For years we've had fans yearning for ball playing CBs and to play more like City. Now we've got some players more like City with Pogba and Fernandes a bit like Silva and KDB playing through the middle. We obviously still play nothing like them but we've got some of the players to try it which we didnt in the past.Very good point!
I often think of Liverpool as having a defensive 5some as their core (CB, CB, MC, MC, MC) and that core is surrounded by ball players (LB, RB, RIvF, CF, LIvF). The defensive core mitigates for the fullbacks when they are marauding up the pitch and out of position.
We play in a very different way, so would have to dramatically rethink our midfield, if we decided to hire full backs like Davies and TAA.
Young had the 7th most key passes from a fullback in 18/19Valencia and Young are now considered attacking full-backs?
They were terrible going forward.
The key passes stat is highly deceiving.Young had the 7th most key passes from a fullback in 18/19
They were certainly frustrating at times, but they did help the attack with more focus than defending
Yes. Exactly what you would want from your fullbacks, getting the ball to someone else who is in position for a shot. What else do you want them to do?The key passes stat is highly deceiving.
It's just a pass that leads to a shot.
If Pogba plays a sideways pass to Bruno from 35 m and Bruno takes a shot, it's counted as a key pass.
I think "fantastic" is pushing it, quite a bit. Since he got competition for his spot he's looked the most reliable going forward of those that we have. When he first joined he looked a lot more purposeful in the final third.Shaw's attacking game is underrated. He's a fantastic combination player. AWB is very bad in attack generally.
You missed my point completely.Yes. Exactly what you would want from your fullbacks, getting the ball to someone else who is in position for a shot. What else do you want them to do?
There's a bit more to it than that, if you're talking attacking full back. Crossing well and at the right time, stretching the pitch, making continual runs and overlaps to provide options and make space for others, be technically adept at beating their man.Yes. Exactly what you would want from your fullbacks, getting the ball to someone else who is in position for a shot. What else do you want them to do?
Terrible is one thing, but they can still have been attacking FB. Young was hitting crosses like there was to tomorrow.Valencia and Young are now considered attacking full-backs?
They were terrible going forward.
Shaw is quite better than AWB, but the problem is that Shaw gives you only half of the matches. So a fairer comparison is: is Shaw (playing roughly 60% of matches, though in other seasons played less) with Williams in the remaining better than AWB who can play every game? And the answer is no.Funny. I think Shaw is a better player than AWB.
And I'd rather upgrade on AWB 1st.
Leicester had Fuchs and Simpson and Chelsea under Conte had Alonso and Moses. I know they've had Walker at RB, but City have pretty much had a hole at LB for years.Every title winning squad squad has at least one world class attacking fullback. We have none right now.
Who did City have over the last 3 years when they won a couple of titles? Please don't say Kyle Walker or MendyEvery title winning squad squad has at least one world class attacking fullback. We have none right now.
That's not entirely true .Every title winning squad squad has at least one world class attacking fullback. We have none right now.
Young had a go and at least made an effort to get up the pitch even if he was largely poor.Valencia and Young are now considered attacking full-backs?
They were terrible going forward.
Walker was pretty decent in their two title wins.Who did City have over the last 3 years when they won a couple of titles? Please don't say Kyle Walker or Mendy
For me not even close. AWB is better one on one. And that is it. In every other area Shaw is miles better. For starters Shaw knows to play football.Shaw is just a 6/10 footballer for me and does nothing to a high level. At least with AWB, he is probably the best fullback in the world in 1v1 situatuons, is more athletic than shaw, and nowhere near as injury prone. He has limitations and isnt a flawless but he does enough on the defensive end to earn his keep. Down the line we might need something more than AWB but imo he gives us more than Shaw.
watEvery title winning squad squad has at least one world class attacking fullback. We have none right now.
Not world class.Walker was pretty decent in their two title wins.
Didnt city have sterling and sane hugging the touchlines ?Who did City have over the last 3 years when they won a couple of titles? Please don't say Kyle Walker or Mendy
Were they fullbacks?Didnt city have sterling and sane hugging the touchlines ?
The time when their wingers hugging the touchlines, their full backs are going inverted act like midfield to cover Silva & KDB.Were they fullbacks?
The point is the fullbacks occupying the attacking space in top teams now cause the wingers cut in. City were different cause they kept their wingers wide.Were they fullbacks?
The point is let's not move the goalposts. The guy said every title winning team has had at least a world class fullback. That's not true. City didn't. Chelsea didn't. Leicester didn't. Next.The point is the fullbacks occupying the attacking space in top teams now cause the wingers cut in. City were different cause they kept their wingers wide.
Its an exeption to the rule. Most of the other top teams had top fullbacks besides walker was great during that time
Shaw literally does nothing to a decent level except short passing, the rest of his game is bang average . AWB has a narrow skill set but it's effective, Shaw isn't in the same conversation as AWB defensively at the same time isn’t an effective crosser or dribbler so I hardly think he "knows how to play football" he's just vanilla.For me not even close. AWB is better one on one. And that is it. In every other area Shaw is miles better. For starters Shaw knows to play football.
Yes, that is why Ole picks almost the same team everytime and it's predictable. We don't play a system where a player is replaced by another decent player. That's why selling Countinho didn't affect Liverpool that bad. We rely heavily on our stars and playing then week in week out may wear outHard to say. They make it easier. Only relying on attackers to create is one dimensional and football from yesteryear. Our approach seems to be to put together great individual attackers rather than the whole team contributing directly offensively. We will see, but i am skeptical we will win big trophies with that approach.
