I think the fact that Shaw spends a lot of time protecting Maguire and Rashford not tracking back he’s always at a disadvantage at getting out to a cross. Bissaka doesn’t have this issue and normally just ends up in a race with someone down the line and gets a block in. He rarely goes out to someone from a central position. To me that’s just how defending is done now, it’s positional instead of the way I’m sure many of us were raised where it was get to the man at any cost and stop the ball coming in.
In certain situations team shape and being set is more important than being overly aggressive and loosing shape especially if the ball is in controlled possesion of the opposition. So when the ball is worked out wide for example I don’t think the modern fullbacks job is to get right to that persons face. It’s to position yourself to make them make a decision. They either attempt a cross that has been made difficult or try to go past the fullback to make a better angle. These actions allowing your team to get back and position themselves so any ball in isnt as bad of a threat.
To me that’s just a development of defending in that situation. If Shaw commits to charging out it makes it easier to pass him and then the situation is more dangerous. However if we are further up the pitch with more room behind them to correct a mistake then defenders commit more. Shaw when caught high goes with that attacker and more often than not blocks any cross in because it’s a situation he can affect.
Its the same with people slagging off Lindelof, he positions himself to buy time for the team to set. It’s not backing off cowardly, it’s just good defending till the rest of the defence is set. Again higher up the pitch more aggression is shown or if it’s an aerial ball.
To me defending has just evolved.
