Why does Cancelo play fullback?

[Brwned]

In City's usual setup, he plays as a fullback when they're out of possession and a centre mid when they're in it. If he was a great fullback who was just so influential on the ball it required this hybrid role, I'd kinda get it. But he doesn't seem great at some of the basic fullback things.

In terms of the conventional fullback responsibilities, he doesn't seem that good. He loses his runners often, isn't a great defender 1v1, and gives the ball away in dangerous areas playing out from the back far more than his team-mates. When he gets into midfield he's a really incisive and inventive passer, a great dribbler, makes great runs through the middle and strikes a good ball.

It just seems like his nominal role highlights his weaknesses and mitigates some of his strengths, all for some contrived tactical sophistication. Does anyone else find it weird?

 

[Berbaclass]

In City's usual setup, he plays as a fullback when they're out of possession and a centre mid when they're in it. If he was a great fullback who was just so influential on the ball it required this hybrid role, I'd kinda get it. But he doesn't seem great at some of the basic fullback things. It just seems like his nominal role highlights his weaknesses and mitigates some of his strengths, all for some contrived tactical sophistication. Does anyone else find it weird?

In terms of the conventional fullback responsibilities, he doesn't seem that good. He loses his runners often, isn't a great defender 1v1, and gives the ball away in dangerous areas playing out from the back far more than his team-mates. When he gets into midfield he's a really incisive and inventive passer, a great dribbler, makes great runs through the middle and strikes a good ball.

I suppose it’s much more difficult to pick him up from a RB position.

 

[Robbie Boy]

It's funny, it's not like he's even a converted FB. He's played there at either RB or LB since his teens.

Is he that bad as a FB? Anytime I've watched him he's looked good, but mostly City have been on top in those games. I mean TAA lacks basically any qualities required to be a FB, bar his crossing and recovery speed.

 

[Skills]

CM is a lot harder. Playing that role from RB is a lot easier, you don't have to look around you as often and the game is played in front of you. The hardest part about playing in CM is that theres someone behind you, in front of you, either side of you and they could be a team mate or opponent and you have to be aware of it.

 

[Pexbo]

It’s tactical. He takes on the fullback duties to an acceptable level but his real benefit to the Man City is helping them overload the midfield. The fact he does both in a game makes him greater than the sum of his parts.

 

[Okey]

He's a good attacking full back tucking in to bolster the midfield as per their system. Doesn't make him a CM. He doesn't actually show any CM attributes.

 

[Dan_F]

I guess the benefits of overloading the midfield outweigh any defensive deficiencies. Not sure he’s even that bad defensively either.

You definitely notice how much easier they find it to play out, than when we have AWB get the ball in a similar position.

 

[padr81]

It's funny, it's not like he's even a converted FB. He's played there at either RB or LB since his teens.

Is he that bad as a FB? Anytime I've watched him he's looked good, but mostly City have been on top in those games. I mean TAA lacks basically any qualities required to be a FB, bar his crossing and recovery speed.

Nope he's actually pretty decent even with he plays as a standard fullback. Its a myth he can't defend when he has too. He just gets played so far forward the ball behind him is always on. Its not his decision but a tactical one.

 

[Robbie Boy]

Nope he's actually pretty decent even with he plays as a standard fullback. Its a myth he can't defend when he has too. He just gets played so far forward the ball behind him is always on. Its not his decision but a tactical one.

I honestly think he's class, but I'll admit, maybe I haven't seen enough of him. I suppose as a non-City fan, I would maybe see more positives than if I scrutinised him as a fan. But feck me, he has far more of the attributes required to be a FB than TAA.

 

[Cassidy]

Hes been a very good fullback for a while, odd thread

 

[padr81]

I honestly think he's class, but I'll admit, maybe I haven't seen enough of him. I suppose as a non-City fan, I would maybe see more positives than if I scrutinised him as a fan. But feck me, he has far more of the attributes required to be a FB than TAA.

He's got a lot in common with TAA actually neither are blessed with the pace you'd want in a fullback, both are good on the ball. I'd say Cancelo is better defender but apparently couldn't defend at all at Juve, so he's much improved.

 

[Zoo]

Hes been a very good fullback for a while, odd thread

He’s a poor defender. Another one elevated by Pep.

 

[Robbie Boy]

He's got a lot in common with TAA actually neither are blessed with the pace you'd want in a fullback, both are good on the ball. I'd say Cancelo is better defender but apparently couldn't defend at all at Juve, so he's much improved.

I actually think TAA has very good recovery pace. But he needs it as his defensive positioning is awful. For me, TAA was amazing when everything was going Liverpool's way and he was a dream Klopp player. I don't think he ever would have reached those levels under any other manager.

Cancelo seems like his top level isn't quite what TAA produced last season, but he's a more solid option. I can't see TAA every producing that form again and he's shown his bottom level to be awful. I can't see Cancelo ever hitting those bottom levels and overall I see him as more consistent.

 

[Cassidy]

He’s a poor defender. Another one elevated by Pep.

Not like he played extremely well for Inter and Juve before he went to City

 

[kaiser1]

Pep always had a full back move to midfield. People talk like Cancelo was the first one to do it

Delph, Zinchenko Lahm etc did the same

 

[SCP]

He's got a lot in common with TAA actually neither are blessed with the pace you'd want in a fullback, both are good on the ball. I'd say Cancelo is better defender but apparently couldn't defend at all at Juve, so he's much improved.

That expression couldn't defend at all is an overreaction. It's true since his days from the Portugal and Benfica Youth Teams he always was better from the offensive point of view, reason why at Valencia he played half of his games as a winger, but Allegri didn't trusted entirely him as a defender, that's right, even if De Sciglio wasn't a better player than him, at all.

 

[Noot]

In terms of the conventional fullback responsibilities, he doesn't seem that good. He loses his runners often, isn't a great defender 1v1, and gives the ball away in dangerous areas playing out from the back far more than his team-mates. When he gets into midfield he's a really incisive and inventive passer, a great dribbler, makes great runs through the middle and strikes a good ball.

By the standards of the modern full-back I think Cancelo is pretty good defensively.

 

[Lee565]

He plays there because top clubs value attacking qualities of fullbacks rather than their defensive qualities and can only hope we replace bissaka sooner rather than later for a right back that is a real attacking threat on the ball.

 

[VP89]

I suppose it’s much more difficult to pick him up from a RB position.

I think it's this. Its a lot easier for teams sitting deep to plug gaps where they know players will pop out from, i.e. KDB centrally, Mahrez on the right or Sterling left. But Cancelo just supports random areas and its hard to pick him up, same with Gundagon.

 

[Brwned]

Pep always had a full back move to midfield. People talk like Cancelo was the first one to do it

Delph, Zinchenko Lahm etc did the same

The difference for me is that Lahm was a great fullback so I could see the benefit of him playing the hybrid role. He was a great 1v1 defender and played it out from the back well, so he provided a reliable presence when he found himself in the conventional fullback role, on top of helping them overload midfield and control games as he tucked in. I don't see that in Cancelo, he creates risks playing out from the back and defending 1v1 and his best contributions are when he plays with reckless abandon from a midfield position. He plays so much more recklessly than Lahm that you'll find the likes of Bernardo Silva being more diligent in tracking back and covering the fullback spaces in transition...at the very least that's a bit counterintuitive.

 

[Zlatattack]

It’s tactical. He takes on the fullback duties to an acceptable level but his real benefit to the Man City is helping them overload the midfield. The fact he does both in a game makes him greater than the sum of his parts.

Yeah, Guardiola recently said the same thing in an interview with Rio.

 

[The holy trinity 68]

He's no Luke Shaw.

 

[hmchan]

Carragher: If you're a fullback, you're either a failed winger, or a failed centreback. Nobody wants to grow up to be a Gary Neville.

 

[Brightonian]

It's Guardiola's way to have more midfielders available than the other team. He believes he can do without a really specialist fullback in order to have someone who can step in and help overload midfield. And it works for him, to be fair. Other players have been better at it, notably Lahm and Alaba. But it still works reasonably well with Cancelo most of the time.

 

[adexkola]

It's Guardiola's way to have more midfielders available than the other team. He believes he can do without a really specialist fullback in order to have someone who can step in and help overload midfield. And it works for him, to be fair. Other players have been better at it, notably Lahm and Alaba. But it still works reasonably well with Cancelo most of the time.

I think that when he bought Mendy and Walker his intent was to have both players hold the team width and stretch the pitch, but with Mendy's issues he fully embraced the inverted fullback concept on the left.

With Cancelo starting, you'll see Zinchenko stay back and form the left side of a back 3, and have the CBs move over to cover Cancelo. They've worked on being vulnerable to counters that killed them last season.

 

[hmchan]

I think that when he bought Mendy and Walker his intent was to have both players hold the team width and stretch the pitch, but with Mendy's issues he fully embraced the inverted fullback concept on the left.

With Cancelo starting, you'll see Zinchenko stay back and form the left side of a back 3, and have the CBs move over to cover Cancelo. They've worked on being vulnerable to counters that killed them last season.

In Guardiola's City side it's always the wingers who hold the team width and stretch the pitch. One of the fullbacks goes forward and the other stays back to form a back 3. They use a more conservative midfield combination this season to shut out counters.

 

[Rozay]

He’s a brilliant full back, and has been long before he came to City and Pep.

 

[Adam-Utd]

He creates a midfield overload.

Their right winger keeps the width, Stones pushes out to the right side of defence and brings the ball forward in the space vacated by Cancelo.

Cancelo is a very technical player capable of defence splitting passes, fantastic crosses or long range shooting. He's wasted as a pure fullback, but works really well as that inside fullback position that Pep loves. He did the same thing with Zinchenko on the other side but Cancelo is better at it.

It's no coincidence that since they started doing this they've been on a fantastic run of form. We seem to be the only team that managed to figure it out.

 

[Oranges038]

I might be wrong, but maybe he plays there because it is his best position.

 

[thepolice123]

It just seems like his nominal role highlights his weaknesses and mitigates some of his strengths, all for some contrived tactical sophistication. Does anyone else find it weird?

I actually think its the opposite. The tactical setup suits him best because it allows him to come inside midfield as the spare man. He will be tracked by the opposition winger who either will be too defensively weak or lack diligence in marking him in central areas. More often than not he will be afforded space while the actual midfielders cancel each other out in a 3 v 3 depending on the shape. That should explain why he looks good in midfield. He is an excellent technican but he probably lacks the know-how to operate effectively as a pure midfielder.

 

[giorno]

That expression couldn't defend at all is an overreaction. It's true since his days from the Portugal and Benfica Youth Teams he always was better from the offensive point of view, reason why at Valencia he played half of his games as a winger, but Allegri didn't trusted entirely him as a defender, that's right, even if De Sciglio wasn't a better player than him, at all.

He was a difference maker for juventus in the first half of the season, arguably their best player even(i mean, not really - Cris - but still) then his form dropped off a bit and Allegri suddenly lost all trust in him because he had too many defensive mistakes in him. Not coincidentally juventus form as a whole fell off a cliff with his

Great player honestly

 

[Paddy B]

He was a difference maker for juventus in the first half of the season, arguably their best player even(i mean, not really - Cris - but still) then his form dropped off a bit and Allegri suddenly lost all trust in him because he had too many defensive mistakes in him. Not coincidentally juventus form as a whole fell off a cliff with his

Great player honestly

You are spot on. Very few fullbacks could play the midfield role. Cancelo is simply a very good footballer...he can dribble and his quality of passing is excellent.

 

[SCP]

He was a difference maker for juventus in the first half of the season, arguably their best player even(i mean, not really - Cris - but still) then his form dropped off a bit and Allegri suddenly lost all trust in him because he had too many defensive mistakes in him. Not coincidentally juventus form as a whole fell off a cliff with his

Great player honestly

Yes, if I am not wrong a problem with the knees. Should have stayed in Italy for more time, but this Mendes players instead settling at a club to improve their weaknesses are constantly changing clubs every season. Euromendes.

 

[RooneyLegend]

He's not bad 1 v 1, certainly not by today's standards. He's just really bad at off the ball defending. He simply gambles too much with his positioning and tends to read plays poorly.

 

[TheMagicFoolBus]

The main reason is to shut down opponent transition chances through midfield. Transitions down the wing are far less dangerous and also far less likely against City given how high and wide their wingers stay - Pep wants another fast defender in midfield to snuff out counters. Cancelo's quality on the ball and ability to create chances from those positions are a bonus more than anything. If Cancelo were playing there from the off though, they're essentially wasting a player as their RB wouldn't really be doing anything in possession. Maybe if they had a LB with a lot of attacking quality this could be a possibility though with their current squad it wouldn't make much sense.