Are traditional full-backs becoming extinct?

The development of fluid possession football that relies on seamless positional rotation has led to a rise in game-time for versatile, hybrid players.

There are more blurred lines than ever when it comes to putting labels on individuals.

Let’s use Mohamed Salah as an example. Is the Liverpool superstar a right-winger or a striker? The same could be said of Jarrod Bowen, Son Heung-min and many more.

Where do Phil Foden and Cole Palmer play? It’s not clearly definable.

Inverted full-backs are also all the rage, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Oleksandr Zinchenko ripping up the longstanding characterisation of where a left or right-back should position themselves during the build-up phase.

And in central midfield it’s a similar story, with the likes of Declan Rice, Rodri, Douglas Luiz. Bruno Guimaraes and Alexis Mac Allister proving beyond doubt that you don’t have to be a defensive midfielder OR a box-to-box player.

All of them, and others, are required to do both jobs as top-flight football continues to evolve.

 Latest shift

The big tactical trend across the 2023/24 season has seen head coaches across the Premier League opting to play an increasing number of central defenders at full-back.

In the past, opposition managers would regularly draw up gameplans designed to draw centre-backs into wide areas, where they would be wholly uncomfortable in one-v-ones.

But this ploy is fading in its effectiveness, thanks in part to Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) and the way young footballers are coming through with exceptional levels of technical ability.

Central defenders look different these days. They are quicker, more mobile, less reliant on physical strength, and certainly a lot more proficient with their distribution.

Learning to cope with receiving the ball in tight areas as clubs play out from the back, a significant improvement in the quality of passing from defenders has been required.

More and more head coaches are evaluating the qualities their centre backs possess, and opting to try them out as full backs.

Arsenal: A rearguard of centre backs

In the past former Stoke City manager Tony Pulis was vilified for deploying a quartet of tall central defenders across his back four, but no one is questioning Mikel Arteta’s decision to do the same with title chasers Arsenal.

In 10 of their matches in all competitions since the start of December, the Gunners have started with a back four made up of players who were signed as central defenders.

Having been converted into a top class right back it is easy to forget Ben White made his name centrally, and alongside Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, we have regularly seen Poland international Jakub Kiwior appear at left-back too.

The height factor cannot be ignored, and it has helped Arsenal become a formidable force from set-pieces at both ends of the pitch.

This example (below) against Newcastle United highlights the back four, all big men up for a corner that was converted by Kiwior (circled).

Defensively, the Gunners also boast one of the best records from set-pieces, conceding only five times. Boasting so many players with strong aerial ability must help in this regard.

With Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard in the wide areas, Arsenal do not need an adventurous, overlapping full back.

Happy to stay defensively solid, and robust from counters and turnovers, Arteta asks White and Kiwior to support from behind, feeding passes from a position infield to his wide forwards where they can isolate their markers in one-v-ones.

This pass map from Arsenal’s 6-0 win at Sheffield United shows how Kiwior goes wide to Martinelli on his outside.

Konsa supplying stability

When they are at full strength Unai Emery’s Aston Villa like to use Ezri Konsa in a right-back berth. He is another young defender with terrific technique and passing ability, looking at home in that position.

Balance is at the heart of that choice from the Spanish head coach. Lucas Digne and Alex Moreno are two very attacking options at left-back, so in possession we regularly see Konsa tuck around to make sure they have a back three in place.

Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby play as right-sided forwards, and each loves to run into empty space. There is no need for a buccaneering full-back to crowd them.

Why are managers leaning this way?

At the heart of this trend is a desire to have stability down the spine of the pitch.

Using a centre-back at full-back, somebody who does not fly forward at will, provides an extra layer of security when play breaks down and counter-attacks come your way.

Pep Guardiola certainly views it that way. His use of Nathan Ake or Joskvo Gvardiol at left-back, and occasionally Manuel Akanji at right-back, is an indicator of the protection he likes to have when committing so many bodies forward for attacks.

All those players are so mobile and technically gifted that is not a problem for them to operate in the wider areas.

Balancing out lopsided starting XIs is another factor, like at Villa, and with Newcastle and Everton too.

At those clubs, Dan Burn and Ben Godfrey can slide across when the more attack-minded Kieran Trippier and Vitaliy Mykolenko push on, on the opposite side.

Aerial power

Is it a coincidence that Arsenal have scored the most headed goals (16) so far this season, considering the aerial threats their starting XI now contains? Perhaps not.

And when you analyse matters at the other end of the pitch, a pattern does also seem to be developing, where sides who like to deploy central defenders at full-back concede fewer headed goals.

Villa, Everton, Newcastle, Man City and Arsenal are all extremely solid when it comes to defending crosses put into their area.

The pay-off

Natural full-backs will supply more ammunition into the opposition box with crosses, and they will create far more goalscoring opportunities.

For example, Fulham’s Antonee Robinson (116), Digne (107) and Tottenham Hotspur's star Pedro Porro (86) have each whipped in more crosses from open play than Gvardiol (29) Godfrey (16), Konsa (13), Chelsea’s Levi Colwill (12) and Kiwior (10) combined.

But more and more Premier League head coaches are deciding they no longer need twin full backs to raid down both wings.

First, we saw the rise in inverted full-backs coming into central midfield, a trend that is still in place, and now it’s the turn of central defenders to come in and stabilise back fours in the wide areas.

We are not talking about the "death of full-backs" yet, but it appears it is becoming increasingly harder for attacking left or right-backs to get regular minutes in English football’s top flight.