Inverted Wingers/wide Players. Why?

[McTeeko]

This has bugged me for ages - inverted wingers. What is the theory for this formation??

We had it the other night with a right footed Anya on the left and a left footed Ritchie on the right. Anya's good chances were wasted when through on goal (particularly from McArthur's pass), and as for the lack of good quality balls played into the box...

It's something Levein did too. Cyprus away sticks in my mind with Mackie on the left and Robson on the right.

Is it a tactical thing where these players are supposed to cut inside for a shot? Are they meant to come inside to leave space for an overlapping full-back or what? I just want speedy wingers/wide players skipping past people, hitting the line and crossing or pulling back. Something we WOULD be capable of if players played on their natural side.

Edit: Players that cannae play fitba with both feet shouldnae even be near international fitba, but that's a thread for another day.

[Stuart87]

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2010/mar/24/the-question-inside-out-wingers

[Davied14]

You nail it in your post, they are to cut inside to shoot or play short passes leaving a space for an attacking full back to run into on the outside.

[ParisInAKilt]

You nail it in your post, they are to cut inside to shoot or play short passes leaving a space for an attacking full back to run into on the outside.

Something we would expect Roberton and Hutton to do a lot more on Sunday

[McTeeko]

You nail it in your post, they are to cut inside to shoot or play short passes leaving a space for an attacking full back to run into on the outside.

Yeah I get that and that's fair enough however that just negates the need for pacy wide players such as Anya. You'd be better playing a 35 year old Robson with a bit of strength and dig in that position!

[McTeeko]

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2010/mar/24/the-question-inside-out-wingers

Good wee link. Cheers! ?

Edited March 27, 2015 by McTeeko

[shaggycoo]

Also when the wide men cut inside they'll be on their stronger leg in theory where as the covering fullback will most likely be on his weaker peg

[braveheart_lynch]

McFadden did it all the time, his goal against Lithuania a perfect example.

[McTeeko]

Pros and cons I suppose. Faddy a great example but it just does my heid in watching folk getting to the bye line in a great position then fluffing their cross or having to cut back onto their stronger foot.

[Davied14]

Another reason being that there appears to be an abundance of attacking midfielders these days who lack the pace to be a genuine winger (Snodgrass is a prime example, but also see David Silva, Juan Mata, Marco Reus etc.) so asking them to cut inside to link up play rather than try to race the full back to the byline makes sense.

Basics of being a fullback were if you are faster than the man you are up against show him to the line because you are confident once he knocks the ball there you will beat him to it but if he is faster than you show him inside onto his weaker foot and where there should be help to deal with him. If you are showing the guy onto his stronger foot that causes doubts in the defenders mind.

[the Sunnylaw Jag]

I think Anya ended up as right back for Whittaker on Wednesday. Watford often use him there.

[er yir macaroon]

It frustrates me, but horses for courses. Anya, Forrest and GMS should be played on the side that allows them to put a cross in from the bye line on account of their pace. Away from home, it's less important. The fact that we have such quick full backs helps with the inverted approach, but I do wonder if it's the old trap of coaches over complicating things.

[Bristolhibby]

Good thread, I have wondered about these tactics.

J

[fringo]

It frustrates me, but horses for courses. Anya, Forrest and GMS should be played on the side that allows them to put a cross in from the bye line on account of their pace. Away from home, it's less important. The fact that we have such quick full backs helps with the inverted approach, but I do wonder if it's the old trap of coaches over complicating things.

Agree and it does my head in too.

[Paulo2576]

Johnny Russell vs Dundee!!

[Dalgety Bay TA]

Pros and cons I suppose. Faddy a great example but it just does my heid in watching folk getting to the bye line in a great position then fluffing their cross or having to cut back onto their stronger foot.

It frustrates me, but horses for courses. Anya, Forrest and GMS should be played on the side that allows them to put a cross in from the bye line on account of their pace. Away from home, it's less important. The fact that we have such quick full backs helps with the inverted approach, but I do wonder if it's the old trap of coaches over complicating things.

How many goals do you see scored by headers from crosses from the byline nowadays? Even a team like Chelsea with a big strong striker like Costa do not put balls into the box in the air for him often.

The days of putting balls in from the byline went with teams playing 2 up front. When you had a winger sticking the ball in the box and 2 strikers up against 2 centre backs you had a decent chance of a goal. Knock it down to 1 striker v 2 centre backs and the chances of a goal from a cross from byline greatly reduced.

The 2 wingers can act like additional strikers when they come inside, effectively a 3 man attack. Think of Anya's goal v Germany, he was always on his strong foot, he was able to bare down on goal without deviating his run and he was able to open up his body and place it past Neuer comfortably. If that had been a left footed player I don't think it would have been finished in the way it was.

[McTeeko]

Some great points DBTA. ?

I would argue the fact that inverted wingers cutting inside really narrows the pitch and any through ball to the striker needs to be weighted and played perfectly into the channel.

The other thing about overlapping fullbacks is they need to have a cracking cross on them to make that system work. If they hit the first defender or the ball is played too close to the keeper enabling an easy catch it then leaves things wide open for a counter attack with a full back 70 yards up the park and midfielders dropping back to cover leaving gaps elsewhere.

I just like fullbacks to defend. That's it. A Malpas or Alexander. Defend and let the others do the attacking. Those days have gone though.

[BraveheartGordon]

This has bugged me for ages - inverted wingers. What is the theory for this formation??

We had it the other night with a right footed Anya on the left and a left footed Ritchie on the right. Anya's good chances were wasted when through on goal (particularly from McArthur's pass), and as for the lack of good quality balls played into the box...

It's something Levein did too. Cyprus away sticks in my mind with Mackie on the left and Robson on the right.

Is it a tactical thing where these players are supposed to cut inside for a shot? Are they meant to come inside to leave space for an overlapping full-back or what? I just want speedy wingers/wide players skipping past people, hitting the line and crossing or pulling back. Something we WOULD be capable of if players played on their natural side.

Edit: Players that cannae play fitba with both feet shouldnae even be near international fitba, but that's a thread for another day.

That Argentine kid Messi looks not bad as well for a one-footed player.

To answer your question though, very rarely in the modern game does that type of ''Jinky'' winger play on his strong side, stick to the touchline and just beat players and put crosses in.

This is a modern tactical evolution because it is so easy for that type to ''drift out of a game'' playing an opposite footer leaves them coming inside looking to receive the ball and play in a dynamic fashion.

[er yir macaroon]

How many goals do you see scored by headers from crosses from the byline nowadays? Even a team like Chelsea with a big strong striker like Costa do not put balls into the box in the air for him often.

The days of putting balls in from the byline went with teams playing 2 up front. When you had a winger sticking the ball in the box and 2 strikers up against 2 centre backs you had a decent chance of a goal. Knock it down to 1 striker v 2 centre backs and the chances of a goal from a cross from byline greatly reduced.

The 2 wingers can act like additional strikers when they come inside, effectively a 3 man attack. Think of Anya's goal v Germany, he was always on his strong foot, he was able to bare down on goal without deviating his run and he was able to open up his body and place it past Neuer comfortably. If that had been a left footed player I don't think it would have been finished in the way it was.

Read my post.

[the Sunnylaw Jag]

The other thing about overlapping fullbacks is they need to have a cracking cross on them to make that system work. If they hit the first defender or the ball is played too close to the keeper enabling an easy catch it then leaves things wide open for a counter attack with a full back 70 yards up the park and midfielders dropping back to cover leaving gaps elsewhere.

The amount of goals the Thistle have lost in the last two seasons because of this is unreal.