Full backs vs Wing backs

Sparky Rhiwabon

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Given that LVG seems to be (stubbornly?) persisting with a 352 formation whilst the majority of us fans are crying out for us to move to a more traditional 4 at the back I thought this might be an interesting topic. For example:

What is the difference between a full back and a wing back?
Who are the best wing backs around? Are there many around?
Who can play wing back from our current squad?
Which players can play both roles?
If we go into the transfer market, will we / should we be buying full backs, wing backs or players who can play either role effectively (presumably few and far between?)

Surely, we need to 'commit' to one system or the other for the long term so that we can build our squad accordingly - and has LVG already decided it is 352 long term?
 
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Sparky Rhiwabon said:
Given that LVG seems to be (stubbornly?) persisting with a 352 formation whilst the majority of us fans are crying out for us to move to a more traditional 4 at the back I thought this might be an interesting topic. For example:

  1. What is the difference between a full back and a wing back?
  2. Who are the best wing backs around? Are there many around?
  3. Who can play wing back from our current squad?
  4. Which players can play both roles?
  5. If we go into the transfer market, will we / should we be buying full backs, wing backs or players who can play either role effectively (presumably few and far between?)

Surely, we need to 'commit' to one system or the other for the long terms so that we can build our squad accordingly - and has LVG already decided it is 352 long term?
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  1. Fullbacks can be trusted to do defensive work - track runners, offside trap, positioning ect.
  2. Few as the top teams at the moment play 4 at the back with the exception of Juve (who have changed) who play(ed) the formation to accomodate other players but don't have standout wingbacks. Cuadrado is the name that will come up but only because he's a winger that occasionally plays fullback. That doesn't qualify him as a good wingback in my book as the role is about finding the balance between the two, not being good at both. Alves probably the best in recent history but his defending was compensated by Barca's dominance of games.
  3. I don't think either are great. Young is better going forward but has more cover from the extra centreback while Valencia is better in defence and more cautious going forward.
  4. Rafael is the only player we have accomplished at both. Shaw is a solid defensive fullback.
  5. When we go into the market we will buy a natural right sided fullback. Van Gaal is forced to play an extra defender due to his lack of fullbacks. He will want to fix that balance.
 
Pexbo said:
  1. When we go into the market we will buy a natural right sided fullback. Van Gaal is forced to play an extra defender due to his lack of fullbacks. He will want to fix that balance.
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I really hope that this is correct - that this system is just a function of our current squad weaknesses rather than LVG stubbornly deciding that he wants to create the first team to successfully deploy 352 on a long term basis!
 
Pexbo said:
Van Gaal is forced to play an extra defender due to his lack of fullbacks. He will want to fix that balance.
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Not sure about that - we still played a back 3 when Rafael and Shaw started. It's surely a lack of trust in the centre-backs which has led to the extra man in defence, and the use of wing-backs is a knock-on efffect from that (even LVG wouldn't just play a flat back 5!)
 
It's hard to say without watching someone play in the wing-back role and not many teams play players in there. For a few, I never thought Young and Valencia would be as good as they were and Shaw would be as bad as he was in the wing-back role.
 
Sir A1ex said:
Not sure about that - we still played a back 3 when Rafael and Shaw started. It's surely a lack of trust in the centre-backs which has led to the extra man in defence, and the use of wing-backs is a knock-on efffect from that (even LVG wouldn't just play a flat back 5!)
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To be fair I think that's because he wanted to give McNair and Blackett game time but didn't trust the two of them on their own.
 
Pexbo said:

  2. Rafael is the only player we have accomplished at both. Shaw is a solid defensive fullback.
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I don't think he is personally. I think he's a good attacking fullback, but not a good enough attacking outlet for a wingback. His threat is minimal when he hasn't a winger infront of him to overlap. Think that's why LVG appears to favour Valencia in the 5-3-2.
 
I think the last few games have shown how a) how different it is being a full back vs. a wing back and b) how good Ashley Young is as a wing back, and how reliant we are on him when we play in that formation... yes, we are reliant on Ashley Young for a certain type of football... the world's gone mad.
 
The way things are at the moment with players playing out of position we might aswell give Falcao a run of games at wing back seeing as Di Maria is taking his place upfront because he cant oust Rooney out of midfield as Blind is playing center back.
 
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