Left Back in the changi……

Michael Atkinson
Jul 10, 2017 · 5 min read
The Mighty Quinn

Few things embody Newcastle United quite like arguing over Wales’ third choice left back. A club that allows us to debate which flamboyant French winger we prefer, which number 9 wore it better? And who’s the best you’ve ever seen after Peter Beardsley? also has us shrugging our way past a Beresford, Bernard or Enrique in conversations no one wants to be in.

With regards to full backs, we’re yet to see a great.

The role of the wide man has changed considerably over the years, whether that’s in defenders becoming more like wingers or wingers becoming more defensive, stamina now holds the key to how aggressively you can attack.

Unless you don’t.

Which brings me to Paul Dummett. A player unlikely to change the mood around our full back discussion table, but one who doesn’t make us long for Babayaro. Hated by few, loved by fewer, the new contracts for him and Lascelles’ seem a touch enthusiastic as like many of our squad we don’t yet know whether they won games last year because they were simply playing against players who played for Rotherham. Whilst Lascelles’ professional attitude seems to offset his clumsiness, Dummett improved considerably enough that the thought of him in the squad is no longer a concern. And that’s about as good as it gets.

What is a concern is if he actually plays, and not for mistakes, he doesn’t put himself in radge enough positions for that to happen too often. And that’s kind of the problem, his inclusion in the first eleven imbalances us so much that we become predictable. Last season saw 43% of our attacks go down the right hand side and 33% down the left, an improvement on the relegation year that saw 44% (R) and 29% (L), no club has a larger disparity in the last 5 years.

Attacking, you might argue is the secondary role of the full back, but that is dependent on strategy. And strategy is why Dummett might actually be the right fit for Benitez currently.

What Dummett offers, and has improved on considerably under Benitez is positioning. And with Yedlin on the other side who seems to not really understand or care about that, last year Dummett and Clark offered us stability on the left that we lacked on the right.

It’s why we should all get used to counter attacking.

When Leicester won the league they did so with Fuchs and Simpson at the back with Albrighton and Mahrez in front. Simpson had played a similar role for us when we finished 5th, by holding position, playing narrow to limit space down the channels whilst being able to cover. This then puts the onus on the winger to break fast but also track back, preventing a fullback being pulled out wide. If he doesn’t this becomes a real ‘Shay Given’s last game’ if the opponent’s full back pegs it forward as well.

Out of the last five league winners only Azpilicueta could be truly regarded as a more conservative full back, as the wing backs of Chelsea last year shouldn’t be considered the others in Kolarov, Rafael, Evra, Ivanovic and the brilliant Zabaleta have all at least once in their career been called marauding. Not only do attacking fullbacks bring greater success in both balance, attacking dominance and all round footballing ability, but it’s also great fun to watch, and that might be the issue for some.

Dummett is a player so aware of his limitations that going beyond them could be catastrophic. It’s taken him to the age of 25 to stop looking down to check the ball is still there. Frustratingly he might be our best crosser of the ball, but the area between where he started and where he finishes is his no man’s land. Found behind enemy lines confused and disorientated he channels his inner Laurent Robert and whips in a cross so surprising that neither the forwards or defenders are anywhere near it. But ultimately no one gets excited watching someone do their job to the exact level you expect them to. Even with such low expectations he’s managing to just hit his targets, slowly raising them each year is to his credit but we’ll find out this year whether that five year deal is another Geordie noose the squad can’t shake.

If the full back thing doesn’t work out however, there’s always centre half… Having played there only a handful of times in his life and doing nothing that suggests that he’s any good at it, I struggle to understand why anyone would assume that’s his position, short of being not good enough at fullback. Deceivingly fast when he gets going, but an acceleration issue that hampers him considerably, what type of centre half would he be? At least Coloccini had moments where he could play football, likewise Clark. And he’s not in the mould of Lascelles or Mbemba. Neither his physicality or his brain indicates a centre half in the making.

Dummett is a player that affects us way more than he should, both on the pitch and off it, it seems, and unless the squad gets some much needed quality he will continue to do so. But his extension could be an indication that Benitez is here for the long-term by creating some consistency within the club and a plan to develop over a number of seasons. He holds position and seems to be able to learn, two qualities for a side that will inevitably have to defend considerably more than they did last year, so what need yet for an attacking left back if the intention is to sit back and go direct on the counter. We can’t dominate and retain the ball against the better sides because of personnel, so why compete on an individual level? Keep things tight and break.

The Premier League last year seemed to return to what we thought it was. The top 7 are the top 7 and the rest try to be less shit than each other. Can we be less shit than Bournemouth? Southampton sacked their manager after finishing 8th after they didn’t score at home in their last 5 matches, winning only once in their last 8. Leicester avoided relegation by ten points after 5 wins in their first 25 matches. West Brom lost 7 and drew 2 of their last 9 and finished 10th. Stoke meanwhile presumably played 38 matches, not one of which was of any importance.

If Dummett matters we’ve had a terrible summer, if he doesn’t then we might have some new fast lads which allows our left back to be just that.

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