Mike Pejic, a Stoke City legend, reviews Jordan Thompson moved to the left side of defense under Steven Schumacher
Watching Jordan Thompson fill in at left-back during Enda Stevens’ injury absence over the past several weeks has been interesting. People believe that playing full-back is simple—come on, tell me that to my face!—but whether you play the position correctly or poorly, it can have a significant impact on the team as a whole.
As a left-sided player who is accustomed to sitting in front of center backs, Thompson fits in perfectly as a central midfielder for Stoke, provided he possesses the specialized understanding and skills necessary to defend in wide areas. However, as always, the key to building a good team is to bring out the best in each individual and then figure out how well they work as a unit. This is where Thompson’s position comes into play.
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If you’re playing as a standard wing-back, you have nothing in front of you and you’re isolated as a wide man but if you’re in a 3-4-3 or 4-3-3, you’ve got two players to defend and attack. You still need a brain to know when to sit in, when to cover, when to drop and when to attack. When you defend, it’s the need to stop crosses, stop them getting around the back. If they do cross, make sure they cross before you and try to block it. You have to know when to support the left centre-back, when to show the winger the line and when to force him infield.
Both you and your wide player must help each other out. You go infield if he is going wide, and wide if he comes infield. It all comes down to knowing your place in the game and that of the people around you. Making decisions is crucial. The coach must ensure that you understand how to contribute to the attack if given the opportunity.
While there are many factors to take into account, placement and distance are crucial to get properly. You need to be aware of how far your center backs should be from your midfield. When marking space, it’s important to know when to let teammates ahead of you pass the ball; this involves guarding the near, center, and back posts.
When you reclaim the ball, attacking opponents and maintaining clean sheets depend heavily on player positioning. Whether you’re attacking or defending, it’s essential everywhere on the field and plays a big role in the match.
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