The acquisition of Jurrien Timber by Arsenal shows how the full-back role is evolving. He has nearly 200 Ajax matches under his belt at the age of 22, and last season, he made more passes than any other player in the Eredivisie. This defender is capable and cool-headed. It is noteworthy, nevertheless, that Arsenal has informed the media of their plans to use him as a right-back. For most of his career, Timber has operated in the center. Last year, he only made one right-back start, against France, losing 4-0. However, the action reveals a developing tendency.
In the Premier League, there has been a sudden change in strategy. Not too long ago, it was anticipated that the full-back position would evolve in a totally different way. The inclination was for attack-oriented runners to rampage up the flank. A running joke between Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher was that the defensive full-back was no longer needed. The future was represented by Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, whose danger from wide areas was the foundation of Liverpool’s offense.
Even the most renowned full-back combination in the country now needs to adapt. The midfield switch made by Alexander-Arnold is similar to Oleksandr Zinchenko’s at Arsenal. Different players have been used by Manchester City at that fusion position. The influence of that full-back switching to midfield, however, can also be seen in the demands placed on the team’s other nominal full-back as well as in the shifting skill set of the player required to fill that role. There is now a demand for a Timber type as a result.
While Alexander-Arnold’s positional move has been more obvious at Liverpool, Robertson has been forced to slide inside and cover, which is a significant change for him. The skipper of Scotland is capable and knowledgeable enough to adjust. However, because of the cyclical nature of these changes, players like Carragher, a center-back who could also play full-back, and Neville, a full-back who could also play center-back, do not look as outmoded.
The full-back does not need to be able to cross the ball or travel 12 km in 90 minutes when asked to play in a three-man defense while a member of the back four moves into midfield. They must have the ability to contain the ball within the penalty area. Because of this, Nathan Ake was chosen over Joao Cancelo. In several of Manchester City’s most important games last season, Manuel Akanji was utilized at fullback, whether on the left or the right, and even preferred to Kyle Walker in the Champions League final.
Naturally, Mikel Arteta, Guardiola’s former assistant, shares many of the manager’s viewpoints on the game. While Zinchenko enters the middle line, Ben White, a central defender at Brighton’s previous club, has been utilized at Arsenal to keep the squad balanced. The hiring of Timber would appear to be confirmation of the intention to support that notion going forward. Actually, White mostly played the job in a more conventional manner, frequently overlapping Bukayo Saka, although this might lead to Arsenal switching back to a more definite three-man defense.
Unexpectedly, the Gunners had more mistakes that resulted in shots last season than any other Premier League side and more than twice as many as the other three top-four teams combined. They had some possession issues and were a touch too exposed throughout the transition. Arteta will have taken notice of that in his effort to get better. Timber is adaptable enough to cover the center-back position and even assume the duty of moving into midfield. But you can count on this new agreement to contribute to finding the right balance and a solution. Jurrien Timber seems like a wise purchase for Arsenal. It could also have symbolic meaning. a perfect illustration of the full-back’s evolving profile in contemporary football.
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