Is defending a dying art?
What makes a great defender?
Paolo Maldini, arguably the best defender the game has ever seen, was once quoted as saying that “if I have to make a tackle, then I have already made a mistake”. A tackle is synonymous with defenders, and up and down the English leagues a defender can be found sprinting across the grass; barely making an imprint with their boots, to slide three metres to attempt to win possession, an act that is met with the same uproar as a goalkeeper saving a penalty. But is this celebration misplaced? Is defending now evolving to a place that Maldini once prophesised it should be at the height of his career?
The modern defender
Defenders are now an essential part of building attacks; as playing out from the back has become more popular with establishing possession, they must possess a great passing range to break lines and successfully win aerial battles. But one attribute that remains as essential to being an effective defender now as it did before the birth of the Premier League is 1 v 1 defending. The aim is these situations should be to regain possession for your team, not just to simply dispossess your direct opponent. And the methodology around this requires a great deal of patience.
Attackers will employ feints, fakes and skill moves to force the defender off balance and take advantage of the situation, but the same patience that the attacker requires, needs to be matched by the defender, waiting for the attacker to take a bigger touch, make a mistake, plant their foot in order to take the ball. This art is what will define a great defender; with Virgil Van Dijk notable performances not allowing Messi to pass him. In these moments defenders should seek to make the opponent’s play predictable, reducing the amount of decisions that they are capable of making and showing them into the small space.
Patience is also needed in an area that starts counter attacks, interceptions. In order to achieve this fully defenders need to successfully analyse in play, seeking out under hit passes, or first touches that don’t secure the ball, being able to pounce on these moments allows the defender to then drive forward with the ball, in a position where they can initiate a break away. And it is these actions that we need to celebrate, where defenders regain possession in a moment where they can then attack immediately. Players may be required to tackle, and they should be prepared to, but this should not be their first priority and if they are forced to then this may be due to poor positioning.
How can you become the best?
There are so many professionals that young players can aspire to who personify the perfect defender; John Terry, Nemanja Vidic, and of course, Paulo Maldini. By studying the above attributes in their play and being brave to execute these in training and games, they will have a grasp of these essential skills.
What has happened to defending in today’s game?
Defending is not dying, it is alive and well, thriving as the game is innovated and evolves, as contact becomes more controlled by officials. It is important that we highlight what now truly defines defending and makes a successful defender; intercepting, reading play, patience, making play predictable. Celebrating tackles that gift the opponent a throw in or a corner should only be secondary to the true art of establishing attacks on transition after getting the ball back and winning the ball and setting your pass in the same move. This is what justly deserves applause.
Written by Nicholas Bearham