Defenders in the beautiful game seem to have the biggest task to do with the leftbacks seen to have the toughest, IKENWA NNABUOGOR tries to find out…
The beautiful game’s defence traditionally made of four actors has the daunting tasks of keeping the opposing strikers at bay and shielding the goalkeepers from conceding goals and ultimately preventing defeats.
The defence line made up of the centre-backs or the central defenders, the rightback and the leftback and the last line of defence – the goalkeeper – is believed to be the game’s department that feels the most heat in the game and must work hard to keep things real tight to ward off opponents from losing.
The fewer defeats conceded and less goals let in are credited to the defence as they continue to carry the beautiful bride tag as long as defeats are distant or few and far between.
Such is the difficulty as well as the mouth-watering task of defenders, but it appears the leftbacks bear the most brunt as well as the biggest heat of the fiery force of the opposing teams especially from the attackers and bad ppl news to defenders should the fast ones come for the fast meals.
This is quite debatable to heap the most daunting defensive tasks on the shoulders of the leftbacks, though, opinions may differ but it appears almost in the sights of all the beautiful game followers that left backs have the toughest jobs to do.
One thing is for sure – there are few left-footed players in the world and as such cannot be compared to the sea of legs that are right-footed. That said, leftbacks are hard to come by as left-footed players are sometimes not automatic leftbacks.
It’s also argued that leftbacks are left with much job to do as well as the heat that accompanies when they are faced with fast, skilled and crafty strikers.
Strikers love to operate from the right and most often are presented with leftbacks, whose right feet are just for decoration and sadly ineffective making defending a double task for him. Bad news for the leftback and the team in general as the team will be rest assured that they will be under serious siege for 90 minutes.
Leftbacks are left for dead by opposing strikers or wingers whose dribbling abilities are top notch and before the team could realize what hit them the ball is in the net.
Super Eagles’ oldie left back Taye Taiwo readily comes to mind on this, many a time, he was always at sea handling fast skilful striker or winger who would dance past him easily especially if he chose to punish him with his “dead” right foot. Taiwo suffered in the hands of such strikers but his high work rate would always bail him out.
Like I pointed out earlier on emphasis on Taiwo, the job of leftbacks is made even worse should a smart striker revel in driving the ball towards his right foot and ultimately making a meal of him and opening the team for impending danger.
The central defenders will sadly leave their space badly yawning and inviting the opposing team to make hay should they stray to left side to help the tormented left backs.
Another tough task leftbacks have to contend with is positioning, which the opposing striker could exploit gamely if he’s faster. Aerially, leftbacks are not the best in the defence, making them vulnerable to rangy and tall strikers.
Leftbacks, sadly but true, are most times beaten for space at counter attacks or at direct plays as fast opposing strikers grab the advantage to punish the team.
What about conceding penalties? Leftbacks are the worst hit! Desperate bids to stop fast strikers have left teams on the receiving end, most times, and could ultimately lead to defeats.
It’s not really fashionable for safety if the left back is lavishly skilful as this might cause more trouble for the team because any wrong foot in the show of skill, the ball is in the net and the team loses.
Celestine Babayaro played at Super Eagles’ left back with so much skill, very mobile and still found time to venture upfield to sniff for goals. Yes, he could do that effectively without punishing his team because he was a converted left back from the midfield where he had distinguished himself because his Golden Eaglets’ coach Fanny Amu found him the best option at left back.
Babayaro would go on to excel at that role making him the arguably best left back Nigeria has ever produced.
Left-footed players are scarce all over the world and for sake of continuity, the role MUST be filled by a player, hence, players have to be converted. Converted left backs are left to prove themselves amidst total technical support from the bench and fellow players alike. Such players are most times at the mercy of skilful, pacy strikers or wingers.
Generally, the defence will be put on their toes for 90 minutes, but the leftbacks appear to have more socks to work off.
