Football Positions Are Evolving
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ส.ค. 2024
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Are positions relevant in the modern game of football? How can Alexander-Arnold, Matty Cash and Tomiyasu all be listed by the same position? Do we need more terms to describe players? Or do we need to look at the game in a different way?
Alex Stewart explains that to better understand the game, we need to think about roles rather than positions.
Illustrated by Henry Cooke.
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#Formations #Positions #FootballTactics
A little disappointed that the "dribbly boy" wasn't one of the positions. They can be very effective playing alongside an Absolute Madlad
The dribbly boy was a dribbly boy back at barca, here at PSG he's just a central midfielder whofalls deep to win balls sometimes and facilitates passes to an absolute mess of an attack where he should've been playing instead.
Matip with Van Dijk
Ah the dribbly boy
The most important position on the pitch. Making mazy skill runs
spelt "boi"
Son and Kane are the “dribbly boi & absolute madlad combo”
Outgoing introvert , ambidextrous polymath and absolute madlad are some of my favourite roles in football
Joe, Alex & JJ respectively.
On football manager I've had great success with my lopsided 2-2-6-2 with a diagonal half-centre and a reverse cowgirl on the left wing
I was expecting a bench of "left right out"
@@U_C_G such a great system that you’re allowed an extra player
@@U_C_G It is a tried and tested formation, but with players these days being more physically fit, the player on the left wing can now take up a much more active role than reverse cowgirl, and various coaches have tried to exploit this in several ways. It all started with the scissoring winger cutting into the half-space earlier and staying on the near side of the defender, but lately players in these positions have even been used as a piledriver, though the jury is still out on whether the decreased vision associated with this role hampers the team's attack more than the ease with which balls can be delivered to the box benefits it. 😁😁
This is the most important Tifo-video for the modern-day football. There are too many fans, reporters, etc. who criticize players for not doing the same thing as another player in the same position does. TAA is a great example. Great video Tifo, this was very needed.
TAA spends a lot of time playing centrally as a midfielder and gets criticised for losing his winger. He's clearly asked to play that way by Klopp and he can do that because they have two world class centre halfs and Hendo/Fabinho for cover
Agree, had a chat with a Spurs fan few months back now, saying that someone was moaning about them buying the "wrong" right back - Emerson instead of Tomiyasu -. And as much as I am glad we got Tomi, I said that the comparison is stupid as they're completely different kind of right backs and also depends on what the team felt they needed too.
The criticism is even worse for attacking players. Frustrates me so much that people only look at goals+assists as the sole metric of a players ability and output. A winger who stays touchline wide doesnt have the same role as a wide forward. An attacking number 8 in a midfield 3 doesn't have the same role as a number 10. And yet still people try to draw comparisons between them.
Definitely! I'm 48yo but still consider myself new to the game. Over my eight years of fandom so far, when I hear talk of sweeper-keepers or the ways that wingers are coming back into fashion, then I can attribute the new developments as different playing styles for the same declared role, some of which I haven't ever seen played live. A simple example: I never saw a goalkeeper before 1992 play the ball (because I didn't watch anyone before 2013 play the ball) but after learning what the sweeper used to do and why goalies had to change, it seems like sweeper-keepers are a modern evolution, and so when keepers stop playing as sweepers in 5 years (maybe), they're still solid keepers, even if the game has overtaken them.
I would also say Firmino sums up this point perfectly as well. Because he's a number 9 and plays centre forward, he's always compared to traditional strikers and criticised for not scoring enough.
The next TIFO video should be about the best Absolute Madlads in world football, it's a position/role that's rarely talked about
Presented by an "Outgoing Introvert"...if they have any.
i think jamie vardy is a good example of the role
Diego Costa
yeah, diego costa fits
luis suarez and possibly carlos tevez could go there too
Sounds like what the title of a video about the career of Duncan Ferguson should be!
I'm Brazilian and support a team in Brasil's Serie A, Fortaleza. Our current coach, Vojvoda, comes from the Bielsa tree and has done an incredible job creating a team abandoning positional orthodoxy in favor of building a system where players are put in fitting roles. We play a 3-5-2 and our best players last year were the two wingbacks, a career center-attacking mid who became a key creative hub at left wingback, and a career rightback skilled going forward who as wingback became a huge threat on the box with well-timed runs. Meanwhile our center-attacking mid used to play defensive/center mid, he is creatively limited but a total workhorse off the ball leading the press with the two strikers. We finished the season top4 with one of the smallest wage budgets in the league. Positions are fake. Just figure out what players you have and use them as best you can.
Glad to get this insight. Especially something from a league that's relatively not in the mainstream globally. Cheers man. Great stuff.
Forgot to mention a key part of this: our left wingback is right-footed! Was such a sick season to watch.
@@xavier.mauricio Ayo, you got any highlights for the season or something I can watch? Seem like Moneyball at its finest.
Obrigado
É O LION 🔵⚪️🔴
I demand that FM have the option to deploy an Absolutely Madlad in attack.
shoots with two footed tackles that kind of thing lol
Complete Forward on Attack: close down much more, roam from position, move into channels, shoot more often, cross more often, tackle harder. Enjoy.
The goal of the madlad is not to score, but to injure as many opposition players as possible before being sent off 😵
I want the "Steve" role.
Hereby starting a petition for SIGames to add "Ambidextrous Polymath," "Outgoing Introvert" and "Absolute Madlad" as player roles for FM 23.
And 'Steve'!
Need a mod that changes Saint Maximin’s preferred role to dribbly boy
It's pretty much Ibra's role throughout his entire career
Our pick, though, is Tifo FC’s dynamic midfielder, “Steve”
Which is why for example, not using TAA as England's RB is a valid decision by Southgate because his role is way too different from what he is good at or normally does.
sad truth
As a WB though? He offloads some of his defensive responsibility to the RCB
@@rickyrickalvous2982 yes, he has played for England as a RWB
Joelinton is the obvious recent example of a manager unlocking a player, Howe moving him into midfield was the equivalent of signing a new player, someone who actually looks like a 30ish million player
As a Fulham fan I can confirm that Mitrovic has been successfully deployed as an Absolute Madlad this season
Football manager is a real good in depth look at the roles, formations, tactics, etc for anyone who is interested
I used to play Championship Manager back in the 90’s…. Sounds like it’s a similar game?
But do they have the absolute madlad?
@@TwistedSoul2002 If you played Champy back in the 90's then it is a continuation of the same series. The developers split from the publisher in the early 2000's with the developers keeping the game source sode whilst the publishers kept the franchise name. The developers revived the old Football Manager franchise name and went from strength to strength; whilst Championship Manager essentially became the knock off imitation brand and (last I checked) hasn't had any relevant releases in years.
Great video! I won't criticize Maguire again, he plays his role perfectly as a clown
It's very easy to criticize, but i want to see you play better than him with 50kg of head above your neck
He’s a multimillionaire Euro finalist and you’re a salty football fan… you’re the clown, mate.
Cmon mate XD
@@bens4602 🧂
A video on the modern day fullback would be interesting. Fullbacks are vital now and key to crating goals and assists rather than defending
Miedema has always made it a point to talk about how she’s not a prototypical No. 9 and that she enjoys dropping deeper to link-up play. Loved the FAWSL examples
I really liked that you guys used examples from women’s football, that was really cool
what. a. video. the amount of little "easter eggs" is just pure gold. loved pausing the video at every other screen just to read all the roles you came up with :D much love and this channel never ceases to amaze me
Roll over Target Forward or Second Striker, I want an Absolute Madlad in my team!
This is why it’s difficult to compare some players, they do completely different things for their teams
I'm happy I've started playing Football Manager to better understand the different roles and enjoy more watching football.
Great to see players from the FAWSL included in the video, more of this going forward.
Great video and awesome to see references to the WSL! Sam Kerr and her positioning is very underrated.
I think it is fair to say Trent is bad at defending tho. Liverpool makes a trade-off between his outstanding attacking / crossing ability for his defending ability (yeah and sometimes have Henderson or someone else cover for him)
Absolutely LOVE that you used examples from the women’s game without breaking stride. This normalisation is exactly what we need in mainstream coverage. It doesn’t have to be “women’s football”, it’s all just football.
Agree with the sentiment but we need to use language correctly, because it’s important. I’m not sure you quite understand the definition of the term ‘normalisation’. By definition you mean ‘indoctrination’. At best this would be considered ‘education’.
@@DO_sd1hg nice troll
Absolutely agree. Much appreciated Tifo.
i think it was a good transition but its hard to understand when you dont follow the womens game
NO NONONONONOONONO men and women football are so different. 15yo boys can beat professional women footballers, this has been demonstrated multiple times. women deserve their narrative, dont put them into one video with as if they are equals when they are not. Because the standards are so different, both genders deploy different tactics. its like comparing oranges and apples. please dont.
Was not expecting the mention of female footballers but very happy to see it and especially see Sam Kerr get a mention! She's a great forward and better security bouncer.
absolute unit
Next they should start using U-15 players or Indian Super League players because quality obviously doesn't matter anymore
Anyone who is down on the mention of female footballers here has evidently never watched Carli Lloyd's Puskás Award nominated goal from the 2015 Women's World Cup. Even SpaceX can't launch rockets like that.
@@deancena are you comparing prepubescent children to Sam Kerr?
@@melessemansur4564 Sorry I shouldn't have insulted 14 year olds by comparing them to women footballers
Always thought that the idea of a position was based on defensive formation. As attacking is generally about moving players out of position and finding advantageous matchups it seems bizarre people would even try and apply it that way.
Centre forwards and pivots are positions during attack. In which remaining disiplined in there position is what makes them effective. So not all positions have that level of freedom.
Ah yes, my favourite position, out wide on the right… ‘Steve’
Appreciate that you added women's football as well
Great to see the WSL in the analysis.
Also ABSOLUTE MAD LAD is my favorite role. Who do you have in mind for this? Craic Bellamy? Mario Ballotelli? Can we please geta tifo video on the Absolute mad lad role? Thanks x
Ambidextrous Polymath is how you shut down the ABSOLUTE MAD LAD
Gazza?
Can't forget Diego Costa in the madlad role, one of the positions biggest icons
I'm pretty sure that's the Akinfenwa role.
Ahem Luis Suarez.
3:36 Ooooohhh it's so cool to hear you mentioning female football!!! I usualy don't even think about the subject but know i'm more curious, i want to know how they diverse.
Applause for bringing the FAWSL into this
WHY ? ! !? ! i hated it. MEN and FeMAN football is so different. and i dont want to know about women's football.absolutely no interest.
Absolute love the part where you included wsl plyers.. surprising and promising ❤️
thank you for including the women's game! so important to modern football
RUBBISH. dont mix them into one video. DO another channel for women .
Talking about the WSL was a nice surprise!
Best tactical analysis video from Tifo Football this year. Absolutely learnt a lot from it.
I like the use of WSL strikers as examples
and the critism of lazy stereotyping
They are not really examples if it adds nothing to the description for the majority of viewers.
@@yt.personal.identification How does it add nothing? They literally explain HOW they play?
@@mustafasiddiqui8591 The entire point of placing an example in any literature, in any field, is to provide a point of reference that the majority of the audience of the piece will be able to relate to.
That is what an example is, by definition.
If the majority of the people can't relate to the example, nor does it enhance the understanding of the point being made, then it fails at it's one job.
@@mustafasiddiqui8591 Let me ask you, would you be so defensive of the point I am making if they had used examples of A-League players instead, that most here wouldn't know?
@@yt.personal.identification so in my history book, the author uses the Siege of Carthage as an example of a siege, but I'm unable to "relate" to it because I don't care about Roman History. Does that mean it's a poor example?
also the guy who's being so pedantic about the definition of an example is accusing others of being defensive. let me guess, now you'll probably say that this is ad hominem too.
I think Klopp often says that the formation is only about defensive situations. While the team is under pressure both Tomiyasu and Trent will act in a similar way.
We need an in-depth analysis about the question how to best incorprate a 'Steve' into your team.
Love that you guys mentioned women’s football!! Would love to see you guys get into that more
NO NONONONONOONONO men and women football are so different. 15yo boys can beat professional women footballers, this has been demonstrated multiple times. women deserve their narrative, dont put them into one video with as if they are equals when they are not.
LOL I misread that title as ‘Football PRISONS are evolving’ 😂
I love the inclusion of examples from women's football :)
Why?
@@deancena Because I think it's a good reminder that there isn't just men's football but also women's football, and most footie fans (myself included) know very little about the women's game, so it's nice to learn about it
Was thinking exact same thing, very refreshing to see
There isn't much to analyse tactically in women's football because it is so basic and technically lacking. Most of the goals will come from defensive mistakes or simply players lacking height to catch the ball/clear with a header rather than well constructed moves. That's unfortunate but they have got 50 years to make up on professional football, at the very least.
@@oldskoolmusicnostalgia Well in this case there were tactics to point out, so even if the women's game isn't as tactically rich (yet) I'm glad to learn more about it
Thank you for the mentions of White, Kerr, and Miedema! Makes showing this vid to my daughter more fun!
No. ! Please. This is total disrespect for male football. Go and do a separate video just for woman football. Its totally different, dont compare.
So many people need to watch this video and understand this.
I hear criticisms of Tomiyasu from certain Arsenal fans saying he doesn’t attack enough as they fail to understand that isn’t his role.
Pleasantly surprised with the representation of Women's Football in this tactical analysis! I did a double take when listening and heard Miedema's name, nice work TIFO!
Loved the Kerr, Miedema, White cameo. Need an episode of “why should Joe care about NWSL, WSL, UWCL, and all of women’s soccer?” So much great content potential there.
Sounds like a trap to abuse Joe!!
I appreciate the sentiment but I think those examples work best because we have seen particular players operate in these roles and can understand what the video is trying to explain with a real life scenario. Far fewer people have seen these Women play, or will have associated their play-style with a certain example, and the whole point of the illustration is far less effective than simply using similar male players. Unfortunate, but that’s how it is at the moment
@@JCFlyingV98 They could have used names from the Lord of the Rings in the explanation and it would be perfectly clear. We all know what type of players those three women are because of how the were used in the example. We all know plenty of footballers who fit these descriptions, and the name really isn't important for the explanation.
Thank you for including women's footballers in the video! They're football players too! More coverage is needed.
smh, why would you want to learn about inferior football.
@@nali878 because supporting players of all types is a good thing. Variety is the spice of life. Must be a sad and angry life if one must make everything a competition of who is better or worse. Supporting one and encouraging others is not an indication of "inferiority.
@@snakeobias Football and literally all sports are a competition of who's better or worse.
@@amoore2467 enjoying watching men play football and enjoying women play football is literally about that and that only. It doesn't literally mean that one is better than the other. Thinking women's football deserves more recognition/fan support has nothing to do with whether they are "better" than men.
@@snakeobias You can enjoy it, that's great, some people love going to non-league. But most people don't want to watch or seek out coverage of low-quality sport, in the same way, Hampton and Richmond Borough FC don't draw 50,000 home crowds. or get analysis on here.
Tifo does it again, great video. Football pundits should be watching this vid
1. Lol at the "Outgoing Introvert", "Ambidextrous Polymath" and "Absolute Madlad"
2. Great that you guys included female players. Please continue to do so.
Female players were just nothing but confusing really ..coz many don’t watch them therefore not knowing how they play
@@tcmcity51 Catch 22 then isnt it?
Love the seamless incorporation of womens’s football
Did anyone spot that Silky Ilkay didn't really have a cracking goalscoring 'season' last term- actually had a great winter. He played a completely different role in the team and scored a dozen goals just while KDB was injured and returned to his Pirlo role when KDB returned. Am I really the only person who spotted this?
Interesting, I didn't spot it but will look out for it. Well observed.
petition to make 'absolute madlad' an official descriptive term. DO IT NOW. Show support guys plis.
Miedema goated 🐐🐐
PLease. dont mix women into men football. Its our only respect left.
Brilliant video!!! This is one of the topics that i like the most in games, maybe the topic, and i you love more detailed videos about how players from the same position are different and unique.
Outgoing introvert just killed me😂😂
Thank you for including the women in this one. It's refreshing and tells me I have a lot of women's football to catch up on.
Great place to start is with the Champion's League obviously! The number of contenders for the competition grows each year.
NO NONONONONOONONO men and women football are so different. 15yo boys can beat professional women footballers, this has been demonstrated multiple times. women deserve their narrative, dont put them into one video with as if they are equals when they are not.
Yes number 10 is starting to have a new meaning
Best examples of a manager 'unlocking' a player? I'll start:
Thierry Henry: LW > CF
Andrea Pirlo: AM > DM
Franz Beckenbauer: CM > SW
Hey, good job integrating women’s soccer into the discussion! A lot of pieces focusing on general tactics ignore women’s football as if it isn’t also contributing to the overall tactical landscape.
Funny that Zlatan actually often plays the Absolute Madlad position XD
Great video, would be interesting to see you @Tifo look at how assymetrical formations work in football? Thanks
Outgoing Introvert and Absolute Madlad 2 of my favorite football positions
"Absolute Madlad" is actually my preferred position 😂😂🤣 Mezzala not even a close second 😤🙏🏾😂 "Outgoing Introvert" my fallback tho 👌🏾💜
Lol “ambidextrous polymath”, “outgoing introvert” and “absolute madlad” are my new favorite positions on the football pitch
Top tier content.
Top tier comment.
I enjoy your videos! Especially these ones about tactics, thanks!
This was a really good video... much needed
All i know is im sad the classical 10 role is gone. I was a 10, having the team fold around me, dictating attacking play, using my skills to make the difference. Özil, zidane, rosicky, fabregas these types of players were my idols, midfielders with insane technical skill and a team that gave them the space to do magical things
Kudos for adding in three of the best forwards in the women’s game as examples.
I love the WSL reference in there!
Loved this video! Especially the part about being fairer to players and managers when critiquing them.
This topic needs to be spoken about more.
"absolute madlad" & "outgoing introvert"... i'm dying over here :D:D:D
This is such a good channel fot footy fans
Tremendous video guys. Very important
Great vid!
This should be a fundamental watch before going to the pub
Cant wait for the I was on the wing like "Steve" bars 😉🤣🤣🤣
I think Barney Ronay and Jonathan Liew at The Guardian really need to watch this video - especially the bit about overcomplication.
One reason why football is popular everywhere is that it is quite simple to understand. Slow and steady education of the wider public works.
6:03 that "Absolute madlad" tho 😂😂
Wow, thank you TIFO for representing some WSL
Hoping and excited to see more women's football content alongside Men's
(like how is Barcelona Femeni extremely dominant 🔥)
Same here I hope they include more WSL players and tactics in future videos and conversations
@@MrZombieZealot NO NONONONONOONONO men and women football are so different. 15yo boys can beat professional women footballers, this has been demonstrated multiple times. women deserve their narrative, dont put them into one video with as if they are equals when they are not.
NO NONONONONOONONO men and women football are so different. 15yo boys can beat professional women footballers, this has been demonstrated multiple times. women deserve their narrative, dont put them into one video with as if they are equals when they are not.
@@doesitreallymatter4744 it is not the case of putting them alongside Men's for the sake of equality, but for the sake of allowing them a window of access and opportunity for their sport to be shared.
Women's football does deserve better in terms of investment of the sport, its promotion.
Time is the witness of how investing in the WSL has over time made it more competitive and attractive to more audience. And TIFO can use its platform as one of the catalyst for that. Cheers
@@enkala I think they should create their own windows of opportunities without piggybacking on men's football. They have their fashion, jewellery, cosmetics. Why can't men have our sports?
Outgoing introvert, ambidextrous polymath, capricorn... hilarious as always, TIFO.
Outgoing introvert, Amidextrous polymath 😂😂. Enjoyed this.
Maximum respect for bringing women's football into the videos
"The point is not to start using terms like Mezzala or Libero..." lol as a Serie A fan we use them a lot already.
Love the inclusion of WSL players! My home country the Phillipines 🇵🇭 just qualified for the Women’s World Cup for the first time in our history, and I’d love to learn about the difference in tactics and playing styles in the mens vs women’s game. This was a great introduction to what I hope could be an increased focus on this side of the sport ⚽️
Thought provoking view on football roles and systems
The whole role over position is exactly why FM players have a much better understanding of the game than FIFA players.
This is goddamn right
Football positions has never stopped evolving. It's up to the players to adapt and survive otherwise they're left behind. Best examples Ozil, Mata and James. Great players but failed to adapt to the modern game and fell behind.
Even luxury players are getting left behind. Example Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar etc.
In the modern game everyone is expected to press all the time. That fans started criticizing them for not running when previously them not pressing wasn't a big issue.
one of the best tifo videos ever
Love that Sam Kerr gets the nod in this video!
I can't with the 'steve' and the absolute madlad stuff, Jesus Christ 😂😂
I appreciate the inclusion of the women's game.
The number of times “critics” who judged the player by their “standard” stats is really astonishing for one of the biggest sports in the world. Then again it’s hard to generalize how two player compares, etc for casual audiences. I think we should just accept that they are different based on their role and not just starting position since a lot of managers are now favoring fluid systems.
You can vary in style of play all you want, but every team needs an absolute madlad.
I really enjoy the fact that this video highlighted women in the game too, I would love to see more videos about the tactics of those teams too
I came to the comments to find people who were angry about female players being in the video. I've gone down quite far, and seen none. This is the first comment that even mentions female players were included, and it's positive. This is genuinely awesome.
Really pleased to see reference to the women's game in the video - would really like to see more of this!
Thanks for this. The Trent-Alexander-Arnold criticism is exhausting, and it's obvious how essential he is to Klopp's strategies, even if the same cannot be said of Southgate. England wants something different from that position, and that's not on TAA. He is a gifted playmaker. There are other positions who do as much, so it's not nearly as essential for the national team, but for some reason, people take that to mean that TAA is a bad defender. NO, it's just the RB position in England requires things that are different from what he provides, and Southgate isn't interested in shifting the team to accommodate his particular abilities.
That's all. TAA is amazing, a creative genius player, and he deserves far more credit than he gets.
“Ambidextrous Polymath”
Sounds like the name of a hipster coffee bar.
Love the casual inclusivity of the women's teams and players!