Inverted full-backs are in vogue, but Gareth Southgate may risk taking that inversion too far.
Newcastle United’s Kieran Trippier is a top-class attacking right-back. Ezri Konsa excelled at centre-half last season as Aston Villa achieved Champions League qualification. While Joe Gomez of Liverpool is a dependable, versatile defender who can play across the back line.
During England’s 3-0 pre-European Championship friendly win against Bosnia & Herzegovina in Newcastle on Monday, Southgate trialled each of those three right-footed defenders as the left-back. All can perform serviceably there, but each appears a diminished version of themself when used in makeshift fashion at that position.
While none of them performed poorly, the natural reaction afterwards was to ask: Is Luke Shaw going to be ready for Euro 2024?
Southgate’s pre-match update was that the Manchester United defender was “progressing well” following a season wrecked by injury — a far brighter assessment than his verdict of “he’s up against it” when the preliminary 33-man squad for the Euros was announced on May 21.
But given Shaw has not played since February 18, relying on somebody with a questionable fitness record throughout his career (30 Premier League starts or more only twice in 10 seasons) and whose last competitive appearance was almost four months ago as your only natural left-back for a major tournament appears risky, regardless of how good he may be when at his best.
Admittedly, Southgate can point to a paucity of options.
Ben Chilwell’s poor Chelsea displays led to his omission from the 33, while Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell has obviously yet to convince his national coach. Newcastle’s Lewis Hall may be viewed at St James’ Park as a future England left-back but, despite a promising end to the season, the 19-year-old is still in the process of being converted to the role having played midfield throughout his youth career.
Shaw, centre, watches on during Monday’s game (Mike Egerton/Getty Images)
Rather than select an out-of-form specialist, or one he does not feel is good enough or ready for the international stage, Southgate has decided to get creative by repurposing reliable defenders as make-do left-backs.
Take Trippier. The 33-year-old was afforded the honour of walking out with his son, Jacob, to captain his country last night with England ‘on tour’ at his club team’s home ground.
Yet, while the version of Trippier who plays in black-and-white stripes on that pitch marauds down the right as a key attacking weapon for Newcastle — he provided 10 Premier League assists across 2023-24 — the Trippier who played in (off) purple there for England felt somewhat reduced as an offensive force.
During his 62 minutes, Trippier completed 37 of his 40 passes and created just one chance. His distribution was, for a player of his technical quality, almost too safe. Despite regularly taking up advanced positions, sometimes even beyond Eberechi Eze, the left-winger, Trippier tended to look back inside with his passing, rather than whipping dangerous crosses into the box as he traditionally does when playing on the right.
Regardless, Trippier — who insists he is now “really fit and fresh” following the calf injury which sidelined him for two months towards the end of the season — would back himself to deliver at left-back for England’s opening group match against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen a week on Sunday. “If I picked the team, I’d put myself in, obviously,” Trippier said. “But that’s up to Gareth. If I play or don’t play, I’ll be ready.”
Konsa, meanwhile, was only on the left for nine minutes, but he did spend the first hour of the match playing right-back, rather than his favoured spot at centre-half. The 26-year-old is so comfortable on the ball, managing 99 touches and completing 73 of his 77 attempted passes, and he showed a willingness to attack down the right, even winning the penalty that became the opening goal following a VAR referral, but his vision and distribution are far more effective from a central berth.
Southgate stressed he values Konsa’s “adaptability”, but admitted “we weren’t intending to move him quite as much”. However, Lewis Dunk, one of the night’s starting centre-backs, was taken off as a precaution with just under 20 minutes of the 90 to go and that allowed the head coach to shift Konsa back to his “strongest position” in the middle.
Konsa impressed across the defence on his third appearance for England (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
As for Gomez, the 27-year-old did actually play 19 times at left-back for Liverpool last season. He is more than capable of providing a solid defensive option on that flank but, like Trippier and Konsa, is naturally right-footed and offers little in attack. During his 17 minutes, Gomez had only 10 touches and played one pass into the final third.
Ironically, Trent Alexander-Arnold, one of the game’s leading exponents of the inverted full-back trend, was belatedly afforded the opportunity to showcase the upside of using players in the roles they are most familiar with.
The 25-year-old Liverpool star began the match as part of the double pivot, essentially auditioning for a starting role alongside Declan Rice, and looking to provide a playmaking presence from deep. He demanded possession, having 121 touches overall and completing 90 of his 101 passes.
Yet, as competent as his stint in midfield was, it was after his switch to right-back in the 62nd minute that Alexander-Arnold really began to excel.
Admittedly, that was also once England had gone in front, after captain and first-choice striker Harry Kane had been introduced off the bench and when the home side had discovered the collective attacking rhythm and urgency they had previously been lacking, but it was not coincidental that they looked so much more threatening down their right once Alexander-Arnold moved outside.
His 85th-minute volley across goal, which swerved sumptuously inside the far post to double the lead, typified Alexander-Arnold’s technical quality and the offensive threat England can pose down that flank. Whether it is Kyle Walker, as is likely, or Alexander-Arnold who starts at right-back at the Euros, they will be pivotal to Southgate’s attacking blueprint.
Perhaps that is why he is contemplating a game plan for this tournament that does not actually require a specialist left-back.
When you boast a world-class striker in Kane, a Champions League winner in Jude Bellingham, the Premier League’s player of the season in Phil Foden, a depth of attacking talent other nations will surely look on at enviously and two top-level right-backs, maybe you can afford a more conservative, limited selection at left-back.
None of those makeshift left-backs are likely to deliver the type of individual performances that will catapult England to glory in the final of the Euros on July 14, but maybe they do not have to.
Maybe fully inverting full-backs will prove to be the way forward for this team, after all.
(Top photo: Eddie Keogh – The FA via Getty Images)
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