Antonee Robinson: Fulham’s American Dynamo in Defense
The fullback position has evolved and continues to do so. Once known for constantly holding their width, fullbacks now frequently occupy central areas during build-up play, requiring adaptability and flexibility. Although the position has evolved over the past decade, the core qualities and traits required have remained largely unchanged. Attributes like pace, stamina, and defensive awareness remain essential at the top level, especially given the increasing speed of the modern game.
In recent years, fullbacks have been given more freedom to push forward and contribute to their teams’ attacking play. Now more than ever, teams rely on these wide players not only to assist and create goal-scoring opportunities but also to break opposition lines and sustain attacking pressure. However, this reliance creates defensive challenges by leaving large spaces in wide areas.
Across the major leagues, most fullbacks excel either in attacking or defending, but rarely both. Nonetheless, one fullback who has mastered both sides of the game is Fulham’s Antonee Robinson.
Early Beginnings
The United States international started his career at Everton, signing his first professional contract with the Toffees in late 2015 after several stellar performances, which earned him the U18 Player of the Season award. Following such a promising start, Everton were keen to fast-track his progression to the first team, but a severe knee injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.
He managed to regain fitness and, after an impressive season with the U23s, signed a two-year contract extension at the end of 2017. This was followed by loan spells at Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic, before he secured a permanent three-year contract with Wigan to gain more first-team experience.
Robinson quickly established himself as one of the Championship’s best left-backs that season, soon attracting interest from top clubs across Europe. It didn’t take long before Italian giants AC Milan approached to bring Robinson to Serie A. However, a medical revealed heart complications, and the move fell through. After Wigan’s relegation to the third tier of English football, Robinson moved to the Premier League with Fulham, marking a breakthrough in his career.
Strengths in Possession
Crossing
Robinson possesses all the physical attributes of a top fullback. He is a strong runner both on and off the ball, has electric pace, and delivers exceptional crosses from wide areas. While on the run, he consistently maintains composure and delivers accurate balls into dangerous areas.
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In the 2023/2024 season, he ranked second for the most completed crosses, with 39. He also ranked fourth among fullbacks for the most assists, with 6, and ninth for the most chances created, with 31.
Crossing the ball while on the run is a highly difficult skill, and for fullbacks, it’s even more challenging. They must not only maintain composure after a long run down the field but also stay aware of any potential runs by their teammates, all while keeping their balance. However, this is a skill the American appears to have mastered.
Here, Robinson (indicated by the circle) has only one option if he wants to successfully cross the ball and find his onrushing teammate: deliver it behind the advancing defenders and into the open space. However, this will require a perfectly placed cross to beat not only the defensive line but also the opposing goalkeeper.
He manages to beat all the players marked along the red line, delivering the ball perfectly to his teammate’s feet, resulting in a goal for Fulham. In this sequence, he not only demonstrates his exceptional crossing ability but also his awareness of his teammates’ runs and the space where the ball needs to be played.
Robinson quickly identifies the open space, makes a sharp run behind his marker, and positions himself perfectly to deliver a cross.
While on the run, he realises that two Chelsea defenders have occupied the near post, making it unlikely for the ball to reach the closest Fulham player in the box. He then decides to cross the ball to the far post to try and take the Chelsea defenders at the near post out of the play and create the best opportunity for his team.
He executes this perfectly, delivering the ball right onto the head of the Fulham player at the far post, creating a prime opportunity for his teammate. Through his movement, intelligent runs, and precise crossing ability, he once again generates a strong chance for Fulham.
Here, Robinson identifies the space behind the Tottenham backline and delivers a perfectly timed cross into that area for Rodrigo Muniz.
The delivery is precise, falling right into the path of the Fulham striker, who finishes expertly.
Dribbling
Although crossing is a significant part of his game, the American possesses many other skills when in possession of the ball. His strength, dribbling ability, and composure under pressure enable him to maintain possession and advance the ball into dangerous areas. In the 2023/2024 season, he ranked first among defenders for the number of completed dribbles, achieving a total of 40.
In this situation, Robinson receives a pass and immediately finds himself under pressure.
However, he manages to use his strength and arms to position his body between his marker and the ball, effectively shielding it.
He successfully wriggles out of the challenge and progresses the ball up the field. With his natural strength and intelligence in using his arms to shield the ball, he maintains possession for his team in this sequence.
The American finds himself under pressure in his own 18-yard box. With one player closing in and another nearby, many defenders would typically clear the ball in this scenario.
He demonstrates great composure, remaining calm as he gets past the first challenge before passing the ball back to a teammate to complete the clearance.
Robinson once again finds himself in a tight spot after a poor back pass puts him under pressure.
He displays great awareness of his surroundings, waiting for the defender to close in before skillfully rolling the ball away from him.
He then uses his body to shield the ball effectively, moving it away from the danger area. In this sequence, he demonstrates excellent game awareness, skill, and strength.
The American is once again placed under immediate pressure before receiving the ball.
He allows the ball to move toward him before shifting it in the opposite direction. By doing this, he also disrupts his marker’s balance, making it difficult for the defender to get close to the ball.
He then shifts the ball in the other direction to move further away from his marker and into the opposition’s half. There are many diverse ways of getting past an opponent. The Fulham left back has mastered all of them. Whether with quick intricate touches or powerful bursts of speed, Robinson knows how to beat a man, and can use various techniques to do so. He isn’t flamboyant with his dribbling, but he gets the job done and is highly efficient.
Long Balls
From switches of play to delicately clipped balls behind the defence, long balls are an effective way to not only maintain possession but also quickly transition from defence to attack. Not many defenders and fullbacks in the Premier League have perfected this skill as well as Antonee Robinson.
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He ranked 13th for completed long balls among defenders last season, achieving an impressive total of 218. His position among fellow fullbacks is even more noteworthy, as he ranks 2nd in that category. Only Trent Alexander-Arnold completed more long balls than the American international.
Here, Robinson has some time and space to pick his head up and assess his options down the field.
He manages to find his teammate on the run and bypasses the entire Burnley defence with one clipped long ball.
Here, Robinson finds himself in the middle of the park. He spots his teammate in acres of space at the other end of the field.
He then plays an excellent diagonal pass to that side of the field and finds his teammate in a dangerous area with time and space.
In possession, Robinson is as good as any fullback in world football. He can beat a man, deliver accurate crosses into dangerous areas, remain composed, and spread the play when needed. His physical and technical attributes are elite, and the statistics support that claim.
Strengths out of Possession
Movement off the Ball
Runs behind defensive lines are one of the best ways for any team to break down an opposing defence. They not only push defences back, but when well-timed, can completely split a defence open.
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However, defenders can deal with these runs more effectively when they see them coming, as they can reset their lines and block any run made in behind. These runs are most dangerous when they originate from deep, as they often go undetected.
Many teams allow their fullbacks to make runs without the ball from deep to catch defences off guard. Fulham is no different, particularly in how they utilise Antonee Robinson.
The left back here realises the space in behind the Aston Villa defence and makes a darting out-to-in run into the space behind them from deep.
He then receives the ball in the box and finds Raul Jimenez, who has a simple tap-in.
Robinson, this time on international duty, demonstrates good running power and movement to get behind his marker and into space, putting himself in a strong crossing position. He then delivers an accurate cross into the box for his teammate, once again creating a significant chance for his team.
These runs require timing, awareness, and quick thinking to be effective. Robinson demonstrates all of these traits with his movement off the ball. He judges and selects the most opportune moments to make line-breaking runs that hurt opposition defences.
Defensive Duels and Actions
As mentioned earlier, many fullbacks excel going forward but struggle when it comes to tracking back and defending. Robinson, however, has no such issue, and the stats back this up.
In the 2023/2024 season, Robinson recorded 93 successful tackles, ranking fourth for most tackles completed among defenders. He also ranked second for most duels won among defenders, with an impressive 193.
Whether staying on his feet or going to ground, Robinson is highly skilled at winning the ball and judging precisely what needs to be done to regain possession for his team. His pace and strength enable him to get tight to attackers and stay with them.
The American, seeing a loose touch by the opposition attacker, quickly starts to make a run into the space that the ball is most likely to go.
He then smartly halts his movement once he realises the attacker has regained control of the ball. By doing so, he reduces the attacker’s options to two: either pass the ball out wide to the left or play it forward to his teammate. The latter is less likely, as Robinson’s positioning allows him to easily flick out a leg and intercept the ball.
The positioning of Robinson’s body, particularly his legs, is also worth noting. He crouches slightly and plants his feet, ready to push forward when the attacker moves the ball. A small but crucial detail. In the end, it makes all the difference.
Robinson is able to position his body between the attacker and the ball, effectively regaining possession for his team.
This time, Robinson recognizes that Phil Foden has space and time on the ball. He quickly closes down the space aggressively, making it more difficult for Foden to pass the ball into Erling Haaland.
He then uses his strength to outmuscle the smaller Foden by positioning his arms effectively. By doing this, he wins the duel and successfully recovers possession for his team.
In this situation, Robinson recognizes the run being made by Anthony Elanga and makes a diagonal run to cut it off.
He displays an impressive burst of pace and executes a superb sliding challenge, winning the ball and the duel once again.
Robinson demonstrates his aggression by swiftly closing down the attacker’s space even before the ball reaches him.
He extends his leg at the perfect moment, making contact with the ball to recover possession for his team in an advanced area.
The Fulham left-back demonstrates excellent anticipation here, recognising that the pass might be short. He quickly sprints forward to close down the space for a potential interception.
He swiftly darts in front of his attacker to intercept the ball, successfully securing possession for his team.
He once more reads the pass and its direction, immediately making a move to intercept, and he gets there before Miguel Almiron to win the ball back for Fulham.
From crunching slide tackles to exceptional anticipation, Antonee Robinson exhibits all the physical and mental attributes that every top full-back needs to succeed. When defending one-on-one, he positions his body effectively, allowing him to attack both the space and the ball with a simple yet highly efficient crouching motion.
He is also skilled at recognizing when to back off, reducing the options for the man on the ball during defensive situations. His anticipation and reading of the game rank among the elite in the league, and it’s no surprise that he led the Premier League last season for most interceptions completed by full-backs, with an impressive total of 81. Whether attacking or defending, in possession or out of it, Antonee Robinson stands out as one of the very best.
Conclusion
Typically, analyses like this will highlight weaknesses as well. However, there are exceptions to every rule, and Antonee Robinson is certainly one of them. His attacking and defensive qualities as a full-back are simply remarkable, and statistically, he ranks among the elite in nearly every category imaginable.
While he may benefit from adding more goals to his game, it’s important to note that, as a full-back, his primary responsibilities lie in defence and providing support to the attack. At 27 years of age, Robinson has emerged as an indispensable figure for both Fulham and the United States, and he looks set to play a pivotal role for Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT as they prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
By: @TSpec1al and @MarkV_Bruce8
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Visionhaus / Getty