There was once a time, when fullbacks were considered the worst player on the team, with a limited influence on the game from an attacking viewpoint, whilst having one main job - stop the opposition wide midfielder. Jamie Carragher once famously quoted that fullbacks were either failed wingers or failed centre-backs. However, Over the past couple of decades, the role of the fullback has become paramount to a team’s success. And in some instances, the fullbacks have become one of the most important positions on the pitch.

Arguably, the shifting point for the importance of fullbacks came during the 2002 World Cup, with Brazil’s marauding fullbacks Roberto Carlos and Cafu on show to shift the stereotypes of fullbacks at the time. Since then, we have seen the fullbacks being used in a number of different ways from attacking outlets to provide penetration in wide areas and hit the byline, such as Dani Alves under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, to a newer role of an ‘inverted fullback’ a modern take on the role that is popping up across the world. This analysis takes a look at the ‘Inverted Fullback’ from a technical and tactical viewpoint, using examples from different managers and teams that have utilised the role.

In Possession

Before the shifting of attitudes to the importance of fullbacks, the position was primarily used as a defensive one, contributing less to building the attack as opposed to other formations. Particularly in England during the late 90s and early 2000s, where a lot of teams would operate in a 4-4-2, fullbacks, whenever they got the ball were tasked with a simple pass laterally to the central defenders, a vertical pass to the wide-midfielder operating in just advanced of them, or a hopeful punt into the channel.