‘Football is played with the Head; Your feet are just tools’ as Andrea Pirlo once said, perfectly encapsulates the nature of the game. It’s not just about the physical battle between 22 players on the pitch, there’s also changing formations, man-to-man marking, pressing, and other roles that showcase the game’s complexity. Mauricio Pochettino, one of the finest tactical managers of his time leads the USMNT, and among his key assets is Antonee Robinson, who’s more than just a full-back. 

Nicknamed Jedi, he’s considered to be one of the best left-backs in the Premier League season and was last year’s Fulham Player of the Season. Though fullbacks have more of a defensive role if you watch Robinson’s highlights, his presence is all over the field, and for Pochettino, he fits perfectly in a system that allows the Americans to bypass their opponents. 

“It’s been interesting. Last trip, I kinda got two sides of it. Like the first game, I was basically sort of playing left wing-back- almost left wing,” Robinson told ‘WhoScored’ what it feels like playing under the Argentine coach. “When we’re attacking, I was high and wide. And then the second game, I was pretty much being an inverted fullback. Kind of playing in the double pivot, so something I’ve never done before, but an experience I enjoyed and it’s good to know that I’ve got that ability to play there if I ever need to going forward.“

In simple terms, a team often starts its attack with the goalkeeper passing the ball to his defenders instead of going long. To counter this, opponents tightly mark the backline, so a player like Robinson moves into midfield, allowing the center backs a passing option as they overload the area with a one-man advantage. 

During attacking scenarios, a normal fullback makes a run out wide so that they can put a cross into the box, but like we said, man-to-man marking makes this job difficult so what Robinson does is cut back on the inside, which forces the defending team’s fullback to follow him, creating space out wide, which the forwards can utilize. And Robinso who is naturally good at dribbling excels in this role, but this raises a question of whether ‘the game’s gone?’

Are traditional full-backs no longer useful?

Today’s fullbacks are no longer limited to staying wide, hugging the touchline, and making runs up and down the pitch as the game progresses. While their role was often determined by their strong foot (right foot = right back, vice versa), fullbacks are now expected to be two-footed, cover defensively, carry the ball forward, pass, cross, and so much more. 

Take, for example, Joško Gvardiol of Manchester City. In the typical 4-2-3-1 formation, there’s only one forward, and while Erling Haaland may be more than enough, we often see the Croatian play extremely high up the pitch and cut inside from time to time. It’s this role of an ‘inverted’ fullback that saw Gvardioal scoring 3 goals for City, as a defensive player. 

While players like him, Trent Alexander Arnold and Antonee Robinson redefine football, we are sure the greatest minds will find some new tactics to outclass them. With Robinson in fine form for both club and country, there have been talks of Liverpool boss Arne Slot signing him as a potential replacement for Andy Robertson. For now, the USMNT and Mauricio Pochettino will be relying on the Fulham captain’s services for upcoming games.