Claude Puel and also other managers are often ignoring certain points when they build a squad or add new players in key positions. The left footed central defender is of great importance and we feel that you need to address this when building a winning team.
France won the World Cup in the summer with Barcelona defender, left footed, Samuel Umtiti in the heart of defense. Jan Vertonghen also left footed, key player being part of a very strong central defense at Spurs, and also winning a World Cup bronze with Belgium in Russia.
England played with Harry Maguire to the left, so does Leicester City, so why use your best central defender to the left when he is surely a right footed player. Why are Gareth Southgate and Claude Puel ignoring the fact that using, right footed, Maguire to the left is limiting him as a player.
Leicester City doesn’t have a left footed central defender in their squad, so why add a lot of right footed players in this postion when it is of great importance to have at least one left footed player to use. Christian Fuchs could be an answer, but not seen by Puel as an alternative alongside Maguire.
The strange fact is that Jurgen Klopp also compensate with using his best player in probably not his best position, playing right footed Virgil Van Dijk to the left in the defense again limiting the ability of his best performer, compensating for lack of quality in other personal.
Klopp let, probably his best option, counting out Van Dijk, Mamadou Sakho leave for Crystal Palace. He is left footed and one who we believe could have been massive in that chase for a possible PL title.
Pep Guardiola added Aymeric Laporte to his squad last season, and the French, left footed, defender is now an important player in the heart of Man City’s defense, adding quality and ability not present before.
Many pundits address the weakest link in the Manchester United team to be the defense, and of course, they also lack the quality of a left footed central defender, probably why Mr. Mourinho tried to bring in Jan Vertonghen from Spurs in the summer.
When you play to the left in defense and you are exposed by forwards or wingers passing the player outside you, then it will be natural to tackle and place yourself correctly without turning, something a right footed player must do. This is also crucial in late stages of a game when clearing the ball and also your marking of the opponent will of course be of importance.
We have of course seen many teams win cups and league trophies without this balance, as Leicester City did with Morgan and Huth, both right footed, but if you can, try to bring in a quality left footed central defender in your squad it will never be wrong, and today Leicester City have “nada”.
Tcf believe that missing this vital key in your squad building might cost you a number of points during a season and especially in games when you are mostly defending and having to push of pressure from the opponent, thats why probably Deschamps, Pochettino and Guardiola all have fixed this hole in their teams and by doing so probably seen this little fine detail to be a small inch ahead of other teams in chasing trophies.
Will be interesting to see how many trophies Man City will win this season still fighting in four competitions, reaching the Carabao Cup final, and chasing Liverpool in the Premier League. Could this vital detail in your team, Man City having Laporte, bring all the trophies to The Etihad this season.
Only 20% of players in professional football are left footed, and of course then a challenge to find the best. To see who are the best left footed central defenders, you can click here
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