The Back Four: The unsung heroes of football

Football is a team game. It about 11 players giving their lives on the pitch for the shirt they pull on. Its all about respect, honor, sweat and character. But, does every player in the team get the respect he deserves? Some are praised, some are booed, some are applauded and some are jeered. There are some silent and unsung warriors who come on the pitch, give their hearts out for the honor of the shirt and walk away into the sunset at the end of the day. These heroes form the defence or the back-line of the team. For them, the name in front of the shirt is more important than the one at the back.

The defence is the core and an integral part of any team. Without a commanding defence, one cannot win. The most renowned defence in football is that of the Italians. Breaching the Italian defence is a nightmare for any team. They have had legendary defenders like Maldini, Canavaro, Materazzi, Zambrotta and Nesta to name a few. The Italians often play with a backline of three, linked with a defending midfielder upfront, who acts as a pivot between the defence and the midfield, yet they do not concede against the best attacks in the world. It was because of their defenders that Italy lifted the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Similarly, the counter attacking play of the Germans is possible because of the ability of their defence. Their ability to move the ball swiftly from the defence to the center is good enough to leave their opponents out of the equation to catch them. They have able full backs in Lahm and Badstuber, who can make overlapping runs on the flanks and deliver perfect crosses for their strikers to head in. Their center backs stand tall, preventing wave after waves of any attack, and providing the opportunity to counter attack.

If a team wins, it is often the strikers and the attacking midfielders who take away the spotlight. The defence is not lauded. On the other hand, if the game ends in a losing cause, it is the defence which gets the stick. Only when a high intensity match ends in a draw that the defence gets appreciated.

Analysts and fans likewise insult the forwards who fail to score, but they never praise the brilliance of the men because of whom they failed. Maybe, the shot was powerful enough to hit the back of the net, but it was a brilliant slide or a goal line clearance that prevented the ball from going in. Maybe, it was their sweat that propelled their side to victory.

With the evolution in football, the defenders are not just required to make clearances or tackles. They have taken up a bit of the offensive duties as well.

The Back Four mainly consist of the center backs and full backs. The full backs make overlapping runs with the wingers on the flanks, making assists, providing crosses, stringing together a couple of passes, and scoring. Yeah, that’s right, scoring. They are also assigned the task of marking wingers, to prevent them from overlapping the defence and deliver crosses. The center backs are required to win the ball in the box, and move it forward.

Taking a look at some of the full backs, Daniel Alves, Sergio Ramos, Leighton Baines, Philip Lahm and Rafael, all are top class full backs and have goals to their names. Baines and Ramos have scored multiple times from the spot. Daniel Alves takes set pieces for the Catalans. Lahm and Rafael provide assists and also score from inside the box.

Taking a look at some of the center backs, Nemanja Vidic is the rock in the center of the Manchester united defence along with Rio Ferdinand. When Vidic does not play, United look shaky. It seems the back four look lost without their commander and concede easily. Have a look at John Terry. He is the main guy in the Blues defence. David Luiz and Gary Cahill, when left alone, look perplexed while running the defence. Similarly, with every team, if their main defender gets injured or is out of form, it becomes a nightmare for the manger to replace him.

Forwards can be traded, but not defenders.

Defence is as important as the attack in a team. No lead is safe if you cannot defend. Defenders do not get the praise or the respect they deserve, but someone has to do it. Someone has to bear the responsibility of preventing the opposition from scoring. Someone has to play their hearts out for the honor of the team.