With the full back positions receiving a constant makeover at Leicester City, what does the role’s future hold?
Gone are the days when the full back positions were where you put your sharp but largely unspectacular players (Gary Neville……cough……Jamie Carragher……double cough). They are now the key players in back fours as they pick up the slack of the ever diminishing wingers. They’re the toughest positions to get right, so how do Leicester City stack up in these areas now with the loss of Ben Chilwell?
Ricardo Pereira – Leicester City’s right-back/wing-back/winger?
The Portugese International is a key component to Leicester City’s style and play and his return can’t come quick enough. He is arguably one of the best full backs playing in the Premier League with his trademark mazy runs and willingness to offer attacking threat.
Couple that with astute defensive attributes (tackle stats one of the best in England, last man tackles the best in England) and you have a perfect combination of a right full back. He may even be deployed further forward with a new signing already impressing. The trouble is that many Leicester fans fear that Ricardo’s days as a fox may well be limited.
Juventus were rumoured to be sniffing around last season and other than Liverpool, there isn’t a side in the Premier League that wouldn’t be improved by having Ricardo. One thing’s for sure a club will need to break the bank for Leicester to agree to selling him.
Timothy Castagne – Right-back / Left-back/ Wing-back
With only 1 game under his belt against a sub-par West Brom it would be dangerous to get too carried away with the Belgian international. But what a performance! A goal sneaking in on the blind side and a well marshalled display of positional sense, attacking play and a cross criminally under-attacked.
Castagne’s time at Atalanta was characterised by marauding runs similar to Ricardo’s, so what we have currently seen could be the tip of the iceberg. What’s most intriguing about the Belgian is that many of us thought he was the replacement for Chilwell, but he is currently occupying the absent Ricardo’s Right-back berth. Only when Ricardo returns will we get a real indication of where Brendan Rodgers sees Castagne’s future. But with versatility a main attribute of Castagne’s we will learn lots about his adaptability in a range of positions. At the age of 24 another gem has likely been unearthed.
James Justin – Right-back / Left-back/ Wing-back
Up until a year ago James Justin had played no further than the level of League One. Now he is potentially looking at a full Premier League season of games with Europe thrown in as well.
What Chelsea fans might not like to hear is that Justin had a very real case to be keeping Ben Chilwell out of the side prior to lockdown. This after a fine Left-back performance against Aston Villa. He then had to adapt over to the right side filling in for Ricardo who injured himself in the same game. As good a player as he is there have been a few shaky performances, one notably against Brighton where he was lucky to stay on the pitch after a clumsy foul and conceded penalty.
But the former Luton Town man is encouraged to add attacking threat and could have scored a screamer against Crystal Palace had it not been for the woodwork. His performance at West Brom was equally brilliant and shaky in places. But he is learning fast and will be important as Leicester navigate the challenge of a Thursday-Sunday timetable from October. But where he is best used will change when Ricardo returns.
Christian Fuchs – Left-back/ Centre-Back
Believe it or not this is the Austrian’s 6th season in the East Midlands and i’m almost surprised that he is still here. Not that we don’t all love him, but he has been very much a bit part player for the last few years overseeing Chilwell’s emergence. But as an able full back, he is pretty solid.
The Austrian is arguably the best crosser of the ball at left back. But his pace (or lack of it) is starting to show as he struggles to truly commit forward and any type of pacy right midfielder causes him problems. On the ball he is normally classy and reads the game well enough. But the demands of the modern day full back may be moving away from him. He’ll make bit-part appearances again this season.
Luke Thomas – Left-back
Thrown into the fray in last seasons injury crisis, the 19 year-old displayed not only his potential but also some of the work still to do. Against Sheffield United a man of the match display was well deserved as he laid on the assist for Perez to score and contributed heavily to a well earned clean sheet.
But against Spurs and Manchester United there were some small errors that typically lead to big chances and goals. Undoubtedly Thomas will be one to watch in the coming years but his development might not be as close to the first team this season.
Daniel Amartey – Right-back / Centre-back /
Remember him? Possibly not as he was last seen competitively on a day Leicester City fans won’t forget in October 2018. Although the Ghanaian did score this preseason. It’s hard to remember but this was the player keeping out Ricardo in 2018/19. But with the look of many of the full-backs now focusing on attacking and bursting runs on the wing, Amartey may need to adapt his style or his position to stand a chance at the King Power.