Where is the "winger" position heading?

In the times of the Outside Forwards as they were known then, the likes of Jimmy Johnstone and Stanley Matthews had emerged as a new type of winger, a winger who would cut inside and attack through the centre, allowing Outside half backs such as Cliff Bastin or Bertie Auld to overlap and give another attacking option.

Full backs overlapping the wingers was unheard of before the late 50s, and I remember seeing an interview where Stanley Matthew's manager at Blackpool had berated their full back for overlapping him, saying 'We have the best winger in the country on the wing, we don't need you there!'

Since the initial reluctance of managers to employ these more adventurous tactics, the use of overlapping full backs has became a huge part of the game, Brazil 1970 being a great example of that, and the likes of Patrice Evra, Cafu and Gael Clichy being modern-day examples of overlapping full backs.

As overlapping full backs were embraced widely (with the exception of the Italian game, where catenaccio was preferred) traditional wingers seemed to be moved inside, so that players like Kenny Dalglish were formed, who seemed to fit perfectly into the inside forward position.

Soon after though, inside forwards like Kenny Dalglish were replaced by attacking midfielders, who would have less of a free role and would be expected to defend more, with Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard being modern day examples.

With the CAM position combining IF and CM positions, the traditional wingers role was re-opened on the sidelines, with Luis Figo being an example of a more traditional sort of winger being reintroduced into football.

During the nineties, many clubs who may have been using the widespread tactics involving inside forwards before, reintroduced the role of the traditional winger, and until recently, players who would be situated deeper inside like Maradona and Dalgish have been replaced by the likes of Giggs, Figo and more recently Mancini and Quaresma.

Rather than having two inside forwards and two halfbacks, teams are now playing with two wingers, a central attacking midfielder and a midfielder who sits in the holding role, for example Claude Makelele or Javier Mascherano.


However, recently it seems that formations are tending towards the times of Dalglish and Maradona, and teams like Liverpool have started using two traditional half backs (or defensive midfielders) Alonso and Mascherano, with two inside forwards (Gerrard and Kuyt) and no out-right wingers.

And with the top goalscorer in the English premiership last year (and world player of the year) being a winger who cuts inside (and scores goals), are we seeing a return of the inside forward?

Thoughts?

 

The expression 'going down like a lead balloon' comes to mind.

 

It has always been there , I think Ronaldo is just bringing it to the fore even more. Him, Messi, Qauresma(at Porto), are just a few who do it well. Its good for football as it means goals can come from anywhere on the park. Gerrard is 2nd top scorer with Ronaldo and he is an out and out CM!

 

Arjen Robben & McGeady Are Old Fashioned Wingers, Like To Stay Out in The Flanks.
Btw Champions Elect ... Quaresma Now plays For Chelsea .. On Loan From Inter.

 

Gerrard isn't a traditional CM as of recently though, he's been playing more as a second striker (or inside forward).

That's why I think that the role of Winger/Attacking midfielder is being merged again into an inside forward and in coming years every team will be adopting Liverpools policy of two half backs and two inside forwards.

 

There has always been the two types, the Jimmy Johnstone, McGeady, Robben, Giggs, Figo type and the more attacking type like Bobby Lennox, Ronaldo, Messi, Del Piero, Ronaldinho and them who play usuallly high up the pitch mostly at the side of a front 3.

The type like Giggs, McGeady, Ribery and Robben tend to hover on the half way line while Messi, Ronaldinho, Del Piero stay high up on line with the striker(s). Guys like Cristiano Ronaldo, Joe Cole and Rivaldo are a bit of both.

 

But I think standard formations (The 4-4-2 recently, whereas before it was the 3-5-2) are being changed, and will be adopted as the standard formation by most clubs soon.

 

True :icon_mrgreen: Thats y barca fit ther attacking winners in well as they play a 4 3 3 with a messi out on the right and henry on the left acting as winger / strikers.

 

I see what you mean most of the big clubs now play like this

Goalkeeper​

full-back centre-back centre-back full-back​

defensive-midfielder defensive-midfielder​

attacking midfielder​

wide-player ---------------- wide-player​

striker
​

And use the wide-players like old style inside forwards but some teams use a different type on each side, like Kuyt and Riera at Liverpool, Riera is a typical winger although lacks pace while Kuyt is a converted forward. Both types will still exist but likely only one of each will play.​

 

That's exactly how I see it too, obviously you'll still get typical wingers, but maybe kids will start being introduced to this formation rather than the 4-4-2, which used the wingers who would stay wide.

 

Thats why I put in brackets, Porto, as for when he was at Porto.

I think Gerrard is a CM, a very attacking CM but you can find him in the centre circle as often as most midfielders.

 

Seen This On Wiki.

"The thinking about the future of football formations is that, with the increase in fitness of players, the normal, symmetrical formation is out of date. Variety is needed in teams; so a pacey, direct winger might be deployed with a slower, more creative player on the other flank. An example can be seen with the Argentina national team playing "one armed" with Juan Riquelme attacking from the left, or the Manchester United F.C. team of the 1990s with Ryan Giggs making attacking runs from one wing with David Beckham playing crosses from deeper on the other, or currently as Cristiano Ronaldo makes attacking runs and Ryan Giggs provides the crosses. Another example is Celtic FC, who employs the explosive Aiden McGeady down one flank, and the less explosive Shunsuke Nakamura down the other."