Socceroos must look to EPL's Newcastle to fix left-back headache

Newcastle United began the current EPL season with many problems. The largest was that they had no specialist left back. Sound familiar, Socceroos fans?

Having lost one of the best left backs in the EPL, Jose Enrique, to Liverpool in the summer and with no specialist replacement, Alan Pardew was forced to use the versatile Ryan Taylor, traditionally a right back/midfielder and a player who had never been able to nail down a regular first XI spot with the Magpies, as a temporary left back until a replacement could be signed.

Regardless of whether it was a stroke of tactical genius, or a sign of complete desperation, the move has proved a masterstroke. Newcastle currently have the best defensive record in the EPL, conceding only 8 goals in 11 games, and Ryan Taylor is being claimed by many as the most improved player this season.

How has this happened? How has a right sided player, who was only able to make 5 league appearances for Newcastle last season, transformed himself into arguably the form left back in the EPL? The answer lies in his combination with Newcastle’s Argentinean left winger Jonas Gutierrez.

The Argentine has impressed everyone with his impressive work rate and willingness to continually track back and provide excellent cover for Taylor. Whilst it is universally expected for fullbacks to provide support to their wingers in modern football, Gutierrez and Newcastle are proving that the reverse should be true when their opponents gain possession.

His willingness to track back and offer support, without fail, to his fullback means that, when their opponents have the ball, Gutierrez slots into the traditional left back position whilst Ryan Taylor pushes forward to get as tight as possible with the opposition’s right winger.

This makes it very difficult for their opponent to get into the game.

The best example of its effectiveness was in Newcastle’s 3-1 victory over Stoke, where striker Demba Ba, despite scoring a hat trick, had to share man of the match honours with the Argentine, such was his defensive effort.

This strategy also allows Ryan Taylor to get forward more often, as he has confidence that Jonas will be there to cover a quick counter attack, creating not only a “double threat” defensively, but also when going forward. A great explanation of the tactic at work (with a free diagram!) can be found here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/nov/06/newcastle-united-everton-tactics-david-pleat

So how does this relate to the Socceroos? Clearly the Socceroos have decided that, without a specialist left back, the best option is to play a left midfielder in defence who will hopefully be a good threat going forward whilst hopefully being solid(ish) at the back.

David Carney, Matt Mackay and Michael Zullo (amongst others) have been tried but could all be described as looking at best shaky defensively. The current strategy doesn’t seem to be working.

By following Newcastle’s philosophy and combining a defender who likes to get forward (e.g. players like Williams, Herd, Wilkshire and even Emerton could play Ryan Taylor’s role) with a left-sided winger (Mackay, Zullo and eventually Tommy Oar) instructed to cover defensively, the Socceroos may be able to, like Newcastle, turn a glaring weakness into a great strength.

Will it be the solution that the national team has long been searching for? It depends on many factors. The suitability of the potential players to the roles and the tactics Holger Osieck wants to employ obviously come into it, and it is yet to be seen if the tactic will continue to be successful for the Toon Army throughout this season, let alone in future seasons.

But maybe, just maybe, this could be the strategy that solves the Socceroos’ left-back woes?