A Team Of 10 Centre Backs, And One Keeper.

A Team Of 10 Centre Backs, And One Keeper.

A soccer tactics idea-

I often wonder would an entire team of centre backs work?

The centre backs are the defenders in the centre of defence.

I do not mean to play them all as centre backs. I mean playing the 10 centre backs in a normal formation. But with big powerful centre backs playing as left backs, right backs, wingers, midfielders, and strikers.

Imagine for instance an international team obviously playing a normal goalkeeper in goal. But then if they picked all the other positions of the team as their 10 most talented centre backs, in their nation.

Or a club team buying 10 great centre backs, and playing all of them in the team.

The logic behind it would be that every player would be a big powerful player. Capable of dominating every team at set pieces. Teams would be blown out of the water at set pieces. Both for defending and scoring,

The team could play long ball football in a dominating way.

I do not think Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, or Wales could pick an entire team of centre backs. As we probably don’t have enough big powerful centre backs for those positions.

But could the Netherlands, England, Germany, France, The USA, Spain, Brazil, Poland, Russia, the Ukraine, Argentina, as big heavily populated nations could pick an entire outfield team of centre backs.

What would such a team do against a normal team?

Imagine if England, Germany or Poland just picked an entire team of 6 foot 4 tall players, in every position.

The problem could be that the team might lack creativity. The team could perhaps be beaten on the wing, to humiliating extents.

The team might not have any natural goal scorers. The team would probably be reliant heading and set pieces.

But perhaps the winger positions could be given to the fastest big powerful centre backs.

Would a team of 10 big powerful centre backs just obliterate some teams? Would it be men against boys? Or would skillful nimble teams just run rings round them?

Would fans find it boring, watching a big powerful team?

 

Would this be a change that could happen in football?

In football we saw a great Barcelona team with Iniesta, Xavi, and Messi dominate Spanish and European football for years. This was not an entire team of massively tall players. So you do not have to be massive in height team to win games. Football can be about skill, and passing.   

In male international rugby union, the teams have changed from the eighties. Players are bigger, taller, and more powerful in many positions. Now some people say rugby union is too reliant on tall powerful players. Some say it is going to result in serious long term damage to players, because the players are so big when they tackle each other.

Back to soccer.

It is true that many football teams play mostly 6 ft tall players.

But could an team be made up entirely of tall powerful players, chosen from the centre back position?

Do you need balance in a team? A team with a mixture of big physical players, and also fast players, and skillful creative players.

Do you need creative players, who can dribble past players, or score great free kicks? Do you need creative players in a team who can pass the ball well?

Would it be a waste of having 10 great centre backs in the team if no one could pass the ball for the corners, free kicks and crosses?

I would love a big country to pick 10 centre backs and a keeper in a team.  And then play against a normal team. It would be great fun to see if it would work.

Would it revolutionize football?