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When Wingers Were Wingers: Why Arsenal's lack of width isn't purely about recruitment

Sir Stanley Matthews, the King Of Dribble, was one of England's greatest ever players and perhaps the finest winger, or wide midfielder that ever graced a football pitch.

Of course, in his era his position was known as 'outside right', which is perhaps the appropriate term for what I intend to write about in this piece. You see it is the decline of the wide midfielder that I wish to explore.

The outside right is a specialist position that is more and more in recession these days, with wingers being converted into goal-getting forwards. The emphasis less on providing crosses for others to knock in and more on finishing it off themselves. The trend in the modern game is for wide players to play on the opposing wing to which ever foot is their preference, ala Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale, Eden Hazard, Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery etc. These are all magnificent players in their own right but they are not atypical wingers. Certainly not Ronaldo and Messi.

The problem with wide players playing on the wrong side is that it narrows the team and compresses it into the centre of the pitch because the majority of professional footballers are woeful when using their non preferred foot. There are rare cases such as Marc Overmars where it is not an issue. I remember as a kid watching Overmars take corners for the Dutch. In-swingers from both sides. He was so versatile he could provide excellent ammunition for his strikers from either foot. Truly a proper winger. Aside to this he also was blessed with terrifying pace. Everything you need in a wide midfielder. But Overmars was a rarity.

In today's game we see players like Andros Townsend playing on the wrong wing and being forced to either cut inside and balloon one into the stands or go outside and shank a cross into the first row. I am not picking on him because he is a Spud. Quite the opposite. I like him as a player but he needs to be on the other wing. I am sure Harry Kane would agree. Another Spud, or former Spud at least is Aaron Lennon. Now he is more of a typical old skool outside right. Blessed with great pace and a trick to get past his man. I like him despite his allegiances to Tottenham. But Lennon is one of very few of this almost outdated type of player.

How many more can you think of that play on the wing that get to the byline and cross it in? Gabriel Obertan? Callum McManaman? It is a far cry from the 90s, where I grew up watching Man Utd dominate with Giggs and Kanchelskis. Blackburn won the league with Stuart Ripley and Jason Wilcox. Even Newcastle in 1995 had Keith Gilliespie and David Ginola. A special nod here to Ruel Fox, who was an outside right and has one of my favourite ever football names. All of these teams had quick wingers and prolific strikers. Hardly a coincidence. These types of players are exciting, explosive, important to the success of centre forwards and there aren't enough of them left.

By Benjamin Dungate

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Tags: Wingers, Overmars, Width

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