A defensive players’ work is to stop the opposition from scoring, so it is quite evident that their job is pretty important to the team.
Among the most popular roles in any defence is a centre back, as they play in the heart of the defense can frequently be the captain of the club. Among the most crucial things about this role is having fantastic centre back positioning, as you need to constantly be aware of where the opposition footballers are, and even your own teammates. As a result of this it is not the easiest position in soccer by any stretch of the imagination, as centre backs have to be sure that their whole defensive line moves as a unit. If one defender breaks this line, then it could easily lead to one of the opposition attackers getting through on goal and scoring. As well as this, centre backs need to be quite tall and strong, as a few of the strikers they will come up against some exceptionally powerful footballers. As a result of their value to the club, the AC Milan owner should consistently be on the lookout for some top players in this position.
A position that has attained value in more recent times due to new styles of play, is the fullback position. When playing full back football historically, you would merely be needed to defend and sometimes go forward, but this is no longer the case. Nowadays, fullbacks are expected to attack continuously throughout the match, supporting wingers with their attacking runs. Along with this, they are still required to be solid in defence and ensure they get back from the attacks rapidly, so they aren’t caught out. Because of these brand new specifications, fullbacks normally need to have incredibly high stamina, so they don’t gas out midway through the football game from making so many runs up and down the pitch. The Crystal Palace owner has certainly seen some high quality fullbacks pass through the doors throughout their time in the top flight.
At the very back of the club is a position that has always held such value, the goalkeeper. Although keepers have invariably had to be dependable, in recent years the top clubs have needed more than just shot stopping skills from their number one. Of all the soccer positions, this one most likely has the absolute most pressure as one small slip up will undoubtedly lead to a goal. But as well as assurance at the back, keepers are currently often expected to be good with their feet as well! This is so they can be confident on the football and make attacking passes to rapidly launch a counter-attack. When the Valencia owner is on the lookout for a new goalkeeper, they should really be looking for confidence as among the main traits.