What signing a left-sided centre-back means for Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson

It's no secret that Liverpool are pursuing a new centre-back.

Whether it was RB Leipzig's Joško Gvardiol, Everton's Jarrad Brainthwaite, Sporting's Gonçalo Inácio, Micky van de Ven of Wolfsburg, or most recently Levi Colwill of Chelsea, all these reported targets have one thing in common: they're left-footed.

Unfortunately, at 32, and after his ACL injury, it would appear that Virgil van Dijk's very best days are behind him. While he's still far from being consigned to the scrapheap, we're approaching the stage where his game time needs to be managed more and Liverpool need to start thinking about his long-term successor. But Van Dijk isn't left-footed; so why does his replacement need to be?

The fashionable choice

For a very long time, the preferred foot of a centre-back was of little significance. With four at the back becoming the predominant choice of all top teams, it became commonplace for both parts of the centre-back pairing to be right-footed. Balance in this part of the pitch was rarely a concern.

Think Piqué and Puyol, Nesta and Maldini, Ferdinand and Vidic, Carvalho and Terry, Pepe and Sergio Ramos, Campbell and Touré, Carragher and Hyypia... It never seemed to matter that the player employed on the left side would favour using their right.

During the Jürgen Klopp era, Joël Matip and Virgil van Dijk have been the standout centre-half pairing. Again, both right-footed. But with Liverpool being shown up for defensive frailties last season, is it now time to start embracing the latest tactical trend?

The rise of the hybrid full-back

When João Cancelo abruptly left Manchester City in the January transfer window, Pep Guardiola's tactical reshuffle laid out the blueprint that many teams have since looked to follow.

Of course, it wasn't the first time he tried this or that we've seen it, but Guardiola's shift to employ John Stones in a hybrid full-back/holding-midfield role negated Cancelo's position entirely and created an all-new role on the left side of the defence.

Besides Stones, Nathan Aké was the main beneficiary of this switch. Since joining from Bournemouth in August 2020, the Dutchman played a mostly peripheral role until Cancelo's move to Bayern Munich. From that moment on, he played virtually every game as the left-sided centre-back in a 3-2-2-3 until injury struck in April.

The role that Aké played was ultimately instrumental in City pushing on from an at times patchy first half of the season, where Arsenal took a seemingly unassailable lead, to going on to win the Treble.

This tactical shift was so successful that Guardiola wants to further strengthen this position by signing the aforementioned Gvardiol. Likewise, Arsenal have already signed Jakub Kiwior to boost left-sided options, while Manchester United and Newcastle United improved significantly in defence thanks to the signings of Lisandro Martínez and Sven Botman, respectively.

The benefits of a strong left foot

In the 3-2-2-3 shape that brought Manchester City and, to a lesser extent, Arsenal such success last season, having a player with a strong left foot on the left of the back three brings many benefits.

Besides offering a greater overall sense of balance, defensively, a centre-back will be a lot more comfortable when dragged out into wide areas (which will happen more often in the absence of a traditional full-back) if defending on their natural foot.

Attacking-wise, having a left-footer on that side can also help to speed up play by opening up better passing angles, making your team quicker in the build-up and more press-resistant overall.

Van Dijk and Robertson's futures

So, if Liverpool do follow the trend and secure the signing of, for example, Levi Colwill, what does this mean for Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson?

Assuming Klopp persists with the 3-2-2-3 that ensured an excellent late flurry to the season, Robertson's role as a guaranteed starter seems most at risk in the new shape.

The Scotsman, much more accustomed to engaging in one-on-battles and hugging the touchline, struggled at times to play in the new shape and will have to work on his positional awareness if he is to nail down the spot as the left-sided centre-back. Anticipation and spatial perception are much more important here than at full-back, especially with balls played to the far post.

In this regard, his height may count against him too. At 5 ft 10in, Robertson is three inches shorter than Colwill and five shorter than Van de Ven, giving him a distinct disadvantage in aerial duels.

That said, Robertson's attacking prowess would still come in useful from this deeper-lying position. With Ibrahima Konaté not the most natural with the ball at his feet, Robertson would offer ball-carrying options out of defence and overlapping runs on the outside — both particularly useful when playing against teams that employ a low block.

As for Van Dijk, his role with the Netherlands national side gives us a clear picture of his future role in this shape. Under both Louis van Gaal and Ronald Koeman, Van Dijk has played predominantly in the middle of a back three, flanked on the left by (you guessed it) Nathan Aké.

From this position, Van Dijk is seldom drawn into battles on the flanks, and he has a full field of vision to orchestrate his side's defensive shape and spray his characteristic long balls.

A solution for the present and future

Regardless of whether Liverpool persist with a back three or indeed revert to a back four, having the option of a left-footed centre-back can benefit them both now and in the future.

While much of the discussion recently has been on Liverpool's midfield changes, by targeting Colwill and others like him, it seems the Reds are taking the opportunity not just to refresh their long-term defensive options, but also to evolve tactically.