Players who play at full back are often underrated. But they can make or break a team. A good full back who can get forward and bang in the crosses, but doesn’t neglect their defensive duties can be worth a lot of money. At the moment we’re possibly a little unbalanced to the left. It was said that David Moyes couldn’t understand the players’ determination to play everything down the left hand side, to the exclusion of the right. That’s probably because on the left we have two full backs who can bomb down the left, deploy a little bit of trickery, whereas on the right we have the ever dependable Pablo Zabaletta, who at 33 is not going to rip up any daisies.
Aaron Cresswell
We bought Aaron Cresswell for a mere £3.5 million from Ipswich in 2014. Since then he has played 137 games and scored 5 goals. His first season was perhaps his best, but even when he has patchy form you know it’s not going to be long before he bounces back. Latterly under Moyes he played on the left hand side of a defensive three, leaving Arthur Masuaku to bomb forward. He hasn’t got the trickery of Masuaku but has pace and a lethal free kick on his day. Some of his crossing can be sublime. There have been rumours that he will be one of the players to leave in the summer. This would be utter madness, unless someone put in a ridiculous offer of £30 million or so. He’s 29 in December, though. He’s very versatile and every team needs a player like that. He may not have developed a lot in the last two years – his absence from the England World Cup squad is a sign of that – but nevertheless I’d hate to see him go.
Arthur Masuaku
A £5 million signing from Olympiacos in Greece in 2016 Masuaku took his time to bed in. Some would say he still hasn’t. He vied with Cresswell for the left ack place in a 4-4-2, and did displace him for a few games. However, he only really came into his own this season when Moyes started playing a 3-5-2 formation. He started to play as a wing back and took to the position well. He has great pace and can beat anyone. His crosses were devoured by Arnautovic and the two developed a great understanding until the moment of madness which led to him getting a six match ban. It then took time to rediscover his form, but by the end of the season he was again showing us what he can do. This season will be a crunch one for him. We must keep him. Even though he’s played forty times and yet to register on the scoresheet.
Pablo Zabaleta
Zabaleta is Mr Consistency. Mistakes are rare, flamboyance ever more rare, but you couldn’t find a more dependable right back. He was tested towards the end of the season when he was expected to play as a wing back, but he certainly didn’t let anyone down. He’ll turn 34 in January and assuming he stays, this must surely be his last season playing at the top level. If our transfer budget is somewhat limited, I wouldn’t waste too much money on a replacement unless someone amaing becomes free at a reasonable price. At least Manuel Pellegrini knows what he’s getting.
Sam Byram
Am I alone in thinking Sam Byram is being treated very unfairly? Whenever he’s played, he’s never let us down. Indeed, I’d say he has often impressed. The trouble is he has never been given a run of games. He’s played a game here, a game there, but then would get injured. In two and a half seasons he’s only played 27 games. We payed £5 ,illion for Byram. If we’re to let him to to free up funds, we’d need to look at getting £7-9 million I’d have thought. But if we sell him we’d need a replacement, as I don’t see any obvious replacement in the Under 23s.
Conclusion
It seems that Byram may be the most likely player to be sold. I think a lot depends on which formation Pellegrini plays. If it’s a wing back system, then Antonio and Zabaleta may have to compete for a place. I don’t see Cresswell’s long term future being in a back three so it may be that he is sacrificed in order to have the funds to buy a top class central defender.