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The Sweeper

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Azzurri said:
No need for a sweeper in the days we have now of two defensive midfielders. If a centre back breaks the line of midfield (Stones bringing it out), a midfielder (Barry usually) fills in. More fluidity that way.
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This is the correct answer my good amigos.

The game has evolved into a system of positional transition, and the emergence of attacking wing backs has pretty much made the sweeper redundant.
 
Since most teams now play with one up front, you don't really need that 3rd man in the backline. When you are faced with only 1 central striker, the 2 centre backs can take turns playing as a sort of sweeper depending on which side the play is on - one marking, one "sweeping"
 

ijjysmith said:
Whatever happened to this position?

For those too young the sweeper was a, usually ace, defender who sat ever so slightly weirdly in a back 4 as like an extra one, and could quite often be seen striding out of defence like an utter boss.

Like this:

image.jpg


That there is Matthias Sammer. German. And boss sweeper during his days at Dortmund.

He's pretty much the last proper sweeper I can think of.

Now the reason I think of it is because we have a young lad who is rather boss on the ball at the back.

ZZ051113stones3.jpg


I give you John 'Better than Sammer' Stones. Everton sweeper of the future.
But why did it die out?

And what other great ones were there?
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They died out because once you put your last man on the sweepers shoulder, he isn't a sweeper any more, he's just playing you and anybody else between the sweeper and the back 4 onside.

and if, when you are on his shoulder he drops further back to 'get away' from you, all that does is get you ( and all the other now onside players ) nearer the goal.
 
I miss the sweeper position - it's my favourite position on the pitch. It mostly died because I think 1. Players aren't trained to play in that position, and 2. No one plays a formation that can use one any more. How many teams can you think of that play 3 at the back successfully these days?

I would absolutely love to see Everton try out a formation with Stones/Besic as a sweeper. (You could argue the way Besic played for Bosnia at the WC was pretty much a sweeper as he spent most of his time behind the centre-halves).
 
Nymzee said:
I miss the sweeper position - it's my favourite position on the pitch. It mostly died because I think 1. Players aren't trained to play in that position, and 2. No one plays a formation that can use one any more. How many teams can you think of that play 3 at the back successfully these days?

I would absolutely love to see Everton try out a formation with Stones/Besic as a sweeper. (You could argue the way Besic played for Bosnia at the WC was pretty much a sweeper as he spent most of his time behind the centre-halves).
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I wouldn't mind us trying a sweeper against teams like Chelsea or City who generally have strong attackers

An extra defender against those sort of sides could perhaps be a big help
 
Manuel Neuer is considered to play the sweeper role well, of course it may be a little tongue in cheek because he is a keeper. Stones would be a good choice, the only team that plays this system now is Juventus isnt it ?

Buffon, Barzagli, Bonnuci, chiellini

Lichsteiner and Asamoah i think are wing backs ?
 
Yeh Juventus are one of the only teams I know who play 3 at the back but I wouldn't necessarily say they use a sweeper as they defenders they haven't aren't quite of that ilk (Bonnuci is decent at passing but slowww).
 

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