What Happened to Sweepers in Football?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 22 вер 2021
- Try The Athletic for FREE for 30 days: theathletic.com/tifofootball
The Sweeper position - a position in defence crucial to teams throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s. But now seemingly redundant. But is it really gone? Or has it evolved?
As Alex Stewart explains, changes in styles of play, the development of tactics and the desire for more well-rounded goalkeepers mean that sweepers are still there, if we look hard enough.
Illustrated by Alice Devine.
Follow Tifo Football:
Twitter: / tifofootball_
Facebook: / tifofootball
Instagram: / tifofootball_
Listen to the Tifo Football podcast:
The Athletic UK: bit.ly/TifoPodChannel
Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/TifoFootPod
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/06QIGhq...
Watch more Tifo Football: Tactics Explained: • Tactics Explained | Ti...
Finances & Laws: • Finances & Laws | Tifo...
Tifo Football Podcast: • Tifo Football Podcast
Most Recent Videos: • Most Recent Videos | T...
1 Popular Videos: • Popular Videos | Tifo ...
About Tifo Football:
Tifo loves football. We create In-depth tactical, historical and geopolitical breakdowns of the beautiful game.
We know there’s an appetite for thoughtful, intelligent content. For stuff that makes the complicated simple.
We provide analysis on the Premier League, Champions League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, World Cup and more.
Our podcasts interview some of the game’s leading figures. And our editorial covers football with depth and insight.
Founded in 2017 and became a part of The Athletic in 2020. For business inquiries, reach out to tifo@theathletic.com.
Music sourced from epidemicsound.com
Additional footage sourced from freestockfootagearchive.com
#Sweepers #FootballTactics #TifoTactics - Спорт
If the sweeper was invented today it’d be called the ‘False 4’.
The fullest back
False centre backs are already a thing at the moment lol
@@mmw4990 Maguire is one of them
@@mmw4990 its both maguire and mascherano
If you have enough false numbers are your entire team false?
I used to play as a sweeper. I told people it was because I read the game well and was good on the ball, so I could bring it out from defence. The reality was that I was too lazy to push up with a defensive line and too ill disciplined to man mark.
Same, it was my intended position, but then i realized im too short for air battle, and my left foot kick is like a drenched pizza
So right back it is
@@Dz73zxxx Being too short when your natural disposition is centre back is the most frustrating thing. Every other position (except goalkeeper perhaps) will accommodate shorter players. Other than full back, I guess the only other option is a ball winning defensive midfielder.
Same 😇
@@ruan13o i mean, i only like won air battle 3-5 times upon 1 semester of play lmao
Anyways, my strength also is for area control and man mark, so yea being a right back with specific space is quite accomodated for me
LOL
Sheffield United being mentioned twice in a positive light on a Tifo video, honestly the best thing that's happened to us this season so far.
6-2
6-2
6-2 😏
6-2 🤣
6-2 😂😂😂
Very surprised that Allison and Ederson were mentioned when it came to sweeper keepers but no mention of Neuer who has been doing it for over a decade.
Especially because Neuer was the first modern day Goalkeeper to interpret the position like that. His game against Algeria in the World Cup is probably the best allround performance I've ever seen from a Keeper.
@DDeglane16 Bruv, I said modern day. Of course there were players like Yashin ages ago, but show me one other Goalie that Revolutionized his position like Neuer last decade. Ain't happening.
@@michiadams this decade just started. 🤔
@@AutopilotAndChill u mad?? Neuer doing for 2 decades...20 years
@@AutopilotAndChill yeah I meant the last one I'm stupid😂
It's criminally illegal to not mention Neuer for the sweeper keeper
Okay Animesh Pati
As opposed to criminally legal....?
@@Forkner_SW Yeah, government
The first "sweeper" keeper was Liverpool's Ray Clemence in the 70's/80's.
@@kdlofty you sure about that? What about when keepers were allowed to handle the ball anywhere in their own half and would carry the ball to the halfway line? You don't think any of them would fit the definition of a sweeper keeper?
What about Lev Yashin? Bert Trautmann?
The closest thing modern football has to sweepers are ball-playing goalkeepers who come out to encourage a high line like Manuel Neuer
True
That's what we call them "sweeper Keeper"
Neur, Ederson, Allison, Kelleher
Ter Stegen too
Ederson?
He's literally unique amongst keepers for how elite his passing is
@@rohannaval1621 Brazil's backup keeper?
Every time I hear sweepers term in football I get reminded of franz beckenbaur and Manuel Neuer.
Gaetano Scirea is quite underrated.
@@samizayn5666 yes and so is ronald Koeman.
Sammer and Matheus (spelling might be wrong?)
@@eddysandland58 Sammer, yes. Matthäus only dropped back when he was much older. He was a box to box, Bryan Robson style midfielder for most of his career.
@@eddysandland58 you mean Lothar Matthäus?
Dude, I really love this type of video. Good to see this community, I used to think that I was the only crazy person to think and discuss about themes like this.
LONG LIVE TIFO
I wish South African coaches can watch these videos and learn tactics
As an African, let's extend that to all African coaches
Yes agreed my brother
God willing the coaches are just happy to learn🙌🏾
Long ball and inshallah
@@user-gj2et4pr3n Dude, knowing African coaches, 85% of them will stubbornly cling to their ignorance
Not even a Munich Fan... but when you mention "the best Goalkeepers", you got to start with Neuer. He put the playmaking keeper on a new level.
I played sweeper for school and college. Taught me how to read the game extremely well, and combined with my speed we rarely got scored on from counter attacks.
Nice! :)
people tend to think of the sweepers (and center-backs in general) as generally big physical players, and while it's obviously better to have both, speed is very important given the amount of freedom you get in that position. Gotta use that freedom well ;)
Same here. I was known in the newspapers a the second keeper who kept the ball off the goal line when the keeper was beaten. Must’ve won many of 1-0 games which should’ve been 9-0 losses. If you learn to play sweeper you learn how to play the whole field.
I'd like to see a video about the stopper position, another defunct position from a bygone era that I used to play. It would be pretty similar to a CDM, but not exactly the same. Maybe it wasn't that common but my high school team used what would be considered today some strange tactics. It was a 3-1-3-3 formation with the stopper set between the defence and midfield, and our number 8 was called a "rover" and functioned similarly to a false-9.
We used it in youth as an aggressive CB coming into the midfield consistently late, to keep opponents in two minds about playing a big man/#10 at any given moment. Muscle out the 10, they mix it up, stopper changes focus from pressing the player with the ball, to cutting off the knockdowns/thru runnning midfielders.
Great video, as usual. Just one thing : the sweepers in the 70', 80', 90' were not necessarily in a back 3. Actually, they were very rarely in a back 3. They were, most of the time, in a classic back 4.
The video may be counting the stopper as a midfielder.
In the classic Italian catenaccio (which was actually of Swiss origin) it was usually between the two. They had an attacking left back and a defensive right back, so when they had the ball they were a 3 but when they defended it was a back 4.
Jorge Campos(Mex), Rene Higuita(Colombia)Antoine Bell(Cameroon) and more recently Manny Neuer were doing the sweeper keeper thing before Ederson OR Allison
Watch the video again. They get mentioned because of their ability to play with their feet (also, they play in England and Tifo is sometimes biased)
@@LMarcon11 the guys I mentioned were able to do the exact same thing, just weren't in a system that accommodated it at that period
Although the Coaches allowed it.
@@LMarcon11 neuer is better with his feet than both of them
@@adambassuni6084 lol
@@LMarcon11 ?
He is spot on clown. Emerson and Alison are nowhere near Manuel Neuer.
How did Neuer not get a mention in here 🤯
I'd like a further explanation of LaVolpe exit. I mean, I already know what it means and has watched lots of defensive midfielders do that. It's however the first time I heard that it's called LaVolpe exit and I want to hear the more historical side of that tactic.
La Volpe means The Fox. That's all I can contribute. I assume it means the DM animorphs into a fox before leaving the stadium.
@@VodkaHellstorm La Volpe was a argentine manager XD Ricardo La Volpe, his full name
*actually his full name is Ricardo Antonio La Volpe Guarchoni
Its called " La volpe exit" or "salida lavolpiana" after Ricardo lavolpe an Argentine manager who was famous for using 3 at the back and had his teams start at the back with short passes instead of having the keeper throw a long ball. He is more famous in mexico having managed a few Mexican teams where he was kind of revolutionary with his tactics and playing style. He managed mexico at the 2006 world cup and was praised by his style of play even guardiola talked about him in spain and praised him and mexico during the 2006 world cup. La volpe was a goal keeper and even won the world cup with maradona even though he was bench the whole tournament
A lot of modern 3-man defenses play the traditional sweeper, with players who excel in carrying the ball out but might be caught defensively. A perfect example of this was David Luiz in Conte's 3-4-3 at Chelsea - he was always deeper than the other 2 defenders and distributed the ball brilliantly. Even under Tuchel, Thiago Silva plays almost as a sweeper. This helps highlight his strengths (reading of the game, distribution) while covering for his slight weaknesses (reduced pace due to age). Also, in some back 4s, a midfielder drops in deep to split the defense (like a pseudo-sweeper) and move the ball forward (Xabi Alonso from Bayern is the first example that comes to mind).
I started as a sweeper due to my relative size, but gave the ball away too quickly in dangerous areas. Eventually I played as striker so even if I lost the ball, it was lost in the opponent’s half or near the opposition’s goal. Those were good times.
Tifo, could you go more into the "LaVolpe Exit"?
It is when a midfielder drop deep between the defenders, forming a back three, and help the team to build from the back.
It's surprise that many not knowing Baresi is one of the best sweeper of all time
The animation in this video is top notch. Great video and doesn't focus on just the offside rule or player development.
Thanks Tifo for the info. Didn't realize I was playing a sweeper in my university, but back then our back three was compact because of the idea that we do not want to concede too many easy chances. And it kinda help, from shipping 8 in 3 games to 5 in the following 5 games.
Sweeper is a great position. Still widely used outside of top-level modern professional football.
Very very good piece. Well written. Well done Alex!
great vid. the modern goalkeeper can now be the sweeper if needed. but any defense with maguire mentioned can never be legit :)
Another well-researched video from Tifo!
Awesome editing!!! Loved it !!!! 😍😍😍
Enjoying these videos lately...good history and analysis
Ahhh miss this guy storytime..always details & very good presentation 😍😉
This is a worthy discussion because for every Ederson out there there are more than 20 goalkeepers that cannot use their feet to pass the ball
Loved watching Franck Sauzee as he moved back to a sweeper role in his later years at Hibs. He'd also come out with the ball and spray juicy passes.
Sauzee, what a player! Incredible to think Eck managed to sign him and Latapy when Hibs were a second-tier side; they were far superior to most Premier League players.
In Managers games whenever I get a fast but short defender through my youth system I play him as a wide libero/stopper to reduce the chance that he will have to challenge in the air.
In the end half the turn overs in my third come from that Defender's freedom to close down the enemy flank thats trying to overload.
Because sweepers no longer exist forwards score goals easier now. All they need is to beat one of the CB's unless being double marked by both CB's which is highly unlikely. When I use to play sweeper our team didn't need to use a DMF or holding midfielder because we were immune to counter attacks. Because of my good long passing, I had more time on the ball and my team could safely short pass the ball out of our defense since most teams do not use 2 center-forwards.
Super nice explanation :)
Do a video on the classic winger .. which is rare now a days in football .....
I graduated high school in 2010 and we played a 4-4-2 with 2 outside fullbacks and a sweeper+stopper, 2 Central midfielders, 2 wingers, 2 forwards. It was a weird system because it wasnt a flat back 4 but our sweeper was extremely fast so it worked out for us. We worked with the players we had.
These tactical breakdowns are brilliant 👏
I like that 3-5-2 into 4-4-2 with the pendulum of the wide midfielders into defence. It's vaguely like how rugby defences use a pendulum of their back 3 with the wingers going between dropping back and being further forward in the line
Interesting fact, in Western New York high schools the sweeper is alive and well. 70% of the schools use them, boys and girls teams alike.
yeah, you can't really count the referee to be able to spot offside correctly in non professional matches that's I think the reason why so many teams from youth leagues still stick with sweepers.
I was a defensive sweeper but no teams I join today play for use it. I'm in the weird position now that I play a CB role trying to master the art of marking and offside traps instead of charging an opponent and smashing them In a slide tackle. I miss my old team who used a sweeper😥
I remember sweeper being a position on Fifa 11 (SW).
Sweepers evolved into holding middies.
Another thing you could mention is that today's forwards/Strikers can dribble past defenders, have pace and can shoot from distance. Like Kane, Benzema, Lewandoski, Suarez, Ronaldo, Zapata, L.Martinez, Aubameyang etc. They're not target men that can be marked 1v1.
It's better to use offside trap against these guys rather than leave a sweeper to cover things
Plus, these strikers drop deep regularly to assist buildup play ( if you deploy a sweeper) then opposite will have numerical advantage, that is useful to move the ball forward
3:20 you mentioned ederson and Allison but not neuer?
Does it matter who they mentioned and who they didn't? They could have mentioned Lloris as well..or any of the 100s of the sweeper keepers
@@chifumujmanda7643 i mean obv they don't HAVE to mention Neuer, it's just kind of odd hearing someone bring up sweeper keepers and not mention him. The term sweeper keeper has kinda been synonymous with Neuer ever since he revolutionized that position.
@@jackintheboxtv126 well...you're not wrong, I guess
@@chifumujmanda7643 it's all good man, respect for having ur own opinion anyways 🤝
Manuel neuer is a definition of sweeper but he never mentioned them. Premier league fans r weird
This video reminds me a Cameroonian defender called R. Song , the old days 🔥
It’s been couple or several years but I remember reading something that changes in offside law had a major impact on sweepers.
you are. correct , which is the biggest reason before striker had to be in front of the last man making it easier to defend, now strikers are able to be side to side of last man. I dont understand why that wasnt talk about , lazy researching
Make one about LUTHER MATTHAUS , i saw his match against Netherlands of 1990 World Cup he was everywhere , he played like if N'golo kanté can dribble like Iniesta.
@DDeglane16 he’s not even the greatest German midfielder of all time. Italy 90 did a lot of heavy lifting for his reputation.
I play highschool soccer over here in the states and for a while this season we played with a sweeper
Franco Baresi and Alan Hansen played as half-Sweeper half-Centre-back should be mentioned as well.
Ball playing CBs at their times. Sadly neither are available in Mexico '86
please, do a video on de zerbis 8 mans exit that he is trying at shaktar
Thank you
Man put Allison like he didn't make blunder after blunder in possession in recent years
The best sweeper of all time, the great "Franz Beckenbauer"
Meanwhile Thiago, Rudi and Christensen are sweeping @ chelsea
I'm glad you mentioned Chelsea because I feel like Thiago Silva or whoever plays in the middle plays like a sweeper to an extent. I was looking through the comment section to see if I was the only one that thought this
the second i seen this i was like because of sweeper keeper funnily enough like Allison and Ederson and because they make it so you sort have 11 player where playing with a traditional sweeper your more or less a man down sometimes making it 9 and the 2 man advantage at times in midfield is massive
I miss the sweeper system; sweepers made for some of my favourite players back in the day.
I would take a sweeper over Fred anyday
I would take me Nan over Fred any day
Lol.
@@TWOMUFC Fred was already at United. He was a Jose purchase. I still can't believe that we paid 50m for Fred. We could get a proper CDM in the 45m range.
@@TWOMUFC united only offer him 1 year contract extend but he wants more, maybe more wage too. the problem is not losing herrera but missing out opportunity to sign fabinho.
Or even a broom
What would you call of the role De Jong played occasionally during his time at Ajax , was he considered a sweeper ?
Talk about sweeping keepers, without mentioning the original, the one and only, Manuel Neuer.
Bring back the sweepers ⚽️🧹
Omg I remember being little In YA and we used a sweeper, all the defenders wanted to play it for some reason now my club rn just plays a 442 or 433 like most other clubs :/
No need for sweeping position when the goalie can do it.
Every role shifts eventually. We can see it at every role, especially in last 15-20 years.
Look at CBs (or defenders) in general - at EURO 2006 even TOP teams were quite narrow (level of the box) in posession (or without), with 1 or both fullback usually playing quite close to them as well.
Now you can see TOP teams having both CBs pushing wide, when in posession, CM/DM dropping in between them (even deeper than CBs are) and fullback going high on the pitch replacing wingers, who are much more narrow. This is as typical now as "narrow defence" was 15 years ago.
and this changes every single role on the field - you dont need typical destructive DM anymore, this disappeared from the game almost completely (especially for stronger sides), you need ball-playing midfielder, especially as strong, progressive team, who is to dominate posession. You dont need wingers, who is strong in crosses, because this is now fullbacks/wingbacks responsibility.
Wonderful summation of the sweeper's role being taken up by more skilled modern players and systems rather it just being bad
Criminal not to mention Matip when talking about defenders who being the ball out of defence. Arguably the second best defender in the league when fully fit - he’s massively underrated.
but we still have that role in FM even now, i want overlapping-centerbacks role
In FM22 there will be a Wide Center Back role
@@adrieljordan6600 Wide.
Center.
Pick one ;(
Neuer is the perfect example of modern sweeper
I thought Michael Owen put an end to the sweeper against Argentina in 1998. Every time I watch that goal you think - what is that defender doing back there.
Isn't the sweeper "the bolt". At least one who does not bring the ball out? Thought that would be discussed.
The bolt is now the DM - which is a shame because we no longer have that late running midfielder or defender hitting the box through the centre.
Do away with offsides and the sweeper will come back
I was midfield sweeper, the role is simple, never leaves defender alone against striker or winger, make sure no one pass you and make space for defenders. Sweepers usually are defenders that have skills as midfielder, players like Phillip Lahm, Daniele De Rossi, EVEN today we have sweeper in Chelsea, players like Andreas Christensen, he is central defender but usually employed as defensive midfielder, Chelsea doing well with a sweeper.
Never thought tifo would recognize la volpe
I've noticed Lindeöf been playing Sweeper with his long passing
Dunno how Ivan Cordoba wasn't mentioned he was a beast
It always annoyed me that the sweeper configuration in Fifa games and pro evo are overly defensive in nature, none of the Beckenbauer style forward runs.
Because one one can play like Beckenbauer .
3:51 Main: Offside kills the Sweepers
ATT: Keeper
DEF: VS 4-3-3 as DMC
They got swept away.
Badumts
I am a fan of the Sweeper, I might introduce a Sweeper into my u14s team.
At under 14s focus on making them nasty to play against and you’ll more than likely be successful
@@DangerRifai I 100% agree other teams catch up but from my experience being nasty from like under 9s with technical ability in your side you are always going to have the mental upper hand on the opponents.
Also during under 14s Saturday league teams you aren’t developing the players as much as per say a proper academy team so as you said you’d lose out I don’t think I necessarily agree you are only coaching the players twice a week (training x1 game x1) the development is just from individual growth
Bazoer from vitesse was a great sweeper last season
If the offside rule changes they would probably see sweepers start to come back
Not necessarily. The sweeper is effective against central through ball style attacks but less effective against wing play.
@@shantiescovedo4361 depends on how you use. If you put the sweeper out in front the backline and have him sweep for them instead of the goal keeper it can free up the center backs to help the fullbacks on the wings defending while having the forward sweeper slot into their abandoned position protecting from both potential crosses, through balls and players making a run into the box for the pressured wing.
@@thelinedrive I would argue that is a defensive mid-fielder.
I was really annoyed when they removed the sweeper position from FM games and just added the 'libero' role to CB'S. I loved playing with sweepers
Surprising to see Neuer's name excluded
Neuer will know as the father of modern Goalkeeping...
Arrigo Sacchi happened.
I'm a simple man.. I see tifo upload a video.. I click 😀
There is only one Libero, free man: Gaetano Scirea!
One of the centre backs do that position now
You forgot Neuer in your keeper talk and I am annoyed that he was missed.
Rudiger can be a good sweeper
Rudi is that sweeper
Puyol played this roll very well
They were given the brush off.
Came back to this video after John Stones basically played as a sweeper to win City the UCL
Neville Southall was the Road Sweeper Keeper
5:15
*OFFSIDE*
The Goalkeeper Garbage Disposal Unit was made the Sweeper role redundant.
We all need sweeper player !!!
Why not just run a front sweeper in 4-1-3-2 to eliminate space between the center backs and keep them from the goal keeper.
It even allows for a complete to high pressing formations as it allows for the two full backs to press the attack with the sweeper acting as a point formation for the two striker wings and attacking midfielder.
Fundamentally the sweeper has a place in modern football, we just need to rethink who he’s sweeping for, instead of the goal keeper have the sweeper act as an advance pressing defenders that sweeps for the backline, either by dispossessing the attacking player or pressuring them into one of the four backline players for a double team or in between the space that is collapsing on the attacker being pressured. Making any clean shot on goal near impossible.
Additionally this frees up the center backs to help defend the wings with the full backs by having the sweeper slot into the center back’s abandoned position keeping the backline formation in tact while pressing the attacking player so to limit vulnerability to crosses.
I wonder how Tom Worville is able to write all those data articles while he's stuck in a scattergram.
Thiago Silva essentially plays sweeper at Chelsea
And stoppers too. I played stopper 30 years ago. Center back wasn’t even a term.
I think you have missed out the introduction of offside rules which made sweepers redundant!
Great one
If a defeder now days would play that role then there is no defender better than lisandro Martinez