5 players who have the best positioning skills in football right now
It would be quite reductive to say that football is a sport where 22 men chase the ball hoping to put it in the back of the net. The pitch is quite large and there are too many occupants on it for any side to thrive with a disorganized structure.
That is the reason why tactics are so important in the game. One key component of tactics is the positioning of the players. Footballers need to be well-drilled about what they're supposed to do and where they're supposed to be at all times. This applies to situations when a side is in possession and when they are out of it.
Thus positioning is an aspect of the game that comes in handy to all players whether it be goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders or forwards. Without further ado, let's take a look at five players who have the best positioning skills in football right now.
#5 Fabinho (Liverpool)
Part of the reason Jurgen Klopp installed Fabinho in Liverpool's backline during their injury-hit 2019-20 season was because of the midfielder's spatial awareness. Fabinho is a wonderful defensive midfielder but more importantly, he is an extremely intelligent footballer.
He can anticipate passes and sniff out dangerous moves before they happen. This, coupled with his agility, helps him pop up in positions where he can disrupt the flow of the opposition's game. That is also why Fabinho works great when he operates as a single pivot in midfield.
The Brazilian international is one of the most versatile players around as well. During his days at AS Monaco, Fabinho used to play regularly at right-back. It's not something he particularly enjoyed as he likes the hustle and bustle of the midfield realms.
#4 Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)
Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. The Slovenian guardian of the sticks has been phenomenal for Diego Simeone's men ever since he joined from Benfica in 2014.
Oblak's reflexes, agility and penchant for making seemingly impossible saves has already earned him cult status. But one of his standout characteristics is his positioning. A goalkeeper's job is half done if he positions himself rightly.
When a goalkeeper can anticipate where a shot or a cross is going, he doesn't need to dive or do anything frantic as he can either gather it or punch it away. Oblak excels at this and is extremely difficult to beat in one-on-one situations due to the same.
He opened up on the same in an interview with BBC in April earlier this year.
"You then wait until he shoots, tries to dribble past you or tries to pass to another player. The most important thing for a goalkeeper is the position he is in because if you are in a good position, have the right body posture and a cool head then many times you don't have to have extraordinary reactions to stop the ball.