Few coaches have had such an influence on football tactics as Pep Guardiola over the past ten years. Not only did he revolutionise the way we think about almost every position on the field, but he changed the way players themselves perceive their role.
All positions have been revolutionised to some extent, but probably the one that has changed the most is the full-back.
Historically, full-backs played on the wings, wide, and their role was to defend and provide overlapping runs for crosses. Classic examples of traditional full-backs include Gary Neville, Ashley Cole, and Cafu. They tended to stay on the fringes of the field, never affecting play in the middle. But Guardiola's ideas changed all that.
For example, in 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 formations, full-backs had a simple job: defend the opponent's wingers, chase down the touchline, and provide crosses. Their task was primarily defensive in terms of width and order.
Tactically, they didn’t do much in the middle of the pitch. Everything they did was based on reacting to the other team and not contributing to ball progression or midfield control.
Excellent examples of this type of play are the likes of Ashley Cole. He was famous for his speed, powerful tackling, and making runs down the flank to help out the attack. He did not tend to drift inwards or get involved in central build-up play. Rather, players such as Cole tended to close down wingers and remain wide to get crosses into the box.
But then came Pep Guardiola and completely turned that on its head.
Guardiola didn't just want full-backs to cross and defend. He wanted them to push into the centre, pass like a midfielder, and help his team control possession of the game. This created a new kind of full-back—one who had to be smart, adept with the ball at their feet, and able to play in tight spaces.
Guardiola's coach, Juanma Lillo once said "From the goalkeeper to the striker, everyone would touch the ball once, and then, at the end: goal".
That ideological shift changed how coaches and players around the globe understood the role. It showed that full-backs could do more than just cannon up and down the line.
Guardiola at Bayern introduced "inverted full-backs." Philipp Lahm and David Alaba were the perfect case studies of this new strategy. Guardiola employed Lahm to shift from right-back to play midfield during games while at Bayern Munich. Lahm responded quickly and became one of the key players in controlling the rhythm of the game as well.
Guardiola once said: "He's one of the most fantastic players I've ever trained in my life. Even talking about the most intelligent players, he is one of them. He can play in ten positions with no problems, because he understands the game perfectly."
Philipp Lahm and David Alaba would drop deep in possession, forming a midfield three with Xabi Alonso. This change allowed Bayern to control the game and manage counterattacks better.
By the time Guardiola joined Manchester City, he had available to him the likes of Kyle Walker and João Cancelo, perfect for his ideas. Cancelo especially got notorious for wandering in and playing like a midfielder. This helped City to dominate the ball and create more chances.
At the same time, Kyle Walker provided width on the other side by staying back and giving extra defensive protection. This made City's defence solid, even when one of the full-backs moved into the middle of the park.
Guardiola also started using a 3-2-5 approach when building attacks. This meant three players staying back, two midfielders moving deeper to protect them (most often full-backs), and five forwards moving forward to create the space.
City had become increasingly flexible by 2024 in the way they played. Walker tended to be part of a back three, and the other full-back, sometimes a midfielder deployed there, would move into central positions.
What worked so efficiently in this game was that players were not fixed in positions. They shifted depending on the location of the ball and what the team needed at the time. The goal was simple: take up space, keep possession of the ball, and find the most productive way forward.
This type of play has influenced coaches globally. From junior sides to top teams, more and more teams are trying to copy this idea of full-backs offering more than just defending or crossing.
Guardiola's full-backs function because they're well-trained and trusted to make smart decisions. Instead of replicating established movements, they understand where to position themselves based on what is happening around them.
Key ideas are:
Full-backs move up into midfield when on the ball, rather than staying out wide. This creates:
Only works if the players feel secure on the ball, stay calm when under pressure, and know when to swap roles. It is lengthy to teach, but when executed, gives teams a massive edge.
Positional Flexibility: Guardiola's system is more about principles than rigid positions. Full-backs are trained to:
Cancelo would:
Cancelo is best described as the epitome of Guardiola's full-back ideas. Within the pitch, at Manchester City, he would rather move, link the midfielders, and become a scoring threat. He was essentially an extra playmaker at times. His discipline on the game and his composure were perfect for this new role.
Used mainly for defence, but occasionally deployed in hybrid positions. Walker:
Walker's was a different but equally important one. As Cancelo pushed on and cut inside, Walker tended to stay behind him and cover for him. He could also move into midfield if required, but his main job was to offer balance and solidity to the defence. His presence and pace rendered him an essential part of City's system.
A midfielder in origin, Zinchenko became an inverted left-back. Under Arteta's Arsenal, he maintained the same role by tucking in centrally but having width on offer whenever needed.
Guardiola's tactical notions haven't stayed at Manchester City. Paniard's ideas influenced coaches in Europe and globally. His use of inverted full-backs and positional versatility has now become the blueprint for modern possession football.
Mikel Arteta worked directly alongside Guardiola as his City assistant, and it is easy to see that influence at Arsenal. He uses the same 3-2-5 build-up shape in which players such as Zinchenko drift into midfield when in possession, and Ben White frequently joins to provide build-up play from centre back support. Thomas Partey has also been deployed in other positions to hug up and shape. Arteta emphasizes mid dominance of the pitch, brief interchanging combinations, and constructing in a cautious manner.
Alonso has become one of the most exciting young bosses in Europe. His methodology involves full-backs bold with the ball at their disposal and who feel comfortable pushing inwards, as was the case with Guardiola's. His midfield is hyper-flexible with players constantly switching positions to force fluidity and room. Not a copy, Alonso's take on positional play owes a very strong influence from Pep's blueprint.
Ten Hag also borrowed a bit of Guardiola's approach. With United, he has used Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw as inverted full-backs in several games. It allowed the midfield to be compact and push higher up the pitch. His focus is on gaining control of the central areas and reducing chaos in transitions. Even though United doesn't always employ the same shape as City, Ten Hag's tactical changes illustrate how Guardiola's ideas can be adapted to different teams and styles of play.
If you're a coach or just want to implement this idea in actual games, the following tips can help:
Don't try to fix everything simultaneously. Get one full-back in during build-up and keep the other wide to balance.
Practice drills where your full-backs link with midfielders in tight spaces. The goal is to have them comfortable in tight situations.
Teach your players not just where to be, but why. Explain how their movement opens up space for others and helps with game control.
Not all full-backs will fit this system right away. Choose players who are calm on the ball and astute with their positioning.
Pep Guardiola did not merely reinvent the full-back position—he helped change it. By requiring them to think like midfielders and play like playmakers, he turned a servile position into one of the most important ones on the pitch.
Now, teams all over the world are following his example. Either at the top of the game or in the youth academies, the contemporary full-back is smarter, more gifted, and more attuned than ever before.
