Fabio Coentrao showed against Manchester City why he is one of the first choice defenders for Real Madrid with a gritty display of determined defending. Is he the best left back in the world?
Fabio Coentrao has only played three league games this season due to an early groin problem which meant an extended spell out of the Real Madrid side. He is now fit and is showing the sort of form that makes him one of the first names down on the team sheet every week.
He is never going to have the attacking talent that someone like Ashley Cole possesses going forward because he doesn’t need this aspect to his game but he has many defensive attributes which could make him the best left back in the world at the moment.
His performance against City showed that in terms of how a defender should read the game, he is superb. Yes, he was caught out once or twice when City moved the ball out to the left quickly but even when he’s out of position he finds a way to get himself between the ball and the goal to make some sort of interception or block.
He’s also versatile and reads the game well in terms of filling in for other players. There were a few examples against City when Sergio Ramos went off on a little adventure in terms of attacking play and Coentrao was the man who filled in centrally to ensure that there were no gaping holes through the centre of the defence.
He has a briliant ability to manipulate attacking wide players into taking positions around the field that he engineers. If a winger is more effective cutting inside then he’ll show them down the line, if they cross well then he’ll encourage them to come inside. It’s basic defending at its very best and a reason why he can be so effective in a defensive sense.
He often gets overlooked because Marcelo and Arbeloa are both much more attacking full backs who steal the limelight through the quality of their play in the final third of the opponent’s half. However, he is just as good a defender as either of them and now he’s fit, he should get a decent run of games based on how he played in the match against City.
He also has the determination which only comes from having spent a chunk of the season in the treatment room, having to watch other players to play in his position. This determination should ensure that his performances are consistent and he’s done himself no harm at all in terms of starting more games in La Liga this season than the 12 he started throughout Real Madrid’s title winning season last year.
He is certainly a much better player than people give him credit for.
image: © jansolo09
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