Is the modern full-back more of a winger than a defender?

Inverted full-backs, overlapping runs, sixes dropping into the back line — the role has changed a lot.

Has the full-back become an attacking position first? Tell us how you'd set up yours and what you sacrifice.

Spot on, GoalHunter87. The position has completely flipped. Back in the day it was all about stopping the cross, but now they are basically auxiliary midfielders or wide forwards depending on the phase. The biggest sacrifice is definitely the space left behind when they bomb forward. You see so many teams getting caught out on transition because their full-back is practically playing as an outside-left. If I had to build a setup, I’d want one orthodox stopper to balance whoever is roaming on the other side. Do you reckon managers are asking too much of them physically now, or is this just the evolution of the game?

Spot on about that transitional space. When a side commits a full-back high up the pitch, the exact moment possession turns over is pure chaos for the rest of the back line. That sudden vacuum out wide is usually where matches get decided in the final ten minutes when legs get heavy and tracking back slips. If you're asking about physical demands, the GPS data must be staggering. They are essentially sprinting box-to-box for ninety minutes while solving tactical puzzles. Do you think we will start seeing more tactical substitutions specifically for full-backs around the hour mark just to maintain that intensity, or will squads just adapt with more hybrid profiles?