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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.
#3 N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
N'Golo Kante is inarguably one of the finest central midfielders we have seen in the modern game. While the Frenchman is constantly lauded for his work rate and relentlessness, a major part of what makes him a great player gets overlooked.
Kante is as effective as he is because of his positional awareness. He possesses an excellent reading of the game and is great at making interceptions. The Chelsea midfielder has a great knack for providing cover to his backline.
Kante also showcases his positioning brilliance whenever he embarks on forward runs. He carries the ball, dragging midfielders and defenders out of position to create pockets of space in the attacking half.
But even as a sweeper, it is hard to find a player who is as good at reading the game and anticipating the flow of the game as the 30-year-old is.
#2 Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
Thomas Muller has a reputation for being one of the most intelligent footballers in the world. The self-styled 'Raumdeuter' or space interpreter, is a floater on a football pitch who doesn't really stick to one position.
The German international is essentially a 'wide poacher' whose main role is to find pockets of space to operate in. He possesses a superior reading of the game and uses his anticipation to keep moving into positions from where his side can benefit.
Muller is often found attacking spaces between the lines or in behind the opposition defence. It's a role that cannot be played without a good sense of positioning. Muller has done that job to perfection all his career and continues to do so.
He consistently drags defenders away with him, thereby creating space for his fellow attackers to thrive in. Muller is undoubtedly one of the best when it comes to positioning.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo has had to tweak his game in his 30s after losing a yard of pace. He has had to move to a more central role and is generally deployed as a striker these days.
But he was able to change positions and continue being effective only because of his game intelligence and positional awareness. Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the best player in the world when it comes to off-the-ball movements.
He knows which pockets of space to attack and where he has to go if he is playing decoy so a teammate can run into a dangerous position. Ronaldo is also one of the best poachers in the game right now. That's owing to his superior sense of positioning.
If the goalkeeper parries the ball, he will be the first to react. Ronaldo is always lurking, waiting to strike like a viper if the opposition commits a mistake. His movement in and around the final third or anywhere on the pitch for that matter needs to be studied in detail by aspiring footballers.
