The increasing need for fit, fast and attack-minded full-backs in the modern game has become inevitable. Those who can throw in a last-ditch goal-saving tackle one minute and set up goals at the other end the next are en vogue.
Fulham’s Scott Malone was named in the EFL’s Championship Team of the Year recently at left-back and, while there is no doubt he has had an excellent season, there are other players who were equally good as Malone and were unlucky to miss out on a place in the Team of the year.
Charlie Taylor (Leeds United):
The Elland Road star is definitely going places and it is hard to pick on anything he’s particularly done wrong. In the 27 games he’s played in all competitions this season, Taylor has managed an average of just under 90 minutes each time. That’s some performance for a 23-year-old in a physically demanding position. Hence, it’d be safe to say there are zero fitness worries. There is no question about his commitment and neither there is a question about his quality.
He has managed 4 assists this season to go along with his fine defensive play as part of a solid Leeds outfit. Taking more than 2 games on average before conceding a foul as well as making 1.3 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game underline his quality.
Tommy Smith (Huddersfield Town):
He was named in the EFL’s Team of the Year and deservedly so. The Barnsley man is going places and has played his best football this term.
One cannot fault Tommy Smith’s performance this year in what has been a surprisingly good Terriers season. He’s been a real standout performer for David Wagner; 4 goals scored and as many as 7 assists have shown his excellent attacking qualities. His fitness is even more impressive than that of Charlie Taylor according to the stats; an average of 87 minutes completed in 34 Championship games is truly outstanding for a player of his type.
2 man-of-the-match awards, a 72% pass completion rate and averaging less than one foul per game are impressive stats too.
Smith is an example of a real improver. Allowed to leave by Manchester City back in 2012 and picked up by Huddersfield, he waited a while for his chance. He went on to achieve 1 assist in 24 games in 2013/14, followed by 3 in 41 the following year, 5 in 36 last year before his current tally, showing his clear and uninterrupted progress going forward alongside his ascending defending abilities.
His current performances put him as the best right-back in this division. However, it’s his potential which looks exciting. Watch out for the name of Tommy Smith in the Premier League, one way or another!
*All stats were taken from whoscored.com