Player Focus: Europe's Top Attacking Full-Backs - Lahm, Evra and Baines

The development of tactics over the years has seen vast changes in the roles players in certain positions are charged with fulfilling on the football field. Whilst the job of the centre-forward has remained much the same - until more recently with the introduction of the 'false 9', of course - the full-back has become a more attack-minded role than it might have been in years gone by.

With Cafu and Roberto Carlos flanking their defence, the 1990s saw a Brazilian side with two of the most iconic attacking full-backs, totally at ease running marauding the touchline for a full 90 minutes, adding legs to moves going forwards as well as doing their defensive work. In more recent years, with Cafu and Carlos having vacated centre stage, compatriots have continued where they left off, with Maicon and Dani Alves more recent exponents of the attacking full-back role. Others have taken note, and have sought to utilise to its maximum potential the space that right or left-backs so often find themselves in. Whilst injuries and competition for places have restricted Maicon's involvement at Manchester City, Dani Alves has not been quite so effective going forwards as in recent years; his tally of 5 assists is commendable, but without a goal to his name in 21 league appearances, there are plenty of full-backs ahead of him in the goal and assist charts across Europe's top 5 leagues.

Showing Alves how it's done with a direct contribution to the most goals this season are 2 left-backs from the Premier League and a full-back equally capable on both sides of the pitch, who is arguably the best in the world at present in either position.

The latter is of course Bayern Munich's Philipp Lahm, who has established himself amongst the world's elite players on either the left or right flank. With the emergence of David Alaba on the left, Lahm has started at right-back 24 times in the Bundesliga this season. Ahead of him in midfield this season has predominantly been Thomas Müller, who he is inclined to move into central positions, and Lahm has reaped the benefits of Müller's movement, using the space he leaves behind him to get forward at every opportunity. That has resulted in a haul of 9 assists for the Germany and Bayern captain this term; a tally that only playmakers Andrés Iniesta (13), Marek Hamsik (11), Dimitri Payet (10) and Francesco Totti (10) have bettered of all players in Europe's top 5 leagues, none of whom play in the same division as Lahm. The only Bundesliga players than can match his total are teammates Müller and Franck Ribery, as well as Hannover’s Szabolcs Huszti, all of whom play on the wing.

That Lahm has not added to his assist tally with goals should not take away from the credit he is due for his performances this season. Many remember him for his wonderful goal that opened the scoring at the 2006 World Cup, but playing on the right he is unable to cut in onto his favoured foot, and the goals have dried up accordingly. Not to worry for Bayern, though. Top of the Bundesliga with 67 goals in 25 games, they should hardly be worried that Lahm is not scoring.

Joint with Lahm on 9 goals or assists this season are Manchester United's Patrice Evra and Everton's Leighton Baines. Evra has added an aerial threat to his game this season, scoring more headed goals (3) than any other defender in the Premier League; not something that left-backs are traditionally known for. To add to that the Frenchman scored with a controlled finish from outside the area in the win over Newcastle at Old Trafford, while he has also got 5 assists to boot. 

What is so interesting about those assists is the importance of them to United's cause. He set up the first goal in the tight 3-2 win over Fulham at the start of the season, the equaliser in the 4-3 win at Reading, both goals in the 2-1 victory at home to Liverpool and most recently the winning goal against Southampton at the end of January. 3 of those 5 came at crucial times in come-from-behind victories, and his determination to help out on the attack at such key moments is plain to see. The Red Devils are masters of getting themselves out of tricky situations and the extra bodies that contribute going forward when they are most needed certainly aid their cause.

Leighton Baines' importance to Everton cannot be underestimated, though as a left-back his attacking threat is markedly different to that of Evra or Lahm. Whilst Evra is on the end of someone else's crosses and Lahm usually hangs back at set pieces, Baines is the premier dead-ball specialist at Goodison Park. He has set up 40 goalscoring chances from set pieces this season - more than any other player in the Premier League - while he has also scored 3 of his 5 goals from dead ball situations; 1 from a free-kick and 2 from the penalty spot. He has also found a teammate with more accurate crosses (80) than any other player in Europe's top 5 leagues and his teammates have lapped them up. In fact, only 4 of the 98 teams in those leagues have scored more headed goals than the Toffees (12) this season, and Baines' presence in their side is no coincidence. His 5 goals and 4 assists have been invaluable to Everton this season and his stock continues to rise as his goals and assists continue to flow.

In terms of the different types of full-back that exist, Lahm, Evra and Baines are remarkably different in their styles of play and the way in which they approach and contribute to the attacking side of the game. What is consistent throughout the three, is the effect they have, with goals the evident result.