On 23^rd October 2011 I witnessed a vision of the future.  Like a mirage I could not tell if the future was going to be a post-apocalyptic waste land or a utopian paradise.  Many questions still float around my mind about what I saw: A centre half who threw the rule book on the floor, played his own game, conceded a penalty, covered every blade of grass and was a goal threat at both ends.

Ladies and Gentlemen, David Luiz.

Fast forward to the Genk game and Luiz found himself in the headlines again, this time missing a penalty.  For good and bad reasons Luiz is compelling viewing.  Luiz follows in the footsteps of his compatriots (Maicon, Alves and Carlos) in the mould of a modern Brazilian defender and ticks every box: great first touch, enjoys a mazy run, likes to spray the ball around and hits a mean dead ball.  These attributes alone explain why Chelsea signed him in January.  However, such an attack minded centre half has probably not been seen on these shores since the great Philippe Albert – it seems as if Luiz wants to not only be a footballing centre half, but also a playmaker, winger and striker.

Admittedly Luiz has had some problems with the defensive side of his game.  But then again a few positional errors go with the territory when you play the game in such a cavalier fashion.  George Graham would be seething if he heard this, but does an attacking centre half not represent the next stage of football evolution?  In the late 1980’s we were not sure if it was safe for full backs to cross the half way line.  Now we purr over attacking full backs (the likes of Cole, Walker and Coentrao) that can provide additional attacking options when they maraud along the touchline.  Teams have adapted to accommodate this, with midfielders moving across to provide cover for full backs who fancy having a pop in the final third.  The covering player does not necessarily have to make a tackle to prevent danger if the ball is lost – they can jockey their opponent or force them outside into a cul-de-sac while their team mates fall back into position.  However, it seems that centre halves throwing caution to the wind and breaking rank is still a step too far.

A centre half being caught out of position carries much higher risk and covering players have a much lower margin for error – a misplaced tackle could result in a red card and a penalty kick as they try to cope with attackers cutting through the centre of their team.  Positional play is critical – where are they in relation to the other defenders?  Should they go towards the danger or drop back?  Is someone running in behind?

Skeptics would point to the dangers highlighted above and some glaring examples.  Lothar Herbert Matthaus was deployed as a centre half for Germany’s disastrous Euro 2000 campaign.  Even a former World Player of the Year could not strike the right balance between defence and attack.  The games against Romania and Portugal showed why it is forgivable to dismiss attacking centre halves as liabilities.  Matthaus went to the well too often, leaving his compatriots brutally exposed at the back.

For those of a nervous disposition, the traditional footballing centre half is a safer option.  Rio Ferdinand can move the ball into the deep midfield area and distribute effectively without compromising his defensive duties, while Glenn Hoddle was able to use his sublime passing range from the safety of the sweeper position at Swindon.  The limit here is on influencing, as opposed to changing the game.  But this is where Luiz finds his niche: He can gather the ball deep in his own half and end up anywhere on the pitch.  In the era of packed midfields and lone strikers such bravado could become a necessity – bringing on a centre half could be the only way to win a game.

 @_H_R_H_