i guess the thing that i struggle with at this point is why we don't just start with 3 centerbacks and put zinchenko in midfield. the whole goal of "inverting fullbacks" is for one of them to end up in midfield to overload.
so why not just start gabriel at LCB, saliba in the center, and white as the RCB? it functionally gets us to the same place, when we drop back and defend, zinchenko can still slot in as the left most defender, gabriel/saliba are in the center, and white drops in at right back.
---------- white ----------------- saliba ----------------- gabriel --------------
--------- ode ---------- rice --------- zinchenko ---------- havertz -----------
------------- saka ------------- trossard ----------------- martinelli --------------
i still think we'd be better off playing a 4-3-3 with tomi at LB (until we can buy a proper leftback, or until timber comes back)
------- white -------- salbia --------- gabriel ------- tomi -----------
----------------------------- rice ---------------------------------------
---------- ode ----------------------- zinchenko -----------------------
------ saka --------------- trossard ------------- martinelli ------------
zinchenko is way more xavi/iniesta than he is roberto carlos. when guardiola moved lahm into midfield, im pretty sure lahm actually started in front of a more typical back line, he wasnt inverting and moving into that position. maybe im misremembering though, it was like a decade ago.
