In 2017, full-back is not a defensive position. We are no longer accepting comments on this article.Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media GroupAndres Iniesta still keen to finish his career at Barcelona...Cristiano Ronaldo’s sculptor swats aside criticism for his...Zinedine Zidane is on the brink of becoming the first...Arturo Vidal sends Alexis Sanchez a WhatsApp message urging...PSG 'hungry for success' ahead of Champions League finalManchester City to honour David Silva with statue at Etihad StadiumLionel Messi career: Is the Barca captain looking to leave Camp Nou?Ronald Koeman set to become Barcelona new head coachHamilton wins the Spanish GP and beats Schumacher's recordParis St Germain fans celebrate historic semi-final victorySir Ian Botham heaps praise on 'box office' Ben StokesKoeman arrived in Spain amid talks he will be Barcelona new coachPremier League: Paddy Power celebrate return with 'Spygate' clipPremier League: Who were the top point scorers in 2019/20?Paris St Germain train ahead of Champions League semi-finalBREAKING NEWS: Premier League fixtures revealed: Liverpool face Leeds, Arsenal and Chelsea in tricky start...Yaya Toure slams Pep Guardiola's Champions League failure at Manchester City as 'disappointing' and claims...Premier League 2020-21 CLUB-BY-CLUB GUIDE: Find out EVERY team's fixtures for the new seasonTransfer news LIVE: All the latest as Napoli threaten Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes pursuit, while new...Arsenal 'will sign Gabriel Magalhaes on five-year contract from Lille' after the Gunners agreed a deal to...Ronald Koeman 'tells Georginio Wijnaldum NOT to sign a new Liverpool contract' as the Barcelona boss lines...UK Athletics name Sara Symington as new performance director as former England Netball chief replaces Neil...Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney reveals vandals spray-painted 'Judas' near his home in a series of abusive...Spain's youth revolution: Luis Enrique calls up Barcelona teenager Ansu Fati and Manchester City's Eric...Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard face nervous wait to find out if their holiday to Greece will be cut short...'Where you at mush? And proving themselves to be not just indispensable but genuine difference-makers too. The 34-year-old right-back gears up for his 100th Champions League game, having already won the competition three times with Barcelona – his latest success came when they beat Juve 3-1 in 2015.He is two-thirds of his way through a treble that would be his third. Neither is an exceptional one-on-one defender. Dani Alves has not started more than 29 league games in a season since 2011 and Marcelo, who is five years younger, has done it just twice. "Time and again they've shown their value by interpreting what is still a fundamentally unglamorous role in their own way. This became especially important as wingers increasingly became wide forwards, attacking midfielders or second-striker types who were encouraged to come inside at every opportunity.Here's the thing about Marcelo and Dani Alves, though. Current international:

When they do screw up, it often looks bad.There's also a question of durability perhaps because of their style of play. Your left-back was whatever left-footed defender you could find and while he didn't need to be particularly skillful, he needed to be left-footed because it's easier to defender balls from that flank when you're left-footed.Your right-back was usually the either the third-best centre-back on your team, which meant he was unlikely to be particularly gifted on the ball, or would be a guy with the skill set of a central defender who happened to be a little short.

Marcelo is probably the best attacking full/wing back that I've seen, he was a full back and a winger in one for Real, but overall Dani Alves is better and better suited for the position. The difference is that the vast majority are basically adjunct old-school wingers. Dani Alves has not started more than 29 league games in a season since 2011 and Marcelo, who is five years younger, has done it just twice. Sit down and try to pick an all-time Brazil XI from the last 30 years. Alves managed just six assists this season but did so in 12 fewer games — 32 all-competitions appearances for Alves compared to 44 for Marcelo. imago images However it’s Marcelo, not Alves, that finds himself in a battle to remain relevant.Marcelo has started Madrid’s last three La Liga games on the bench, with Santiago Solari preferring academy graduate Sergio Reguilon at left-back.Madrid games are undoubtedly more boring without Marcelo’s relentless raids down the left, but Solari clearly enjoys the stability Reguilon brings to his side.Marcelo’s last start- a 2-0 home loss to Real Sociedad in which he was booked before being hauled off for the 22-year-old- seemed significant.His case isn’t helped by niggling injuries and the fact that Madrid have won all three games since making the switch, although that’s to be expected when you play for In fairness to Marcelo, he doesn’t appear to be sulking, which can’t be said for some of his team-mates *cough* Isco *cough*.It was illuminating when Solari used a press conference to laud: “His love for the club and his commitment to the club and his joy at training are undoubted, and his behaviour is impeccable. Copyright © 2015 News Group Newspapers Limited. Sure. Think of the top full-backs in the world and, with a few exceptions (Bayern's duo of David Alaba and Phillip Lahm come to mind) the vast majority are essentially up-and-down types. Both companies registered in England with registered offices located at 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. 20th TM anniversary However if Marcelo would have played in Dani Alves's Barcelona he would have been phenomenal.