The departure of Iñigo Martínez leaves the Athletic squad without a definitive left-footed central defender. Valverde, however, manages an alternative to exercising said demarcation right within the group of players he currently has. Yuri, a left-back who returns to the squad today after overcoming an injury caused by Carvajal’s off-the-ball tackle in the last game of the last league, is his trump card.
“Yuri is a real alternative as a left-footed center-back I’m looking at. I even thought about it when the time came to see what the majority of the squad looks like. And yes, a player who can get great game for us from that side of the left-footed center-back”, assured Valverde.
The Athletic coach considers that with the veteran defender from Zarautz “you have a clear variable, especially when it comes to changing the game, when it comes to playing inside. Yuri can occupy those two positions and I think in whole season try it in the same positions”.
In influencing the same idea, it is clear to Valverde that “Yuri is strong in defending in one-on-one situations. It is true that his usual position is a little different, but it is not much. As a full-back he presents in offensive sense, he reached many times, but the adaptation is easier for those who advance to retreat. It is more difficult when you are behind to advance”.
The Athletic coach, in other words, insists on his idea of Yuri as an alternative to the axis of the rear: “At times, it depends on how the games are, it may be because of the end the left-handed center -You are given of backs a way out of the game that right-handers always have to accept a little more.”
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
