Whatever a player's remit going into a game, his ultimate aim is to get one over his opposite number. Whether it's a striker or a centre-back, post-game satisfaction is tempered by the success of your individual battles.
As someone who spent his playing days out wide locking horns with opposition full-backs, Peter Taylor - now coach of the England under-20 side - believes that unpredictability and setting up your opposing man will give you the best chance of coming out on top.
"To me it's like the bowler with six balls in the over; I don't think he tries to get out every time," Taylor tells Performance.
"If he's going to go for a yorker, he's maybe going to go for it in the 3rd or 4th ball, and the one ball before that is going to be a short one."
Also see:
Defending for wingers
Get the best out of wingers
3 top tips for young players
Retaining momentum after scoring a goal
