I have never understood the emphasis on a nutmeg, as it is immediately seen as a negative for the defender. You have to put that “mistake” into context if they are showing the dribbling attacker to one side.

Defenders, especially fullbacks, have to not only attempt to win the ball themselves, but they also have to help the team win back the ball.

To win the ball back for the team, you have to do things like showing your man to one side or the other. Force the man with the ball to one side, the side or area at which it is easier for the team to challenge the ball and win back possession.

When the defender shows the player to one side, that may compromise their defensive position. Their stance. You have to make yourself look “bad” for the betterment of the team as a whole.

Want to not allow the attacking player to dribble to both the left and right? You have to open your legs wider to block with your hips. When you open your legs, you give the attacking player the ability to nutmeg you, to put the ball between your legs, but you have given the rest of your team more time in the process because that action slows the attacking player down.

If they nutmeg you, that’s fine; you did your job. I see it as a positive if there is an intent on the defender’s part. It is an intentional selfless act.

I never look down upon a defender when they get nutmegged because they are doing it for the team.

The same goes for times when an attacking player blows past a defender who is showing the attacking player to a side. Their job is not in that moment to make the tackle; their job is to herd the attacker into a more favorable position for the team.

Some attackers are more dangerous crossing, and some are more dangerous cutting in towards the top of the box. Some targets inside the box are dangerous from a header or a cutback. It all depends on the situation: what is the least dangerous position for this attacking player to dribble into, and where are my other teammates to help defend?

If your team does not want to defend the cross, don’t allow the cross. It is easier to accomplish that as a team and the defenders can favor blocking the cross to allow the man to run inside. If you have the advantage in the air, allow the cross and win back the ball.

Don’t compromise the team’s shape to make a tackle. Play to the attacking team’s weaknesses as a team, not as individuals.