1. Because generally they are the ones providing width. A fullbacks role is almost as much about getting forward as it is defending. That includes getting the ball in advance positions and carrying the ball forward when the opportunity arises.
2. Mostly the wide player in front of them but really it's whoever is in the best position. Johnson to Henderson was a one of our top passing combinations early in the season.
3. Yes Johnson does carry the ball forward and get on the ball a lot more. He averages just shy of double the amount of passes Cissokho does. It's no coincidence that we play much more down our right side.
1. What does that have to do with them "carrying the ball forward"? If they only do so if they're already in advanced positions and getting the ball, "carrying the ball forward" only possibly means taking on a defender one-v-one. I conceded that Cissokho does that less than Johnson (at his best) but that's neither here nor there, as even Johnson does not (need to) do it often enough.
2. Mate, do you think you need to tell me this? Have I given you the impression that I don't watch games carefully enough and often enough, and do not also (attempt at least to) look at the statistics? In our system, the fullbacks pass
forward either to the wide-forward/winger on their flank (usually while not themselves facing forward) or (less frequently) to one of the '2' in the '1-2' central midfield triangle. And they do so from a position close to the midway line. When Coutinho is on the flank with Cissokho, the latter does attempt to pass 'forward' to him. There is NOTHING in the 4-3-3 that indicates that the fullbacks should be regularly passing forward, nothing, unless they're already close to the final third.
3. Double the number of a small number of forward passes is not necessarily itself a large number. No shit our left fullback passes the ball forward less than Glen Johnson. Kelly passes the ball forward less than Glen Johnson.
All in all, the post to which I was responding was critiquing Cissokho on the basis of bullshit criteria. And, in response to my disagreement, tried to pull 'rank' on me.