3 of the greatest midfield partnerships in football history – including treble winning Manchester United pair
Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard had their problems playing together in the England midfield, it just never seemed to work for the pair. But here are three modern midfield pairs worked brilliantly together. Which combination was the greatest?
Keane and Scholes
Roy Keane and Paul Scholes were central to United’s success in the 90s culminating in United’s treble winning season . Paul Scholes had the vision and flair, while his ability to pick out a pass was unrivalled and he never wasted possession. Undoubtedly, England’s most talented midfielder ever, in my opinion. Scholes could not tackle, but Roy was more than able to stick his foot in. The Irishman was much more than a midfield enforcer. He dictated the tempo of the game and his simple presence on the pitch as almost as good as a goal advantage. Not only did he have a presence on the pitch, he had a football brain and was great passer of the ball under 20 yards. Both players also had that canny knack of scoring goals on the big stage. Keane and Scholes’s skills set complemented each other perfectly. Manchester United are still looking for a combination as good as the pair, and you get the feeling they will be looking for some time.
Makelele and Zidane
Claude Makelele and Zinedine Zidane are in the same mould of Keane and Scholes. Makelele was the holding man of the Madrid midfield – as the Galacticos streamed forward in attack after attack, Makelele plugged the holes. He did the hard dirty work of the Madrid midfield. He tackled, tracked and put his body on the line. He played efficiently and effectively, yet, he was not appreciated by many in Madrid, especially by the boardroom hierarchy. After he was sold to Chelsea in 2003, Los Blancos were never able to replace the Frenchman . Zidane was the one player who benefitted the most from Makelele’s ability to break play up and to distribute the ball quickly. This extra time on the ball allowed the imperious Frenchman to work his magic. Zizou had all the football skills that any football player would wish for. He was quick, strong and technically brilliant. His temperament was sometime questionable, but in Makelele Madrid had a player who they could always rely on. Upon Beckham’s arrival at Madrid and after Makelele’s exit , Zidane remarked “Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine.” Quite a complement from the most revered player of this generation.
Xavi and Iniesta
Unlike the other two combinations, Xavi and Iniesta are quite similar players. Despite their lack of physical stature , they more than make up for it with their ability on the ball. The pair enjoy nothing more than having the ball at their feet, even with two or three opposing players pressurizing them. Xavi is a wonderful passer of the ball. Short or long passes never go astray and he has that amazing ability to spot a pass that no one else seems to see on the pitch. Iniesta is more of an all rounder. He can pass, dribble, shoot, and of course pop up with important goals, we all remember the 2010 world cup . But what makes the pair great? They have an almost telepathic understanding of each others’ movement . They are the engine of Spain’s midfield and the heartbeat of the Barcelona team – take one of them out of the line up and neither team plays to their full potential such is their importance.
Chris Callaghan
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