The holding midfield position is one that is ofte
n overlooked. Although it may not be the most glamorous of jobs on the pitch, it is essential to a successful team. A defence often needs a helping hand, that’s where a holding midfielder comes in, picks up the pieces, breaks up play. As I said not the most glamorous of jobs, but one that is vital.
n overlooked. Although it may not be the most glamorous of jobs on the pitch, it is essential to a successful team. A defence often needs a helping hand, that’s where a holding midfielder comes in, picks up the pieces, breaks up play. As I said not the most glamorous of jobs, but one that is vital. In most cases, it is who ends an attack that grabs the headlines. The media do not give the defensive midfielder (DM) the credit they deserve as most of the time, it is the DM who begins such an attack, yet still it is the goalscorer who grabs the back page.
A DM does not need to be skillful or fast, but they need to be clever. Reading the play is the most important part of being a great DM, this leads to vital tackles or interception. For example, Xabi Alonso is a World Cup winner, European Championship winner, Champions League winner you name it, most of the time he has won it.
Spain, Real Madrid and Liverpool could not have won these trophies without a trusty DM. The same as France could not have triumphed at World Cup 1998 without Petit, Italy without Pirlo and even Greece without Karagounis.
It saddens me that in this day and age, football is all about the goals and the ‘tekkers’. Football is about pride and determination and without the classic defensive midfielder these would not exist.
Long live the DMC.
@TaylerWillson