The Evolution of the Defensive Midfielder

The defensive midfielder is a position that could be considered a fairly modern development, coming to fore in the 70's and 80's. Herbert Chapman's innovative 2-3-5 ensured that defensive midfielders weren't required for quite some time. Sir Alf Ramsey's wingless wonders of the 4-4-2, which won the 1966 World Cup, utilised a midfield duo that could shuttle up and down for the whole game, more of all action, box to box players.

This specialisation evolved from a position called the 'sweeper'. The sweeper was a player hence named because he would sweep up after his back line. It was originally a defensive innovation, inspired by the Catenaccio system of Italy.

The points system in Serie A then was 1-for a draw and 2-for a win, and so many managers considered not losing almost equivalent to winning and they came up with a versatile centre back who could be the last resort if the back line were breached. The system was however preached majorly for a three man defence as this would enable the two centre backs to mark the opposing forwards and leave one defender free to clean up after.

Alf Ramsey's 4-4-2 or 'Wingless Wonders'

Herbert Chapman's 2-3-5

Modric to Madrid

When Tottenham Hotspur bought a little known Croatian by the name of Luka Modric in 2008 for a club record tying (with Darren Bent) £16.5 million, there weren't any great expectations. Partly due to his previous club being Dinamo Zagreb and also due to his apparent 'unsuitability' to the physicality of the English game. Juande Ramos had inherited a good squad from Martin Jol but Modric's acquisition made it far better.

Initially, Modric found a role as the deep lying playmaker sitting alongside Jermaine Jenas in the holding role. Modric had however made his name as a left sided midfielder or an attacking midfieder. He sustained a few injuries and was derided by the British press.

Alex Song to Barcelona

Off to Catalunya..

Arsenal fans were dismayed when Alex Song was sold to FC Barcelona, because he was arguably their best creative player throughout the previous season.

Alex Song, whilst being a defensive midfielder garnered 14 assists for Arsenal in the previous season, many of them eye-catching through balls and lofted passes. He is one of the few tough tackling midfielders left, in an age where the classy regista is back. However, he is certainly one of the more unique players. There has hardly been any player that could play the Makelele role and the Pirlo role with as nonchalant ease as Song has done over the past season.

The travails of Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez is one of those divisive figures that seem to abound in football. This article shall endeavour to gain some insight and put things into perspective.
The Uruguayan has had a rough senior career,with successes being punctuated by suspensions and other problems. However, here we shall discuss only the footballing side of things. He moved to Holland from Uruguay's Nacional aged 19 and joined Groningen(Robben's old club). With the completion of his footballing education in Holland, Suarez could be thought of as having assimilated the European technicality and the South American flair as well. Due to his performances, he was soon picked up by Ajax becoming a pivotal figure and scored over 100 goals for the club over the course of three seasons. Liverpool desperately needed to bolster their frontline and signed him for €26.5 million (£22.8 million) while he was in the middle of a suspension for biting PSV's Otnam Bakkal on the shoulder. His new club was reeling in 12th place and even a top 10 finish looked beyond them. However, along with Kenny Dalglish,he managed to help them finish sixth.
Suarez is an attacker that is reliant on trickery and believes in creating his own shot. He can play on the wing and as a central striker. While at Ajax, he was deployed in a central role where he excelled benefitting from some excellent support and his bag of tricks. The Eredivise is however very different from the Premier League. The Dutch system focusses on technical football rather than the English 'hug the touchline valencia style and cross to to a Carroll style striker'. Dutch players are therefore more well rounded as is evidenced by players like Jan Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen and even Robin Van Persie. Suarez is thus not very suited to the English style where shorter players generally are deployed as wingers. At Liverpool, Suarez has been known for being a handful for any defender but having hit the post more times than any other player in recent memory, the question asks itself : Would Liverpool be better off with a conventional striker/goal poacher in his place ??

Liverpool last season

Last season, Suarez cut a forlorn figure more often than not. With his supporting cast including Stewart Downing,support was nonexistent. Also, Kenny Dalglish's tactics weren't the sort that focussed on patient build up through the middle and thus he was most often deployed as a winger cutting in goalside. When Carroll played, the play was eventually influenced and there was the temptation to lump it long which simply eliminates the need for Suarez.
Goals were hard to come by and he took it upon himself to do all he could. He looked comfortable when playing with Maxi Rodriguez and Bellamy who despite being coventional wingers aren't as one dimesional as Downing and Young. Indeed, too many times throughout it seemed like he thought he had to do it all himself, which lead to excessive pressure and poor decision making.
This could explain why he was just so plain unlucky. But, he was still Liverpool's brightest spark in the most creatively lacking 'Pool team in years.
Kenny Dalglish left (we'll come back to him in another article) and in came Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers is most famous for carrying a Swansea team forward using possession based football that was instilled in them by Roberto Martinez(the Wigan Manager). Rodgers's style is as British as can be with wingers being the creative sources much like Mourinho's Chelsea where the creativity came from Joe Cole and Robben on the flanks. However, he preaches possession which is certainly not a new idea to the faithful as the 80's side of Rush and Dalglish is remembered for playing a similar style which would explain their success in Europe.

Uruguay National team

Rodgers is the kind of manager who understands Suarez is at his best in a roaming role. Suarez's performances for the Uruguayan team offer further insight. He has performed better when playing with Edinson Cavani and Forlan in the hole. Cavani is the classic mix of the two strikers in the 4-4-2 , strong, tall and yet mobile. Deployed in a Napoli team that loves wingers/wingbacks and playing with a three man defence he is indeed a player who could adapt to most systems. Also with Forlan on the pitch,the creativity comes from the centre which is good for Suarez and his mazy diagonal runs. Rodgers understands all of this and thus has brought a more mobile, hard working striker in Fabio Borini who will surely mature into a better player. Also,  with Joe Allen being the midfield general, his movement will not go unnoticed anymore. With the rise of Raheem Sterling who seems to be a brilliant lad, Suarez will surely find some pressure off him as there are others capable of creating chances and he doesn't have to do it all on his own. Also,with greater possession, it can only help Suarez.

Liverpool against City

In conclusion, Liverpool may have benefited more from a goal poacher under Kenny Dalglish but under Rodgers, Suarez is primed and ready for a a better season than the last. If only Liverpool could find a No 10 or even Gaston Ramirez, they would be certainly a lot tougher to beat.

The Rooney-Persie-Kagawa Conundrum

Sir Alex Ferguson is a manager who has done it all.For more than two decades, he has built great teams and come up with brilliant alternatives when forced to dismatle them. However, one aspect of his brilliance is often overlookedhis tactical nous. From the classic British 4-4-2 that kept Cole, Yorke, Solksjaer, Sheringham satisfied to the almost 4-3-3 that utilised Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez and now to the 4-4-1-1, using a classic No 10. For over two seasons, Rooney has played this role and played it well. He scored over 25 goals last season and combined brilliantly with Welbeck as he did with Chicharito the previous season. However, he is not a classic No 10, as is apparent by the times when he looks overrun and off the pace, like in the recent game against Everton. What sets Rooney apart from some of the other great players of his generation is the fact that when he's not having a good game, he seems to go missing.

Manchester United's signings this season have certainly gotten tongues wagging. From Shinji Kagawa to Robin Van Persie, the forward line has been altered considerably. This, despite Rooney and Welbeck combining brilliantly in the previous season. Why so ? This article will endeavour to give a probable answer.

Everybody remarked how United didn't seem their best previous season, due to a shoddy midfield which had to be carried by Giggs and Scholes. However, their campaign in Europe was insightful in the extreme. The manner of United's defeat against Athletic Bilbao (an excellent team, who you'll be reading more of) was shocking. They were simply played off the pitch by a team that finished 6th in La Liga.Imagine, if it had been Barcelona or Madrid. Bilbao's relentless pressing and poor technical ability or rather one-dimesionality of most United players was ruthlessly exposed.

The two major signings have  been remarked upon:

Shinji Kagawa- United have been looking for a genuine No 10 for so long, it was hard not to see this coming. Maybe, it is no coincidence, that they were lookin at Wes Sneijder the previous season. Kagawa is an anomaly in England. Almost a David Silva like figure he can play centrally, on either flank and create and finish with aplomb. Part of a very exciting Borussia Dortmund team, he is certainly a fantastic signing.


Robin Van Persie- Robin Van Persie is a different kettle of fish altogether. He is the probably the only player in the world apart from a certain Messi that can turn scorer and creator with devastating effect. Like most Dutch players,he is fantastic on the ball, can pick a pass and score with audacity as evidenced by his finish against Fulham the other night. The fact that he can play the Sneijder role and the Huntelaar role with equal ease is certainly remarkable. Much like Rooney though, he has had his share of off field problems with disagreements with Van Marwjik at Feyenoord, injuries at Arsenal etc.

Kagawa as 10

Nick Powell- A promising English attacker, however his League two experience and young age would certainly combine in him not seeing much game time this season.
To analyse what can be done here we'll just make each of Kagawa, Van Persie and Rooney our no 10's here and see where the others stand:

1. Kagawa as 10: This is the dream match. He is one of those players that can be devastating as creator-in-chief. His awareness is very similar to Mesut Ozil as is evidenced by his penchant for finding space and dropping between the lines. Rooney or Van Persie would be the striker.Both could play only if one was shunted to the flank which would be Van Persie to the left, due to Valencia's meteoric rise. Seems like a strange waste of resources.

Rooney as 10

2. Rooney as 10: Van Persie as striker, kagawa on the left flank which is very threatening for Nani's future at the club. However, this would certainly be a waste of Kagawa's abilities and is not very probable.

3. Persie as 10: This is again not very possible, as Rooney may excel in a striking role, Kagawa will be underutilised.

Persie as 10

The first  alternative would make a lot more sense. What if  Ferguson wants  to revert to the classic 4-3-3 of Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez ? Rather than his static 4-4-1-1 and slightly better 4-2-1-3, this would be a formation that could be the future. This would explain why no tough tackling midfielder has arrived at United.Kagawa could be a 10,and the front three could be Welbeck/Nani/Rooney/Young-Van Persie/Rooney/Chicharito-Valencia/Rooney. Kagawa  playing at the tip of the midfield triangle would be a big boost to United's creativity especially in Europe. Also,the reason for Van Persie's acquisition could be Ferguson's takeaway from the Euros with a False Nine and Van Persie is the falsest nine that England has ever seen. Also, a move to a possession oriented midfield would be helped by a striker dropping back and making an almost four man midfield which would be a great help in the Champions League. Italy had more possession than Spain for the first half of the Euro final, simply by having an extra man in midfield (even though that man came from a four man defence being cut to three). Van Persie's signing, for all the questions it raises, is still a brilliant signing. Also, this might be Alex Ferguson's last chance to build a European Cup winning team. Simply cannot wait to see what he comes up with. Comments and suggestions are welcome. I'd be happy to make any clarifications if needed. Cheers..