The Modern Game – Evolution of Central Midfield.
Times are forever changing in football. Trends, so to speak.
The central midfielder has to be one of the more notable positions to have evolved over the past decade or two. Long gone is the traditional ‘box-to-box’ midfielder who wears his heart on his sleeve.
I think one of the clear signs of ‘times are changing’ for me was with Rafa Benitez’ spell at Liverpool. His 2004 arrival was also the year of rival manager, Jose Mourinho as he moved to Chelsea FC. Steven Gerrard was the captain who basically epitomized Liverpool football club. His passion for the game was unquestionable as he often covered every blade of grass the field had to offer. I loved watching him play. His gaffer, however, saw different. Gerrard’s enthusiasm would often lead to over commitment, a loss of crucial positioning in the eyes of the manager. He found himself being pushed out to the right side of midfield, something which was highly questionable in the eyes of the media at the time. Rafa, however, was ahead of the game. He valued positional superiority and wanted to overload centrally.
It’s arguable that an integral part of Gerrard’s identity was lost under Rafa – his ability to go on surging runs from deep. Hours on the training ground saw Gerrard earn his position back in the central area of the field and in my mind, he was able to do what many can’t – prolong his career by developing a modern mindset within the game.
As the managerial quest for numerical advantage came to fruition, teams began to steer away from the traditional two central midfielders, instead, opting for a three man central midfield. It was at this point, ‘specialists’ were required.
Claude Makalele had already been tossed aside by Real Madriad as he was signed by Chelsea’s manager, Claudio Ranieri, in 2003. Ranieri proclaimed Makalele as ‘the battery’ of the team – his skill set was clearly misunderstood by the higher powers at Madrid.
“Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley, when you are losing the engine”
– A famous quote from Zinedine Zidane on the departure of Makalele and arrival of David Beckham at Real Madrid.
It was only when Chelsea acquired the defensive midfielder that the world realized how imperative he was to the success of the galactico’s. ‘The Makalele role’ became the buzz word across Europe and so the defensive midfielder’s role had quickly became a hot cake. As Mourinho arrived to England’s top tier of football in 2004, it was clear that Makalele was going to be a big part of his plans.
Benitez and Mourinho went on to develop two top-class teams as Chelsea claimed the domestic title twice, while Liverpool claimed the Champions League trophy under their forward-thinking managers. Both were advocates of three man central midfield systems.
From 2004 we had begun to see the evolution of the game. Majority of clubs still use three central midfielders today, whether it be one defensive and two offensive, or, more commonly, two defensive and only one offensive midfielder (often referred to as the number 10). These systems are allowing teams to play with a more balanced approach and a more comprehensive understanding of space management.
I’ve seen the midfield three played in multiple ways; triangle point up, triangle point down, flat. What interests me is a coaches decision to play it a certain way. What are the individual roles within that system and do they lead the team to success/development.
It’s being forward thinking that excites me most as a coach. The trends, the past, the present and the future game.
It’s why we dedicate our lives to the beautiful game.
Being ahead of the competition.
Positional Play 