Editing Midfielder (section)

==Defensive midfielder==
[[File:Mario Balotelli shot Euro 2012 final 02 cropped.jpg|right|thumb|[[Spain national football team|Spain]] holding midfielder [[Sergio Busquets]] (16, red) moves to block a shot from Italian striker [[Mario Balotelli]].]]

Defensive midfielders are midfield players who focus on protecting their team's [[Association football pitch#Goals|goal]]. These players may defend a [[Marking (association football)#Zonal marking|zone]] in front of their team's [[Defender (association football)|defence]], or [[Marking (association football)#Man-to-man marking|man mark]] specific opposition attackers.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/jan/20/tottenham-manchester-united-tactics|title = Manchester United nullified Gareth Bale but forgot about Aaron Lennon|date = 20 January 2013|access-date = 31 October 2014|website = The Guardian|last = Cox|first = Michael|archive-date = 26 May 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230526191619/https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/jan/20/tottenham-manchester-united-tactics|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| last = Cox| first = Michael| title = The final analysis, part three: brilliant Busquets| date = 16 July 2010| url = http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/07/16/sergio-busquets-world-cup-final/| access-date = 28 July 2013| publisher = zonalmarking.net| archive-date = 6 July 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190706161016/http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/07/16/sergio-busquets-world-cup-final/| url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/feb/10/manchester-united-everton-marouane-fellaini|title = How Manchester United nullified threat of Everton's Marouane Fellaini|date = 10 February 2013|access-date = 31 October 2014|website = The Guardian|last = Cox|first = Michael|archive-date = 26 May 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230526173918/https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/feb/10/manchester-united-everton-marouane-fellaini|url-status = live}}</ref> Defensive midfielders may also move to the [[Defender (association football)#Full-back|full-back]] or [[Defender (association football)#Centre-back|centre-back]] positions if those players move forward to join in an attack.<ref>{{Cite web| last = Cox| first = Michael| title = Analysing Brazil's fluid system at close quarters| date = 3 March 2010| url = http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/03/03/analysing-brazils-fluid-system-at-close-quarters/| access-date = 28 July 2013| publisher = zonalmarking.net| archive-date = 6 July 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190706193253/http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/03/03/analysing-brazils-fluid-system-at-close-quarters/| url-status = dead}}</ref><ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite web|last1=Lowe|first1=Sid|title=Sergio Busquets: Barcelona's best supporting actor sets the stage|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2011/may/27/sergio-busquets-barcelona|website=The Guardian|date=27 May 2011|access-date=30 October 2014|archive-date=20 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820142823/https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2011/may/27/sergio-busquets-barcelona|url-status=live}}</ref>
 
[[Sergio Busquets]] described his attitude: "The [[Manager (association football)|coach]] knows that I am an obedient player who likes to help out and if I have to run to the wing to cover someone's position, great."<ref name="theguardian.com"/> A good defensive midfielder needs good positional awareness, anticipation of the opponent's play, marking, tackling, interceptions, passing and great stamina and strength (for their tackling). In South American football, this role is known as a ''volante de marca'', while in Mexico it is known as ''volante de contención''. In Portugal, it is instead known as ''trinco''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/949512-50-best-defensive-midfielders-in-world-football-history |title=50 Best Defensive Midfielders in World Football History |publisher=Bleacher Report |date=21 November 2011 |access-date=21 May 2020 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404031207/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/949512-50-best-defensive-midfielders-in-world-football-history |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Holding midfielder ===
[[File:Yaya Toure 9229.JPG|thumb|right|upright|[[Yaya Touré]], pictured playing for the [[Ivory Coast national football team|Ivory Coast]] in 2012, was a versatile holding midfielder; although his playing style initially led him to be described by pundits as a "carrier", due to his ability to carry the ball and transition from defence to attack, he later adapted to more of a playmaking role.]]

A holding or deep-lying midfielder stays close to their team's [[Defender (association football)|defence]], while other midfielders may move forward to attack.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2014/1/28/5353188/on-going-beyond-holding-midfielders|title = On Going Beyond Holding Midfielders|date = 28 January 2014|access-date = 31 October 2014|website = Cartilage Free Captain|last = F.|first = Edward|archive-date = 31 May 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230531092831/https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2014/1/28/5353188/on-going-beyond-holding-midfielders|url-status = live}}</ref> The holding midfielder may also have responsibilities when their team has the ball. This player will make mostly short and simple passes to more attacking members of their team but may try some more difficult passes depending on the team's strategy. [[Marcelo Bielsa]] is considered a pioneer in the use of a holding midfielder in defence.<ref name="WilsonHolding13"/> This position may be seen in the [[Formation (association football)#Common modern formations#4-2-3-1|4–2–3–1]] and [[Formation (association football)#Common modern formations#4–4–2 diamond or 4–1–2–1–2|4–4–2 diamond]] formations.<ref>{{Cite web| last = Cox| first = Michael| title = Teams of the Decade #11: Valencia 2001-04| date = 29 January 2010| url = http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/01/29/teams-of-the-decade-11-valencia-2001-04/| access-date = 28 July 2013| publisher = zonalmarking.net| archive-date = 7 November 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191107183750/http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/01/29/teams-of-the-decade-11-valencia-2001-04/| url-status = dead}}</ref> Writer Jonathan Wilson has identified three different types of holding midfielder, namely the ''destroyer'', the ''creator'', and the ''carrier''.<ref name="WilsonHolding13"/>

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 |quote  = …we knew that [[Zinedine Zidane|Zidane]], [[Raúl (footballer)|Raúl]] and [[Luís Figo|Figo]] didn't track back, so we had to put a guy in front of the [[Defender (association football)|back four]] who would defend.
 |source = [[Arrigo Sacchi]] describes [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]]'s need for [[Claude Makélélé]] as a holding midfielder.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wilson|first1=Jonathan|author-link=Jonathan Wilson (writer)|title=Inverting the Pyramid|date=2013|publisher=Nation Books|isbn=9781568589633}}</ref>
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Initially, a defensive midfielder, or "destroyer", and a playmaker, or "creator", were often fielded alongside each other as a team's two holding central midfielders. The destroyer was usually responsible for making tackles, regaining possession, and distributing the ball to the creator, while the creator was responsible for retaining possession and keeping the ball moving, often with long passes out to the flanks, in the manner of a more old-fashioned deep-lying playmaker or ''regista'' (see below).<ref name="WilsonHolding13"/> Earlier examples of a destroyer are [[Nobby Stiles]], [[Herbert Wimmer]], and [[Marco Tardelli]], while later examples include [[Claude Makélélé]] and [[Javier Mascherano]],<ref name="WilsonHolding13"/> although several of these players also possessed qualities of other types of midfielders, and were therefore not confined to a single role.{{cn|date=June 2023}} Early examples of a creator would be [[Gérson]], [[Glenn Hoddle]], and [[Sunday Oliseh]], while more recent examples are [[Xabi Alonso]],<ref name="WilsonHolding13"/> as well as [[Michael Carrick]] and [[Keira Walsh]].<ref>{{cite web|date=2022-09-13|title=Keira Walsh – The Metronome|url=https://analyticsfc.co.uk/blog/2022/09/13/keira-walsh-the-metronome/ |access-date=2022-09-13|website=Analytics FC}}</ref>

The latest and third type of holding midfielder developed as a box-to-box midfielder, or "carrier" or "surger", neither entirely destructive nor creative, who is capable of winning back possession and subsequently advancing from deeper positions either by distributing the ball to a teammate and making late runs into the box, or by carrying the ball themselves; recent examples of this type of player are [[Clarence Seedorf]] and [[Bastian Schweinsteiger]], while [[Sami Khedira]] and [[Fernandinho (footballer, born May 1985)|Fernandinho]] are destroyers with carrying tendencies. [[Luka Modrić]] is a carrier with several qualities of the ''regista'', and [[Yaya Touré]] was a carrier who became a playmaker later in his career after losing his stamina.<ref name="WilsonHolding13" /> [[N'Golo Kanté]] started out as the quintessential destroyer, but developed carrying tendencies under [[Antonio Conte]] at [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]].{{cn|date=October 2023}}

=== Deep-lying playmaker ===
[[File:Andrea Pirlo Juventus.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Italian deep-lying playmaker [[Andrea Pirlo]] executing a pass for Juventus. Pirlo is often regarded as one of the best deep-lying playmakers of all time.]]

A deep-lying playmaker (Strolling 10) is a holding midfielder who specialises in ball skills such as passing, rather than defensive skills like tackling.<ref name=revive>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2012/mar/19/paul-scholes-xavi-andrea-pirlo-playmaker |title=Paul Scholes, Xavi and Andrea Pirlo revive the deep-lying playmaker |date=19 March 2012 |access-date=1 November 2014 |website=The Guardian |last=Cox |first=Michael |archive-date=14 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230614222435/http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2012/mar/19/paul-scholes-xavi-andrea-pirlo-playmaker |url-status=live }}</ref> When this player has the ball, they may attempt longer or more complex passes than other holding players. They may try to set the tempo of their team's play, retain possession, or build plays through short exchanges, or they may try to pass the ball long to a [[Forward (association football)#Centre-forward|centre forward]] or winger, or even pass short to a teammate in [[Glossary of association football terms#H|the hole]], the area between the opponents' defenders and midfielders.<ref name=revive/><ref>{{Cite book|title = The Football Book|last = Goldblatt|first = David|publisher = Dorling Kindersley|year = 2009|isbn = 978-1405337380|pages = 48}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title = Soccer for Dummies|last = Dunmore|first = Thomas|publisher = John Wiley & Sons|year = 2013|isbn = 978-1-118-51066-7}}</ref> 

In Italy, the deep-lying playmaker is known as a ''regista'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.football-analysis.com/the-regista-and-the-evolution-of-the-playmaker/|title=The Regista And the Evolution Of The Playmaker|date=5 July 2013|access-date=5 January 2015|archive-date=7 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191107185452/http://www.football-analysis.com/the-regista-and-the-evolution-of-the-playmaker/|url-status=dead}}</ref> whereas in Brazil, it is known as a "meia-armador".<ref name="MTV: Playmaker">{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/artists/playmaker/biography/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112070624/http://www.mtv.com/artists/playmaker/biography/|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 January 2015|title=Playmaker|publisher=MTV|access-date=5 January 2015}}</ref> In Italy, the role of the ''regista'' developed from the centre half-back or ''centromediano metodista'' position in [[Vittorio Pozzo]]'s ''[[Formation (association football)#Metodo (2–3–2–3)|metodo]]'' system (a precursor of the central or holding midfield position in the 2–3–2–3 formation), as the ''metodista''{{'}}s responsibilities were not entirely defensive but also creative; as such, the ''metodista'' was not solely tasked with breaking down possession, but also with starting attacking plays after winning back the ball.<ref name="ritiri e regista">{{cite news |url=https://www.corriere.it/sport/cards/mezzo-secolo-senza-vittorio-pozzo-mitico-discusso-ct-che-cambio-calcio-italiano/ritiri-regista.shtml |title=Mezzo secolo senza Vittorio Pozzo, il mitico (e discusso) c.t. che cambiò il calcio italiano: Ritiri e regista |work=Il Corriere della Sera |language=it |last1=Radogna |first1=Fiorenzo |page=8 |date=20 December 2018 |access-date=15 April 2020 |archive-date=26 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826002709/https://www.corriere.it/sport/cards/mezzo-secolo-senza-vittorio-pozzo-mitico-discusso-ct-che-cambio-calcio-italiano/ritiri-regista.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

Writer [[Jonathan Wilson (writer)|Jonathan Wilson]] instead described [[Xabi Alonso]]'s holding midfield role as that of a "creator", a player who was responsible for retaining possession in the manner of a more old-fashioned deep-lying playmaker or ''regista'', noting that: "although capable of making tackles, [Alonso] focused on keeping the ball moving, occasionally raking long passes out to the flanks to change the angle of attack."<ref name="WilsonHolding13"/>
[[Image:2-3-5 (pyramid).svg|thumb|[[Formation (association football)#2–3–5 (Pyramid)|2–3–5 formation]]: the wing-halves (yellow) flank the centre half.]]

=== Centre-half ===
The historic central half-back position gradually retreated from the midfield line to provide increased protection to the back line against centre-forwards – that [[centre-back|dedicated defensive role in the centre]] is still commonly referred to as a "centre-half" as a legacy of its origins.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jonathan |last=Wilson |title=The Question: Did Herbert Chapman really invent the W-M formation? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2011/sep/20/arsenal-herbert-chapman-southampton-tactics |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=20 September 2011 |access-date=9 April 2012 |archive-date=26 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151226104619/http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2011/sep/20/arsenal-herbert-chapman-southampton-tactics |url-status=live }}</ref> In Italian football jargon, this position was known as the ''centromediano metodista'' or ''metodista'', as it became an increasingly important role in [[Vittorio Pozzo]]'s ''[[Formation (association football)#Metodo (2–3–2–3)|metodo]]'' system, although this term was later also applied to describe players who operated in a central holding-midfielder role, but who also had creative responsibilities in addition to defensive duties.<ref name="ritiri e regista"/>