Return of the box to box midfielder

It seems the importance of the box-to-box central midfielder has diminished over recent seasons but they may be coming back into fashion thanks to the likes of Delle Ali and Paul Pogba.

Growing up I was used to watching the likes of Keane, Vieira and Scholes winning the ball in their own half before playing one-twos and finishing off a move after arriving late in the box. Then came Lampard and Gerrard who raised the bar in terms of getting forward by scoring 20 goals a season every season  but still starting moves in their own half collecting the ball from their back 4.

These days every midfield player has to be shoehorned into being a defensive midfielder or an attacking midfielder. It seemed to start when Makelele used to sit in front of the back four and let the likes of  Zidane and Figo roam freely knowing that Makelele was there to sweep up and break down the counter attack before playing a simple 10 yard pass forward or sideways to Salgado or Carlos. Jose Mourinho brought him over to Chelsea and within months the Makelele role was a brand new tactic in English football. As soon as Pep Guardiola plucked Busquests from the Barcelona B team and plonked him beside Xavi and Iniesta with instructions of tackle, head, foul and pass to Xavi they began to dominate European football and every team was trying to do the same.

It wasn’t all Makelele and Busquests fault they were both part of a 4-3-3, 3 man midfield which allowed a defensive midfielder but also a box to box midfielder alongside them able to get forward and get in the box this allowed Lampard to score 20 goals a season alongside Makelele and Gerrard alongside either Mascherano or Xabi Alonso to maraud forward for Liverpool score the winner and then be back in his own box to make a last-ditch tackle in the last minute. It is indeed the fault of the 4-2-3-1 formation which allows 2 defensive midfielders a ‘number 10’ and a front 3. This makes box-to-box midfielders redundant and having to change their role entirely. It annoys me how players like Yaya Toure and Fabregas have to play one or the other and have to play from deep in front of the back 4 or behind a striker with their back to goal.

Ross Barkley is also a fine example, to many he was the next Gascoigne but rarely do we see him pick up the ball in the centre and the pitch and surge past 3 players like Gazza used to do just because Everton can’t play him in the number 8 position and have to play him in the number 10 position where for me he is not as influential. Luckily there are more teams playing either 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 and the box-to-box midfielders are flourishing. Drinkwater and Kante have been a revelation and Leicester are top of the league, Pogba is a joy to watch at Juventus and will be the best midfield player in the world before too long if not already, last year he and Vidal played the role together and almost won the champions league. Delle Ali has been a sensation for Spurs in that position and could be in for a big tournament in the summer.

Matuidi and Verrati play the role together perfectly together for PSG and Modric is still underrated for Real Madrid so there are still those types of players out there and hopefully clubs in England such as Manchester United and Arsenal can start to replace the likes of Keane, Scholes and Vieira and the younger generation growing up in the 2010s will be able to enjoy the best position in football and start to copy the likes of Keane, Scholes, Vieira, Lampard, Gerrard, Ballack and Seedorf when their playing headers and volleys or 5 a side on the local pitch.