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Being a defensive midfielder is a rather thankless job. Aside from goalkeepers, defensive midfielders are probably the ones who are appreciated the least. However, football fans are slowly beginning to understand how important defensive midfielders are to any team’s performance.
Of course, legends like Claude Makelele and Patrick Vieira will always be remembered, but after Leicester City’s Premier League win (2015-16) brought notice to the wonder that is N’Golo Kante, the stock of defensive midfielders around the world has started to rise. He had a simple role and performed it to perfection: get the ball from the opponent, pass it to Riyad Mahrez in space, or maybe a long-ball to Jamie Vardy, and watch them score.
His role in Leicester’s miraculous triumph was highlighted even further when he moved to Chelsea last year, where he followed-up his first Premier League medal with another one. Kante’s tireless running, immaculate tackling, and solid passing completely changed the fortunes of Chelsea, showing how important the defensive midfielder is to a high-performing team.
The midfield is the engine room of any team, and the defensive midfielder ensures the engine runs smoothly. A good defensive midfielder allows the players around him to play to their fullest ability by being the anchor of the side. A defensive midfielder must be able to pass the ball around with regularity and confidence, press higher up the pitch to create pressure, and tackle smartly so as to break up any dangerous counter attacks. Along with this, good positional sense and the ability to contribute a few goals every season, and you’ve got someone you can build trophy-winning teams around.
Some great defensive midfielders have graced top European teams over the last few years. In England, for instance, Michael Carrick and Fernandinho have filled essential roles for Manchester United and Manchester City, respectively. Carrick has acted as the perfect time keeper for United sides over the years. His immaculate passing has seen him spray the football all across the pitch, almost always finding his target.
The rasping passes that were hit with venom, splitting defences in two were Carrick’s signatures, but just as importantly, he was always there when needed in defence, which made him the great player that he was.
And Fernandinho is the perfect example of a defensive midfielder who frees up others. The mercurial talents of David Silva, Yaya Toure and Aguero can rip apart defences with Fernandinho sitting behind them. When Fernandinho is on the pitch, Manchester City score 2.5 goals per game. The Brazilian isn’t a flashy player, but his direct style of passing and solidity while defending means that he is the cog that brings all the flair and talent of the Man City squad together.
Matic, in today’s Manchester United squad, plays an important role, allowing the attacking players around him to focus on offence, whilst always having someone free to look back at. In the few matches at the beginning of this Premier League season, Matic has proven to be possibly Mourinho’s best signing for United.
With the addition of the Serbian, all the firepower that United posses has been unleashed. Mata and Mkhitaryan especially enjoy his presence, as they tend to cut in and engage in quick one-twos with Matic to suddenly get much closer to the opponent's goal. Paul Pogba, as well, has found himself performing better in the first few games of the season, when paired with the Serbian in the midfield pivot.
Pogba and Matic are both strong tacklers and passers, and as Pogba is clearly the better attacker and Matic the better defender, the two of them have found a natural chemistry emerging. When the going is good, Matic is there behind the attackers, a failsafe in case a counter-attack breaks, and when the forwards find no way through, he’s on hand to take shots from range and sting the keeper’s gloves with his efforts.
He has also shown that he is capable of taking on defenders and getting past them, as well as moving the ball into space with ease. Victor Wanyama (Tottenham Hotspur) and Jordan Henderson (Liverpool) are other defensive midfielders of note, in England.
Sergio Busquets, over in Catalonia, has earned himself much respect with his solid defensive play. Messi might be the star that everyone talks about, but he’s not the only reason Barcelona have done well in the recent past.
Always there to protect his backline, or even pass the ball through a cluster of defenders, Barcelona’s success over the last few years is as much down to the ever-present Busquets as Messi’s undoubted brilliance.
The hottest defensive midfielder in the footballing world right now is with Barcelona’s greatest rivals, Real Madrid. Casemiro, the Brazilian midfielder, has become world-class in the last couple of years. Often playing in a midfield trio consisting of himself, Modric and Kroos, he provides the perfect strength and tackling to act as a foil for the passing mastery of the other two.
Along with his strength and presence on the field, he often pops up with some important goals in pressure situations: he scored in the Champions League final last year, as well as the Super Cup against Manchester United this year.
Possibly the most complete defensive midfielder who has graced the beautiful game in the last decade or so, is Andrea Pirlo, the Italian maestro. He ticks all the boxes when it comes to being a great defensive midfielder - he can tackle, he can pass, he can head, he can shoot, he can dribble, and he can put free-kicks into the goal with the suavity only an Italian can boast of!
He currently plays in the USA, with New York City FC, and is considered a Juventus and AC Milan legend. Possessing the coolest head on the pitch, Pirlo's legendary passes have dismantled some great teams, and though he isn't the strongest, he is definitely not a pushover, making an average of two successful defensive actions every game. Other great DMs around Europe are Matuidi and Verratti of PSG, and Marchisio of Juventus.
A talented defensive midfielder can convert an average team into a brilliant one by providing solidity and allowing the rest of the team to play to its full potential. Every team that makes footballing history needs a solid foundation, and more often than not, that is provided by the oft-overlooked defensive midfielder.
