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The Double Pivot
At the start of the century, coaches had to address two big problems; plug the space between midfield and defence, and get the creative players on the ball. Rafa Benitez revolutionized the 4-2-3-1 in the 2000s which became prevalent across Europe where managers wanted control in the centre of midfield.
The organized and solid 4-2-3-1 gave coaches an opportunity to play a compact game as well as hurt opponents with patient buildup play or rapid counter-attacks. The 2 midfielders had specific roles: ‘the destroyer and the creator’. Perhaps the perfect amalgamation of these two schools of tactics was the pair of Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso at Liverpool.
Mascherano’s role was all about making the tackles, plugging any hole between midfield and defence as well as regaining possession whenever it was lost. More importantly, Mascherano had to distribute the ball to Alonso whose main role was to rotate the ball, making the long passes to the flanks or switching play, much like the role of regista.
Milan’s success under Ancelloti was also built under this philosophy which saw the pairing of Gennaro Gatusso and Pirlo. Pirlo’s success can also be attributed to the dirty work that Gatusso did in the role of the destroyer.
Double Pivot version 2.0
Much like the traditional double pivot, the newer version of the double pivot relies on the ability of rotation between the two central players. Unlike the older version, where there is a clearly defined role, this evolution of this version can be attributed to the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. The combination of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez for Munich, Gundogan/Bender for Dortmund or Khedira/ Schweinsteiger for Germany are prime examples.
Perhaps the biggest exponents were Martinez and Schweinsteiger during Bayern Munich’s treble-winning year in 2013. Both are defensively sound, have the ability to dribble, make runs into the opposition penalty area as well as clear any danger in their own penalty area. These attributes are combined with pace and power making it difficult to overpower them technically and physically.
A rotating double pivot enables both players to fulfill the attacking role as the situation demands. If either one is marked the other rotates with him. Both of these players are disciplined and hold the line and support the defense when needed and also attack making ghost runs to support an attack.
The Complete Midfielder
Just when the footballing world thought that the box-to-box midfielder was a dying role, it saw a re-entry at the turn of 2000’s. As the game became narrower, this role started diminishing. The likes of Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Cesc Fabregas and Frank Lampard revived the dying role in the Premier League. Yaya Toure is perhaps one of the best modern box-to-box midfielders due to his physical, technical and tactical ability.
In Italy, it is the Chilean “Il Guerriero” (The Warrior) Arturo Vidal who is proving his talent as a complete midfielder. A tireless midfielder, Vidal along with Marchisio supports Pirlo defensively as well in attack.
These midfielders are strong, creative in attack and also defensively sound – attributes that are needed to excel as a box-to-box player. Schweinsteiger can also be labeled as a complete midfielder as he has adapted his game from a right side midfielder to a box-to-box one with his ability to advance into the penalty box and also find pockets of spaces to thread the killer passes or shoot on goal. More importantly he has the awareness to race back and break up play whenever possession is lost.
Conclusion
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea or Juventus are teams separated by countries but what ties them together is their ability to adapt to any one of the midfield systems that can yield success. As football has progressed, some of the old roles have just been reignited with a new flavour to it. In a fast and constantly changing world, it remains a fact that if tactics are not innovated, invented or re-invented, a coach or club would most probably end up perishing.
As Matthew Broderick stated in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
