The "holding" midfielder

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Originally Posted by Bottle of Tonic

As a Celtic supporter we're having quite a change around this season with the archetype holding player, Neil Lennon, gone to be replaced by a more dynamic looking CM in Brown and Donati. Neither is an out and out holder or defensive mid and (early days I know) we seem to be playing far speedier, more inventive football.

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They pair of them really are splitting the duties 50/50. Really good partnership so far.

There's 2 main types of holding midfielder. The combative, less technically gifted type (Makelele, Lennon, Carsley). And the deep lying playmaker (Pirlo, Alonso, Xavi).

imo the main job of a holding midfielder is to always be in the best possible position to receive a pass. That's it. He doesn't need to be a great tackler, Pirlo can hardly tackle. Too many people think of the holding midfielder as the player who's main duties are defensive. Gattuso's main work is defensive and he's not a holding midfielder. Sissoko is similar.

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Originally Posted by Roadend

Three players playing with the same concept, and playing as well as each other. The concept is wrong in two cases and right in one case apparently. If I can make it any simpler for you please let me know.

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I haven't seen either of the defenders playing that role, so you'll forgive me for being sceptical that they played as well there as a midfielder. If they did play as well as Hargreaves, I'd put it down to whiny English fans looking for someone to blame.

The holding midfielder has been around for years - Nobby Stiles, Bremner/Giles, Souness, Tardelli, McMahon/Whelan and the best of all - Beckenbauer who started in front of the back four before playing behind it, his role was more attacking and was termed - libero.

The thing about Makelele is that he very rarely goes forward and you rarely seeing him knocking forty yard passes. He is limited as a player but is very effective in what he does.

I doubt if Italians, Spanish and South Americans refer to "The Makelele Role", its purely more Premier League bullsh$t.

For years, Man U were very effectove at getting the ball to Giggs / Becks who dropped the ball into the "D" from just inside the oppo's half.

Yorke / Cole / Shero / Ole / Eric would step over it, it would hit somebody on the ass, the defence would have no idea how to play it, scholes would run on to the confusion and would score.

The europeans, and Wenger, sussed this and played either 3 centre halves (the third of which is your holding player) or played a really deep midfielder (Viera / Petit / Guardiola etc) who would stop that ball coming in.

This role, whatver you call it is deployed by most decent sides - look at how effdective Hamann has been for Citeh this season.....