Is Bastian Schweinsteiger better than Ronaldinho? Is Xavi better than Cristiano Ronaldo?

Bastian Schweinsteiger, Xavi, Yaya Toure – have all been regarded as one of the best in their league one point of time or another in their career. They have a good record which shows the same. Is it just talent? No. Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alexis Sanchez are also talented and were considered as one of the best in the league. What needs to be considered here is the fact that their record which is a combination of Successful tackles, successful assists, successful Key passes and interceptions has to do with their playing position. They play as Midfielders but, that is a large category isn’t it? The role of a Midfielder can be further divided into Left Mid, Center Mid, Right Mid, Defensive Mid, etc. The players mentioned earlier played as Central Midfielders, a role which they excelled in. So what is this role? Let’s dig deeper.

A central midfielder plays an important role in every team. They are the link between the defense and the offense. They have a dual role of offensive and defensive duties. These players control the flow and the pace of the game. They decide whether to pass the ball back to the defenders, to the wings or ahead.

The central midfielders mostly support the defenders by tracking back thus creating pressure on the opposition. Generally, they position themselves in front of the centre backs in order to provide cover, block long shots and press the oppositions’ midfielders. They are vital in initiating most counter attacks as they decide the directionality of the play. Their offensive duties involve passing the ball ahead and making a run forward in order to support the attackers. Occasionally, these players venture forward, into their opponents penalty box and take a shot on goal themselves. Jurgen Klopp’s side was known to play a high pressing game making the midfield key in their game. Dortmund’s players followed a zonal making scheme which created pressure on their opposition.

- BVB stars Aubameyang, Reus and Gundogan.

Central Midfielders are expected to have ball winning abilities. Tracking, reading the game, making key interceptions and marking other players are important attributes which help them win the ball in the midfield. They are also expected to good stamina, vision, passing and long shooting abilities. It is not necessary for them to posses all these attributes. Most Central Midfielders either excel in defense or offense but the ability to hold the ball, distribute the ball and receive the ball are all key attributes which make a good central midfielder.

- Xavi Hernandes (in red) and Bastian Schweinsteiger(in white), two central midfield maestros in actions.

From midfielders who excelled in just one aspect to Box-to-Box midfielders, the role has seen a change since the introduction of the concept of total football. Box to Box Midfielders are a variation of central midfielders who are expected to be good at offense as well as defense. We can see a noticeable change as there is an increase in the number of box to box midfielders. Chelsea’s Ramirez, Manchester City’s Yaya Toure, Bayern Munich’s Arturo Vidal, Barcelona legend Xavi, Manchester United’s Bastian Schweinsteiger have played as box to box midfielders and central midfielders. They have all excelled in that role. Watch Xavi and Schweinsteiger produce some magical moments in the video below: