All Time TLW XI (Non Liverpool) Team - Defensive Midfielder

[lifetime fan]

Just now, Bjornebye said:

. FFS

Im assuming you meant the AM was = No10. 
 

Or am I helping you out there when you actually fucked it up? 

[aRdja]

1 hour ago, Lee909 said:

Without the ball Helguera was more sweeper than DM for Real allowing both fullbacks to push up. When in possesion he pushed up leaving it as a 2. 

 

 

Sammer was old fashioned sweeper and played in a back 3. 

 

 

You find more in modern football and formations like the 433 or 4231 than the deepest midfielder will be a ball player, the other will be a Mascherano,Kante type who can go hunting and pressing the ball freely knowing the pure defensive positioning work will be done by Alonso/Jorginho types

 

 

Yeah but in that formation you can’t deny Mascherano was the more defensive midfielder event though Xabi played deeper than him.

 

Ancelotti’s Milan was similar like, with Pirlo playing deeper but Gattuso and/or Ambrosini played them more defensive role.

[Tony Moanero]

2 hours ago, Lee909 said:

Lothar Matthaus

Redondo

Rijkaard

 

 

I don't think either Keane or Viera where DM

Mind you i could argue neither was Matthaus, all three i would say box to box in the truest description. Viera was at his best with Gilberto Silva and Petit  both more defensive and allowing him to roam. Same with Keane, he was at his best with Nicky Butt. There's a reason Scholes wasn't a regular then, mind you there's a lot of Myths about Scholes career

Keane, Vieira and Matthaus, in the prime of their careers, were box-to-box midfielders, as were Bryan Robson and Johan Neeskens. A young Steven Gerrard was a box-to-box midfielder. In 1966, for England, Nobby Styles was a sort of enforcer who broke up play, similar to how Mascherano played for Liverpool 

[YorkshireRed]

It’s been a tricky one this. Might have been easier to call it ‘deep lying midfielder’. Not complaining though. I’m enjoying the comp.

[Allan]

Redondo

Rijkaard

Vieira

[m0e]

Keane

Makelele

Rijkaard 

[Sugar Ape]

Feels a bit off including Matthaus. He’s the greatest midfielder of all time in my opinion but not as a defensive midfielder. Definitely at his best as a box-to-box player. 
 

Rijkaard clear number one for me. 
Marco Tardelli

Busquets 

[m0e]

Just now, Sugar Ape said:

Feels a bit off including Matthaus. He’s the greatest midfielder of all time in my opinion but not as a defensive midfielder. Definitely at his best as a box-to-box player. 
 

Rijkaard clear number one for me. 
Marco Tardelli

Busquets 

I agree. I'm changing my vote.

[3 Stacks]

2 hours ago, aRdja said:

Yeah but in that formation you can’t deny Mascherano was the more defensive midfielder event though Xabi played deeper than him.

 

Ancelotti’s Milan was similar like, with Pirlo playing deeper but Gattuso and/or Ambrosini played them more defensive role.

Isn't the definition of "more defensive" whoever plays deeper? What else would it be?

[Sugar Ape]

Makelele is a weird one. Clearly a boss player but he didn’t move to Madrid until he was 27 and only had six caps for France at that age. He wasn’t even included in the 1998 squad for the World Cup. 
 

I’d take Busquets over him because he’s performed at an elite level for a much longer period. 

[aRdja]

19 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Isn't the definition of "more defensive" whoever plays deeper? What else would it be?

The actual role on the pitch. If he’s there to win the ball and give it to his more creative midfield partner then he’s the DM. 

[Tony Moanero]

Deschamps

Tardelli

Rijkaard

[Ronnie Whelan]

Matthaus

Rijkaard

Keane.

 

Could have named so many more but those three stand out.

 

Have to say though Souness was the best midfielder along with Matthaus that I've seen. Gerrard not far off in fairness but Souness was an unbelievable player.

 

 

[KevieG]

Matheus

Rjikaard

 

These two miles clear

 

 

Kante

 

 

 

 

[VladimirIlyich]

6 hours ago, lifetime fan said:

Nah. 
 

A modern day DM will drop back to receive the ball from 2 centre backs, occasionally dropping back into the middle of them to make a back three. 
 

A traditional sweeper would drop deeper than the 2 centre backs to cover behind. 

Its the same role basically. People get bogged down with rigid formations quoting numbers but the game is fluid and dynamic. The spare player can play in front or behind the back line but they are doing pretty much the same thing. The sweeper could originally play in front of the defence or behind.

[lifetime fan]

Just now, VladimirIlyich said:

Its the same role basically. People get bogged down with rigid formations quoting numbers but the game is fluid and dynamic. The spare player can play in front or behind the back line but they are doing pretty much the same thing. The sweeper could originally play in front of the defence or behind.

Nah. They’re totally different roles. 
 

It has nothing to do with rigid formations or numbers. 

[Bjornebye]

The important thing here is people can pick whoever the fuck they like. The decisions will be made at the voting stage. 

[m0e]

14 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

The important thing here is people can pick whoever the fuck they like. The decisions will be made at the voting stage. 

You tell em, Stig.

 

Cos they need tellin'

 

[aws]

1 hour ago, Bjornebye said:

The important thing here is people can pick whoever the fuck they like. The decisions will be made at the voting stage. 

Nothing worse than people who don't understand the rules. 

[Duff Man]

Vieira

Matthaus

Rijkaard

[AngryOfTuebrook]

Matthaus 

Viera 

Kante 

[3 Stacks]

.

 

[Bjornebye]

3 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Busquets

Casemiro

Xabi Alonso

 

Try again ffs 

[3 Stacks]

Just now, Bjornebye said:

Try again ffs 

He was a holding player in Madrid. And Bayern.

[3 Stacks]

2 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

Try again ffs 

Also, I won't take that from someone who thinks Kante is a DM.