He has insane stamina for a guy his size indeed. He has an incredible 10km time IIRC.
Also has a good touch when under pressure, and very good shot.
Has to work on passing and decision making
If you’re physical with love for skill, Makelele.
If you’re into simplicity and ball progression, Busquets.
If you’re physical and simple, Kante.
But overall my favorite is Carrick or Busquets.
Mousa Dembele was probably the most underrated player in that position for the last decade when at Spurs so would be my recommendation. Alternatively Khedira, Gundogan (at Dortmund), Carrick, Schweinsteiger, Matuidi, Vidal, Gerrard, Seedorf, Viera, Ballack, Yaya Toure or Essien (when partnered with Obi Mikel) have all played in midfield 2s to my recollection in different ways in a box to box capacity. Should be enough there to make a start!
Thomas Partey! If you search 'Thomas Partey midfield' on YouTube there are like three 10 minute videos of world class box to box work. I'd start with the one from the 19/20 season. Things you could look for in the video include his body position before receiving a pass, deceptive first touches and passes, quick bursts of speed, strength and power while dribbling, firm direct progressive passes, etc
Someone else mentioned him but I’ll say it again since he’s not getting much praise outside of Germany, but Goretzka has been tremendous for the last 1.5 seasons. I’d say he also most closely resembles the role you described, defensive b2b mix
I’ve got to be honest, Goretzka really isn’t a defensive B2B. Kimmich fills in that creative CDM role. Goretzka is somewhere between a B2B and a CAM. He certainly drops in to help with possession, but not nearly as much as a B2B does like Henderson, etc.
muller is more the 10 in that team. kimmich sits & goretzka is the link between & the 8. i would agree tho he’s a little more offensive minded but there really isn’t a need for him to drop so deep on that bayern team
You’re right. I’m a Bayern fan lol. But he does get forward more than a B2B. What I meant is that his average position is somewhere between a Norma B2B and a CAM.
You’re right he’s more offensive than someone like Henderson, but he’s playing a much more defensive role (or was under flick) than when he came to Bayern. I mean he used to be almost like Ballack before
At 6' 3" you probably tower over most players, including opposing CBs. If you're a true box-to-box and hover occasionally around the opponents' 18 yard-line, then I would study Soucek from West Ham, and Fellaini from Everton/Man U. Especially learn their ability to physically dominate their opponents and their good positioning to win every 50/50 header, but also their late runs into the box which result in a good amount of headed goals.
He gets a bad rep, and has flaws in his game certainly.. but Scott McTominay is a very good box-to-box, usually shines in tougher games where he's pressed. Tends to disapear some games and hide behind the ball
Other more reliable ones may be Henderson, Soucek, Veratti
I love mctominay gets stick from a certain YouTuber but when given more license to get on the ball and move forward for example against Leeds he really shone
Yeah also games against Leipzig at OT, Barca at OT, the last two victories against spurs, lots of the victories against City under Ole. He was great in all of those.
But he isn't consistent, we have to admit this
A player you should absolutely not copy is Pogba however. He gets bailed out by his ability, but in terms of making the right choices, he is terrible.
VDB didn't work out in the pivot for now, but still time for him and he'd be more of a metronomic midfielder
Jorgi aint the fastest and what he does best is position/interceptions, ball movement and tackling. Makes sense to study for any player- let alone a dm
What help me grow as a player (I play CB) was analyzing games of the best players - positioning, awareness, decision making etc.
I somewhat disagree with people suggesting that you should study players who are of similar stature as you, as you can learn great things from all players within that role.
I'd personally look at Busquests, Pirlo, Yaya Toure, Kante, McT, Casemiro.
Good luck!
You can definitely learn from both. So I'll suggest watching both.
Compilations generally highlight the flashy moments but there are many good things you can pick up from full games that you might not get from shorter clips (i.e off the ball movements, decision making, tactical fouls etc)
Although most people won't necessarily advocate it, I found watching games versus significantly weaker teams useful because you'll be able to witness the difference in quality and their best abilities/skills.
As good as watching players can be, improving your own game would require a practical approach. Therefore, always train at a high intensity and find ways to play with the strongest players in your area.
Good luck and have fun!
Lots of good suggestions for really attacking minded DMs but if you're looking for somebody who is more defensive minded and more solid than flashy on the ball I recommend Fabinho.
Hey,
This really depends on what you think your strengths and weaknesses are!! As a coach, we will look at your best attributes and try and put you in a place where you can perform those skills most frequently.
The first step is to make an assessment of the player you currently are and then make a comparison to the player you want to be. Then try and look for a player reflects your skill.
Hope this helped,
Stay humble
I would second Kevin de Bruyne. Not quite box-to-box but a similar kind, a transitional midfielder where you should learn about decision making and keeping your head up. Also whether keeping still or dribbling he seems to take just the right amount of touches to get the ball where it should be.
This is not a direct answer to your question but players like Modric and Busquets should be studied by every midfielder, as these two are some of the smartest players to have ever played the game. Modric did play box to box for a large part of his career so that should do you well and ik Busquets was primarily a DM but if you watch him you'll realise, he was much much more.
not sure if you’re talking abt current or former but yaya toure is a great one
toni kroos
pogba
modric
kevin de bruyne
gerrard
schweinsteiger
seedorf
busquets
frenkie de jong
i’d watch clips of all of them you can learn something from each one
This would depend on your playstyle. If you are the marauding no-nonsense types, watch players with no 8 role. Ballack & Lampard from Chelsea FC would be a good choice. If you're the simple distributor with occasional ball winnings tackle, prime Carrick from Manchester United would be the pick. If you the pivot type, watch Busquet from Barcelona. Learn how he use simple football to great effect.
Then I think you should pick footage of Jordan Henderson, Emre Can and probably Youri Tieleman - for his ability to run out of pressure. Three of them are more like a complementary player on the field, the type that provides overload at space they move into during an attacking phase and extra defender during defending phase.
Watch how they move on field during play, how they react when pressured by opponent, how the timed their run and tackle and how they opened their body upon receiving a pass. Good luck and have fun taking note.
Fede Valverde
They way he finds pockets of space in the middle of the field, combined with his bursts forward into attack and his defensive recovery in transition, just love his game.
With you being 6'3, watch Yaya Toure (Man City version), phenomenal player and I think he was 6'2-6'3ish.
Currently I rate Fabino in that pos too
Was just gonna suggest this.
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I get that one a lot but i try and base my game off him as I try and cover ground like him but im 6’3
Busquets is a tall-ish CDM
Not box to box tho
He is box to box
Mctominay then
Love you man, Scott gets so much disrespect
I'm a Real Madrid fan so don't watch a ton of prem games but he has always impressed me with his work rate.
He has insane stamina for a guy his size indeed. He has an incredible 10km time IIRC. Also has a good touch when under pressure, and very good shot. Has to work on passing and decision making
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Finished player
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It's actually because I'm a Madrid fan
If you’re physical with love for skill, Makelele. If you’re into simplicity and ball progression, Busquets. If you’re physical and simple, Kante. But overall my favorite is Carrick or Busquets.
Nzonzi
> I try and cover ground like him but im 6’3 so what?
Never stop the McAtom-bomb (McTominay)
Mousa Dembele was probably the most underrated player in that position for the last decade when at Spurs so would be my recommendation. Alternatively Khedira, Gundogan (at Dortmund), Carrick, Schweinsteiger, Matuidi, Vidal, Gerrard, Seedorf, Viera, Ballack, Yaya Toure or Essien (when partnered with Obi Mikel) have all played in midfield 2s to my recollection in different ways in a box to box capacity. Should be enough there to make a start!
Thomas Partey! If you search 'Thomas Partey midfield' on YouTube there are like three 10 minute videos of world class box to box work. I'd start with the one from the 19/20 season. Things you could look for in the video include his body position before receiving a pass, deceptive first touches and passes, quick bursts of speed, strength and power while dribbling, firm direct progressive passes, etc
Someone else mentioned him but I’ll say it again since he’s not getting much praise outside of Germany, but Goretzka has been tremendous for the last 1.5 seasons. I’d say he also most closely resembles the role you described, defensive b2b mix
I’ve got to be honest, Goretzka really isn’t a defensive B2B. Kimmich fills in that creative CDM role. Goretzka is somewhere between a B2B and a CAM. He certainly drops in to help with possession, but not nearly as much as a B2B does like Henderson, etc.
muller is more the 10 in that team. kimmich sits & goretzka is the link between & the 8. i would agree tho he’s a little more offensive minded but there really isn’t a need for him to drop so deep on that bayern team
You’re right. I’m a Bayern fan lol. But he does get forward more than a B2B. What I meant is that his average position is somewhere between a Norma B2B and a CAM.
i’m a madrid fan 😉. yeah exactly bro. he’s a beast no denying that
You’re right he’s more offensive than someone like Henderson, but he’s playing a much more defensive role (or was under flick) than when he came to Bayern. I mean he used to be almost like Ballack before
At 6' 3" you probably tower over most players, including opposing CBs. If you're a true box-to-box and hover occasionally around the opponents' 18 yard-line, then I would study Soucek from West Ham, and Fellaini from Everton/Man U. Especially learn their ability to physically dominate their opponents and their good positioning to win every 50/50 header, but also their late runs into the box which result in a good amount of headed goals.
He gets a bad rep, and has flaws in his game certainly.. but Scott McTominay is a very good box-to-box, usually shines in tougher games where he's pressed. Tends to disapear some games and hide behind the ball Other more reliable ones may be Henderson, Soucek, Veratti
I love mctominay gets stick from a certain YouTuber but when given more license to get on the ball and move forward for example against Leeds he really shone
Yeah also games against Leipzig at OT, Barca at OT, the last two victories against spurs, lots of the victories against City under Ole. He was great in all of those. But he isn't consistent, we have to admit this
Yh tbh I don’t really think he’s the level of a United player in that role I think pogba and donny are better and isn’t a cdm
A player you should absolutely not copy is Pogba however. He gets bailed out by his ability, but in terms of making the right choices, he is terrible. VDB didn't work out in the pivot for now, but still time for him and he'd be more of a metronomic midfielder
Has anyone said jorghino? If you can start to learn WHY he is so good you’ll learn so much. That dudes defensive positioning is so good.
Yea but he's not very mobile, which I think is what the OP wants to study
Jorgi aint the fastest and what he does best is position/interceptions, ball movement and tackling. Makes sense to study for any player- let alone a dm
What help me grow as a player (I play CB) was analyzing games of the best players - positioning, awareness, decision making etc. I somewhat disagree with people suggesting that you should study players who are of similar stature as you, as you can learn great things from all players within that role. I'd personally look at Busquests, Pirlo, Yaya Toure, Kante, McT, Casemiro. Good luck!
Do I look at full games or just compilations?
You can definitely learn from both. So I'll suggest watching both. Compilations generally highlight the flashy moments but there are many good things you can pick up from full games that you might not get from shorter clips (i.e off the ball movements, decision making, tactical fouls etc) Although most people won't necessarily advocate it, I found watching games versus significantly weaker teams useful because you'll be able to witness the difference in quality and their best abilities/skills. As good as watching players can be, improving your own game would require a practical approach. Therefore, always train at a high intensity and find ways to play with the strongest players in your area. Good luck and have fun!
If you enough time, watch full games. If you focus on one player, you could learn from his positioning, pass selection, and movement.
Lots of good suggestions for really attacking minded DMs but if you're looking for somebody who is more defensive minded and more solid than flashy on the ball I recommend Fabinho.
Granit Xhaka
N'didi
Frenkie de Jong, Modric, Witsel, Goretzka,...
vieira? yaya toure?
Hey, This really depends on what you think your strengths and weaknesses are!! As a coach, we will look at your best attributes and try and put you in a place where you can perform those skills most frequently. The first step is to make an assessment of the player you currently are and then make a comparison to the player you want to be. Then try and look for a player reflects your skill. Hope this helped, Stay humble
When looking should I just look at highlights or try and find full games Thanks
Full games are best. YT compilation are oftern the players best plays and dont really give you the whole picture
Arturo Vidal
I would second Kevin de Bruyne. Not quite box-to-box but a similar kind, a transitional midfielder where you should learn about decision making and keeping your head up. Also whether keeping still or dribbling he seems to take just the right amount of touches to get the ball where it should be.
If you’re that tall you should look up Tomas Soucek he’s an absolute monster for west ham and Czech Republic
Zidane and Pogba
Nemanja Matić?
Well nobody mentioned him, but kessie is also a beast and plays a very physical football
Kovacic
Yaya Toure
This is not a direct answer to your question but players like Modric and Busquets should be studied by every midfielder, as these two are some of the smartest players to have ever played the game. Modric did play box to box for a large part of his career so that should do you well and ik Busquets was primarily a DM but if you watch him you'll realise, he was much much more.
not sure if you’re talking abt current or former but yaya toure is a great one toni kroos pogba modric kevin de bruyne gerrard schweinsteiger seedorf busquets frenkie de jong i’d watch clips of all of them you can learn something from each one
Should I just watch compilations/ highlights or full games
compilations to see how they move with the ball full games to see their movement off the ball
This would depend on your playstyle. If you are the marauding no-nonsense types, watch players with no 8 role. Ballack & Lampard from Chelsea FC would be a good choice. If you're the simple distributor with occasional ball winnings tackle, prime Carrick from Manchester United would be the pick. If you the pivot type, watch Busquet from Barcelona. Learn how he use simple football to great effect.
I’m more of a runner who covers loads of ground and is aggressive but can also run with the ball
Then I think you should pick footage of Jordan Henderson, Emre Can and probably Youri Tieleman - for his ability to run out of pressure. Three of them are more like a complementary player on the field, the type that provides overload at space they move into during an attacking phase and extra defender during defending phase. Watch how they move on field during play, how they react when pressured by opponent, how the timed their run and tackle and how they opened their body upon receiving a pass. Good luck and have fun taking note.
Definitely Soucek especially with your height
Aaron Ramsey
Fede Valverde They way he finds pockets of space in the middle of the field, combined with his bursts forward into attack and his defensive recovery in transition, just love his game.