“MIDFIELD IS WHERE THE GAME IS GOING TO BE WON OR LOST”

Football fans around the world should be hearing the above pre-match analysis cliche a lot of times. It is said because midfielders are the players that anchor the game for forwards and defense.

Midfield is one of the most important areas for a football team. Midfielders are the players that have the most possession of the ball and who have the ability to set the pace of the game. They are ones responsible to create urgency in attack whenever a team needs the goal by playing quick short passes, diagonal passes or long passes. They are also responsible for bringing the tempo of the opponent down by keeping hold of the ball. On the top of controlling the game, defensive midfielders are expected to help the defender by intercepting or shutting down the spaces for opponent players while the attacking midfielders are tasked to create space or get into the open space created by the striker and score/assist goals. Meanwhile, box to box midfielders should be able to help both defensive and attacking midfielders.

To successfully do their job midfielders need to position themselves in such a way that they are always able to receive the pass. Also, they need to have a clear insight into where the opponents and teammates are. Midfielders also need to be technically sound and should possess a wide range of passing. Defensive midfielders should have good tackling as well as other defending skills while attacking midfielders should have goals and assists withing them. Box to Box midfielders should be hardworking and have great stamina along with sound defensive and attacking skills.

In this article, we will be looking at the top five young midfielders who need to leave their club either on a permanent basis or on a loan.