The modern day football is fast and fueled by tactician approach and formations. One of the key aspects of modern day football is it’s midfielders. The strength of the midfield is a good benchmark to gauge the strength of a team.
The midfielders are instrumental in defense to attack transition in a game and are expected to have great engine and an overall good game.
Some of the key attributes of a midfielder are: –
Want to boss the midfield? This should get you started!
During the game, the amount of time a player has the ball with him/her is limited. It is important for a midfielder to make the most of this limited time without losing possession. This helps control the tempo of the game during difficult spells and also to elevate overall team confidence.
In order to become a better midfielder, it is not necessary to do fancy tricks and flicks. Simple one and two touch passing, if done right, can be very effective. Not only does it initiate a lot of movement in the team, but also keeps the ball moving, builds up the attack and gives the opposition fewer opportunities to win back possession.
Passing is one of the most important aspects of a midfielder’s game. He should have a range of passes. Be it simple one touch or two touch short passes, the clever passes made using tight angles, through balls or the long range passes; a good midfielder should be well versed with all these techniques of passing. Having a good vision will enable the midfielder to move the ball around well and create scoring opportunities. Here is more on how to become a better passer.
Even though a midfielder is not expected to be a prolific goal scorer, it is expected of him to have a good range of shots, with decent technique and power. Often during the transitional attacks or in general play, a midfielder finds himself in space with the goal in shooting range. In such situations, he must be equipped to take the shot and score.
Midfield is probably the most congested and tightly contested areas on the field. There are moments in the game where making a pass or shooting is not an option for the midfielder. Such situations call for a moment of individual brilliance, where the midfielder uses his quick feet to make room for himself to make a pass or take a shot. This makes dribbling a very important attribute in a midfielder’s game. In order to be a good dribbler, it is imperative to have good ball control and quick feet.
Midfielders are constantly under pressure. A midfielder should shield the ball when the ball is in his possession. Good central midfielders use their body to protect the ball. Shielding gives them more time to find an open teammate.
Midfielders see a lot of the ball and clock the most miles on the pitch during the game – weather it is tracking back and intercepting an attack, moving the ball forward or simply keeping possession. All these involve a lot of running. That makes it a necessary for a midfielder to have a great engine (drive, power, stamina) to run up and down the field. This is built by a lot of endurance training and mental and physical conditioning.
Playing midfield is not only about attacking. Try to develop your own defensive maneuvers. Don’t over commit while chasing the ball. Try and force the offense to make a mistake or force them to play the ball backwards. Covering up the gaps when the defenders are out of position is the midfielder’s responsibility.
Making the correct passes in the right areas is imperative for a midfielder. Finding pockets of spaces from where the attack can be effectively taken forward is a midfielder’s responsibility. All this needs to be done while on the move. Developing good game sense and vision will help a midfielder play more creatively and freely.
A midfielder has to be the fittest player on the pitch. Apart from stamina and speed, he should have a low center of gravity which allows him to change direction quickly. He needs power in both legs for long distribution and firm passing and shooting. Having strong lower body allows the midfielder to put in ball winning tackles while a strong upper body for holding off defenders and shielding the ball.
Work on these aspects to up your game as a midfielder!
Image Credits : lbc9, keyword suggestions, google, daily mail, hdwallpaerbackground.net, independent, yoyowallpapers
https://spyn.co/blog/wp-content/uploads/Cover-Final-02.jpg 900 1600 Vaibhav Biradar https://www.spyn.co/blog/wp-content/uploads/spyn_torchred.png Vaibhav Biradar2016-07-25 18:04:252018-05-01 06:18:33EUROs 2016: UEFA XI Vs spyn XI
https://spyn.co/blog/wp-content/uploads/cover-04.jpg 900 1600 Vaibhav Biradar https://www.spyn.co/blog/wp-content/uploads/spyn_torchred.png Vaibhav Biradar2016-07-25 12:12:062019-07-02 14:35:28FOOTBALL FORMATIONS:(PART 2): THE 4-3-3
https://spyn.co/blog/wp-content/uploads/serena-williams.jpg 900 1600 Tejasvi Lohia https://www.spyn.co/blog/wp-content/uploads/spyn_torchred.png Tejasvi Lohia2016-07-23 19:09:092018-05-01 06:18:4610 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SERENA WILLIAMS
Art of Passing