Bettor.com's Football Team of the Decade – Defensive Midfielder
Defensive midfielder is a crucial part of any team. They go unnoticed at times but are pivotal to any team's success, as we have seen over the years. Holding midfield position has become so vital in the modern game that we now see teams playing two holding
midfielders in their formations.
Here Bettor.com looks at three players from the past decades, who were masters of the art at defensive midfield:
Patrick Vieira:
Patrick Vieira had his best years as a footballer in an Arsenal shirt between 1996 and 2005. Viera was snapped up by Arsene Wenger when he signed for Arsenal. Vieira settled straight away into the Premier League, thanks to his height, strength and tough
tackling ability.
Patrick Vieira won 2 Premier League and 3 FA cups medals in the last decade with Arsenal. He was the captain of the invincible Arsenal side that went through the entire 2003/04 Premier League campaign undefeated.
He moved to Juventus after a year of speculation in 2005. Vieira managed to win the Scudetto which was later stripped off and Juventus was demoted to Seria B. This led to another change and Vieira was transferred to Inter Milan.
In his 3 and half years with Inter, Vieira suffered injuries and lack of form, which restricted him to 88 games in all competitions during this time. However, he still won three successive Scudetto’s with Inter.
When Roberto Mancini took over at Manchester City, he brought his former player back to the Premier League in January 2010.
Vieira was named in the UEFA team of the year in 2001 and was also awarded French Player of the year. He was also named in PFA team of the season for four seasons in the previous decade.
The Frenchman won the World cup in 1998 and the European Championships with France. He also captained the French side. Vieira had all the necessary ingredients to make a perfect defensive midfielder. He was known for his tackling ability and was a genuine
leader on the pitch.
Gennaro Gattuso:
In his prime that is the middle part of previous decade, Gennaro Gattuso was regarded as the best defensive midfielder on the planet. He is known for his hard tackling and no nonsense style of football.
He builds his game around hard work and never say die attitude. He also has the ability to move the ball forward with powerful runs. Gattuso moved to Milan in 1999 from Salernitana for 8 million pounds. This amount seems too little for the man, who has spent
11 years in Milan.
Gattuso won one Seria A title in 2004 and two Champions League winners’ medals in 2003 and 2007. He was part of the Milan team which lost in the famous Champions League final against Liverpool in 2005.
Gattuso played an integral part in Italy’s World cup triumph in 2006 and was included in the team of the tournament.
He has seen his form dip in the last couple of seasons but that has coincided with problems at the club both on and off the pitch. However, Gattuso has been a consistent feature in the Milan line up and that in itself is quite an achievement.
Claude Makelele:
Arguably the most composed footballer of all times, Makelele gave the defensive midfield position a new dimension. He currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain. He has enjoyed most part of his career with Real Madrid from 2000 to 2003 and later with Chelsea
from 2003 to 2008.
Makelele was part of the galacticos era and was by far the least decorated player at the club but still a highly important one. At Real, he won two La Liga titles and Champions League winner’s medal.
His departure was also controversial as he demanded an improved contract which was flatly rejected. The club was more interested in signing high profile players such as David Beckham, who joined Real the same summer. In response, Makelele handed in a transfer
request and moved to Chelsea. Real players were unhappy to see him leave as they all considered him to be a crucial part of the team.
Zinedine Zidane remarked on Madrid’s summer transfer work by saying, “Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine”.
Makelele moved to Chelsea and became the engine room of the Chelsea team. He won back to back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006 and also the FA cup in 2007.
Makelele sitting in front of the back four applied the philosophy of keeping things simple. He seemed to be available for a pass all the time and with the ball at his feet, he was composed and relaxed and hardly ever lost the ball.
There was calmness and class in his play. He did his job with no fuss which made him a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge.
The Frenchman although did not win any major trophy or award but his remarkable consistency at club level makes him our Defensive Midfielder of the Decade.
Verdict: Defensive Midfielder of the decade = Claude Makelele
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