Coach Bain Mused: Central Dribblers, Lateral Movers, Positional Play

Courtesy of Mr. Bain's blog, I have come across three concepts that have characterised the movement of the modern central midfielder. With some elite players as examples, chances are that similar movement is seen across European leagues - the post serves as a clear definition of these movements, hopefully used as reference in future conversation when talking about the modern influential central midfielder.

For concept emphasis purposes, red highlights are myths or drawbacks in the current game, blue highlights are triggers used by central midfielders throughout a football match, and black highlights represent actions taken by the said central midfielders as a result of their trigger/blue actions.

Central Dribblers

Dribbling - Breaking Old Traditions

Dribbling is a hot topic for me in coach development terms, as our conceptualization of where & when this action takes place has rendered it’s teaching largely one dimensional. 

What this misrepresentation has produced is a commonly held belief that dribbling only takes place on the wings or toward the end lines of the final third, a perception that is completely unconnected to what occurs in the elite game. The central dribble action is performed only slightly differently than in wide areas, yet is actually applied far more frequently. 

Mesut Ozil & Marco Reus are players who have built much of their game around dribbling in central areas, a function that builds a platform upon which they can set up chances for others but also take shots on goal themselves.

Where Dribbles Start:

The areas in which many of these attacks begin are in the attacking half spaces, which interlink with how they use the ball to penetrate the final third. The opponents' midfield set up is fundamental in how they fashion their creative movements, especially as it relates to where they initially pick up the ball. 

• Against single defensive screen midfield set ups, players such as Ozil & Reus will drift into an advanced position to either the left or the right attacking half space, in an attempt to pull their opponents from their preferred defensive set up. 
• Against a double defensive screen the height of their movement is slightly more withdrawn, in an effort to pull their opponent from the space in which they are positioned to protect. 

Application:

The creation of defensive ambiguity forces the opponent to answer who should apply primary & secondary pressure, as well as stretching the area in which the defensive team can counter press & create turnovers. 

• Ozil, upon receiving the ball, uses quick touches to assess pressure & as a defender approaches will often utilize the space behind his mark in which to find an entry route to goal.
• Reus does so to devastating effect when taking up high left positioning as he uses the interior space, which is vacated by an oncoming defender, to strike on goal with his right foot.
  
• Ozil displays similar tendencies; however, he will attempt to push the ball past the back line completely, this in an attempt to draw pressure away from his teammates in which to cross or cut back to. Conversely when he attacks the central channel it pulls in opposition full backs like an accordion, as their back line retracts, allowing additional space for wide players to function on the flanks. 

Iniesta (Vertical dribble & The forwards):

Perhaps the king of central dribbles is a title that should be afforded to Andres Iniesta, as his performances over the past decade have truly transformed what we think of a central midfield figure. 

• Much of Iniesta’s movement could be perceived as simply dropping deep to pick up the ball, however we have also saw him use this function to start a vertical dribble action within an opponents half space.
• When encountering a deeper lying midfield opponent he will perform this vertical dribble to draw horizontal pressure, which often opens up a pocket of space for a deep lying forward or a further midfielder to move into. This dribble therefore creates a 2v1 situation where his combination play & attacking speed allows him to arrive as the back line is in a state of flux. 

The flux I am referring to is their movement to step toward his give & go to tackle him, or indeed to drop off & protect the space in behind their back line. 

In either instance, Iniesta has displayed a variety in his game that allows him to shoot on goal, perform a further combination at the top of the box or simply find a through pass for an on-rushing forward which splits the defense. 

Iniesta (Diagonal dribble & the fullback/wingers):

One further example of Iniesta’s dribbling quality lies in his role during build up play. When performing central dribbles that are on a diagonal or horizontal axis it appears that in dragging the ball to a particular side he is also dragging collective pressure. 

What this action is in fact achieving is allowing the now ball side full back & winger to position themselves in accordance to pressure, a gift that a switch of play via a long pass may not afford them. 

• As this relates to Iniesta’s Barcelona team, we often see during the buildup of play that as the ball moves to a specific side this sparks the forward movement of Dani Alves or Jordi Alba. 
• They advance to position themselves wide & in line with the midfielders, and as this takes place, the wingers, who were originally placed high & wide, can now move inside to the advanced half spaces.
• Once Iniesta releases the pass to the full back, who is now the team’s widest attacker, they have essentially created two lines in which their opponent has to defend (Full backs exterior line & the winger’s interior line) versus the single line that was evident beforehand. 
• Despite the many ball side advantages this move gives Iniesta’s team, the chain reaction is an over compensation to defend the ball side from their opponent which in turn opens up further weak side possibilities to attack through a direct diagonal or switch pass.

Beginning play with full backs or indeed using deep lying wingers to receive the ball in wide areas & advance during build up phases are both becoming less utilized in the modern game, which has heralded the rise of the central midfielder who is confident in 1v1 situations.

The Lesson Learnt:

As you have seen in the few examples, I have listed the action is often completed within a small area & over a short distance. However, the effect of the movement has far larger implications if completed successfully.

Lateral Movers

The New Role of the "volante pair" - Modric, Ramsey

Over the last ten years we have saw the development & evolution of the 1-4-2-3-1 system, especially relating to the two deeper central midfield roles. Luka Modric & Aaron Ramsey have operated within all three central roles, however a variant both have found themselves within showcases not only their qualities on the ball but also their positional awareness. 

The variant I am referring to alludes to the 1-4-2-3-1 Arsenal deployed in the 2013/14 season & loosely still to this day. The Modric example is a little more recent, seeing him operate in this role for the newly appointed Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid. 

Dynamics with Wide Players:

Looking beyond the role of the central midfielders for a second, it’s important we look at the balance of play in the wide area within this system, more specifically that of the ball side. 

• Both Arsenal & Madrid rely heavily on the advancing movement of the ball-side full backs primarily to take pressure away from the central defender who carries out possession, but also to activate the central movement of the winger who can attempt to split the opponent’s midfield line by receiving inside. 

Within this set up & rotation of movement, we have noticed a shift in how the ball-side defensive midfielder positions himself to provide a new angle of approach. 

Application:

In the case of Ramsey & Modric, both are skilled midfielders who are able to influence the game from deep. However, both are attack minded so their preferential ball movement is to go forward. 

• By moving out to the very edge of the defensive half space they have in effect taken up a pseudo full back role, which therefore allows them to turn their body open & face the game when picking up the ball. 
• As there is no instant pressure from the opposing winger, who has been taken away by the advancing full back, the task of pressure comes from an opposing central midfielder who must now vacate his central role to press outside. In many cases this is too much of a risk for the opponent, who often set out to dominate central areas & deny space to Madrid or Arsenal’s attacking central players. 
• This freedom gives license to the Modric & Ramsey to pick out diagonal balls should the opponent favor a heavy ball side press. However, its other advantage is the overload this now creates on the ball side giving their side a spare man in which to advance forward. 

Note: A further defensive measure could be put forward, as the positions Modric & Ramsey take up lends itself to that of a full back should they need to re-assemble their defensive shape in transition.

Rakitic (433-central to wide):

One variation of this lateral movement was displayed by Ivan Rakitic in his first season under Barcelona coach Luis Enrique. Barcelona’s dominance of possession affords them many advantages, however space in which to play in the opposing half is not often one of them. 

One creative measure that Enrique has deployed Rakitic within begins as the play shifts from the left of the field to the right. 

• Typically Rakitic will line up in a traditional 4-3-3 on the right side of a central pairing. However as the ball shifts across to his side of the field his movement sees him pull out into a traditional right winger position. The space vacated for him to move into comes from the opponent’s heavy ball side press, which in many instances inverts into a diamond midfield four of sorts. 
• As Rakitic pulls out to the sideline the wide forward in front of him stays inside and remains tightly connected to his central striker, forcing the opposing full back to stay with him. 
• Having three players now in a wide area, as the Barcelona right back remains deep, this creates a similar overload to that which Modric & Ramsey enjoyed. However, the player on the ball (Rakitic) now finds himself in a higher position & in a far more threatening environment. 

The actions that take place from here vary from a diagonal dribble from Rakitic & an overlapping run by Alves, to a ball played behind the opposing back line & the Barcelona inside forward making a penetrating run.

The Lesson Learnt:

What’s important to deduce from these particular lateral movements is that the mechanics of each variation is designed to expose weaknesses in an opponents wide area. Whether this takes place on the weak side or the ball side, we have to be clear that we are in effect reducing our own central numbers in order to make this happen. This is especially the case when building out the back in the first phase of ball possession, or during periods of ball circulation should the ball be dropped to the back line when changing the point of attack. 

With this in mind, it’s important that if we leave only two central players in the middle of the field that the rest of our structure is built to cope with a potential imbalance. A winger or a striker, for example, could move into central areas to occupy an opponent until the action takes place & an overload occurs.

Positional Play

Regista

I use this phrase purely to illustrate the movement, or lack thereof, in which these specific players exhibit during the buildup of play. Xabi Alonso & Toni Kroos are two good examples of positional midfielders who utilize spaces on the field in which to orchestrate their build up play & do so with almost seamless ease. 

When watching either of these players receive the ball you’d think they were surrounded by a force field which pushed away pressure, as they are very rarely tightly marked. 

Functions of Positional Players:

• Their first function in buildup is to set upon a target area where their opponent has either not covered or would become vulnerable by covering, & then remain in this position throughout the phase of play. This initial movement takes place as soon as a turnover in possession occurs or a restart is about to be taken. 
• You’ll notice that once they arrive in that spot they will actually stand still or maintain a position that is behind or adjacent to the oppositions first line of pressure. Their primary function is to receive the pass which breaks the first line of pressure, but then maintain a distance which allows them to connect with the players who take up positions in the central building areas of the field. 

Xabi Alonso - Between the Centerbacks

With FC Bayern Munich we see Xabi Alonso popping up between the center backs in the back line, a deeper position than the traditional central midfield pivot would assume. 

This is primarily due to the amount of players the opponent has placed in their forward press, which in Bayern’s case tends to be a three man press such is the regularity of the 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 variant that is used in German football. 

When in possession Alonso now has the ability & freedom to complete shorter passes into his midfield partners, or alternatively spring a longer diagonal pass to his weak side winger should the opponent favor a higher ball side press. 

Kroos - Just Ahead of Defense

Kroos tends to operate in a different portion of the field - one which is usually in front of the back line but in the less central defensive half spaces. Here he is able to turn & face forward with greater ease, especially against deeper lying midfield structures. 

Conversely if he is aggressively pressed by an opponent he has the passing range & quality to make split passes through the midfield areas & into a target forward or advanced playmaker. 

Julian Weigl - Diagonal Vision

Julian Weigl is a player very much in the mold of both Alonso & Kroos. However, his variance of passing angles leads his build play in a slightly different direction. 

Weigl has been a key part of the Thomas Tuchel revolution at Dortmund. One of his key competencies is his ability to find diagonal passes that not only split the opponent’s lines of defense, but also shifts play to a specific side creating a weak side vacuum his team can exploit. 

• When we examine much of Dortmund’s attacking play it begins at the point of transition, a space between phases that Weigl typically shines in - such is his ability to read play & connect with the back line. 
• Once in possession, his functions revolve around finding a target player on the highest available line, but also to make that pass on a diagonal plane which forces the opponent back & to the side. 
• The pass into an advanced player triggers an attacking movement from a “third man”, typically a wide player who moves in behind the opponents back line, or in this case, Aubameyang - a central figure who peels off to the back post & then attacks the middle.

The Lesson Learnt:

In each of these examples I have highlighted it’s important to deduce that the role of a deep lying playmaker is changin - not only in their execution of the role but the variance of positions they operate within. The passing & creative attributes required to fulfill this role will only continue to rise. In addition to this, a key preparatory piece lies in the awareness of where the most effective space is in which to operate within.