Table of Contents
- What is a ball-winning midfielder?
- Is a ball-winning midfielder the same as an anchorman?
- Is a ball-winning midfielder necessary?
- Who are the best ball-winning midfielders in soccer?
- What attributes do ball-winning midfielders need?
- Recap: The role of the ball-winning midfielder in soccer
As we watch Kevin De Bruyne or Luka Modric thread sumptuous passes through defenses for their strikers to feed on weekly, it’s no surprise so many kids out there want to be the creative player that instigates attacks. Assists are a valued statistic that many players take great pride in.
But perhaps underrated statistics that shouldn’t be swept aside are tackles won or interceptions made. They’re integral to your side’s chances of success.
This article will look at why a ball-winning midfielder offers so much to a team in a world wherever flair takes center stage, and offer some examples.
What is a ball-winning midfielder?
A ball-winning midfielder is a player whose focus, when the opposition is in possession, is to take the ball from them by either tackling, intercepting, or forcing them into a mistake.
Operating centrally, these players usually have strong physical attributes and good reading of the game.
Sometimes these players will be asked to shadow the most creative midfielder lined up for the opponents to try and neutralize their threat. This can be an extremely effective ploy that frustrates opponents and offers your side a morale boost.
Rather than leaving the defense to handle dispossessing opponents, a risky tactic because of the territory you’re in, a ball-winning midfielder subdues the move before it gets that far.
Is a ball-winning midfielder the same as an anchorman?
No, the roles aren’t the same and you can have one of each in your line-up at any time. However, the players in these roles usually share some attributes.
An anchorman is asked to sit deep, in front of the two central defenders, and dictate the playing tempo by shifting the ball from side to side.
Whereas, a ball-winning midfielder could theoretically be lined up slightly more advanced than an anchorman, although it’s rare that they would focus in more attacking positions, positionally speaking.
A ball-winning midfielder also isn’t necessarily tasked with spraying the ball from flank to flank. Sometimes, once they have won possession for their side, they will present the most simple of sideways passes to a more creative teammate. An anchorman could well be that creative player.
Occasionally, if the player is good enough for the job, both roles can be conducted by just one person. You know you have a high-quality player on your hands when this is the case.
For more information on the anchorman role, read our article on it here.
Is a ball-winning midfielder necessary?
Strictly speaking, no, you don’t have to line up with a ball-winning midfielder in your team. There are many teams out there that don’t strictly have this role dedicated to anyone in particular and find other ways of dispossessing their opponents.
High pressing of defenses can swamp an opponent out and force them into errors, leaving the job of ball-winning redundant for your midfield. This carries some risk, however, because if your attacking line doesn’t hound out the enemy, then your midfield is facing a threat without a dedicated ball-winner in the middle of the field.
But it also depends on your definition of the role. If we look at Real Madrid’s new boy Jude Bellingham, you’ll understand what I mean. At Borussia Dortmund, the Englishman was a classic box-to-box midfielder; getting involved in the attacking moves but dropping deep to cover defensive duties too.
He’s an incredibly capable ball-winner and has proven so remarkably well in the Bundesliga (hence the big-money move to Spain), but very few people pigeonhole him in the role of a ball-winner.
Therefore, you can line up with ball-winners in your team, but ball-winning might not be their primary responsibility.
Who are the best ball-winning midfielders in soccer?
I’ll start with Manchester United’s tenacious Brazilian: Casemiro. The experienced ball-winner has a trophy cabinet that most players crave, and he has featured heavily in those successful sides because of his desire, motivational skills, and sometimes force.
Lining up against him as a creative midfielder or attacker must be a daunting task because his physicality and non-stop hassling would leave you spitting feathers.
N’Golo Kante has recently moved to Saudi Arabia in a somewhat surprising move, but he left Chelsea as a club legend because of how successful he is as a ball-winning midfielder. Theoretically, there are numerous positions you could have N’Golo Kante in, but as a ball-winner in midfield is where he’s at his strongest.
He might be shorter than some midfielders, but he possesses the requisite strength to go alongside his legendary relentlessness in hassling opponents and the vision of a hawk to spot slightly under-hit passes that he can steal. His legacy in England is permanent.
What attributes do ball-winning midfielders need?
Strong awareness is key to being a ball-winning midfielder. Without reading the game well, you might misjudge your position or where an opponent is going to move into. Constantly assessing the patterns of play to see the most likely outcome can’t be ignored as an attribute.
Next, some form of physicality is required, but not necessarily brute strength. José Mourinho alluded to this during his spell as Tottenham Hotspur’s manager. You might be the best tackler in the world and not rely on physicality for that aspect, but ultimately, as a ball-winner, you’re going to be asked to engage in shoulder-to-shoulder combat, the occasional aerial duel, and other forms of contact.
Therefore, with no disrespect to wingers with slight builds, you wouldn’t fancy them in a battle as much as somebody weighing 225 lbs, for instance.
Finally, a good degree of stamina goes a long way in this role. 90 minutes is a long time and you need to be able to quell the threat of opponents throughout the duration of the match. To do this, you can’t become complacent and rest when you don’t believe a threat is likely, keep moving into the best positions.
Recap: The role of the ball-winning midfielder in soccer
A ball-winning midfielder can be just the tonic for a leaky side. Don’t leave it to your defense to do all the work, deploy a ball-winner in the middle of the field and stop the opponent in their tracks.