The Midfield

4 players make up the engine room. Any game is won or lost here.

Haven't updated this team for a while. So here's my all time favourite midfield. Hard to pick but i think all these guys would make anyone's top ten at least.

No. 6

Name: Johan Cruijff

Nationality: Netherlands

D.O.B: 25/07/1947 (61)

Playing Career: 1964-1984

One of the members of the Dutch Football team of the 1970's which played under the philosophy of 'total football', managed by Rinus Michels. They astonished the world with their attacking play and creative genious. Cruijff became european footballer of the year 3 times in 1971,72 and 73. Playing 11 years at Ajax before moving to Barcelona, Cruijff was a magician and is without a doubt the most influential Dutch player of all time, scoring 33 goals in 48 appearances, an amazing goal:game ratio at international level for a midfielder.

How many other football players have a move named after them? The move in question is the 'Cruijff Turn', where Cruijff would invite defending players to tackle him when he had the ball at his feet, then turn the opposite way rolling the ball backwards with one foot and turning his body 180 degrees in the direction of the standing foot. He then basically legged it away from the defender exploiting his amazing pace. Creative, not afraid to take on players and capable of scoring goals, he makes up the left flank of my midfield.



No. 8

Name: Paul Scholes

Nationality: English

D.O.B: 16/11/1974 (34)

Playing Career: 1993-present

Scholes is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated players of the last ten years. He has been part of a Man Utd midfield that has become the most successful team in English football for over ten years. He has won every medal there is available in club football. Scholes is a quiet man, never speaking to the media or getting caught up in the celebrity lifestyle that becomes available to footballers of such stature.

He is the kind of player i would love to be, a traditional central midfielder. Not one of these modern 'attacking free role creative pansies', Scholes has a fiery temper and a unique awareness of the game around him. He seems to plan moves out in his head before they have happened, making him one of the most creative midfielders around. Scholes is made to play in a traditional 4-4-2 formation, balancing his forward runs and blistering shots with aggressive and tireless defensive play.

Scholes was overlooked by previous England manager Sven Goran Eriksson, who opted to play Frank Lampard in front of Scholes in centre midfield, forcing Scholes onto the left wing, where he is wasted. This forced Scholes to retire from international football in 2004 after the european championships in Portugal. This was a big loss to England and subsequent managers have tried and failed to tempt Scholes back into the international scene ever since.

I think Scholes is a fantastic player, and is my choice for 1 half of a 2 man central midfield.




This is just 2 of my midfield.... the rest will come soon.....

xXx

Jo Estet!!!