Anything that connects is regarded as important in the world. Imagine if, for a while, we lose cellular network and are unable to connect with our loved ones. It would be devastating, wouldn’t it? Back in the day, when sending letters was the only way to connect with people living were far away, things often got frustrating due to the slow nature of things.
This applies to football as well in which the midfield plays a crucial role in a team. A team might be successful without possessing the best defensive unit or fiercest attacking combination – but they are sure to win nothing if they don’t have a solid midfield.
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In the coming season, we might see some really great midfield combinations, given the signings clubs are making in this transfer window. Keeping that in mind, here are the five midfield combinations that we would like to see this season.
#5 Marcos Llorente, Dani Ceballos and Mateo Kovacic
This is going to happen eventually. With Dani Ceballos’ imminent arrival, Madrid now have six pure central-midfielders which allows them to play a number of combinations.
Indeed, Madrid’s midfield is so strong and varied that I can actually list out five different combinations. But for now, let’s look at the trio of Marcos Llorente, Dani Ceballos and Mateo Kovacic.
What makes them so special that they deserve the hype I am giving them? For starters, they form a very balanced midfield. I would go as far as to claim that this is perhaps the most balanced midfield combination for the Whites.
All three players are wonderful passers of the ball while also being defensively disciplined. Llorente would sit at the base and win possession while the other two would play in their natural box-to-box roles, taking turns to attack and dismantle the opponent.
Both Kovacic and Ceballos have the uncanny tendency to burst forward with the ball and take the opponents by surprise. They also have the irresistible vision and crisp passing ability to cause problems for opponents.
And Llorente? To put it simply: he could be Real Madrid’s Sergio Busquets.
#4 Naby Keita, Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson
Uff, this is a mouth-watering prospect, isn’t it? Once upon a time, Liverpool had the most diverse midfield in the Premier League with Javier Mascherano guarding the defence, Xabi Alonso setting the tempo and creating from deep, and Steven Gerrard running the show with his near-perfect box-to-box displays.
Indeed, it was the best trio during its peak; it had everything a manager craves from his midfield: defensive balance, creativity and directness.
And Liverpool can once again get such a combination if they sign Naby Keita. The RB Leipzig midfielder had a stunning debut season in the Bundesliga, helping his team finish second in their first ever Bundesliga outing.
From defensive awareness to silky ball-control, Keita has everything a manager wants in a midfielder. If paired with the creative abilities of Adam Lallana and the tenacious ways of Jordan Henderson, Liverpool will have a very all-round midfield capable of competing for the Premier League title.
#3 N’Golo Kante and Tiemoue Bakayoko
This will be a hit-or-miss pair for Antonio Conte. Playing a 3-4-3 with a double pivot in the midfield always requires a lot of hard work from the midfielders for the system to work. Last season, Chelsea did very well with Kante and Nemanja Matic in the middle.
With Bakayoko, things will get a little different.
Pairing with Bakayoko not only ensures defensive stability, but also means Kante gets a partner who is quite similar to him in several aspects. For starters, Bakayoko likes to dribble and rush forward with the ball – a trait that even the former Leicester man has.
Both of the midfielders also have great defensive attributes, but Bakayoko is slightly better in the air. When these two are paired up, expect them to take turns rushing forward in an attempt to disrupt the opponent’s defence.
But there is also a risk of them being too similar to play in tandem.
#2 James Rodriguez, Thiago Alcantara and Arturo Vidal
While Corentin Tolisso is the record inclusion for Carlo Ancelotti’s Bayern Munich, it is actually James Rodriguez I am more looking forward to. The Colombian has been brought in to provide a burst of creativity in the final third – and he is more than likely to do that.
Tactically, his presence in the midfield makes more sense than one would think. The former Real Madrid man is a purely attacking midfielder who doesn’t really provide tactical balance to a 3-man midfield. However, when playing alongside Thiago Alcantara and Arturo Vidal, things are a little different.
Both Vidal and Alcantara took their game to another level this past season, especially the latter. Thiago’s massive improvement in both attack and defence has been pleasing to the eye while the Chilean Vidal was always a tenacious, robust midfielder.
When paired alongside the two, James won’t have to worry about defending and that could bring out his A-game. At Real Madrid, he was almost always paired with other creative players, forcing him to make contribute defensively.
With Thiago’s telepathic intercepting abilities and Vidal’s crunching tackles, James’ delicate through-balls and sizzling ball-control could rappear – making Bayern a force to be reckoned with.
#1 Marcos Llorente, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric
And, finally, the midfield trio that Madridistas have been dreaming of since last season. While Casemiro might have been a very important player in Madrid’s run in the league and Europe, he was often criticised for his lack of intelligence and reckless tackling.
Indeed, it was quite a miracle that he managed to finish last season without seeing a single red card. Marcos Llorente, on the other hand, uses his brain more than brawn while defending, which makes him more suited to feature alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Another thing Casemiro lacks is passing ability. The former Porto man is not really known for his passing and often frustrated the fans with his poor judgment. However, Marcos Llorente is a better passer of the ball and will complement the German and Croat well in that regard.
However, the one argument against this combination would be that without Casemiro, Madrid might lack robustness, especially against the bigger teams. Nonetheless, this trio would be ideal against the weaker teams.
