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Defensive midfielder Profiles

Anchor, Half-Back, DLP, Regista, BWM. Each one solves a different problem and creates a different gap. Pick the wrong one and your back four has nobody screening them.

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Filter by position

Showing 31–60 of 72

Adam Wharton

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

High Passing and Vision make him effective in distributing the ball.

Good Composure and Decisions help in maintaining possession under pressure.

Comes Deep To Get BallPlays One-Twos

BrentfordEnglish

Serhat Kaya

MC • Advanced Playmaker • Support

High Passing and Vision make him ideal for creating opportunities.

Strong Technique and First Touch enhance his playmaking abilities.

Shoots From DistanceComes Deep To Get Ball

BrentfordTurkish

Unknown Player

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

High Tackling and Teamwork make him ideal for breaking up opposition play.

Strong Positioning and Anticipation support defensive duties.

SC FreiburgAmerican

John Buckley

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

High Passing and Vision for playmaking

Strong Teamwork and Work Rate for midfield control

Tries Killer Balls OftenDictates TempoTries Tricks

BlackburnEngland

Malcom Edjouma

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

Strong tackling and marking abilities.

Good physical presence with strength and jumping reach.

Rodri

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

High Tackling and Aggression make him effective in winning the ball.

Strong Physical attributes like Strength and Stamina support defensive duties.

Rodri

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

High Tackling and Strength make him effective in winning the ball.

Good Work Rate and Teamwork support defensive duties.

Felix Alschner

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

High Passing and Technique make him effective in distributing the ball.

Good Positioning and Decisions support his role in controlling the midfield.

Unknown Player

MC • Mezzala • Support

High Passing and Vision make him effective in linking play.

Strong Work Rate and Teamwork support his role in midfield transitions.

Shoots From DistancePlays One-Twos

Man CityHungarian

Paul Pogba

MC • Box to Box • Support

Strong passing and vision make him effective in linking play.

High stamina and work rate allow him to cover large areas of the pitch.

Runs With Ball Through CentreShoots From DistanceDwells On Ball

João Gomes

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

High tackling and marking make him effective in breaking up play.

Strong positioning and work rate ensure he maintains defensive shape.

Gets Forward Whenever Possible

Tomás Händel

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

High Passing and Vision make him effective in distributing the ball.

Strong Positioning and Teamwork enhance his ability to control the midfield.

Dictates TempoTries Long Range PassesRuns With Ball Often

Tyler Morton

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

High Passing and Vision make him ideal for distributing the ball.

Strong Positioning and Teamwork enhance his ability to control the midfield.

Dictates TempoStops Play

Paul Pogba

MC • Mezzala • Attack

Strong dribbling and technique for advancing play

High work rate and stamina for box-to-box movement

Runs With Ball Through CentreShoots From DistanceDwells On Ball

Jude Bellingham

MC • Mezzala • Support

Excellent passing and vision make him ideal for linking play.

High work rate and stamina allow him to cover ground effectively.

Gets Into Opposition AreaMoves Into ChannelsArgues With Officials

Toby Crawford

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

Strong tackling and marking abilities.

High stamina and natural fitness for covering ground.

WoodfordEnglish

Craig Quinn

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

Excellent passing and technique make him ideal for distributing the ball.

Good vision and decision-making enhance his playmaking abilities.

Doncaster RoversScotland

Mathías Villasanti

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

Strong tackling and marking abilities.

High work rate and teamwork make him effective in defensive roles.

GrêmioParaguay

Paul Gatland

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

Strong tackling and marking abilities.

Good physical attributes like stamina and strength.

Plays Short Simple Passes

WoodfordEnglish

José Manuel Company

DM • Segundo Volante • Support

High Stamina and Work Rate for box-to-box movement

Excellent Passing and Vision for playmaking

Dictates TempoTries Long Range PassesRuns With Ball Rarely

Bayern MünchenESP

Paul Gatland

DM • Defensive Midfielder • Defend

Strong tackling and marking abilities make him effective in breaking up opposition attacks.

High stamina and work rate allow him to cover large areas of the pitch efficiently.

WoodfordEnglish

Naby Keïta

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Defend

Strong passing and vision for playmaking

Good work rate and teamwork for defensive duties

Places ShotsPlays One-TwosLikes Ball Played Into Feet

SV WerderGuinean

Florentino Luís

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

High Tackling and Marking make him excellent at regaining possession.

Strong Positioning and Anticipation aid in defensive duties.

Tries to Play Way Out of Trouble

BenficaPortuguese

Fredrik Aursnes

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

Excellent passing and vision make him ideal for distributing the ball.

Strong mental attributes like concentration and decisions enhance his playmaking ability.

Looks for Pass Rather Than Attempting to Score

BenficaNorwegian

Kenneth Taylor

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

Excellent passing and vision for distributing the ball.

Strong positioning and teamwork for defensive duties.

Entra na Grande ÁreaAdversáriaExplora os Espaços

Hidemasa Morita

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Defend

Excellent passing and vision make him ideal for distributing the ball.

Strong positioning and tackling support defensive duties.

Dictates TempoTries Long Range PassesPlays Short Simple Passes

Sporting CPJapan

Francho

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

High tackling and marking attributes make him effective in breaking up opposition attacks.

Strong positioning and concentration enhance his ability to intercept passes.

Gets Forward Whenever PossibleDictates TempoPlays One-Twos

Maxim Mukhin

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

High aggression and teamwork make him effective in breaking up play.

Strong stamina and work rate allow him to cover large areas of the pitch.

Plays Short Simple PassesKnocks Ball Past OpponentDives Into Tackles

Alan Varela

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Defend

High passing and vision make him ideal for distributing the ball.

Strong positioning and anticipation help in defensive duties.

Comes Deep To Get BallDictates TempoLooks For Pass Rather Than Attempting To Score

Unknown Player

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Defend

High Passing and Technique make him effective in distributing the ball.

Strong Composure and Decisions aid in maintaining possession under pressure.

Comes Deep To Get Ball

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Pick a position, read the role theory first

The cards above are uploaded player profiles. If you're trying to figure out which role a player should be playing (or which type of player your tactic actually needs), start with the articles below. Each bucket links to the guides that explain the role distribution, the pairings that work, and the antipatterns that don't. Recent community uploads in each position are listed underneath.

Centre-backs

Stopper, Cover, BPD: every back four is a triangulation between aggression, recovery, and progression. Pairings here decide how high your line can hold and whether you keep clean sheets against pace.

Player pairings

Centre-Back Pairings

Stopper-Cover, BPD-CD, two BPDs. How centre-back duties shape your defensive shape.

12 min readRead

Defensive Line and Line of Engagement

The pairing rule for Defensive Line and Line of Engagement, all 9 combinations, and the gap that costs goals.

12 min readRead

Reading FM Attributes for Tactical Fit

The 13/15/17 working tiers in FM, hidden attributes that scouting won't show, and the per-role priorities that actually matter.

12 min readRead

Recruitment by Tactical Fit

Scout for system fit, not stat stars. The shortlist filters in FM that map to your tactic, and the role-attribute matrix to use.

12 min readRead

Recent centre-backs from the community

Semir Salahovic — Sassuolo
Matteo Rosati — Galatasaray
Sergio Ramos — Slavia
Martin Harrison — Millwall

Browse all (77) centre-backs

Full-backs and wing-backs

The position whose duty changes the entire shape of the team. Attacking full-backs turn 4-4-2 into 2-4-4 in possession; defensive full-backs let your front three stay aggressive without leaving the centre-backs alone.

Player pairings

Full-Back and Winger Pairings

Overlap, underlap, IF + attacking WB. The same-channel rule for full-back and winger pairings, and the cases where it doesn't apply.

12 min readRead

Wing Play vs Central Play

Build through the wide areas or through the middle? A working framework for picking the right one for your squad.

10 min readRead

Defensive midfielders

Anchor, Half-Back, DLP, Regista, BWM. Each one solves a different problem and creates a different gap. Pick the wrong one and your back four has nobody screening them.

Player pairings

Midfield Pairs in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2

Double pivots and flat pairs in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2: when each pairing works, when it collapses, and the AMC unicorn that rescues both.

12 min readRead

Player pairings

Midfield Trios

Holder, runner, creator: the role distribution rule for three-man midfields, the AMC variants, and the antipatterns that break them.

12 min readRead

Central midfielders

The role that does the most invisible work. Box-to-Box, Mezzala, Carrilero, Roaming Playmaker: the right pick depends on what the players around them are doing as much as the player's own attributes.

Player pairings

Midfield Trios

Holder, runner, creator: the role distribution rule for three-man midfields, the AMC variants, and the antipatterns that break them.

12 min readRead

Player pairings

Midfield Pairs in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2

Double pivots and flat pairs in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2: when each pairing works, when it collapses, and the AMC unicorn that rescues both.

12 min readRead

Attacking midfielders

The number ten lives in the half-space behind the striker. Trequartista, Enganche, Shadow Striker, AP: each variant trades creativity for off-ball discipline differently, and your midfield pivot has to pick up the slack accordingly.

Player pairings

Midfield Trios

Holder, runner, creator: the role distribution rule for three-man midfields, the AMC variants, and the antipatterns that break them.

12 min readRead

Player pairings

Midfield Pairs in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2

Double pivots and flat pairs in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2: when each pairing works, when it collapses, and the AMC unicorn that rescues both.

12 min readRead

Wingers and wide midfielders

Inside Forward, Inverted Winger, traditional Winger, Wide Playmaker. The choice is whether the wide player attacks the half-space or hugs the touchline, and whether your full-back is the one providing width or not.

Player pairings

Full-Back and Winger Pairings

Overlap, underlap, IF + attacking WB. The same-channel rule for full-back and winger pairings, and the cases where it doesn't apply.

12 min readRead

Wing Play vs Central Play

Build through the wide areas or through the middle? A working framework for picking the right one for your squad.

10 min readRead

Strikers

Poacher, Complete Forward, False 9, Pressing Forward, Target Man. The striker role is the load-bearing piece for everything else: a False 9 changes what your wide forwards have to do, a Pressing Forward changes what your defensive line is allowed to be.

Player pairings

Striker Partnerships in FM

Target Man and Poacher, False 9 and Inside Forward: the striker partnerships that solve isolation, plus the pairings that contradict.

12 min readRead

Gegenpressing: A Full Guide

Klopp-style gegenpressing in FM, including squad profile, line-and-press pairing, sustainable workload, and the antipatterns to avoid.

12 min readRead

Foundations

Mentality, Duty & Roles

How Mentality, Duty, and Role interact in FM, why duty trumps mentality every time, and the role-on-top-of-duty composition rules.

12 min readRead

Recruitment by Tactical Fit

Scout for system fit, not stat stars. The shortlist filters in FM that map to your tactic, and the role-attribute matrix to use.

12 min readRead

Recent full-backs and wing-backs from the community

Clinton Bassong — ADO Den Haag
Lee Jung-Hyung — Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
David Kalem — Osijek
Francisco Ortega — Olympiacos

Browse all (62) full-backs and wing-backs

Foundations

Mentality, Duty & Roles

How Mentality, Duty, and Role interact in FM, why duty trumps mentality every time, and the role-on-top-of-duty composition rules.

12 min readRead

Pressing Triggers and Intensity

Counter-Press, Regroup, Stand Off, Trigger Press: what each pressing instruction does in FM and how to pair them without contradicting.

12 min readRead

Recent defensive midfielders from the community

Samuel Gustafson — Galatasaray SK
Đorđe Stojković — Empoli
Michael Macrory — Millwall Reserves
Benjamin de Boer — Vaduz

Browse all (72) defensive midfielders

Foundations

Mentality, Duty & Roles

How Mentality, Duty, and Role interact in FM, why duty trumps mentality every time, and the role-on-top-of-duty composition rules.

12 min readRead

Recruitment by Tactical Fit

Scout for system fit, not stat stars. The shortlist filters in FM that map to your tactic, and the role-attribute matrix to use.

12 min readRead

Recent central midfielders from the community

Iban Arroyo — Athletic Club
Fabien Girard — AFC Metz
Hugo Sorbetky — SK Slavia Prague
Andrés Iniesta — Barcelona

Browse all (94) central midfielders

Playing styles

Tiki-Taka vs Positional Play

Why circulation density and zonal occupation aren't the same thing in FM, and the half-space occupation rule that decides build-up.

12 min readRead

Reading FM Attributes for Tactical Fit

The 13/15/17 working tiers in FM, hidden attributes that scouting won't show, and the per-role priorities that actually matter.

12 min readRead

Recent attacking midfielders from the community

Francisco Costa
Unknown Player — Chelsea
Rodrigo Amaral — Univ. de Chile
Shohei Kawada — Fukushima

Browse all (50) attacking midfielders

Playing styles

Gegenpressing: A Full Guide

Klopp-style gegenpressing in FM, including squad profile, line-and-press pairing, sustainable workload, and the antipatterns to avoid.

12 min readRead

Recruitment by Tactical Fit

Scout for system fit, not stat stars. The shortlist filters in FM that map to your tactic, and the role-attribute matrix to use.

12 min readRead

Recent wingers and wide midfielders from the community

Thiago Messi — Inter Miami
Craig Tudor — Burton
Szymon Garbacz — AS Roma
Daniel Rotllan — AS Roma

Browse all (127) wingers and wide midfielders

Playing styles

Counter-Attacking Excellence

Sit deep, win the ball, and break in three passes. The roles, instructions, and squad profile that make it work.

11 min readRead

Recruitment by Tactical Fit

Scout for system fit, not stat stars. The shortlist filters in FM that map to your tactic, and the role-attribute matrix to use.

12 min readRead

Recent strikers from the community

Jeffrey de Haan — Barcelona B
Unknown Player — Barcelona
Harvey Hall
Vitor Roque — ATP

Browse all (108) strikers