Tactics Players Guides

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Disclaimer

Built by someone who had too much extra time on their hands after FM 25 was cancelled

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.

Upload a screenshot like this from your Football Manager player's screen

Upload Player Information

Upload your players' profile screen, or paste from clipboard

Supported formats: JPG, PNG, WebP • Max size: 5MB

How to Upload a Screenshot

1
Take a screenshot using PrtScn or Snipping Tool
2
Click the upload area or drag & drop your image
3
Select your screenshot from the file dialog
4
Wait for AI analysis to complete

Filter by position

Showing 61–78 of 78

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

Vicente Pizarro

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Defend

Excellent passing and vision for playmaking.

Strong concentration and decisions for defensive duties.

Dictates TempoStops Play

Tyler Morton

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Defend

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

High teamwork and work rate support defensive duties.

Dictates TempoStops Play

FiorentinaEngland

Riccardo Perbellini

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Defend

High Technique and Passing for playmaking

Good Composure and Decisions for controlling play

Plays Short Simple Passes

Milan Under 18sItalian

Casemiro

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

High tackling and marking attributes make him effective at breaking up opposition play.

Strong physical presence with high strength and aggression.

Shoots With PowerDives Into TacklesTries Long Range Passes

Man UtdBrazilian

José Fernández

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Support

High Aggression and Tackling make him effective in breaking up play.

Strong Physical attributes like Stamina and Strength support a combative role.

Dictates TempoTries To Play Way Out Of TroubleLooks For Pass Rather Than Attempting To Score

SheffieldUruguayan

Unknown Player

DM • Defensive Midfielder • Defend

High Passing and Tackling make him effective in breaking up play and distributing the ball.

Good Positioning and Teamwork support defensive responsibilities.

GloucesterEnglish

Tyrese Noubissé

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

High Tackling and Marking make him effective at breaking up opposition play.

Strong Anticipation and Aggression support defensive duties.

Runs With Ball Often

Manchester CityScottish

Nathan De Cat

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Support

Strong tackling and marking abilities.

High work rate and teamwork enhance defensive contributions.

Manchester City Under 21sBelgian

Lautaro Farina

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

High Tackling and Marking make him effective in breaking up opposition play.

Strong Physical attributes like Strength and Stamina support a defensive role.

Lewis Cook

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.

Runs With Ball Through Centre

BournemouthEnglish

Dario Popovic

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

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

Strong Decisions and Teamwork enhance his playmaking abilities.

Comes Deep To Get Ball

Jack Hinshelwood

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

Strong tackling and positioning make him effective in breaking up opposition play.

Good anticipation and concentration help in reading the game and intercepting passes.

BrightonEnglish

Previous
1
2
3
Next

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

Ambroise Methalie — Spurs
Elyaz
Simon Dethier — Genesis United
Guillaume Coibion — Genesis United

Browse all (81) 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

Gaspar Bertrand — Genesis United
Clinton Bassong — ADO Den Haag
Lee Jung-Hyung — Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
David Kalem — Osijek

Browse all (63) 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

Chema — Como
Thomas Muller — Genesis United
Shunto Kodama — Tokushima Vortis
Lesley Ugochukwu — Burnley

Browse all (78) 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

Fermín — Huddersfield
Alex Scott — Huddersfield
Julian Boulay — Huddersfield
Jordan Ippolito — Genesis United

Browse all (100) 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

Martin Baturina — Como
Unknown Player — Nazilli Bld.
Sebastião — Huddersfield
Francisco Costa

Browse all (53) 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

Nico Paz — Como 1907
Facundo Guajardo — Huddersfield
Unknown Player — Nazilli Bld.
Noah-Joel Sarenren-Bazee — Arminia Bielefeld

Browse all (136) 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

Gonçalo Pedro
Harry Kane — Huddersfield
Unknown Player — TSG Hoffenheim
Fuad Toptaş — Bordeaux

Browse all (115) strikers