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    Central midfielder Profiles

    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.

    Example Football Manager player profile - Anthony Jouen

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    Filter by position

    Showing 91–94 of 94

    Adam Kosiorowski profile photo

    Adam Kosiorowski

    MC • Central Midfielder • Attack
    High Passing and Technique make him effective in distributing the ball.
    Good First Touch and Vision allow him to control the midfield and create opportunities.
    CM22 yrs
    €20.0M
    Key Attributes
    Tries Killer Balls OftenComes Deep To Get Ball
    PogońPolish
    Charlie Woan profile photo

    Charlie Woan

    MC • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support
    High Passing and Vision make him excellent at distributing the ball.
    Good Composure and Decisions support his playmaking role.
    CM23 yrs
    €39.0M
    Key Attributes
    Tries Killer Balls OftenLikes To Round KeeperPlays One-Twos
    Sheffield WednesdayEngland
    Masimo Lasić profile photo

    Masimo Lasić

    MC • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support
    Strong passing and vision make him ideal for distributing the ball.
    Good composure and anticipation help in maintaining possession under pressure.
    CM20 yrs
    €24.0M
    Key Attributes
    Dictates TempoTries First Time Shots
    BrightonCRO
    Gennaro Gigli profile photo

    Gennaro Gigli

    AMC • Advanced Playmaker • Support
    High Passing and Vision make him ideal for creating chances.
    Good Technique and First Touch allow him to control the ball effectively.
    CM31 yrs
    €16.0M
    Key Attributes
    Gets Forward Whenever PossibleTries Killer Balls OftenLikes To Lob Keeper
    HB KøgeItalian
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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
    Foundations

    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
    Squad building

    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
    Squad building

    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
    Foundations

    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
    Foundations

    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
    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
    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
    Squad building

    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
    Foundations

    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
    Squad building

    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
    Squad building

    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
    Squad building

    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
    Squad building

    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