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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 1–30 of 70

Michael Macrory

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

High Anticipation and Bravery make him effective in breaking up play.

Good Passing and First Touch allow him to distribute the ball effectively.

Millwall ReservesNIR

Benjamin de Boer

DM • Deep-Lying Playmaker • Support

High Passing and Vision make him excellent at distributing the ball.

Strong First Touch and Composure allow him to control the game under pressure.

VaduzNetherlands

Alberto Torre

DM • Box to Box • Support

High Determination and Work Rate make him effective in a dynamic role.

Good Passing and Tackling support both defensive and offensive transitions.

Diego Hübner

DM • Box to Box • Support

Strong passing ability (15) suits a Box to Box role.

High work rate (15) and stamina (13) are ideal for covering ground.

Plays No Through Balls

João Palhinha

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

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

Strong Work Rate and Teamwork ensure he contributes defensively and supports teammates.

Plays Short Simple Passes

FulhamPortuguese

Tom Bischof

MC • Box to Box • Support

High Work Rate and Stamina for covering ground

Strong Tackling and Passing for transitional play

Likes To Switch Ball To Wide Areas

Stefan Bajčetić

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Defend

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

Good Composure and Decisions help in maintaining possession under pressure.

Brings Ball Out of Defence

LiverpoolSerbia

Luca Stephenson

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

Strong tackling and marking attributes.

Good physical presence with strength and stamina.

LiverpoolEngland

Xander Dierckx

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

Strong passing and vision for playmaking

Good anticipation and decisions for controlling the game

Silas Gnaka

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

Strong tackling and marking abilities.

Good physical attributes for a defensive role.

Jean Hugonet

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

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

Strong Aggression and Determination ensure he is proactive in defensive duties.

Hidemasa Morita

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Defend

Excellent passing and vision for playmaking

Strong positioning and teamwork for defensive duties

Gets Forward Whenever PossibleDictates TempoTries Long Range Passes

Sporting CPJapan

Ayyoub Bouaddi

DM • Deep-Lying Playmaker • Support

High Passing and Vision for playmaking

Strong Tackling and Positioning for defensive duties

Kobbie Mainoo

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

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

Good composure and vision allow him to control the tempo of the game.

Runs With Ball Through CentreComes Deep To Get BallPlays One-Twos

Ayyoub Bouaddi

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

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

Strong Positioning and Anticipation help in defensive duties.

Everton Silva

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

High Passing and Vision make him excellent at distributing the ball.

Strong Tackling and Positioning support defensive duties.

Man UtdBrazilian

Everton Silva

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

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

Good Technique and Teamwork support playmaking duties.

Man UtdBrazilian

Jørgen Andersen

MC • Box to Box • Support

High stamina and work rate make him effective in both attack and defense.

Excellent passing and vision for linking play.

Gets Into Opposition AreaGets Forward Whenever PossibleMoves Ball To Right Foot Before Dribble Attempt

Paris SGDenmark

Ayyoub Bouaddi

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Defend

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

Strong Tackling and Marking support defensive duties.

Manchester UnitedFrance

Kobbie Mainoo

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

Excellent passing and vision for distributing the ball.

Strong composure and anticipation to control the tempo.

Runs With Ball Through CenterTries Killer Balls OftenCurls Ball

Christ Ravynel Inao Oulaï

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

Excellent passing and technique for distributing the ball.

Strong mental attributes like composure and decisions enhance playmaking.

Luciano Galeano

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Defend

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

Strong Positioning and Decisions support defensive duties.

Tries To Play Way Out Of Trouble

TottenhamBrazilian

Jonathan Ngoy

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Defend

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

Good Decisions and Composure allow him to maintain possession under pressure.

Likes To Switch Ball To Wide Areas

TottenhamGerman

Mikey Parker

DM • Segundo Volante • Support

High Passing and Decisions make him effective in transitioning play.

Strong Stamina and Work Rate allow him to cover ground effectively.

Gets Forward Whenever PossibleDictates TempoLooks For Pass Rather Than Attempting To Score

Eintracht FrankfurtScottish

Unknown Player

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Support

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

Strong physical attributes like stamina and pace support his role in midfield battles.

Enzo

DM • Deep Lying Playmaker • Support

High Passing and Vision for playmaking

Strong Anticipation and Composure for controlling the game

Thường Xuyên Chọc Khe Hiểm HócSút XaChơi Ban Bật

ChelseaArgentina

David Watson

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

High stamina and natural fitness make him effective in a demanding role.

Strong tackling and marking abilities suit defensive responsibilities.

Laércio Faria Nunes

DM • Ball Winning Midfielder • Defend

High aggression and tackling make him effective in breaking up opposition play.

Strong physical attributes like stamina and agility support his defensive duties.

Tries Killer Balls Often

VfL WolfsburgBrazil

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

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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

Martin Harrison — Millwall
Ryota Machida — Vaduz
Javier Tellez — Vaduz
Juan Carlos Romero — Vaduz

Browse all (74) 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

David Kalem — Osijek
Francisco Ortega — Olympiacos
Matt Champion — Millwall Reserves
Marko Ćirak — Vaduz

Browse all (60) 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

Michael Macrory — Millwall Reserves
Benjamin de Boer — Vaduz
Alberto Torre — Vaduz
Diego Hübner — Vaduz

Browse all (70) 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

Jurgen Kuhlmann — Vaduz
Alvaro Pereira — OL
Ryan Gravenberch — Liverpool
Curtis Jones — Liverpool

Browse all (87) 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

Abdul Abdulmalik — Millwall Reserves
Christophe Sow — Vaduz
Bautista Vera — Vaduz
Danis Lamprecht — Vaduz

Browse all (44) 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

Willie Mooney — Millwall Reserves
Lee Williams — Millwall Reserves
Prosper Oluwole — Galaxy Academy
Temesgen Kidane — Kon Tum

Browse all (122) 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

David Karanka — A. Bilbao
Phil Márquez — Widzew
Fer Niño — Widzew
Omar Tattini — Liverpool Under 18s

Browse all (104) strikers