There is no doubt that football is an ever-changing, flexible construct, whose trends can change according to the demands of the game. In the Premier League, the place of the central midfielder is part of this.
Innovator | Former Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele inspired almost a position of his own and a timeless football cliché. (Image | The Guardian)
Players now seldom operate in the so-called “Makélélé role”, named after former Chelsea midfielder Claude Makélélé, left.
Once seen as a must for every top side, it is now conspicuous by its absence. Figures such as Youssouf Mulumbu, Lucas and John Obi Mikel seem to be part of a dying breed in the English top flight.
