The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast Why are defensive midfielders scoring so many goals?
Nov 13, 2025
Michael Cox, a tactical writer for The Athletic, and Mark Carey, a football analyst, dive into the fascinating evolution of defensive midfielders. They analyze how players like Claude Makélélé transformed the role and discuss why modern midfielders are increasingly scoring goals. Insights on high pressing and its impact on attacking play highlight the strategic shifts in football. They also explore player examples, such as Moises Caicedo and Ryan Gravenberch, showcasing the new tactical freedom and goal threats from this position.
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The Anchorman Role Is Fading
- The traditional "anchorman" who never crosses halfway is largely extinct at top levels of football.
- Defensive midfielders now require mobility, pressing and attacking contributions beyond pure positional discipline.
Makélélé Redefined Midfield Sacrifice
- Claude Makélélé's role became iconic because he sacrificed his attacking game for team balance.
- His example led teams to copy a conservative holding approach that limited some midfielders' attacking output.
Deep Midfielders Score More Today
- Midfielders from Makélélé's era had almost no goal threat across long careers.
- Modern deep midfielders contribute visibly more to scoring and attacking play.
