The Deep-Lying Playmaker | Football Role Analysis
Over the many years that football has graced our lives the game has forever been evolving. Whether it be pace and tempo, tactical strategy or data analysis people have always found new and innovative ways to play the game.
An interesting branch of this ‘sport evolution’ is player roles. Of course we all know about positions in football but it’s fascinating to take a look at the different styles and archetypes that players have within their positions. One of the most popular of these roles, in the modern day, is the Deep-Lying Playmaker (or Regista).
The Deep-Lying Playmaker is essentially a central midfielder that sits in a deeper position, in front of the two centre halves, and is known for their ability to start attacking movements and keep possession. Some of the most notable Registas of the past are Andrea Pirlo and Xabi Alonso who both had incredible careers embracing the role and becoming massive pieces in their teams success.
Like most styles of play in any sport, though, the Deep-Lying Playmaker has its strengths and weaknesses. In todays game the role of the Regista has gained much respect and admiration from football critics across the world with possession-based football being the go-to in footballing strategy, but is it overvalued? Or is it simply not getting enough recognition?
Strengths
The tools and attributes of a Deep-Lying Playmaker revolve around controlling the game or “pulling the strings” if you’d like. This involves dictating tempo and maintaining possession so that their team is always managing the game in their favour.
These attributes include; a high footballing IQ, confidence with the ball, a range of passes, technical dribbling and vision. All of these traits combined allow the Regista to take over games and be on the front foot throughout the entire 90 minutes.
Having complete control over a game is a huge advantage. Think of it like a game of chess, if you want your opponent to succumb to your gameplan then you need to be proactive and the other player be reactive. By doing this you can bend and wield the other player in whatever way you like and be one step ahead at all times.
Real Madrid midfielders Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are phenomenal at controlling a game. Well, what do you expect from two players with a combined nine Champions League medals? Both players excel at managing game situations, when to slow play down and when to speed it up accompanied by a great variation of passes. They have the footballing knowledge to understand when to play the long ball and when to pass it around the back which is key to keeping the defence guessing.
Another advantage of having a Deep-Lying Playmaker in your team is that you can counteract the press. A lot of teams nowadays are trying to defend from the front with attackers and wingers pressuring defenders when they have the ball in their own half and even their own third. The Deep-Lying Playmaker is an option to defeat this.
Let’s be honest, there are many players, especially defenders and defensive midfielders, who struggle with the ball when the opposition are on them. Players end up panicking and making sloppy passes or just end up kicking it up the pitch to relieve the pressure. By playing a deep-sitting midfielder who is confident and skilled enough to pass out of those positions, the team can advance the ball up the pitch and transition smoothly from defence to attack.
One of the best at this is Spanish legend Sergio Busquets. The 3x Champions League winner and 8x La Liga winner has been at the heart of Barcelona’s midfield for more than a decade and was part of the iconic Spain team that won the 2010 World Cup and 2012 Euros.
For a tall player Busquets is exceptional with the ball at his feet combining composure and awareness with good strength. This allows him to retain possession of the ball in tight areas and have the confidence to link short passes together with his teammates. We see this in Manchester City midfielder, Rodri, as well, who is basically a carbon copy of Busquets and currently playing at the same level of quality.
Weaknesses
The main drawback of a Regista is, typically, a lack of defensive ability. The majority of players that play this role do not have a high enough physicality to be competent when asked to defend and basically become redundant when the opposition has possession of the ball.
A lot of these players are; too slow to get back when being counterattacked, not strong enough to challenge for the ball in tackles and too small to be effective in aerial battles. All of these add up to make a defensive liability.
Because of this teams are made to play someone next to the Deep-Lying Playmaker that can do all the defensive work for them. But this means losing an attacking option to compensate. If we look at teams in recent history that play a Regista role in their system you will more than likely see some form of defensive midfielder or box-to-box midfielder right next to them in a double pivot formation.
A good example of this is Jorginho from his time at Chelsea who had N’Golo Kante paired with him. Due to Jorginho’s incapabilities to defend he can’t be effective as a single defensive midfielder and needs help, otherwise the back line would be exposed and threats on goal would happen too often.
In the past players who could spray long passes around the pitch, like a Regista can, were celebrated and applauded for such pinpoint accuracy. Think of likes of Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard who were well-known for their 40–50 yard passes across the field.
In the present game, however, this trait is not as unique and rare as it once was and it comes down to players being more well-rounded. Every week we see players from every position make these kinds of passes consistently and having that ability is no longer anything special or different.
England captain Harry Kane is an amazing long passer of the ball and he plays as a striker, it’s the same with Trent Alexander-Arnold (RB) and Hakim Ziyech (RW)- really good playmakers are now seen all over the pitch making it a less essential trait for a defensive midfielder.
In the end it’s really all about system and preference. If a manager likes to play possession-based, slow build-up football then a Deep-Lying Playmaker fits the bill perfectly. If their style is more defensive and/or aggressively attacking then the role doesn’t really work as effectively.
What makes a Regista a world class player, though, is when they don’t solely specialise in just passing and can be relied upon as a single defensive midfielder. The role is polarising, at the top end the players are unbelievable and possibly the most important players on their team but at the other end they go missing and subsequently don’t positively impact the game.
Let me know your thoughts:
Is the role underrated or overrated?
Who is the best Deep-Laying Playmaker in the world right now?
Are they really that good, or are they made to look good by the players around them?
