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Is Nemanja Matic one of the best holding midfielders?

I'm more of a casual football viewer who doesn't focus much on observing defensive play or Chelsea matches though my (non-Chelsea-supporting) friend claims that Nemanja Matic is one of the best holding midfielders in the world alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez, Sergio Busquets, Arturo Vidal, etc.

How would any of you rate him when compared to other notable holding midfielders in the world?
(edited 9 years ago)

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Reply 1
Vidal isn't a holding midfielder.

Matic is decent but chelsea fan have overhyped him. He's definitely not up there with the other players. Personally, I'm a bastian fanboy so I'd say him though with Pep innovative tactics :ahee: he doesn't play the quintessential holding midfielder.

Busquets is probably the best on paper out of the list you put.
Bastian Schweinsteiger all ****ing day.
He's only had 12 league games and a couple of sub appearances with Chelsea so far.

In those 12 games, Chelsea have lost 3 times and drawn once too.

No doubt he's added balance to the Chelsea side in the way Mourinho wanted but I wouldn't jump the gun yet. Give him another season before assuming he's one of the best holding midfield players.
Jonesy will sort him out next season
He'll show his worth. Liked him a lot at Benfica and he provides balance to the Chelsea side. When he has a bad game Chelsea usually lose(showing his importance to the team) and sometimes when he's forced to harbor more creative freedom when we're a goal down he struggles as he also has to deal with counter attacks while moving forward with the ball as nobody else is as good defensively as him to sit back. However I think he's a complete central midfield player, reminds me a lot of Javi Martinez, probably a bit more creative too.

All in all, a solid 7 out of 10. Will be an 8.5 out of 10 next season as he develops the partnership with David Luiz/new creative CM. I think he definitely has potential to be the best holding midfielder around. He's different to Busquetts, who's one of a kind as a voltaire but his positional awareness is probably the best around in the premier league for a defensive midfielder.
(edited 9 years ago)
Probably one of the best around, but holding midfielders aren't at the level they were 6-7 years ago, so that isn't saying much.

Schweinsteiger and Vidal aren't holding midfielders either.

Busquets plays the holding role, but he's capable of much more. And he's much more suited to take over the 'Xavi role' than Fabregas.
(edited 9 years ago)
Vidal isnt holding.

I would say either Busquets, Schweinsteiger or Khedira when fit could be a beast. Martinez has potential if Pep plays him more often ngl Lahm has been doing well as a holding midfielder this year.
Original post by ineedtorevise127
Vidal isnt holding.

I would say either Busquets, Schweinsteiger or Khedira when fit could be a beast. Martinez has potential if Pep plays him more often ngl Lahm has been doing well as a holding midfielder this year.

I wouldn't say Khedira is holding either. Or at least he doesn't play like a holding midfielder. He bursts forward too much for my liking and he's not even great defensively. He works hard though but I don't rate him that much. Matic is better tbh as he's more composed on the ball, can go forward just as well as Khedira when need be but is more solid defensively.

Busquetts, Schweinsteigger and Martinez are the best for me. Matic is probably the next on that list. Although I don't think Schweinsteigger has been as good as he was under Heynckes. It's been a more Toni Kroos/Thiago based team this season though so I'm not surprised plus Schweiny was injured for large periods of this season.
(edited 9 years ago)
Khedira's definitely not up there.
Good in the air; good at running - Average at everything else.

And he's not a holding midfielder anyway - Like half the guys mentioned in this thread.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Anonymous Coward
Khedira's definitely not up there.
Good in the air; good at running - Average at everything else.

And he's not a holding midfielder anyway - Like half the guys in this thread.

True.

I only include Thiago and Kroos as a holding midfielder because that's how they make them play. to be a dictator but also contribute to defensive work when need be and they rely on positioning and pressuring opposition over their tackling skills.

Schweinsteigger played the holding role earlier in the season before he got injured. He's very good if he plays there but he's a complete midfielder who can play in any position in the Centre. Same with Pirlo and Kroos.
Original post by jam277
True.

I only include Thiago and Kroos as a holding midfielder because that's how they make them play. to be a dictator but also contribute to defensive work when need be and they rely on positioning and pressuring opposition over their tackling skills.

Schweinsteigger played the holding role earlier in the season before he got injured. He's very good if he plays there but he's a complete midfielder who can play in any position in the Centre. Same with Pirlo and Kroos.


Aren't they just centre midfielders or deep lying playmakers? Like Alonso.
Their purpose is to spread the ball, set the tempo, carry the ball, create openings, and chip in with a few goals too.
Winning the ball is further down the list.
Lahm played as the holding player in 4-1-4-1 behind Thiago and another usually.

Whereas the likes of Gilberto Silva, Makelele, Mascherano, Gattuso were all in the team to disrupt the other team, win the ball, and play it simple (more often than not just to the next man.)
Their involvement with the ball was pretty much to pass it to the next guy. Pretty limited passing range.

I don't see many true holding players these days.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Anonymous Coward
Aren't they just centre midfielders or deep lying playmakers? Like Alonso.
Their purpose is to spread the ball, set the tempo, carry the ball, create openings, and chip in with a few goals too.
Winning the ball is further down the list.
Lahm played as the holding player in 4-1-4-1 behind Thiago and another usually.

Whereas the likes of Gilberto Silva, Makelele, Mascherano, Gattuso were all in the team to disrupt the other team, win the ball, and play it simple (more often than not just to the next man.)
Their involvement with the ball was pretty much to pass it to the next guy. Pretty limited passing range.

I don't see many true holding players these days.

http://afootballreport.com/post/35065803281/the-pirlo-mascherano-and-makelele-an-insight-into-the

A holding player and a defensive midfield player are different things although a defensive midfielder can be a holding player. A defensive midfield player is what you describe as Mascherano or sebastien Kehl, who's sole purpose is to break attacks via their physicality but are technically limited and rarely finds themselves past the centre circle. Lahm played as the sole holding player earlier in the season, but he's used other players such as Martinez, Schweinsteigger and even Kroos there. At the start of the season he used Bastian as the holding and then got Kroos and Muller further up the pitch. When Bastian got injured he used Lahm there in the 4-1-4-1. Their formations are weird though and I haven't followed them too much recently since they've become insipid to watch with their side to side passing and run and crossing. They play like Manchester United with more short passes.

Alonso to me counts as a holding midfield player too. It's a deep lying playmaker position as well. It's basically whoever plays in a no.6 position. Alonso at Madrid has basically been stopping counter attacks via positioning and distributing the ball. Lahm and Busquetts do this too. But people are inbetween the roles.
(edited 9 years ago)
As a conventional defensive midfielder, he's one of the best out there, decent passing range to boot. Suits Chelsea well. When they get a proper playmaker alongside him next season, they'll be ridiculously tough to play against.

Also, Vidal is probably the best box to box midfielder out there, quite like the Gerrard of 04-08. He can play DM if needed, and has the skill set to exceed at it (well he started out as one) but that doesn't get the best out of him. I'd put Busquets, Javi Martinez, Schweinsteiger and Lars Bender ahead of him from the players I've seen a fair bit of, but Matic is right up there as one of the top 10 in the world in his position for me (if you're just talking about DM's)...if you want to include deep lying regista's in the discussion, then its a different conversation headed by the bearded gods Alonso and Pilro :sexface:.
Original post by jam277
http://afootballreport.com/post/35065803281/the-pirlo-mascherano-and-makelele-an-insight-into-the

A holding player and a defensive midfield player are different things although a defensive midfielder can be a holding player. A defensive midfield player is what you describe as Mascherano or sebastien Kehl, who's sole purpose is to break attacks via their physicality but are technically limited and rarely finds themselves past the centre circle. Lahm played as the sole holding player earlier in the season, but he's used other players such as Martinez, Schweinsteigger and even Kroos there. At the start of the season he used Bastian as the holding and then got Kroos and Muller further up the pitch. When Bastian got injured he used Lahm there in the 4-1-4-1. Their formations are weird though and I haven't followed them too much recently since they've become insipid to watch with their side to side passing and run and crossing. They play like Manchester United with more short passes.

Alonso to me counts as a holding midfield player too. It's a deep lying playmaker position as well. It's basically whoever plays in a no.6 position. Alonso at Madrid has basically been stopping counter attacks via positioning and distributing the ball. Lahm and Busquetts do this too. But people are inbetween the roles.


Ahhh. I always assumed they were the same thing.
Fair enough.

Some of the names on here make more sense in that case.
Original post by elpistolero7
As a conventional defensive midfielder, he's one of the best out there, decent passing range to boot. Suits Chelsea well. When they get a proper playmaker alongside him next season, they'll be ridiculously tough to play against.

Also, Vidal is probably the best box to box midfielder out there, quite like the Gerrard of 04-08. He can play DM if needed, and has the skill set to exceed at it (well he started out as one) but that doesn't get the best out of him. I'd put Busquets, Javi Martinez, Schweinsteiger and Lars Bender ahead of him from the players I've seen a fair bit of, but Matic is right up there as one of the top 10 in the world in his position for me (if you're just talking about DM's)...if you want to include deep lying regista's in the discussion, then its a different conversation headed by the bearded gods Alonso and Pilro :sexface:.


I think he used holding midfielder in the wrong context, they're very interchangeable terms though as they're both no.6 players.

Should have said defensive midfielders. But most of these no.6 midfielders can do a job as a defensive midfielder(see Gerrard with his tackling even though he plays like a half back when Liverpool are playing possession) or as a holding/regista(see Matic/Luiz, they put in tackles as CMs and are aggressive but are also very good at playing the ball out of midfield and being in the holding role and staying solid in position)

Anyway I'm going to put a name out, the best Regista for the next 10 years won't be Verratti, it'll be Ruben Pardo and Illaramendi.
Original post by Anonymous Coward
Ahhh. I always assumed they were the same thing.
Fair enough.

Some of the names on here make more sense in that case.

I assumed they were as well. But I was intrigued when Mourinho called Makalele an amazing deep lying playmaker and said that Modric could play no.6. I thought he was being deluded/biased but after reading that article it all makes sense.

The media use the term interchangebly admittedly
Original post by ineedtorevise127
Vidal isnt holding.

I would say either Busquets, Schweinsteiger or Khedira when fit could be a beast. Martinez has potential if Pep plays him more often ngl Lahm has been doing well as a holding midfielder this year.


khedira is nowhere near the level of busquets and schweinsteiger lol
At the moment imo its De Rossi.
If swienstiger is a DM then so is piro/vidal/yaya.
Original post by whydoidothis?
At the moment imo its De Rossi.
If swienstiger is a DM then so is piro/vidal/yaya.

Yaya ain't holding, he hasn't played there for City once. He's either played in the hole or as a box to box midfielder. De Rossi also deserves a mention, forgot about him. But I think Matic is around that level. He'll show it properly next season, but at Benfica he was running the show and has slotted into Chelsea very easily. Next season he'll be on that level, right now he's showing that he's a solid player.

Schweinsteigger has played in the holding role this season although not very much. Pirlo would count as a holding player by that definition.

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