The Evolution of the Deep-Lying Playmaker Role

Football has evolved remarkably over the years.

Be it tactically, in terms of speed, where the emphasis lies or with different formations, the sport has seen it all. What's the most important of all is difficult to nail down.

Yet, it's a particular role in football has become one of the most pivotal: the deep-lying playmaker.

Referred to as a regista in Italy, this position - more of a role, than a position - in the team is famed for offering both an added shield to the defence, as well as being the first piece in the often complicated puzzle that is scoring a goal.

The immediate name that springs to mind is that of Andrea Pirlo, someone who revolutionised the deep-lying playmaker role and made it somewhat of an art form.

This was during the turn of the century, but the role as we know it has been altered drastically over the years, with its first form coming pre and post World War One.

In the pyramid formation, five attackers would line up with the emphasis heavily on playing in the opponents' half and keeping the proverbial foot firmly on the peddle. In order to maintain such pressure, the centre-half's task would be to provide the ammunition for the forwards to feed off of, while simultaneously performing the defensive duties his positional title would suggest.

Charlie Roberts was one of the first players credited with embodying all these traits. His success with Manchester United in the early 1900s drew admiring glances from across Europe, spawning the likes of Luis Monti at Juventus in the 1930s. Rivelino, Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane were some of the finest playmakers in the years to follow, but their defensive duties were lessened, and couldn't be categorised as such.

Moving forward to present day, football is obviously a bit different.

A glance at the early years of the Premier League indicates the that the deep lying role has basically disappeared. Played at such a frantic pace and distinctly more physical, a central midfielder's task leans more towards providing cover to the back four. 4-4-2 formations were commonplace, where the wingers would be more involved in attacks and one of the strikers could drop deeper to operate in a number ten role.

These modern tactical tweaks made deep-lying playmakers more or less redundant, with the insistence being on box-to-box midfielders who would drive forward with the ball, wide players, and overlapping full-backs.

English football was blessed with the Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira mould of midfielder. While boasting skill of their own, they were primarily built for on-field presence and ball-winning. But it was Claude Makelele's move to Chelsea in 2003 popularised the need for just one holding midfielder, a method many sides across the country would attempt to mimic.

However, this was not the case across Europe, with Spanish and Italian football being played at a less frantic pace, thus providing the platform for the regista role to flourish.

This was evident with Pirlo, whose unhurried elegance and delicate touch was allowed to sweep Italy off its feet due to tactical niches that worked in his favour. Alongside two ball-winning midfielders in a 4-3-2-1 formation, the protection he received from his teammates meant he was able to pull the strings and conduct the rhythm of the game to his liking. His time at AC Milan in the early 2000s saw the role enter a new chapter in its history.

One of the characteristics that is essential in a deep playmaker's skillset is his range of pass. Be it cross-field balls to marauding wingers or neat and tidy distribution in close quarters play, pin point accuracy in everything they do is non-negotiable.

Pirlo's excellence was the pinnacle of the era, but at Barcelona we saw equal measures of magnificence in the form of Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta. It was the former who most fit the deep-lying playmaker tag, operating in a side that demanded complete domination of the ball at all times.

Acting as the pivot in the midfield, he would form the base of all attacks, while his heightened technical ability would buy him the necessary time to weave his magic going forward. In many ways, it's the simplest role, but also the most revered and attractive to watch.

On the international stage it saw a resurgence too. Italy won World Cup 2006 using Pirlo in the role, Spain won Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup with Xavi, Italy and Spain reached the final of Euro 2012 and Croatia reached the final of the 2018 World Cup final with a more modern interpretation of the deep-lying playmaker role: Luka Modric.

The successes of these sides prompted a surge in players taking on the role. At Paris Saint-Germain we've seen Marco Verratti blossom into one of Europe's finest, while Toni Kroos has become synonymous with the role since moving into a deeper position from his previously more attacking slot. These are more modern in comparison to the 'regista' as they can play along the midfield.

Previously it was essential for the deep, creative playmaker to play centrally, but with Modric, Verratti and Kroos - to name a few - offering versatility across the midfield, their influence can be stretched and force opponents to tweak their gameplans accordingly.

Over in the Premier League, the favouritism that the 4-2-3-1 formation sees has prevented as many deep lying operators from gracing the division. Two ball-playing and ball-winning midfielders will sit behind an attacking midfielder, who bears the primary burden of creativity in the final third.

Paul Scholes' move into a deeper role in the second half of his career was about as close as England got, although Michael Carrick did offer a glimpse into what the league may look at with a deep-lying playmaker at one of the top clubs in the country.

Now the more common approach is to utilise a box-to-box midfielder alongside a more traditional defensive partner, who can act as the bridge to the classic number ten.

It's a shame that this is the case. No role in a football team quite matches the splendour of a deep-lying playmaker. Someone who is required to master multiple trades, but does so almost unknowingly and effectively that it keeps their side ticking over and allows other members of the team to perform their tasks.

We'll see Kroos and Verratti define the latest era of this role. Already they're two of the finest in the business, but you've also got Thiago at Bayern and Dani Parejo at Valencia who have been bringing this role back to the fore - as it deserves.

It's returned to the game this century, but not every league is built for it.

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