Claude Makélélé arrived at Chelsea in 2003 after three successful seasons at Real Madrid.
In his time at the west London club he came to define a position and approach to playing
it with such success that his name has become synonymous with the function.
The Makélélé role is, in effect, the deepest lying midfielder of a midfield three in a
4-3-3, or the base of a midfield diamond. While it has largely defensive connotations,
the role does in fact serve an attacking purpose as well.
Makélélé was a converted winger, having played this more attacking role at Nantes,
and was thus technically proficient and quick. At Celta Vigo and later Real Madrid, he played
with defensive responsibilities and attacking ones; operating in a two-man midfield, Makélélé
and his partner would stage their forays forwards so that one was covering and the other advancing.
This fostered a positional discipline, especially at Real, where his job was largely to protect
and feed the ball to the advanced creative talents of the Galácticos.
At Chelsea, Makélélé became even more focussed on defence. This was in large part due to
a tactical shift brought about by José Mourinho, who became head coach in 2004. While Makélélé
had played as the deepest midfield under his predecessor Claudio Ranieri, either in a 4-4-2
alongside Frank Lampard, or at the base of a midfield diamond, Mourinho brought in the
4-3-3 that had brought him such success at Porto.
Makélélé became the anchor, playing behind two more attacking or shuttling midfielders.
The 4-3-3 has a clear advantage over the 4-4-2, which is one of the reasons teams started
to employ a three-man midfield against what had been, until Mourinho and others instigated
the shift, the predominant tactical set-up in Europe’s main leagues.
Makélélé could sit between the defence and midfield line, leaving him spare if the
two opposition midfielders picked up their opposite men.
If one pushed forwards to take Makélélé, then another midfielder was free.
And if a wide player moved inside to create a three versus three, then that meant a full
back was free to push forwards, unmarked.
This facilitated transitions from defence to attack, as the opposition found it hard
to stifle a move forwards without adjusting their system to match the 4-3-3, or dropping
to a 4-4-1-1, where the attacking midfielder could mark Makélélé – obviously, this
in turn reduced their own attacking options.
Crucially, then, the Makélélé role was not simply a defensive one, screening the
defence and moving across to protect the forays of increasingly adventurous full-backs.
It was also a transitional position, the link between defence and midfield, that allowed
a player to act as the fulcrum, avoiding long punts forwards that would often see possession
lost, especially with only one forward operating between two wingers.
Instead of bypassing midfield with clearances, or trying to find midfielders who were man-marked
with direct passes, a player between the lines could take the ball, shield it and turn and
play it forwards or wide to the full-backs – if that player was technically accomplished
and physically strong, as Makélélé was, they could even lure the opposition midfield
out of position as they sought to close down, creating more space.
And, crucially, it is a role born of a tactical shift to the 4-3-3; without that shift, a
player performing the same role in the 4-4-2 would leave their midfield partner isolated
as they dropped deeper, either leaving them two for one, or requiring wide players to
tuck in – though, of course, this does work in a strict 4-1-3-2 with attacking full backs.
The Makélélé role, then, is both positional and functional.
Positionally, the player sits in front of the back line, shielding the central area,
but also covering the flanks. Functionally, the role requires discipline, tactical intelligence,
and awareness of teammates’ movement – win the ball, or receive it, and move it on, quickly,
without risk, but always trying to find a teammate in space.
Makélélé himself had the skills to accomplish this, both the screening, ball-winning element,
and the transitional one. While the Makélélé role itself has at times ended up being viewed
as a purely destructive role, or one occupied by limited players who are unable to pass
well, or both, in its purest form the Makélélé role is both defensive and attacking, stopping
the opposition, and then beginning an attack from deep.