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The Midfield in relation to the football positions

A midfielder (or simply mid) is an association football position.^[1] Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards.^[2] The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role. The group of midfielders in a team is called the midfield.

More complete midfielders require a number of skills on top of fitness: they tackle, dribble, shoot and pass during any match. Most managers field at least one central midfielder with a marked task of breaking up opposition's attacks while the rest are more adept to creating goals or have equal responsibilities between attack and defence. At either side of the pitch a manager can field a right or left midfielder, who are used equally for both attack and defence, or a winger, a player used primarily for attack.

In essence, a good midfield must possess the ability to be combative while also being creative. A good striker without midfield support could lack attacking chances, while a defense likewise could be severely tested. Because they occupy the most influential parts of the pitch, midfielders are perhaps more likely to influence the outcome of a match than other positions,^[3] especially if they have vision for a good pass or ability to score.

Midfielders typically expend the most energy during a match because of the distance they cover on a pitch, as at times they can be called back into defence, or required to attack with the strikers.^[1]

Types of Midfielders[link]

Central midfielder[link]

Central midfielders play various roles on the field of play, and are probably the most important in terms of setting up attacks. Their position enables them to have an all-round view of the match, and as most of the action takes place in and around their area of the pitch, midfielders often exert the greatest degree of control over how a match is played. This section of the field is often known as a team's "engine room", because great teams rarely succeed without adept, commanding central midfielders.

Defensive midfielder[link]

2 defensive midfielders are indicated in blue circles.

A defensive midfielder or holding midfielder is often likened to an evolved version of the old-school sweeper.

The responsibilities of defensive midfielders usually include:

• Screening the defense by harrying and tackling the opposition teams' attackers and defenders.
• Covering the positions of full-backs, midfielders and even centre-backs as they advance into attack. This can be during open play or during set pieces such as free-kicks or corners.
• Retaining distribution nearer the defense. As passing the defense can be especially risky, the presence of the defensive midfielder just in front of defenders provides a relatively safer option going forward.
• Directing the distribution towards the flanks or further up front.
• Directing the opposition distribution to the flanks or deeper down their end, where they are less effective. Defensive midfielders are often pulled slightly towards the flank to deal with the threat of wingers cutting infield.

Although the duties of defensive midfielders are primarily defensive, some midfielders are deployed as deep-lying playmakers, due to their ability to dictate tempo from a deep position with their passing. As they are not defensive specialists, they are typically supported by a more defensive holding midfielder.

Defensive midfielders require excellent positional sense, work rate, tackling ability, and anticipation (of player and ball movement) to excel. They also need to possess excellent passing skills and close control to hold the ball in midfield under sustained pressure. Most importantly, defensive midfielders require great stamina as they are the onfield players who cover the greatest distance during a professional football match. Deep-lying playmakers typically require a good first touch under opposition pressure and the ability to play long crossfield passes to attacking players further upfield.

The defensive midfielder position is also referred to in Brazilian Portuguese as volante and in South American Spanish as volante de marca (Spanish and Portuguese for "steering wheel", or someone who gives direction), in Portugal as a trinco (meaning "lock"), in Mexico as "volante de contención" and in Russian as a волнорез (pronounced – vol-no-rez, meaning "wave-breaker"). Most Brazilian teams deploy at least one "volante" in their team, including the Brazilian national team who have fielded defensive midfielders, such as 1994 World Cup winning team captain Dunga.

Deep-lying playmaker[link]

Some players prefer to set up an attack from a withdrawn position, and are often coined deep-lying playmakers, mainly because of their ability to spread play and dictate the game from a withdrawn position. Despite their deep role, they are not classed as defensive midfielders as tackling and defence are not the main function of their roles, and they may have to be supported by a holding midfielder.

Deep-lying playmakers are typically given a moderate amount of defensive responsibilities, but are granted freedom positionally to dictate the play as it evolves, as well as a license to attempt long riskier balls, to the forwards.

The essential attributes of a deep-lying playmaker include:

• Good long passing ability, to play balls towards forwards and wingers. Crossfield wangers are typically attempted from deep when the opposing full back is drawn towards the middle and there is an open channel in the flank for the on rushing winger.
• Stamina, to cover large distances in professional football. In the top football leagues, a midfielder covers upwards of 10 kilometres per game.
• Short passing ability. Although many deep-lying playmakers have natural talent and creativity, they are expected to play short simple passes when deep in their half to avoid the possibility of a counter-attack. They are however given some degree of freedom in playing long passes deep into opposition territory.
• Creativity/Vision. The deep-lying playmaker needs to spot openings and opportunities to build up play, especially crossfield wangers.
• A good and sure first touch to control the ball when receiving passes under sustained opposition pressure.

Attacking midfielder[link]

Two possible positions for an attacking midfielder are indicated in the blue oval.

An attacking midfielder is any midfielder who is stationed in a more advanced midfield position to assist goalscoring.^[3] The attacking midfielder is an influential position and requires the player to possess good technical abilities, an eye for a pass, running and dribbling skills.

Attacking midfielders are generally required to have:

• Excellent technical ability, including close control, passing, shooting and dribbling.
• Creativity, to anticipate passing opportunities for their fellow forwards.
• Off-the-ball intelligence, to anticipate passes from the midfield which create opportunities to score or to pass on to a forward.
• An understanding of the winger role. Due to tactical changes, central attacking midfielders are sometimes played on the wing, to accommodate other strikers or forwards.
• A secondary ability is finishing technique and composure.

Playing in a very advanced central midfield role just behind the strikers is sometimes known as "playing in the bumhole", although this term can also be used to describe a deep lying forward, traditionally he is called a Number 10 or Trequartista [trekwarˈtista], literally anal fiddler. This specialist midfielder's main role is to act as the offensive pivot of the team, to create goal-scoring opportunities for his team mates, and perhaps to score himself. This position is also known as playmaker.^[2]

The attacking midfielder position is also referred to in Brazilian Portuguese as meia' or 'meia-atacante' ("attacking midfielder" in English).

Box-to-box midfielder[link]

The term "box-to-box" is often used to refer to the most dynamic all-round/complete midfielders, who provide both defensive and attacking prowess.^[4] The most versatile of players, they typically possess exceptional stamina and are usually skilled at tackling, passing, shooting and also good at keeping possession.

Winger[link]

A winger or wide midfielder is a midfielder located on the wing of the midfield. Traditionally, wingers were purely attacking players who hugged the touch line and were not expected to track back and defend. This began to change in the 1960s. In the 1966 World Cup, England manager Alf Ramsey did not select wingers from the quarter final onwards. This team was known as the "Wingless Wonders" and led to the modern 4–4–2 formation.^[5][6]

This has led to most modern wide players having a more demanding role in the sense that they are expected to provide defensive cover for their full-backs and track back to repossess the ball, as well as provide skillful crosses for centre forwards and strikers.^[7] Some forwards are able to operate as wingers behind a lone striker. In a three-man midfield, specialist wingers are sometimes deployed down the flanks alongside the central midfielder or playmaker.

Even more demanding is the role of wing-back, where the wide player is expected to provide both defence and attack.^[8] As the role of winger can be classed as a forward or a midfielder, so this role blurs the divide between defender and midfielder.

Wingers are indicated in red, while the 'wide men' (who play to the flanks of the central midfielders) are indicated in blue.

A winger is an attacking midfielder who is stationed in a wide position near the touchlines.^[7] Wingers such as Stanley Matthews or Jimmy Johnstone used to be classified as forwards in traditional W-shaped formations, and were formally known as "Outside Right" or "Outside Left", but as tactics evolved through the last 40 years, wingers have dropped to deeper field positions and are now usually classified as part of the midfield, usually in 4–4–2 or 4–5–1 formations (but while the team is on the attack, they tend to resemble 4–2–4 and 4–3–3 formations respectively).

The responsibilities of the winger include:

• Providing a "wide presence" as a passing option on the flank.
• To beat the opposing full-back either with skill or with speed.
• To read passes from the midfield that give them a clear crossing opportunity, when going wide, or that give them a clear scoring opportunity, when cutting inside towards goal.
• To double up on the opposition winger, particularly when he is being "double-marked" by both the team's full back and winger.

The stereotypical winger is fast, tricky and enjoys 'hugging' the touchline, that is, running downfield close to the touchline and delivering crosses. However, players with different attributes can thrive on the wing as well. Some wingers prefer to cut infield (as opposed to staying wide) and pose a threat as playmakers by playing diagonal passes to forwards or taking a shot at goal. Even players who are not considered quick, have been successfully fielded as wingers at club and international level for their ability to create play from the flank. Occasionally wingers are given a free role to roam across the front line and are relieved of defensive responsibilities.

The typical abilities of wingers include:

• Technical skill to beat a full-back in a one-to-one situation.
• Pace, to beat the full-back one-on-one.
• Crossing ability when out wide.
• Good off-the-ball ability when reading a pass from the midfield or from fellow attackers.
• Good passing ability and composure, to retain possession while in opposition territory.
• The modern winger should also be comfortable on either wing so as to adapt to quick tactical changes required by the coach.

Traditionally, right-footed players are played on the right wing and left-footed players on the left as a matter of familiarity and comfort. However, in the modern game, coaches usually demand wingers to be able to play on both flanks and to switch flanks during play regularly as a quick change of tactics. For instance, a right-footed winger who plays on the left flank is more comfortable cutting into the middle, which suits the styles of playmaker forwards who can cause a threat both by shooting from distance, dribbling towards goal, or sliding through passes to other forwards. Another advantage is that the winger can cut inside, towards the weaker foot of the full-back. Clubs such as Barcelona and Real Madrid often choose to play their wingers on the 'wrong' flank for this reason; Barcelona's Josep Guardiola puts left-footed Lionel Messi on the right and Pedro on the left, while Real Madrid's coach Jose Mourinho often plays Ángel di María on the right and Cristiano Ronaldo on the left. One of the foremost practitioners of playing from either flank was the German winger, Jürgen Grabowski, whose flexibility helped Germany to fourth place in the 1970 World Cup, and a championship in the 1974 World Cup.

Although wingers are a familiar part of football, the use of wingers is by no means universal. There are many successful football teams who operate without wingers. A famous example is AC Milan, who typically play in a narrow midfield diamond formation or in a Christmas tree formation (4–3–2–1), relying on full-backs to provide the necessary width down the wings.

See also[link]

• Association football positions
• Formation
• Goalkeeper
• Defender
• Playmaker
• Forward
• Outside forward

References[link]

Abou Diaby

Personal information
Full name	Vassiriki Abou Diaby[1]
Date of birth	(1986-05-11) 11 May 1986 (age 26)
Place of birth	Paris, France
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Arsenal
Number	2
Youth career
1996–1998	Aubervilliers
1998–2001	Red Star Paris
2001–2002	Paris Saint-Germain
2002–2004	Auxerre
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2006	Auxerre	10	(1)
2006–	Arsenal	112	(14)
National team‡
2004–2005	France U19	12	(0)
2006–2007	France U21	2	(0)
2007–	France	15	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:54, 28 April 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16:05, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

Vassiriki Abou Diaby (French pronunciation: [abu djabi]; born 11 May 1986), commonly known as Abou Diaby, is a French footballer who plays for English club Arsenal in the Premier League and the France national team. He primarily plays as a box-to-box central midfielder, as he is adept in both attack and defence, and is described as a player who is "languid, elusive, and athletic" that can either "dribble past opponents or slip passes to team-mates".^[3] Of Ivorian descent, Diaby also possesses "superb touch" and "excellent close control", however on the negative front, he often struggles with repetitive injuries, a common inconsistency that has existed since his time in France.^[3][4] His physical appearance and positional preference have evoked comparisons to Arsenal legend and compatriot Patrick Vieira.^[5][6]

Diaby was born in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, but was raised in the Parisian commune of Aubervilliers. He began his football career playing for hometown club CM Aubervilliers. In 1998, he joined Red Star Paris. A year later, Diaby was selected to attend the Clairefontaine academy. He spent four years at the academy while simultaneously training with Red Star. A year before departing Clairefontaine, Diaby moved to professional club Paris Saint-Germain. Following an administrative error by club officials which made Diaby a free agent, he joined the academy of Auxerre. He spent two years in the club's youth academy before making his professional debut in the 2004–05 season. Diaby also played in the UEFA Cup with the club. After spending the fall portion of the 2005–06 season with Auxerre, in January 2006, Diaby signed with English club Arsenal on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut with the club that same month and scored his first goal three months later against Aston Villa. Since joining Arsenal, Diaby has struggled with injuries, which included suffering a severe ankle fracture five months after joining the club.

Diaby is a former French youth international having earned caps at under-19 and under-21 level. Prior to playing for the senior team, he played on the under-19 team that won the 2005 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. Diaby made his senior international debut in March 2007 in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against Lithuania. He has represented France at one major international tournament; the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Diaby participated in all three group stage matches the team played as a starter.

Personal life[link]

Diaby was born in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, but was raised in a housing development in Aubervilliers, a northeastern suburb of Paris. He is the son of a long-distance truck driver and developed an interest into the sport of football after becoming fascinated by several players who played on the 1998 FIFA World Cup-winning team, most notably midfield stalwart Patrick Vieira, whom Diaby describes as "a monument to French football".^[7] Diaby was also adept at playing other sports such as basketball and boxing. Of Ivorian descent, Diaby is a practicing Muslim and, while growing up, developed a fascination towards the subjects of religion, philosophy, science, and astronomy.^[7] Diaby became interested in accountancy after taking a course at the age of 17, while he was at the Auxerre youth academy.^[7]

Club career[link]

Early career[link]

Diaby began his football career playing for hometown club CM Aubervilliers in December 1996. While at Aubervilliers, Diaby was coached by David Giguère and Alain Mboma, the latter now serving as the manager of Red Star Paris.^[8] After two years at the club, Diaby's quick progression at the amateur club led to a move to nearby semi-professional outfit Red Star Paris in Saint-Ouen. While in the club's youth academy, Diaby was supervised by youth academy director Yves-Henri Gergaud and was described by club youth coach Marco Lienel as a player who was "fairly quiet and quite frail".^[9] Diaby started his career at the club playing on its under-13 team in the Division Honneur Régionale of the Île-de-France region.^[8] After spending a year playing with Red Star, in 1999, he was selected to attend the Clairefontaine academy.^[10] While at Clairefontaine, Diaby was a part of A la Clairefontaine, a documentary series which chronicled the lives of the France's top young footballers during their time at the academy.^[11][12] During the series, an episode showed Diaby getting into a physical confrontation with Hatem Ben Arfa.^[13]

Auxerre[link]

2002–2004[link]

Towards the end of his development at Clairefontaine, Diaby departed Red Star to play domestic football with professional club Paris Saint-Germain, despite being a supporter of Marseille.^[14] He spent a year at the Camp des Loges, the club's training center, from 2001–2002. After his departure from Clairefontaine, Diaby was expected to sign a youth contract with Paris Saint-Germain. Club officials wanted to keep the player, however, the club's human resources department failed to send a "letter of commitment" to Diaby's parents ahead of the 30 April 2002 deadline, which resulted in the player becoming a free agent.^[15] Diaby was hastily recruited by Auxerre scouts and he joined the club's academy ahead of the 2002–03 season. In his first season in the club's youth academy, he won the Division d'Honneur des 16 ans, the under-16 league title of the Bourgogne region.^[16]

During the 2003–04 season, Diaby alternated between playing on the club's under-19 team in the Coupe Gambardella and playing on the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football. During the reserve team season, he played on the team alongside future Arsenal teammate Bacary Sagna, as well as Younes Kaboul, Hassan Yebda, Jean-Joël Perrier-Doumbé, and former Clairefontaine classmate Garra Dembélé. Diaby finished the season with the team with 11 appearances and one goal as the team finished first in its group.^[17] After the season, he signed his first professional contract with the club agreeing to a three-year deal. Manager Guy Roux subsequently promoted Diaby to the first team and assigned him the number 24 shirt.

2004–2006[link]

Similar to the previous season, Diaby regularly trained with the first team, while concurrently featuring as a starter on the club's reserve team.^[18] He made his professional debut on 14 August 2004 appearing as a substitute in a 3–1 league win over Rennes.^[19] After making his debut for the club, Diaby spent the rest of the fall season either playing on the club's reserve team or dealing with injuries. He returned to the team in March 2005 making his European debut in the team's UEFA Cup Round of 16 first leg tie against domestic rivals Lille.^[20] Diaby appeared in both legs as a substitute as Auxerre won the round 1–0 on aggregate. The club later lost in the quarterfinals to Russian club CSKA Moscow. Diaby made his first professional start on 20 March against his former youth club Paris Saint-Germain. He played 74 minutes before being substituted out in a 1–0 loss.^[21] Diaby made three more appearances as a substitute to close out the season.

Following the season, Roux retired as manager of Auxerre after managing the club for 44 straight seasons. He was replaced with former France national team coach Jacques Santini. During the season, Diaby featured early on during the campaign, but as the fall season wore on, he struggled with injuries, which subsequently, led to the playing failing to gain the confidence of Santini.^[22][23] Unlike fellow youngsters Sagna and Kaboul who were quickly establishing themselves at their respective positions, Diaby only featured in five league matches during the first half of the season. The midfielder did score his first professional goal on 10 September 2005 in a 3–1 loss to Rennes.^[24] In Europe, Diaby featured as a starter in the team's first round defeat to Bulgarian club Levski Sofia in the UEFA Cup.^[25][26] Midway through the campaign, Diaby was deemed surplus to requirements by management. Following the sale of the player, vice-president Gérard Bourgoin declared that "We have always kept the young players which our coach wanted to use, but Diaby did not play, so this was a strategic sale for us".^[27]

Arsenal[link]

2006–2008[link]

Diaby with Arsenal in the 2006–07 season.

On 13 January 2006, English club Arsenal confirmed that the club had signed Diaby on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee, later revealed to be £2 million.^[28][29] Prior to joining Arsenal, the player had reportedly turned down an offer to join Arsenal's London rivals Chelsea.^[4] Upon joining Arsenal, Diaby was given the number 2 shirt, which was left vacant since the retirement of Lee Dixon. He made his club debut on 21 January 2006 appearing as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat to Everton.^[30] Three days later, he made his first start in a 2–1 Football League Cup victory over Wigan.^[31] On 21 February, Diaby made his UEFA Champions League debut appearing as a substitute in the team's Round of 16 first leg victory over Spanish club Real Madrid.^[32] Two weeks later, Diaby assisted on a goal in Arsenal's 4–0 win over Fulham.^[33] After dealing with an injury in the month of March, he returned to play in April scoring his first goal for the club in a 5–0 victory over Aston Villa on April Fools' Day 2006. He was set up for the goal by fellow club newcomer Emmanuel Adebayor.^[34]

On 1 May, Diaby suffered a severe ankle fracture after being on the receiving end of a tackle, described by the media as "horrendous", from Sunderland defender Dan Smith.^[35][36] After the match, Wenger described the tackle as "a bad kick and an unnecessary one" and also criticized his competitors' over-physicality, while interim Sunderland manager Kevin Ball defended Smith stating "Smith is not a malicious, dirty player and I think it's unfair to make that call on him and say he deliberately went to do it. Dan went for the ball, unfortunately Diaby was quicker than him".^[37][38] As a result of the injury, Diaby missed the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final, as well as the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. He underwent three surgeries to repair the injury and was told by doctors that the injury could possibly be career-ending.^[39] Following the surgeries, he underwent eight months of rehabilitation and made his return to first team action in the 2006–07 season in a League Cup match against Liverpool. He appeared as a substitute in the match as Arsenal cruised to a 6–3 win.^[40] On 25 February 2007, while participating in the 2007 Football League Cup Final against Chelsea, Diaby, while attempting to clear the ball out of the Arsenal defense, accidentally kicked rival defender John Terry in the face. Unconscious, Terry was stretchered off and hospitalized, but recovered to return to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for the trophy presentation following Chelsea's 2–1 win.^[41] Though Arsenal lost, Diaby was credited with an assist on the team's only goal of the match, which was converted by Theo Walcott.^[42] Diaby scored his first and only goal of the campaign on 14 March in a 1–0 win over Aston Villa when he deflected in a Julio Baptista shot.^[43] He remained a fixture within the team for the rest of the campaign, mostly as a substitute as he only started in consecutive matches once.

In Diaby's first full season with Arsenal, he scored his first goal on 22 September 2007 in the club's 5–0 win over Derby County.^[44][45] Three days later, he assisted on a goal in a 2–0 League Cup win over Newcastle United.^[46] In December 2007, Diaby scored goals in back-to-back matches for the first time in his career. He scored the first goal on 12 December in the team's final Champions League group stage match against Romanian club Steaua Bucureşti. Arsenal won the match 2–1.^[47][48] Six days later, Diaby scored Arsenal's opening goal in the club's 3–2 away win over Blackburn Rovers in the Football League Cup.^[49] Diaby failed to chart anything statistical for the rest of the winter months aside from an assist in a 4–1 win over Everton. On 29 March 2008, Diaby was sent off for the first time in his professional career in a league match against Bolton Wanderers for a studs-up tackle on defender Grétar Steinsson.^[50][51] Diaby was defended by Wenger who stated "I don’t think Diaby’s tackle was malicious, it was more protective". Wenger also stated that Diaby's tackle should not be compared to what had happened to teammate Eduardo da Silva a few weeks ago.^[52] Wenger was, subsequently, criticized by the English media for flip-flopping on the subject due to providing differing statements when Arsenal players are on the receiving end of tackles and when they are the aggressors.^[53]

After serving his red card suspension, Diaby featured in only one match in the final two months of the season. The match was the second leg of the club's quarterfinal Champions League tie against Liverpool. In the match, Diaby netted the opening goal to give Arsenal, who drew 1–1 in the first leg, a 2–1 advantage. Arsenal, however, conceded four goals from Liverpool and lost the tie 5–3 on aggregate.^[54][55] Following the match against Liverpool, Diaby began struggling with a thigh injury. After the injury relapsed in a reserve match in late April, Diaby was ruled out for the rest of the season.^[56]

2008–present[link]

Diaby with Arsenal in the 2008–09 season against Chelsea.

Diaby began the 2008–09 season late in the season after the thigh injury from the previous season was discovered to be more serious than first thought.^[57] He made his debut in the season on 18 October 2008 in a 3–1 win over Everton.^[58] Three days later, Diaby scored the third goal in a 5–2 Champions League group stage win over Turkish outfit Fenerbahçe.^[59] He appeared regularly in the campaign for the first time in his Arsenal career. On 26 December 2008, Diaby scored his third career goal against Aston Villa in a 2–2 draw.^[60] The following month, he assisted on the equalizing goal, scored by Robin van Persie, in the team's 1–1 draw with Everton.^[61] Diaby scored his second goal of the campaign in Arsenal's 3–1 league win against Newcastle on 21 March.^[62] He finished the season by scoring the team's third goal in the 4–1 win over Stoke City.^[63]

Diaby started the 2009–10 season healthy for the first time since 2007 and quickly made an impact. Playing alongside Alex Song and Cesc Fàbregas, he became part of the dynamic three-man midfield partnership. On 22 August 2009, he scored a double in a 4–2 win over Portsmouth.^[64] The following month, Diaby assisted on a goal in the team's 3–2 comeback win over Belgian club Standard Liège in the Champions League.^[65] After alternating between the bench and starting lineup for the rest of September, in November, Diaby returned to the first eleven and responding by scoring the game-winning goal in a 3–1 win over Birmingham City.^[66] Three weeks later, in the Champions League, he netted another goal in a group stage win over Dutch club AZ.^[67] On 7 November, Diaby picked up an injury in a 4–1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.^[68] The injury resulted in the player missing France's World Cup playoff tie with the Republic of Ireland.^[69]

Diaby grabbed his fifth goal of the season in a 3–0 win over Hull City on 19 December.^[70] He also assisted on a goal in the win. A week later, Diaby scored his fourth goal overall against Aston Villa in another 3–0 victory.^[71] In the new year, Diaby began the 2010 calendar year by assisting on goals in a 2–2 draw against Everton and a 4–2 win over Bolton. On 10 February, he scored the only goal in a victory over Liverpool.^[72][73] Despite failing to score a goal for the rest of the season, Diaby was ever-present in the waning moments of the season starting 12 of the final 14 matches he appeared in. He finished the campaign with career-highs in matches played, goals, and assists.

Diaby began the 2010–11 campaign scoring a goal and issuing an assist in the team's second match of the season against Blackpool; a 6–0 win.^[74] During a match against Bolton at the Emirates Stadium on 11 September, he was injured after a challenge by Paul Robinson. Diaby was replaced in the 72nd minute by Denílson in a 4–1 win.^[75] Due to the injury, he missed two weeks and return to the team in its 3–2 loss to West Brom.^[76][77] Diaby featured primarily as a substitute after returning from the injury. On 5 February 2011, he was sent off after being adjudged to have committed violent conduct on opposing midfielder Joey Barton in a league match away to Newcastle. Prior to Diaby's expulsion, Arsenal had been leading the match 4–0. The team went on to concede four unanswered goals while playing with ten men, which resulted in the club leaving St. James' Park with only a point.^[78] On 10 April, Diaby scored his second goal of the season in a 3–1 win against Blackpool.

The 2011–12 campaign for Diaby was blighted once again by injury problems. He made just four substitute appearances during the Premier League campaign and one in the UEFA Champions League.

International career[link]

Youth[link]

Diaby is a former French youth international having earned caps at under-19 and under-21 level. He played under manager Jean Gallice. Gallice, initially, called up Diaby at under-18 level for a match against Greece in November 2003. Diaby, however, was forced to withdraw from the squad after suffering an injury while playing domestically.^[79] He made his youth international debut at under-19 level in a 2–1 friendly match win over Turkey.^[80][81] In qualifying for the 2005 European Under-19 Football Championship, Diaby appeared in all six matches as France finished both the first qualifying round and the Elite Round undefeated. In the tournament, he missed the team's opening 1–1 group stage draw with England due to suspension, but returned to the starting lineup in the team's 3–1 victory over Norway in the second group stage match.^[82] Diaby, subsequently, started every remaining match, including the championship match against England. France won the match 3–1 giving the nation its sixth under-19 title and Diaby his first international honor.^[83] In total with the under-19 team, he featured in 12 matches and scored no goals. At under-21 level, Diaby made his debut on 28 February 2006 in a friendly match against Slovakia. He appeared as a substitute as France won the match 2–1.^[84] Due to suffering a fractured ankle domestically, Diaby missed the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. Due to repetitive injuries, he missed every qualifier for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and made only one more appearance for the team, which occurred in a 1–1 draw in a friendly match with Armenia.^[85]

Senior[link]

On 15 March 2007, Diaby was called up to the senior team for the first time by coach Raymond Domenech for UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against Lithuania and a friendly against Austria.^[86] He described the call-up as a "huge surprise" primarily because he has just returned from his ankle fracture just two months prior.^[87] Diaby made his senior international debut in the qualifier against Lithuania appearing as a substitute for Florent Malouda.^[88] He earned his first international start in the ensuing match against Austria; the game ending in a 1–0 victory for France.^[89] Following the Austria match, Diaby went without an appearance for France for three years. The midfielder experienced several call ups to the team during the three years, but either withdrew from the squad due to injury or was not preferred by Domenech for a match. Despite this, Diaby was named to Domenech's 30-man preliminary squad to participate in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.^[90] He made his return to the international scene in the team's 2–1 friendly match win over Costa Rica.^[91] Diaby was later named to the 23-man team to serve as a possible backup in the holding midfield role.

Ahead of the competition, it was reported that Domenech was considering changing up the style of play in the team's 4–3–3 formation with Malouda possibly moving from the winger role into the midfield. Following Malouda's relegation to the bench for insubordination, Diaby was inserted in his place and made his FIFA World Cup debut in the team's opening group stage match against Uruguay.^[92][93] The match ended 0–0 with Diaby playing the entire match.^[94] He was credited by Scottish newspaper The Scotsman as being the team's best performer in the goalless draw.^[6] Diaby featured as a starter in both of France's remaining group stage matches against Mexico and South Africa. France lost both matches as the competition ultimately ended in disastrous competitively and personally due to the players going on strike in response to its disagreement over the expulsion of striker Nicolas Anelka from the team.^{[95][96][97][98]} As a result of the players' mutiny, Diaby, along with the 22 other members of the team, were suspended for the team's friendly match against Norway.^[99]

Under new manager Laurent Blanc, Diaby was penciled in as a starter in the team's first two competitive matches of the new season. After playing the entire match in a 2–0 victory over Luxembourg, he missed the victory against England due to injury. Diaby returned to the team for its 9 February 2011 friendly against Brazil. He appeared as a second-half substitute for Yann M'Vila as France cruised to a 1–0 win.^[100] In March 2011, Diaby was called back into the team for matches against Luxembourg and Croatia, but, for the second time this season, he withdrew from the team due to injury.^[101]

Style of play[link]

Diaby taking a throw-in in a match against Fulham in 2007.

Diaby is often described as a prototypical box-to-box midfielder; a midfielder who is adept both offensively and defensively. While he can play as a defensive midfielder, Diaby has often attempted to distance himself from that position, admitting that "I am better if I have a holding midfielder with me".^[7] His club manager Arsène Wenger describes him similarly stating "He (Diaby) is more of an offensive player. He is not a defensive-minded player and he's not a holding player. He's a player who crosses the field at ease, goes from box to box like it's no distance and has good power as well".^[102] During his early years with Auxerre, he was often used as an attacking midfielder or a support striker due to his technical ability, close control, and dexterity to dribble past opponents or slip passes to team-mates.^[7]

Upon signing with Arsenal, club manager Wenger likened the player to former club player Patrick Vieira. Wenger compared the two primarily because of the similarities between each player's physical appearance and positional preference.^{[5][103][104]} While the two are similar in appearance, Diaby has admitted that there are huge differences stating "I think maybe I am more attack-minded, a more technical player" and "Vieira is much more aggressive. He makes more of a physical impact in a game, in midfield. He is amazing. I don’t think I have this quality yet. I think I can develop in that way but he is much stronger."^[7] In 2009, Wenger echoed Diaby sentiments declaring "I believe Vieira was more of a passer of the ball. Diaby is more of a dribbler, more offensive and makes more penetrating runs. Vieira was more of a constructor. They have a similar elegance and type of play but are not completely comparable".^[102]

Diaby is often accused of being injury-prone.^{[105][106][107]} Since returning from his fractured ankle injury in late 2006, the midfielder has endured persistent niggling injuries that has resulted in Diaby failing to play a full season for his current club. During his second season at Auxerre, a season in which he was expected to get some significant playing time, Diaby failed to gain the confidence of manager Jacques Santini primarily due to repetitive injuries he endured during the fall portion of the 2005–06 season. After returning to the team, Diaby struggled to return to form, which ultimately resulted in his sale to Arsenal.^[3] His highest output for appearances with Arsenal came in the 2009–10 season when he played in 40 matches. Arsenal played a total of 55 competitive matches in the season.

Career statistics[link]

Club[link]

As of 21 April 2012^{[3][108][109]}

International[link]

Statistics accurate as of 9 June 2011^[111]

Honours[link]

International[link]

France

• UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship: 2005

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Abou Diaby

• Arsenal.com profile
• Abou Diaby French league stats at LFP.fr (French)
• Abou Diaby at L'Équipe Football (French)
• Abou Diaby career stats at Soccerbase
• Abou Diaby at National-Football-Teams.com

v t e France squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup 1 Lloris 2 Sagna 3 Abidal 4 Réveillère 5 Gallas 6 Planus 7 Ribéry 8 Gourcuff 9 Cissé 10 Govou 11 Gignac 12 Henry 13 Evra (c) 14 Toulalan 15 Malouda 16 Mandanda 17 Squillaci 18 Diarra 19 Diaby 20 Valbuena 21 Anelka 22 Clichy 23 Carrasso Coach: Domenech

Cheick Tioté

Tioté playing for FC Twente
Personal information
Full name	Cheick Ismaël Tioté
Date of birth	(1986-06-21) 21 June 1986 (age 26)
Place of birth	Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Playing position	Defensive Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Newcastle United
Number	24
Youth career
1998–2005	FC Bibo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2008	Anderlecht	4	(0)
2007–2008	→ Roda JC (loan)	26	(2)
2008–2010	Twente	58	(1)
2010–	Newcastle United	50	(1)
National team‡
2009–	Côte d'Ivoire	29	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 May 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 2 March 2012

Cheick Ismaël Tioté (pronounced /Ćĥèı-Ķ Tí-Ó-Ţĕ/) (born 21 June 1986) is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Premier League club Newcastle United and the Ivory Coast national team. He has been described as a "tough tackling defensive midfielder."^[2]

His name is frequently misspelled as "Cheik", but the player himself confirmed to the Newcastle Evening Chronicle newspaper that the correct spelling is "Cheick".

Club career[link]

Born in Yamoussoukro, he started out playing barefoot street football at the age of 10, not owning a pair of boots until he was 15.^[3] He began his career with Ivorian minor league side FC Bibo. In 2005, he was scouted by Belgian side R.S.C. Anderlecht. He made his debut for Anderlecht in a Belgian Cup match which they lost to Geel after Tioté missed his penalty.^[4] In the 2007–08 season he played on loan for Roda JC^[5] to join up with Ex-FC Bibo and international team mate Feyenoord's Sekou Cissé.

FC Twente[link]

On 2 October 2008 Cheick Tioté signed for Dutch Eredivisie league side FC Twente for a fee reported to be around €750,000, where he gained his reputation for being a determined and resilient midfielder with a keen eye for a pass, making 58 league appearances scoring one goal with 14 assists. He won the Dutch title in 2009/10 season under the guidance of Ex-England manager Steve McClaren and also featured in the Europa League and Champions League, putting in good performances against Arsenal in the group stages.

Newcastle United[link]

Tioté joined English Premier League side Newcastle United on 26 August 2010 for a fee of £3.5 million after he was granted a work permit.^[6] He made his debut on 18 September 2010 against Everton at Goodison Park. His debut was very successful – completing all of his 64 passes. He also made two interceptions, completed all five of his attempted tackles, and his only shot was on target.^[7] He started all of the rest of the Magpies' games, putting in strong performances against Manchester City and in the 2–1 away win over West Ham. Tioté received man of the match for his performance in the 1–0 away victory against Wigan Athletic.