The Mythical Number Six

Liverpool's search for a long-term Fabinho heir has been ongoing for 12 months.

What does the Loch Ness Monster have in common with Bigfoot, Santa Claus and the Abominable Snowman? Well, they are all mythical figures, obviously, but beyond that, every person who has claimed to have seen them tends to describe them a little differently.

Some eyewitnesses have suggested the Loch Ness Monster is green, others have argued purple. Some have suggested that Bigfoot is about six feet tall, others have argued closer to ten feet.

You tend to get that sort of thing when the creature in question is vague and mysterious by definition. Every drawing of an alien is slightly unique, and the same goes for mermaids, pixies, leprechauns, genies, centaurs, zombies and defensive midfielders.

Yep, you read that right, defensive midfielders. Like ghosts, who have several aliases from phantoms to poltergeists to spirits, defensive midfielders seem to come in various forms, too, and they are understood very differently depending on the person involved.

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A new ‘DM’ — or ‘CDM’ if you play FIFA too much — has been on Liverpool’s agenda for the past year. Since the Reds agreed to sell Fabinho in the same summer window as Jordan Henderson, a replacement has been required at Anfield.

Liverpool did sign Wataru Endō to fill the void back then, but the Japanese international is already 31 years old. He’s hardly the answer to the club’s future, and although he can be quite functional, he’s just not that good.

So 12 months after sending Fabinho to Saudi Arabia, talk of a new defensive midfielder is still doing the rounds on Merseyside. Every Scouser seems to think that’s what Liverpool need in order to win big next term.

Those people might be right, but from my perspective, I often feel frustrated by the conversations surrounding the mythical number six. It’s like nobody actually knows what one is.

Is a defensive midfielder the same as a holding midfielder, or a number six? I don’t think so, and those differentiations are very important as Liverpool profile their heir to Fabinho’s throne.

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N’Golo Kanté is perhaps the best illustration of this argument. For years, he dominated the middle of the park in the Premier League, but all while leaving commentators and pundits largely clueless about his place in a team.

The Frenchman was a defensive midfielder, no doubt. Arguably the best in the world, because in comparison to virtually all of his peers, nobody moved the needle without the ball more than he did.

Kanté had an outrageous impact on his team’s ability to defend. He did the running of two men. It didn’t matter if he was representing his national team, Leicester City or Chelsea, he always made a huge difference against the ball.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is a defensive midfielder. A midfielder who makes a difference on the defensive side of the game. We’re not talking about a position on the field, we’re not talking about the guy who sits in front of your back four, we’re just talking about the profile of the player. His type, his nature.

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On the other hand, Kanté is not — and never has been — a holding midfielder or number six, certainly not a true one.

During his time at Leicester, he played in a midfield two alongside Danny Drinkwater. The Englishman was the holding midfielder in the team — who always held his position near the centre circle — and Kanté was the dog who would play fetch whenever the Foxes lost possession.

Similar happened at Stamford Bridge. Again, Kanté played in a double pivot, but with Nemanja Matić as his partner this time around. The former was the chaser, the latter was the holder.

What about France at international level? The same dynamic transpired again, with Paul Pogba as the holder and Kanté as the hunter. One player held the fort, and one player pursued the ball like it was a Golden Snitch.

Even right now, during EURO 2024, Didier Deschamps is using Kanté on the right of a midfield diamond, with Aurélien Tchouaméni holding the fort as the team’s number six.

When Kanté played in a 4-3-3 for the first time at Chelsea, he was managed by Maurizio Sarri, and rather than deploying him as a lone number six, the Italian manager instead used him on the right of a midfield three, thus presenting him with a license to cover ground.

The English media asked him about the tactical decision every single week for an entire season. Kanté is really good at winning the ball, so why aren’t you playing him as your number six? Sarri just had to roll his eyes.

In fact, only one manager — to my knowledge — has used Kanté as lone number six / holding midfielder, and that was Frank Lampard, who isn’t exactly regarded as the next Johan Cruyff when it comes to tactics.

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So you can sign a player who is a defensive midfielder and will have an impact on your defensive game, but he doesn’t have to be your number six. Kanté at his peak was as influential as it gets, but if Liverpool had deployed him in Fabinho’s place, holes would have emerged everywhere.

Manuel Ugarte is another player in the Kanté mould. He regains possession more than anyone, so he’s a defensive midfielder, but he’s not a holding midfielder, because he roams. He hunts. He chases. You don’t want to put a leash on him.

Fabinho was all of the above. He made a big difference to your defence, and held the fort by mostly holding his position. The South American was a defensive midfielder, and a holding midfielder. João Palhinha is also in this box, alongside Casemiro, Declan Rice, Rodri and Moisés Caicedo. Endō is another, his level just isn’t as high.

This is the profile of player that supporters seem to want. Just don’t get it twisted by assuming every midfielder who makes lots of tackles and interceptions is a number six who can replace Fabinho with his eyes closed.

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I think Liverpool are probably looking for the next great player of this type to emerge. A player who moves the needle for you on the defensive end, but also sits at the base of your midfield and acts as a fixed shield for Virgil van Dijk and whoever partners him.

They aren’t easy to find. In fact, based on the options out there, the Reds could go without this summer, especially considering you’ve got a 19-year-old Stefan Bajčetić right there, who could become that player in the next few years.

Liverpool have to improve their defensive ability as a unit under Arne Slot, but he doesn’t necessarily need a new midfielder to achieve that. At least not yet. There are others ways in which the Reds can become more watertight and difficult to attack next term.

Talking about profiles has been a recurring theme on this Substack so far this summer. You can probably tell I’m desperate for Liverpool to become harmonious in a tactical sense again.

For every piece of your puzzle to fit, you have to appreciate the profile of every player at your disposal, and that includes outlining a bit more of a clearer picture as to what the Loch Ness Monster really looks like.