Difference between Right/left midfielder and Winger

Discussion in 'Player' started by Squex, Jul 17, 2013.

  1. Squex

    Squex Member

    Jan 7, 2012
    Club:
    Fenerbahce SK
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    Whats the difference between right/left midfielders and wingers?
    Is there any team that plays with right and left midfielder today?
     
  2. Bluesarc

    Bluesarc Member

    Jun 10, 2013
    Club:
    FC Porto
    Mostly defensive workrates i would presume but they function essencially as wingers. It deppends on what the coach intends to do with them, he will decide the so called "diferences" they can do the exact same thing deppending on the coach
     
  3. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    If you have a right and left mid you also have a center mid. Plus you have 3 forwards could be in a triangle.

    2 wingers play with two forwards not three. The two wingers get into the attack more so their recovery runs are longer. They are the runners.
     
  4. rca2

    rca2 Member+

    Nov 25, 2005
    Nick: I think he was asking about the difference between winghalf and winger. And the answer to that question is that positions have no meaning outside of the context of the system being used. For example 343, 433, and 442--each system is different and each system can be organized many different ways.

    IMO there are only 5 different player skill sets: keeper, flanker, CB, CM and CF. Except for development, coaches decide how the team will play and assign players to positions based on trying to field the most competitive team.
     
    ejgrownarseman and Elninho repped this.
  5. PStevenson1082

    May 28, 2012
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Wingers are made up of attacking players that can penetrate a team's backline from the touchlines. Wingers must possess speed, vision and the ability to pass efficiently, especially crossing into the box.

    Holding midfielders are usually the players with the best ball control, passing and vision on the team because they play in the center of the pitch, where possession of the ball must be maintained under high amounts of pressure and initiate the attack.

    Box-to-Box midfielders are the hardest working because, as the name implies, they work from box to box, initiating the attack and defensive support for the backline.

    Defensive midfielders are basically responsible for helping the backline break down an opposition's attack, then getting the ball to the holding and attacking midfielders initiating the attack.

    Scoring goals is usually optional for midfielders but the best wingers in the world can score often. Holding mids have less of a responsibility to score(but it's welcomed) and defensive midfielders usually have responsibility to score.....
     
  6. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    If wingers have good vision why are they playing on the flank. Where only one side of the field could benefit from that vision? If they have good vision they should play more in the center of the field where both sides of the field could benefit from that vision.

    That was one of the arguments I made to tab Ramos when I was trying to get him out of the wing mid mind set.
     
  7. PStevenson1082

    May 28, 2012
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Wingers with good vision are very good crossers that know when to take on and how to beat defenders on the flank as well as play a precise ball into someone in or someone running into the box. Vision is highly regarded among all midfielders. Not all wingers can hold onto possession in the center of the pitch and holding mids have speed. That is the difference between holding mids and wingers.
     
  8. rca2

    rca2 Member+

    Nov 25, 2005
    :D Holding midfielders are not called "holding" because they should "hold" onto the ball. Rather holding midfielders are roleplayers who guard against the counterattack. Which requires that they not advance past the ball while their team is attacking. They hold back while the other midfielders move up. Whether a team has a holding midfielder and exactly how he plays is up to the coach.

    It is meaningless to talk about "positions" outside the context of a system of play. What the original poster is really interested in is the different skill sets involved. And the short answer is that there is no difference in the skill sets required between winger and outside midfielder. Whether in the adult game a particular player is going to be assigned as a winger or outside midfielder is going to depend entirely on coaching decisions. How he is supposed to play is also going to depend entirely on coaching decisions.
     
  9. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Do you need two true wingers on both sides of the field? Some teams play with one winger that is the side the ball moves up field most of the time. The center and the far side are the finishers
     
  10. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    I always thought of tab Ramos as an inside offensive mid. Ramos always thought of himself as a wing mid. He was always getting injured by the second defender on the flank. We tried a lot of things to help get him out of the flank mid position.
     
  11. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    On playing a wing mid position. We would have the winger playing tag with a back with and without the ball in practice. So they could set up the back and to hold off the back until a finisher could get up the field. Then all the wing had to do was make a calm cross to that finisher at the right time.
     
  12. rca2

    rca2 Member+

    Nov 25, 2005
    Nice anecdote, Nick. I see wingers double- and triple- reversing directions on the flank all the time, but never suspected that it was ever drilled during training.
     
  13. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Everything is worked on in practice so it looks like it isn't worked on :) in games.
     
    rca2 repped this.
  14. PStevenson1082

    May 28, 2012
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Not necessarily.. It depends on your personnel and tactics. In a perfect world, you could have two true wingers, but not every team does. If you have a wing back that has speed and can cross the ball, then you could utilize him with overlapping runs. There are risks that are involved, especially when you are playing good teams that can counter-attack quickly. If you have only 1 winger that can penetrate the backline and cross the ball into the box, the attack will be very predictable.
     
  15. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Why does a wing have to penetrate the back line all the time. He can force the backs to retreat and use the space in front of that retreat to attack and to pass to trailing players for shot on goal.
     
  16. PStevenson1082

    May 28, 2012
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    I'm not gonna even dignify this post with a proper reply.... Re-read the entire post until you figure out why... troll.
     
  17. rca2

    rca2 Member+

    Nov 25, 2005
    He made a valid point which you apparently don't understand. You also are mistaking the socratic method of teaching for trolling.
     
    kick96 repped this.
  18. kick96

    kick96 Member

    Nov 10, 2012
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    Winger is more of 4-3-3 role and is considered more of a pure attacking player with very minimal defensive responsibilities. A wide midfielder is more of a 4-4-2 player and is much like a box-to-box player and has much heavier defensive responsibilities. Think Ronaldo vs Ramires (when he plays wide)
     
  19. dejansavicevic10

    Jun 12, 2009
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Nigeria
    In my opinion, the difference in a winger and a midfielder has to do with the capability of the player, but also the coach's strategy. A winger is somewhat one directional in that, they only care about taking opposing defenders/full backs one on one, getting to the byline and crossing the ball. Wingers tend to have quick feet, good speed, and good crossing ability. In contrast, a midfielder is more about passing, and definitely multi dimensional.
     
  20. ejgrownarseman

    Jul 19, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, IMO, all players should have good vision...but whether they do or not is another issue. Obviously those in the middle of the park absolutely have to have it, no exceptions. With all the other positions the players can get away with not having great vision if they make up for it with other attributes. I don't think a winger has to have good vision. An out and out winger's job is to get down the line and put in cross after cross. It is the the forwards' job (and the opposite winger's) to be there for the cross.

    That may be a little outdated of a philosophy, but a winger's job is to put in a cross (and consequently, to be on the back post to clean anything up that may squirt through when the opposite winger has the ball), whether it be from outside the penalty area at the touch line, or taking the ball near post and cutting it back. I don't think any of that requires anything other than average vision, if even that. If a player's primary responsibilities don't include those I mentioned, he is probably not a true winger but a left/right mid or possibly playing a sort of "inverted winger" role.
     

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