Claude Makélélé – Nobody Does it Better

Claude Makélélé is all set to be announced as a Paris St Germain player this afternoon, after five good years in the Premier League with Chelsea. It’s almost impossible to overstate the importance of a man who has a position named after him. The defensive midfield role exited pre-CM and will exist post-CM, but it’s now (almost) officially “The Makélélé Role.”

That’s quite an achievement. No other player in recent memory has been honoured in that way. Gary Neville’s for example, has been nice and consistent on the right side of Man Utd’s defence but there’s no rush to rename right-back “The Gary Neville Role.”

But should it really be called the Makélélé role when no one else does it quite the same?

There was always a certain pleasure in watching Makélélé do his thing. I think because there’s nothing like seeing something done right. How many times have we seen Makélélé read the game like a book, step in and relieve the opposition of the ball, and then play a nice easy pass to set Chelsea on their way?

But the reason it’s called “The Makélélé Role” is that it’s usually someone other than Makélélé doing it. Basically, players have been asked to replicate the job that Makélélé has done for Chelsea, not always successfully. Sometimes it’s someone like Arsenal’s Gilberto Silva in the role, who with all due respect was never quite as graceful. And now it seems every team plays with a holding midfielder (some with two)..

Real Madrid can testify what happens when you lose the real deal. After (foolishly) selling Makélélé in 2003 they spent years trying to replace him. Not that Chelsea have a choice, he’s 35 now. Seems the Blues will have to either make do with the rash challenges of Jon Obi Mikel next season, or maybe they’ll have to limit Michael Essien’s influence by keeping him tethered back there. We’ll see what Scolari does. But there’s only one team who’ll have someone playing the Makélélé role correctly next season, and that’s Paris St Germain.

Read Chelsea Offside blogger Jack’s farewell to Makélélé here

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Category: English Premier League