STOPPER

The stopper centre-back is usually the hard man of the backline. They are characteristically strong and dominant in the air, responsible for dealing with the muscular threat of the more rugged centre-forwards. On the floor they're considered ferocious tacklers and ruthless ma-markers. They usually form ideal complementary partnerships with ball playing defenders but whilst their ball playing skills are limited compared to sweepers - they can be useful in set piece situations in an offensive capacity and pivotal when defending them. The best stoppers are also great leaders of men, vocal and able to organise the back-line effectively. They're also capable of resorting to the use of the dark arts if need be.