Mats Wieffer

Wieffer plays the least glamorous role in a Brighton midfield, positioning himself between the lines where a counter attack would otherwise break through and choosing the nearest safe pass rather than searching for something more ambitious. That discipline is exactly what allows the players around him to push forward with confidence, knowing somebody responsible is covering the space they leave behind. He rarely gets caught out of position, reading danger early enough to shuffle across before it actually arrives.

The difficulty for a player this understated is that the value he adds rarely shows up in the moments fans remember after a match. Screening midfielders get judged on mistakes far more than they get credited for danger that never happened. Whether Brighton fans learn to appreciate exactly what he prevents, rather than what he visibly creates, says something about how the position is generally understood.