The midfield is the area where games can be won or lost. Having the right players for a certain style can drive a team to victory.
We've taken a brief break with the season suspended until April 4. There's no football being played across Europe.
It creates a stoppage to the battle for the Premier League in England's second tier with a number of teams still holding an opportunity to secure promotion.
Sky Bet Championship: Top Performers Series
There have been a number of stand-out performers throughout the campaign who have played a significant part in helping their side reach their current position.
Throughout the coming weeks, Tom Carnduff will look at the best performing players in each position; aiming to find those who have excelled in the areas that matter most.
Next up on the list is the midfielders. Creative outlets or defensive support? We pick out our ideal trio in the middle.
Pinpoint accuracy
Total number of accurate passes:
- Romaine Sawyers (West Brom): 1,904
- Matt Grimes (Swansea): 1,846
- Tom Cairney (Fulham): 1,764
- Ben Watson (Forest): 1,508
- Mateusz Klich (Leeds): 1,486
The midfield areas are often looked upon to provide the creativity. It's something that the Championship possesses an abundance of.
Accurate passing is crucial to any side's chance of success so it's no surprise to see the top-five in this area involved in sides who are all competing at the top end of the division.
Taking the accolade of most accurate passes is Romaine Sawyers. West Brom's summer signing has enjoyed life in his new surroundings and has established himself as a real presence in the middle of the pitch.
A player who has seemingly gone under the radar this season is Matt Grimes. The Swansea midfielder has enjoyed the campaign up until this point and takes second spot in terms of accurate passes.
His revival has seen him transformed from a player who spent time out on loan up until 2018, to one who has now become a regular part of the Swans' team.
Also on the list is Tom Cairney. A star of the Fulham side who has the luxury of a prolific front line in front of him. His accurate passes stands at 1,764 but his all-round game makes him an eye-catching talent.
Nottingham Forest's Ben Watson and Leeds' Mateusz Klich are the other two to make up the top-five. They're both floating around the 1,500 mark.
Total number of accurate long balls:
- Barry Bannan (Wednesday): 168
- Kalvin Phillips (Leeds): 163
- John Swift (Reading): 161
- Matt Grimes (Swansea): 152
- Stewart Downing (Blackburn): 152
It's not all about the short passing though and long balls are a crucial part for some teams.
Barry Bannan leads the way for accurate long balls as the Sheffield Wednesday man sits high on 168.
He's followed closely by Leeds' Kalvin Phillips. The 24-year-old has undergone a complete transformation under Marcelo Bielsa's guidance and was reportedly in line for an England call-up before the break.
One of the division's top players, who doesn't get the recognition he deserves, is Reading's John Swift.
He's a midfielder who has a strong all-round game. Swift has the ability to dribble, to pick out key passes alongside a defensive contribution.
The Royals star also poses a threat from set-piece situations and that helps his cause in terms of this statistics.
Grimes is also high on the accurate long balls list while Stewart Downing, now of Blackburn, makes up the top-five. Both players find themselves on 152.