Using numbers instead of positions

[Charles Hawtrey]

I think that is kind of my point. If every team played the same formation, it would make a bit of sense to use numbers, but when people start shoehorning numbers into positions which dont exist in certain formations, it just makes them sound stupid to me. Such as the example you just used, there is no "number 10" in a 433.

Sometimes its nothing to do with the view you have today....surely the numbers are there for the officials? The ref and linesman refer to them by their shirt numbers and dont have time to read names on the back of shirts. That was always the case back in the 1-11 days. Squad numbers are a relatively recent thing once names got on shirts the potential combinations of keeping 1-11 and printing shirts every game became ridiculous.

 

[Neiler]

I use numbers to be honest, i always thought i was old fashioned doing it, when football manager came out is was all AM, CDM, RF, LF, WB etc, i only use them because i played and mentally that is how i worked out positions and still do, we always played 1-11. I suppose it gets odd with squad numbers, say Roy Keane he was 16, but was either a 6 or an 8, its just the way i make sense of it.

 

[WA Toffee]

Sometimes its nothing to do with the view you have today....surely the numbers are there for the officials? The ref and linesman refer to them by their shirt numbers and dont have time to read names on the back of shirts. That was always the case back in the 1-11 days. Squad numbers are a relatively recent thing once names got on shirts the potential combinations of keeping 1-11 and printing shirts every game became ridiculous.

I was asking about people who refer to positions by numbers eg Gylfi can't play number 8, Richo should be played as a 10 etc.

What is a number 10 position, and is it the same role in a 442 as it is in a 433. And if it is different, then why do people insist on using it as if they know what they are talking about?

It's just one of those little things that annoys and confuses me

 

[Chewbacca]

So is 12 the reserve goalie?

 

[Neiler]

I was asking about people who refer to positions by numbers eg Gylfi can't play number 8, Richo should be played as a 10 etc.

What is a number 10 position, and is it the same role in a 442 as it is in a 433. And if it is different, then why do people insist on using it as if they know what they are talking about?

It's just one of those little things that annoys and confuses me

Difference between a 10 and 9, Beardsley was a 10, Linekar a 9.

10 is usually a withdrawn forward, like Beardsley who can play in the box but also play make, you can have different types, Cahill often played 10 and had good timing, arriving late rather then play make but could support both the midfield line and the forward line. they can link and knit, other times drop deep and become a midfield 5 like Cahill did. 10's usually play in between the lines and can bolster the forward line or the midfield line. Its not usual in a 4--3-3 but it can be done, it would be a 4-3-1-2 or a 4-2-1-2, in a 4-4-2 it could be a 4--4-1-1, but fluid, a 10 can bolster to make a midfield five or support the forward line in a 4-4-2, elsewise they can just sit in the hole and hopefully find space away from a direct midfield marker or center half be tween the lines and create and play make.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Can someone help me here. It seems people think they are cool by referring to positions by a shirt numbers. Fine in concept, but given that there are so many tactical formations now, I really can't get my head around how it works now.

For example, is a "number 10" the same role in a 442 as it is in a 433 or a 4231 or a 343? What about a "traditional number 7". Is that different based on the formation or are we going to shoehorn an obselete position into a modern line up?

Or are people just trying to be hipsters and proving that they don't really understand football at all?

I think the idea is to describe what players are doing as much as the position since teams run different systems and call the positions different things. But a 10 is a creative player and an 8 is box to box.

 

[Debunkology]

Or are people just trying to be hipsters and proving that they don't really understand football at all?

These people are sheep and it's also guaranteed that they will call a "Top player" a "Top, top player".

 

[Tipp blue]

If I was a Player now, no matter what position I played in I'd want squad number 69 just because I'm a big immature child.

 

[APN_EFC]

Can someone help me here. It seems people think they are cool by referring to positions by a shirt numbers. Fine in concept, but given that there are so many tactical formations now, I really can't get my head around how it works now.

For example, is a "number 10" the same role in a 442 as it is in a 433 or a 4231 or a 343? What about a "traditional number 7". Is that different based on the formation or are we going to shoehorn an obselete position into a modern line up?

Or are people just trying to be hipsters and proving that they don't really understand football at all?

I used to like the old 4-4-2 line up where - well at least if you think about the last famous line up that included Trevor Steven no 7 and Sheedy no.11- it had our CMs as 8 and 4. I remember Bracewell was a good no.4 in recent times and then strikers were always 9 & 10. But I also saw Yobo at no.4 in recent years!

I don't really get what a modern no.6 is. I think it's a deep lying midfielder who also pushes forward but lol it's pretty confusing. I think people are both hipsters and master tacticians by using numbers but it is a bit like short-form reference i think.

I think a no.10 is definitely deeper in a 4-3-3 and a 4-2-3-1 more advanced.

Basically, the numbers are meaningless now, but a said on squad numbers' thread, i like the first team to be 1-11 at least for that much tradition!

 

[APN_EFC]

These people are sheep and it's also guaranteed that they will call a "Top player" a "Top, top player".

same people who over - use 'legend' and also a personal favourite of mine (as in, I hate it) is 'class act'. Everything is not a class act FFS

I am nice to people every day. Just today I let a few ladies into the shop first in Liverpool One cos it was raining so hard, and nobody clapped from the sidelines and said that is a classy gesture.

Class & Classy to the bin please!

 

[Kever10]

So is 12 the reserve goalie?

Traditionally 13

 

[Lloydystark]

I always thought a "number 10" was an "attacking midfielder", between your true CMs and your strikers. Usually central.

Number 8 would be a standard CM, neither attacking nor defensive.

Number 6 - DM.

Number 9 - traditional striker.

Using any other number is taking it too far.

I’ve just had my shirt done for my Sunday league side number 88 where’s that put lol

 

[Lloydystark]

Didn’t schneiderlin wear the number 2 shirt and gallasmat arsenal had number 10m.
For me I like to see the traditional numbering referring to positions

 

[Kever10]

Can someone help me here. It seems people think they are cool by referring to positions by a shirt numbers. Fine in concept, but given that there are so many tactical formations now, I really can't get my head around how it works now.

For example, is a "number 10" the same role in a 442 as it is in a 433 or a 4231 or a 343? What about a "traditional number 7". Is that different based on the formation or are we going to shoehorn an obselete position into a modern line up?

Or are people just trying to be hipsters and proving that they don't really understand football at all?

Football is easy compared to basketball. Positions in that are headache inducing.

But yeah, general rule of thumb, 10 was traditionally the 2nd striker in 442 or the creative attacker or playmaker in newer speak. The equivalent of a Point Guard.

When people say Gylfi needs to play 10, they generally mean he hasn't got a position, so just give him a number that could be interpreted as ambiguously as possible.

 

[Groucho]

Can someone help me here. It seems people think they are cool by referring to positions by a shirt numbers. Fine in concept, but given that there are so many tactical formations now, I really can't get my head around how it works now.

For example, is a "number 10" the same role in a 442 as it is in a 433 or a 4231 or a 343? What about a "traditional number 7". Is that different based on the formation or are we going to shoehorn an obselete position into a modern line up?

Or are people just trying to be hipsters and proving that they don't really understand football at all?

It’s not big and it’s not clever.

I prefer good old fashioned positions.