This allows them not only to win any 50/50 duels with defenders, but also gives them the opportunity to exploit any space that may appear in the last third of the pitch. Technical AttributesĪ number nine needs speed and quickness above everything else. Lionel Messis do not grow on trees! Attributes that the number 9 should have … 1.

This needs a player of much greater technical skills to play in that role then the traditional target man, that is why not many teams are able to play that system. Messi often would pick the ball up around the half-way line and could use his pace and dribbling skills to attack the opposition penalty box. Instead they use a false nine, a player running from deep into the space that a central striker once would have occupied.Īrguably the greatest exponents of this system were Barcelona when managed by Pep Guardiola, who had the legendary Lionel Messi to play this role for them. Some systems now dispense with the number nine position altogether, at least in the conventional sense. Some coaches employ this system to try and encourage the central defenders to step forward, leaving space behind which the other two attackers can exploit. Nor are they expected to hold the ball up and lead the attack, but they may also have the responsibility to drop back to try and mark the deepest lying midfield player. In this situation, he may have several roles. Many teams play with 4-3-3 these days with ostensibly the number nine flanked by two wider players. 4-4-1-1Ī variation on this is 4-4-1-1, where, instead of a player alongside him the main striker plays with somebody in the hole behind him, looking to exploit the space created. He is expected to hold the ball up, win the ball in the air, and look to lay the ball off to the support striker or midfielders running from deep. In that system, the number nine’s role is to act as a striker playing high up the pitch, often with a smaller, nimbler player alongside him. The classic formation for many teams remains 4-4-2 because it can be adapted both for attack and defence. You can have a quick look at these quality soccer cleats to get an idea! 4-4-2 One Tip to help improve this capability is to use Soccer Shoes with a good Grip. Quick Tip: Number 9 Player usually have a playing style that requires a strong Grip to quickly change directions & perform at the best of their abilities. However, irrespective of the number on their back, the role remains the same in many systems. Nowadays players might wear a variety of shirt numbers, so it is not uncommon for midfielders or defenders even to wear the number nine shirt. They were typically the most advanced player in the team and were expected to create chances for others as well as score themselves. Let’s dive in! What is the number 9’s role in soccer?īy tradition, the number 9 jersey went to the centre-forward who often had the greatest responsibility for scoring. … As well as what it actually take to highly perform there.The different roles the Nine Position player should fulfil in different formations ….… Obviously, there is more to that when it comes to this position! In my first years of playing soccer, number 9 was my favourite number! Simply because it was associated with scoring goals (which I was pretty good at) and being the team hero …

Number positions in soccer