How the position has developed over the years.
When Chelsea played Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-final Jose Mourinho chose to start Andre Schurrle as a lone striker – or a false nine.
This term is one that has been coined relatively recently in football and those brought up on rigid 4-4-2 formations may find the concept quite bizarre.
It is now commonplace for a team to start without a recognised striker or No.9, and instead utilise a player who will run at the defence either with or without the ball, but will also drop deeper to pick up possession an be creative.
In simple terms it is a player that operates somewhere between what most know as the No.9 and No.10 roles, posing problems for centre-backs and defensive midfielders alike.
As such it takes a footballer with a real talent to mix together not only playmaking skills to provide assists (such as Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil), but also a killer eye for goal (like Zlatan Ibrahimovic).
Here we will take you through the development of the false nine and those players who have been the best at it.
COMMENTS