[Football] What is a false number 9?

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SockMonster

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2007
802
Brighton
Excuse my footballing ignorance and rather than just resorting to the web..........Garth Crooks hates them apparently. Trossard played as one on Saturday. I think i have a vague idea......Over to you NSC experts.
 




Bakero

Languidly clinical
Oct 9, 2010
14,883
Almería
It's basically an unconventional lone centre forward. Typically, it'll be a player with attributes more commonly associated with an attacking midfielder. Rather than acting as a target man, the false 9 will drop deep, thus drawing out the centre backs and creating space.

Think Cesc Fábregas for Spain, Foden for Man City or Trosssard for Brighton :)
 


Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden
A striker who frequently drops down to midfield to participate in the game as a playmaker or carrier rather than a finisher.

Newish term, old role.
 








Eric Youngs Contact Lens

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2020
602
East Sussex
Another piece of footballing terminology that has crept in!! My understanding, correct or not is to avoid having a striker playing in the recognised role of a traditional "No.9 " who would typically play right up against the back 4, primarily to engage the centre-backs. With the false 9, a player will drop deeper or into any number of positions meaning the Centre-backs have to decide whether to follow, leaving spaces or to stay, leaving a player unmarked creating an overload for the opposition midfield. It seems to work best with midfielders running from deep to fill the holes left by the false 9, making them more difficult to pick up. This is where it differs a little from a simple case of a No.9 dropping deep t get the ball e.g. Harry Kane. There maybe more technically accurate descriptions, but this is my basic understanding!!
 












Jim Van Winkle

Well-known member
Jul 14, 2010
3,125
Hawaii
False 9 is so last year.

What you have to worry about these days are the false 3 at Chelsea (Chilwell) and false 2 at Liverpool (TAA).
 












Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
30,453
Hove
Another piece of footballing terminology that has crept in!! My understanding, correct or not is to avoid having a striker playing in the recognised role of a traditional "No.9 " who would typically play right up against the back 4, primarily to engage the centre-backs. With the false 9, a player will drop deeper or into any number of positions meaning the Centre-backs have to decide whether to follow, leaving spaces or to stay, leaving a player unmarked creating an overload for the opposition midfield. It seems to work best with midfielders running from deep to fill the holes left by the false 9, making them more difficult to pick up. This is where it differs a little from a simple case of a No.9 dropping deep t get the ball e.g. Harry Kane. There maybe more technically accurate descriptions, but this is my basic understanding!!

Pretty much how I understood it. You can't call them a 10 because a 10 implies a 9 playing in front, hence the term 'false 9' has come in because actually it's basically a 10 playing without a 9 in front of them.
 










Cheshire Cat

The most curious thing..
It's an upside down number 6




(late again :bounce:)
 


rogersix

Well-known member
Jan 18, 2014
8,202
It's a role that's been around for years and years and years.

I don't mind the term itself personally. They're not really just a striker and they're traditionally in the #9 position. So 'false nine'.

I like it :shrug:

as do i, all these terms maybe be described as "jargon", but they all exist to keep us all reading of the same hymn sheet, and save us all some time; what's not to like?
 


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