No. 8 (and 10 and 6)

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LewSwimmin

Star Player
This forum is littered with people describing a player as a "No. 8". Someone said we needed two "No. 8s" which quite baffled me, and when I asked what was meant by this no answer was forthcoming.
When everyone played the WM formation and wore shirts numbered from 1 to 11 most people, including spectators, understood where the players were supposed to operate on the pitch, but that hasn't been the case for 60 years or so and squad numbers were also introduced many years ago. Don Revie caused uproar and confusion when he played for Man City, wore 9 and played in midfield (a deep lying centre forward), a role later perfected by Bobby Charlton.

So please could I ask you, if you have described a player as a "No. 8" please would you kindly explain to me what you mean by this, for example:
What area of the pitch does he operate in?
What is he expected to do when he is in possession of the ball a) in our half and b) in the opponents half?
What is he expected to do when a team mate is in possession of the ball a) in our half and b) in the opponents half?
What is he expected to do when the other team is in possession of the ball a) in their half and b) in our half?

If you have also described a player as a "No. 10" or a "No. 6" (The shirt that Bobby Moore wore as a centre back) please could you apply the above questions to them as well.

Is a "False 9" the same thing as a "No. 8" or a "No. 10"

It would be great to get a consensus on these definitions so that all of us on here could understand what other posters mean when they use them and can follow the logic of their arguments.
 
For me a number 8 is inside right and number 10 is inside left.

But in today’s game a number 10 is a player who plays behind our number 9 (centre forward).

Cantwell’s best position is number 10 according to the Solent interview I listened to yesterday with the reporter from the Norwich area.
 
For me an 8 is an attacking midfield who operates primarily through the middle. They are a Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard type of player. Could be described as box-to-box. They will often arrive in the box fairly late and thrive on shots from the edge of the area or on cut-backs/rebound. They should be scoring goals and releasing either through passes for the attacker or outwide. In Football Manager they would include an AMC somewhere in the positions.

It's not a traditional position in the sense of the old 1-11 numbered shirt days but is often used when only playing 4 at the back but only one up top. This leaves you with 3 midfields which are either deployed as 2 holding, 1 attacking; or 1 holding and 2 attacking.
 
My understanding...

No. 6 - Defensive midfielder, sitting in front of the back 4
No. 8 - Attacking midfielder that can add goals and work the ball to the forwards
No. 9 - forward that scores (hopfully)
No. 10 - plays just off the No. 9 and supports the No.9

False 9 - Playing with no recognised forward but probably a No. 8 type player in a very advanced role
 
SteveJonesLegend said:
My understanding...

No. 6 - defensive midfielder, sitting in front of the back 4
No. 8 - attacking midfielder that can add goals and work the ball to the forwards
No. 9 - forward that scores
No. 10 - plays just off the No. 9 and supports the No.9

False 9 - Playing with no recognised forward but probably a No. 8 type player in a very advanced role
Click to expand...

This is very much what I think the definitions are
 
LewSwimmin said:
This forum is littered with people describing a player as a "No. 8". Someone said we needed two "No. 8s" which quite baffled me, and when I asked what was meant by this no answer was forthcoming.
When everyone played the WM formation and wore shirts numbered from 1 to 11 most people, including spectators, understood where the players were supposed to operate on the pitch, but that hasn't been the case for 60 years or so and squad numbers were also introduced many years ago. Don Revie caused uproar and confusion when he played for Man City, wore 9 and played in midfield (a deep lying centre forward), a role later perfected by Bobby Charlton.

So please could I ask you, if you have described a player as a "No. 8" please would you kindly explain to me what you mean by this, for example:
What area of the pitch does he operate in?
What is he expected to do when he is in possession of the ball a) in our half and b) in the opponents half?
What is he expected to do when a team mate is in possession of the ball a) in our half and b) in the opponents half?
What is he expected to do when the other team is in possession of the ball a) in their half and b) in our half?

If you have also described a player as a "No. 10" or a "No. 6" (The shirt that Bobby Moore wore as a centre back) please could you apply the above questions to them as well.

Is a "False 9" the same thing as a "No. 8" or a "No. 10"

It would be great to get a consensus on these definitions so that all of us on here could understand what other posters mean when they use them and can follow the logic of their arguments.
Click to expand...

I use them and am not always sure:) We could play bingo too!!
 
SteveJonesLegend said:
My understanding...

No. 6 - Defensive midfielder, sitting in front of the back 4
No. 8 - Attacking midfielder that can add goals and work the ball to the forwards
No. 9 - forward that scores (hopfully)
No. 10 - plays just off the No. 9 and supports the No.9

False 9 - Playing with no recognised forward but probably a No. 8 type player in a very advanced role
Click to expand...

You see I thought a false 9 was a non striker playing as a striker:)
 
I want 7 to come in. That's my favourite number.

I guess Liverpool and city often play with false 9s with the likes of Bobby and De Bruyne further forward. My understanding of an 8 would be Marcondes. Would we call Billing an 8 too? I think Erikson for Spurs was a 10 behind Kane? Billing has also played 10 for us with two deeper midfielders behind. Is this right?
 
SteveJonesLegend said:
My understanding...

No. 6 - Defensive midfielder, sitting in front of the back 4
No. 8 - Attacking midfielder that can add goals and work the ball to the forwards
No. 9 - forward that scores (hopfully)
No. 10 - plays just off the No. 9 and supports the No.9

False 9 - Playing with no recognised forward but probably a No. 8 type player in a very advanced role
Click to expand...

No. 6 - SURMAN
No. 8 - ARTER
No. 9 - WILSON
No. 10 - KERMOGANT
 
Sorry Roger said:
No. 6 - SURMAN
No. 8 - ARTER
No. 9 - WILSON
No. 10 - KERMOGANT
Click to expand...

Loved Surman. May have been known as sideways Surman but his passing always looked so elegant. If I'm allowed to say it, he's also very handsome and seems like a nice chap. Hope S Cook brings him back for his testimonial.
 
SteveJonesLegend said:
My understanding...

No. 6 - Defensive midfielder, sitting in front of the back 4
No. 8 - Attacking midfielder that can add goals and work the ball to the forwards
No. 9 - forward that scores (hopfully)
No. 10 - plays just off the No. 9 and supports the No.9

False 9 - Playing with no recognised forward but probably a No. 8 type player in a very advanced role
Click to expand...

My understanding isn't far off that, although, for me, a no. 8 is more box-to-box than just attacking. As @N19 suggests, I think of the textbook no. 8 as Steven Gerrard: winning the ball in the centre of the field, or picking it up deep (from the no. 6), driving forward, and then picking through balls to the strikers (no. 10/9) or laying off to the wide players (no. 7/11).

I think a proper no. 8 is really tricky to find, as it requires lots of different attributes. I think this might be why some people speak of "two no. 8s", dividing the role between them. One to do the higher-midfield tackling/picking the ball up deep from the no. 6 and one to be more creative.

At least that's how I see it.
 
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There you go, it's just the shirt number and what their role would be if it was still the 90's :)

A false 9 is more a tactic than a position because you're playing without a designated front line. A centrally located striker within the advanced midfield could technically be called a false 9 but it misses the point a bit IMO
 
Regardless of numbers we still need the basics ball into the box and someone to take responsibility for shooting at the goal not endless faffing about.
 
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