Who is a No 9 ?  

Increased emphasis on tactics saw football move away from a two striker system and into a lone striker system. In England, this change happened when Jose Mourinho brought 4-3-3 to counter a 4-4-2 traditionally used in the premier league. This gave him an advantage of an extra midfielder to control the center and there was nothing a pure 4-4-2 could do about the extra man in the midfield. Mourinho’s No 9 was a target man who could bring others into the game. Further, the No 9 would be the one to start the defensive work if the ball was lost. But teams found it easy to nullify the goal threat of a lone striker and thus midfielders had to chip in with goals. Soon Guardiola’s revolutionary tiki-taka used false No 9s and the emphasis was on sequences of ‘pass-move-pass’ till the defense could be carved open. Thus doing away with a traditional No 9.

Many prolific goal scorers over the past decade have essentially been a ‘9 and a half’. Rooney, Suarez, Aguero, Van Persie and Harry Kane are all examples of modern No 9s who all arrived into the premier league as second strikers. It is interesting to note that for his first three seasons, Aguero was played alongside another striker. Aguero outlined that he preferred to play behind a striker believing that to be his best position. Suarez too spent his early Liverpool days playing around Andy's Carroll. A shift to playing as the primary striker brought out his goalscoring instincts while he continued bagging assists. A combination of evolutionary tactics and unique qualities ensured that they became lethal No 9s rather than No 10s. The tactics demanded that the strikers take a more active role as teams started playing possession football. Strikers were increasingly seen as the ones to start defensive work during defensive transitions. The shift in tactics becomes evident when we consider that one of the most prolific strikers at the start of the decade - Robin Van Persie describes himself as a ‘9 and a half’ rather than an all-out traditional striker. Another copious goalscorer Harry Kane has all the qualities of a classic No 9, yet he often drops deep to use his vision and passing to create chances for others. It’s quite interesting to know that Kane has been compared to both Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham. Shearer was a prolific goalscorer, blessed with strength and heading ability. Sheringham was known more for his creativity and ability to provide assists as a supporting striker. The fact that Kane has been compared to two contrasting players shows his versatility. Thus Kane is more a ‘9 and a half’ than a classic No 9. All of these players offered a blend of creativity and finishing. Besides being lethal finishers, their ability to drop off and create chances for others added another dimension to their teams.

Another intriguing player is Firmino. Although he is an uncharacteristic No 9, no discussion on No 9s is complete without him. He isn’t as prolific as others, but his forte is his unselfish play. With his intelligence, vision, speed and work rate, he is Liverpool’s most important player. Under Klopp, he has become a world-class. Intelligent movement, creativity, unselfish play and willingness to press are all qualities that are tough to measure statistically, but his massive influence on Liverpool’s style and success cannot be underestimated.

While football keeps evolving throughout, traditional No 9s such as Lewandowski and Vardy have managed to stay relevant. At 31 years of age, Lewandowski shows no sign of slowing down. At a time when football is more intense than ever, his durability is phenomenal. He has not missed more than 2 consecutive matches for nine years now. His dedication to his game has Guardiola describing him as “the most professional player I have ever met”. He’s a deadly striker with an ability to score all types of goals. While Vardy thrives on playing off the last defender’s shoulder, Lewy often drops deep to orchestrate play. Vardy, a late bloomer profits from Leicester’s high press, often using his pace to slalom away from defenders. Having shot to fame in a counter-attacking setup, there were doubts if he could adapt to Brendan Rodgers’ style. With his finishing ability, pace and directness he has become Leicester's talisman.

With each striker bringing something unique to his team, teams have found a way to play to their strengths. What’s common between all these successful No 9s though is their work ethic and intelligence.

Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.

Bill Shankly

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