The position of False Nine is one of the more interesting recent tactical developments in football.
It is a position that has changed the perception of forwards as it brings the definitions of strikers and midfielders closer together.
Whether Lionel Messi played as a false nine under Pep Guardiola at FC Barcelona or it’s still evolving in the modern game, the False Nine has transformed the tactical scope of the game.
This is why analyzing the games using the best betting apps can reveal so much more about the game, especially the concept of the False Nine.
The Birth of the False Nine
To completely understand where the false nine emerged from, one has to go back to where this role originally came from.
The false nine was not intended to be included in modern times; it has its origins.
During the 1930s Austria and Hungary made experiments with deep forwards who could pull away from the defensive line.
Most people attribute the name of great Hungarian player Nándor Hidegkuti to the first performer of this role when, in the 1950s, his games again set the course for the tacticians.
The False Nine was never widely used as a tactical formation or strategy until a tweet appeared from Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona of the late 2000 to early 2010 seasons.
Guardiola changed the genre by giving many creative play minutes to one of the best players in history, Lionel Messi.
At that time, Messi was even deployed on the right side of attacks, but pushing him more towards the centre was even more radical.
That as it may, he played more in a quarterback role, sitting deeper in the midfield of a 4-3-3 setup.
As soon as it was done, Messi had three defenders behind him markless apart, slackly dismissing Roberto Carlos’s out-of-position presence.
Messi’s Magic: Redefining the False Nine
Lionel Messi’s transformation into a False Nine under Pep Guardiola was a true revolution in the game’s history.
Messi’s intelligence has always been significant and was important to the given role.
That option would have allowed him to step into the midfield, involve himself with the build-up, maybe even be a runner in the box, and try finishing.
It was impossible to track such a player, who equally created opportunities for himself and others.
‘False Nine’ in Modern Football: Changes over Years
In its origin, False Nine was associated with Leonel Messi, who gained a lot of success while playing in that position, but even after he departed from the club, it still exists somewhere.
Various managers concluded that the concept of turning a player from the forward position into an attacking midfielder who was also capable of retreating back onto the pitch was excellent from many perspectives.
False Nine became a flexible tool, and many great clubs have excellently applied it to their systems.
The best display of a False Nine in football belongs to Roberto Firmino, who played as a striker for Liverpool, a football club managed by Jürgen Klopp.
Firmino is busy simply for the sake of being busy, a quality that resonates well with Liverpool’s gegenpressing play style. Therefore, he has become one of the most important and integral players.
Unlike Messi, who is more focused on goal scoring, Firmino feels a sense of urgency and tries to find creative ways to share in the joy of his teammates, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané.
His movement invariably disorganizes the defence, allowing the Liverpool wide-field players to advance and score.
Another interesting False Nine variation can be found in Kevin De Bruyne’s performance at Manchester City, thanks to Pep Guardiola’s innovative strategies.
Even though Kevin De Bruyne is not asked to play as the False Nine in the conventional sense, his advanced features have seen him drop off and engage in midfield actions.
Resultantly, there has been great tactical flexibility, with the side able to adjust depending on the formation, rendering them one of the sides that do not have a particular footballing approach to adopt and can be a wildcard out of all the teams in the continent.
Tactical Flexibility and the Unpredictable False Nine Formation
Looking beyond its implications within a playing formation ought to be paramount when discussing the False Nine.
Thus, it also demonstrates an appreciation for how tactics and movements can disrupt or change a game whenever necessary.
The role of the player is very intellectual and creative. Most importantly, the person should be prepared to adjust certain values for the good of the team.
Overall, in this position, the direct distinctions between the players become lost as the forwards start making passes, and the attackers achieve the status of deep strikers.
It is interesting that, in regard to this attacking formation, one can understand the rise of attacking midfielders who can comfortably play ahead whenever required.
Chelsea’s Kai Havertz and Thomas Müller of Bayern Munich are current athletes who exemplify this trend.
They go beyond being forwards or midfielders.
Instead, they represent flexible attacking players who can perform different forward duties depending on the prevailing strategy.
