In football, every generation believes it has witnessed the final form of the game.
Then, almost invariably, comes a seismic tactical shift—a catalyst that makes everything old seem quaint and everything new appear inevitable.
The last decade and a half, dominated by Pep Guardiola’s relentless perfectionism, has proved just that: there is no such thing as tactical permanence.
Guardiola Changes The Game
The iconic Catalonians’ tiki-taka has cast an epochal shadow, its fingerprints visible on every training ground, so much so that even English fourth-tier sides consider themselves prime Barcelona with their insistence on playing out from the back.
But while Guardiola’s tactics may well have revolutionized the modern game, his Manchester City side still isn’t considered a favorite with online betting sites to win the Premier League this season.
Anyone who likes to bet on sports at Bovada will be fully aware of the 2025/26 Premier League odds: Arsenal 1.40 favorites, Liverpool 6/1 contenders, City sandwiched in between at 7/2.
But for every philosophical revolution, an antithesis emerges—sometimes subtle, sometimes brazen.
Those looking to bet on football should make sure they are aware of this.
Direct play is no longer a relic.
Managers now train set-piece routines with Broadway choreography, dedicate staff specifically to long throws, and revive the lost art of the third-man run.
Indeed, even Guardiola himself has attempted to park the bus, specifically in the early-season trip to Arsenal as he looked to cling on to a 1-0 win.
But while long throws may have come back into fashion in recent times, some specific roles haven’t.
In fact, they’re on the brink of extinction.
Here are four such examples.
Classic No. 10
Once, the No. 10 wasn’t just a shirt number; it was a birthright for artists.
Zinedine Zidane, movements brushed in oil paint.
Juan Roman Riquelme, the pause button on a VHS tape. Mesut Özil, the man with eyes in the back of his head.
James Rodriguez, the Colombian who lit up the 2014 FIFA World Cup like never before.
These were not players; they were interpreters, decoding packed defenses with a flick of the boot.
But in 2025, the luxury artist is cornered by the numbers.
According to Opta, Premier League sides engineered 18% fewer central final-third touches per 90 minutes last season compared to 2013—evidence that pressing and compactness have squeezed this space dry.
Modern defences hunt in numbers, isolate the man between the lines, and treat the classic No. 10 as a liability if possession is lost.
Bruno Fernandes is a modern illusionist who channels flashes of old, tallying 15 assists for United last season, but even he is shackled with defensive responsibilities and sprints per 90 minutes that rival midfield destroyers.
Arsenal skipper Martin Ødegaard is certainly capable of creating a masterpiece, but he can run all day and often helps midfield partner Declan Rice in pressing duties.
The playmaker who defended on his own terms—if at all—has all but vanished at the elite level, their magic recast and rationed into the legs and lungs of hybrid creators.
Target Man
There was a time, not so long ago, when every team’s fallback was to lump it to the big man.
Enter Jan Koller, Peter Crouch, Emile Heskey—human battering rams who bent games to their will with sheer presence and violence in the air.
They didn’t just score; they transformed the touchline throw or deep cross into a clear and present danger.
Heck, even a goal kick represented a goalscoring opportunity with just one flick-on.
But the risk profile has changed.
Modern statisticians lament the inefficiency of launching aimless balls.
When you pass, you control; when you launch, you gamble.
Sure, there are still some last bastions.
Wout Weghorst leads the line for Ajax, but whether those in Amsterdam consider that a positive thing is up for debate.
The 6 ft 7 Lorenzo Lucca recently joined Italian champions Napoli after helping himself to 14 goals for Udinese last season.
But these are now tactical outposts, not blueprints.
In the upper echelons, strikers are defined by versatility: can they press?
Drop in to link?
Run channels?
There is less space, less patience, and no more time for a one-dimensional siege engine.
Poacher
Considering the death of the target man, it should come as no surprise to hear that the poacher isn’t a thing these days either.
Back in the good old days, a little-and-large partnership—one target man, one poacher—used to be standard practice at the head of a rigid 4-4-2.
Think Emile Heskey and Michael Owen, Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe.
And over the years, there have been many, many more.
Filippo Inzaghi was footballing mischief, gleefully offside until it mattered.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Miroslav Klose, Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez—these men stalked the six-yard box like predators at feeding time.
They offered little outside the final touch, their movement, and anticipation, their currency.
But football, quantified and dissected, now offers no refuge for the bystander.
Strikers contributing the least to pressing or build-up average nearly 22 minutes fewer per appearance than their all-action counterparts.
The message is clear: score, yes—but you must disrupt, harry, and run the channels too.
Poachers like Christhian Stuani at Girona remain valued bench threats, impact substitutes for a desperate chase.
To start, a striker must be a multi-tool, or risk irrelevance.
Anchorman
Once, a No. 6 needed only a sixth sense for danger.
Claude Makélélé, and early N’Golo Kanté, Javier Mascherano—all were masters of the block, interception, and last-ditch tackle.
Passing?
Not a priority.
Recovery and redistribution sufficed.
Today’s game places the pivot under a tactical magnifying glass.
Passing accuracy has become key, with the very best blending defensive tenacity with metronomic build-up play.
Casemiro’s struggles in United’s build-up are a case study in the changing demands; Aurelien Tchouaméni at Madrid, on the other hand, seamlessly bridges the defensive and creative, thriving in any phase.
You cannot simply sweep up danger and shuffle the ball five yards.
Modern midfielders must play through the press, escape traps, and orchestrate possession.
The destroyer who can’t pass belongs to the annals.
