It is 125 years since the first false nine and its history since is fascinating as much for its failure to become a dominant tactic as for its many successful applications
At times it feels in football there is nothing new, merely the reinvocation of old ideas. It is well over 100 years since GO Smith started operating for the Corinthians as what we would now term a false nine and yet still the idea of a team operating without a fixed focal point in the centre of their attack can cause chaos. It is 63 years since the England centre-half Harry Johnston spoke of the sense of “utter helplessness” he felt in facing the deep-lying Nándor Hidegkuti as England lost 6-3 to Hungary at Wembley. And yet, as Jesse Lingard proved recently for Manchester United against Tottenham, the false nine, used well, still has the capacity to take opponents by surprise.
What is striking about the use of the false nine over time is that it has never taken root. Nobody in England copied Smith. There was a period in the 1920s in Argentina when the centre-forward as “conductor” became popular but that style of play, with a V-shaped five-man forward line, was in effect obliterated by the emergence of Bernabé Ferreyra, a brilliant centre-forward of monstrous proportions.
Written by Jonathan Wilson
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2019/jan/24/false-nine-ancient-tactic-power-shock-football-tactics under the title “False nine: ancient tactical curveball still retains the power to shock | Jonathan Wilson”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
