I copy and pasted this from my LinkedIn page (what a website) and this line on the left magically appeared. I do not know, or frankly care, to find out how to remove it. Please enjoy.
*All writing in bold and italics were later additions to the initial article
The false 9 is when the central attacker drops into midfield. If you applied total football to the final 3rd, any of the 6 midfielders could cause havoc by running into space from different angles.
Soccer and basketball are trending the same way. Have players who can dribble, shoot, and pass to increase scoring options. The fact everyone does all 3 means you can isolate weaknesses and exploit space more effectively. These skills breed more capable defenders as well, but I focus on offense here. Ultimately, ALL soccer players attack and defend.
If any of those 6 players could play the final ball, make the final run, or take the final shot, their interchangeable nature allows for optimal movement patterns.
In the Spain- Germany World Cup game, 2 traditional strikers came on and helped their teams score, but that doesn’t mean you need a traditional striker. Maybe it simplifies tactics, but it's more about the spaces they occupied and the runs they made that increased the threat level. Is it realistic to train attackers so any one can occupy spaces in front of goal or do you need to employ a traditional striker for efficiency's sake? Would the interplay be beneficial in the long run or overly complicated?
Some players have preferred positions. Some players can fulfill certain roles but not others. With emphasis on technique and skill development, there are players skilled enough to read and react regardless of position. Their unpredictable attacking patterns confuse the defense. Recognizable patterns of attack can be easily adjusted to.
What makes this play style viable? You'd want players to use both feet. Being 1 footed decreases your passing options and angles. For players to interchange in the final 3rd and maximize options, you’d want them to be able to dribble in any direction as well. However, maximizing the available passes takes precedent. The ball exploits space faster passing than dribbling.
If a right footed midfielder drifts out left, and was unable to play a quality cross with their left, the attacking options decrease. Or if a right footed attacker made a right to left diagonal run and couldn't shoot 1st time with their left. 1 footed players hurt the viability of attackers having the freedom to rotate positions (Messi is not a 1 footed player, he is a 3 footed player. That means he’s so good he always has one foot in your ass making you weep, so he can always get back to his left). You'd prefer the most dangerous player, given the defense’s spacing, making that final run into the box, mirroring the run a traditional striker might make.
The development of complete players makes this system viable. Is that the direction we're headed in with earlier specialization and focus on skills? Is there a generation of 2 footed players on the horizon? At least ones with proper training. (I do worry, in basketball and soccer, the creation of robots who all play the same. But I guess that’s the same in every era and why creative players and coaches always separate themselves from the pack in terms of effectiveness).
The question is will they have the ability to read the game. Will they know when to pass, shoot, dribble, or when to enter a particular space? Entering not for themselves, but to open a pass to a teammate? Sports IQ is under developed or is ignored by many players. (Through no fault of their own. There’s way more talented players than there are talented coaches, by proxy of coaching not being very lucrative at lower levels. If you have the talent and intelligence to be a great coach, you have probably chosen another more rewarding career path. Same thing with referees. There’s truly not much incentive for the truly talented to stick around for long enough to advance. Especially given the difficulties of these positions and the potential added stress on your life. This is the same in a lot of other industries as well).
Constant movement confuses the defense and opens attack lanes. Lanes you might not receive the ball in, but lanes that allow your team to operate at maximum efficiency. To raise the team's level, players must embrace expending energy even if they aren't the one to score or assist. It's only a “sacrifice” if you put your own individual numbers over that of the team.
Unfortunately, a selfish mindset infects most athletes because of the world we live in. They want their name in lights, they want to be recognized as the best. (In a society dedicated to reinforcing toxic individualism, are selfish tendencies of lack of sports IQ also exacerbated by "highlight culture"? Where people only watch highlights and reels without watching full games, making them ignorant about what greatness truly requires.) But if the team wins and you contribute, you’ll receive attention regardless of the numbers. Smart analysts will give you your deserved credit. Why want credit from casual fans who just look at numbers and highlights, when recognition is available from intelligent minds who understand what it takes to win at the highest level. (I’m beginning to wonder how intelligent these scouts are though. They seem to be evaluating players based on casual fan standards rather than thorough understanding of who is a winning player. Who’s the biggest, strongest, fastest, has the most numbers, etc. How many scouts can see whether a player has the ability to play multiple positions, not only from the standpoint of technique but also in regards to temperament?)
This desire for shallow outside recognition hurts players' ability to function within a team environment. But if you do exist within a team where players care about the offense’s flow, then the ball should find you. You’ll get time on the ball within the flow of the offense. (Players pass to black holes with grimaces on their face. People underestimate the negative effect a selfish player can have on the squad. People stop making runs, stop playing hard on defense. I’d like to think I personally wouldn’t stand for it in my squad, but I don’t have the pressure or the top talent that makes those decisions tough. You want to encourage creativity and individuality, but there’s a way to fit those things within the team dynamic and raise your team’s level, while still pursuing individual greatness. Good scouts like winners. What kind of players make the team win consistently? Can you recognize how to make winning plays? Guiding players to this balance makes an excellent coach, given the poor, selfish, low iq habits some supremely talented players can develop at lower levels.)
That's an issue today. Ball dominance means lacking the ball and player movement for offensive flow . People can’t operate within the flow of the offense if it doesn’t exist. No flow means you’re easier to stop. But rather than adjust their game to benefit the team, people (selfishly?ignorantly?) try to run through walls themselves. Rather than utilizing their teammates and making it easier for their team to break down the proverbial wall.
There is no substitute for the ability to know when to do something and where. There's a lot of skilled players and great athletes. There are less players who intelligently make decisions to benefit their team. Understanding where to be and when to be there makes a winning player.
This is the next step, the next wave. Building a plethora of players who are 2 footed, teaching them how to read the game, then pairing them with other players who can do the same. Have them develop chemistry so they know when to dribble, pass, shoot, make runs, and cover for each other. An egalitarian system where the goal scorer is the natural result of the ball finding the right person at the right time. It’s nothing new but something not everyone focuses on when it comes to coaching and training because it’s more difficult to teach than tell players exactly what to do. Coaches don’t want to deal with short term inefficiency for long term benefit. (and this is why playing pick-up soccer and basketball is often HORRIBLE for someone who knows the game hahaha.)
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