John Stones takes the number 5 shirt

[levets]

WTF is that?

I'm just trying to teach the kids the traditional positions and shirt numbers

 

[BuryBlue1977]

Didn't central defenders wear 4&5 and midfielders 6&8?

From my memory central defenders were always 5&6. I remember this as I always wondered why weren't they 4&5 then the defence would be 1-5 as would be logical. Or have I just made this up?

 

[Cityfan]

I think the numbering dates back to the old 2-3-5 formation, so 2 and 3 were the full-backs (i.e. defenders), 4-5-6 were the three half-backs (i.e. midfielders), 8 and 10 were the inside forwards, 7 and 11 were the wingers, and 9 was the centre-forward. I think 5 was the first to drop back into the centre of defence, pushing the full-backs out wider, then 4 (I think) dropped back as well to make it a conventional 2-4-5-3 back four. 8 and 10 dropped into midfield along with 6, but 10 became the more attacking of the three, so 6 and 8 were more defensive mids. So in a 4-2-3-1 formation, it'd be 2-4-5-3 in defence, 6-8 defensive mids, 7-10-11 attacking mids, and 9 striker.

Or something like that.

Thats kind of how I remembered it with 2 being Right back and 3 being Left back 7 right wing and 11 Left wing, though it was never a very rigid numbering system.

 

[BuryBlue1977]

Alan Hansen #6
Tony Adams # 6

 

[Raheem's On Fire]

Peter Reid and then Steve McMahon for me. 5&6 Centre Backs

The hipsters call one a the midfield positions a "number 6" nowadays though so I think it's changed. Most likely due to Xavi/Iniesta who strangely swapped for Spain despite not changing their roles

 

[goat boy]

There's a book by Jonathan Wilson called 'Inverting the pyramid' that chronicles formations and tactics in general throughout football, a bit dry but an informative read. Shirts 5 and 6 were half backs that dropped into a traditional flat back four, as tactical innivations between the 1920s and 50s. Anyway, John Stones, you say?

 

[NorCalBlue]

There's a book by Jonathan Wilson called 'Inverting the pyramid' that chronicles formations and tactics in general throughout football, a bit dry but an informative read. Shirts 5 and 6 were half backs that dropped into a traditional flat back four, as tactical innivations between the 1920s and 50s. Anyway, John Stones, you say?

That's a perfect description of the book!

There does seem to be some variability these days about the 4 and 6, but that only adds to the problem of using numbers to describe positions (as some coaches/commentators insist on doing). Call someone a '4' and what the hell does it mean? Is Kompany a '4' or is Fernando a '4'? (out of 10, maybe...). Even a seemingly straight-forward one like '2' can cause problems - a '2' in a flat back four is a very different role from a '2' in a back 5 (or in a back 2, if anyone wanted to try that again). So to say a player is a '2' is a bit meaningless unless you also describe the formation (better to call him a full-back or a wing-back).

I say just describe the position instead of trying to simplify things (and thus omit important information) by using a number.

 

[BlueDeadHead]

We'll probably see a few of these moves - 2,3,6 and 9 also likely to be available.

6 to Carvahal maybe. Who gets the 9 though....that is interesting.

 

[BlueDeadHead]

I'd say centre halfs 5 & 6. Midfielders 4 & 8

That is the British take on it (based on outdated formations from 100 years ago), but I honestly think most people think of it (assuming they think of it at all--I clearly do) in the more modern sense:

• 1 Goalkeeper
• 2 Right back
• 3 Left back
• 4 Centre back
• 5 Centre back
• 6 Holding Midfielder
• 7 Right winger
• 8 Box to Box midfielder
• 9 Striker
• 10 Attacking midfielder (more attacking)
• 11 Left winger

It drives me nuts that Aguero doesn't wear the 9 and Silva the 10.

 

[Bluearmy]

That is the British take on it (based on outdated formations from 100 years ago), but I honestly think most people think of it (assuming they think of it at all--I clearly do) in the more modern sense:

• 1 Goalkeeper
• 2 Right back
• 3 Left back
• 4 Centre back
• 5 Centre back
• 6 Holding Midfielder
• 7 Right winger
• 8 Box to Box midfielder
• 9 Striker
• 10 Attacking midfielder (more attacking)
• 11 Left winger

It drives me nuts that Aguero doesn't wear the 9 and Silva the 10.

Well I am British, but I would say that's from the early 90s (the last reasonable reference point, as squad numbers then arrived), 5 Hendry/Curle, 6 Redmond/Vonk, 4 Reid/McMahon so hardly 100 years ago. But even then we messed around with things as Sheron wore 8 and Flitcroft was 10 if my memory isn failing me. And they weren't box to box or attacking midfield respectively. MCmahon wore 11 for Liverpool and Barnes was 10, so it wasn't a hard and fast rule anyway. Squad numbers them came in for the 93/94 season which meant things became ridiculous.

For the 442, I'd go with below as a guide

1 GK
2 RB
3,LB
4 CM
5 CB
6 CB
7 RW
8 CM
9 CF
10 CF
11 LW