A few weeks ago I started thinking of the reasons that have always made me want to play up front on the football pitch. Is it because of my characteristics as a player? Is it because of the joy I get from scoring goals? The glory of netting a match winner? I realised all those reasons have definitely contributed to my choice. However, I think one external reason affected me the most, growing up in 90s. Football in the 90s was all about the 4-4-2 formation and a great no.9 up front whose sole purpose was to smash the ball in the back of the net. When you talk about the 90s era these names always come up, Vieri, Romario, Weah, Stoichkov, Ronaldo, Fowler and Shearer. The centre forward thrived in the 90s. One name, my favourite player when I was growing up, would determine my choice to play up front, Gabriel Batistuta. The all time leading goal scorer for Argentina was the very definition of a pure centre forward. Unfortunately due to the evolution of tactics, the classic no.9 is now an endangered species.
A player like Batistuta would stick to the last defender in defense or roam on the edges of the box in transition and would usually stay inside the box during attacking moves ready to pounce on any loose ball. The sole purpose of the classic no.9 was to be in the right place at the right time to put the ball in the back of the net any way he could. But why did the centre forward thrive in the 90s? For one, the rise of the 4-4-2 formation allowed most teams to have a classic no.9 alongside a no.10 or a "supporting striker". With the other 10 players behind them, the no.9 could focus on one thing and one thing only, to score goals. Another reason is the deeper defensive line played in the 90s and the more relaxed defensive structure in general. Centre forwards could stay high up the pitch and would rarely drop back to win the ball or help out the midfield. The evolution to the more popular 4-3-3 in the 2000s meant that the classic no.9 would just about disappear.
The evolution to 4-3-3 meant that the players up front had to be more interchangeable and versatile since the roles on the pitch had changed dramatically. Teams were now looking for forwards who could not only score a goal but could also drop back, win the ball and create scoring opportunities. This gave the rise to players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, players that can do it all. The mid 2000s even presented some extreme formations that theoretically had no strikers, the famous 4-6-0 formations. Roma were highly successful in the mid 2000s with this system, Manchester United also gave it a go in recent years and Spain did as well in the international scene. Furthermore, defenses have become more disciplined, tougher and play higher up the pitch. Therefore, a classic no.9 would be too predictable and easy to defend against. Strikers now need to be more mobile and more technical.
You could argue that current players such as Robert Lewandowski, Gonzalo Higuain or Alvaro Negredo fit the mould of a classic no.9. In reality these players have different characteristics, most importantly their high work rates and interchangeability that makes the modern 4-3-3 work. These players are also more gifted in the creative sense, not only scoring but also assisting. It's a shame that the classic no.9 has just about disappeared but that's one of the wonders of football, it never stops evolving. Without the evolution in tactics and formations of the 90s and the 00s, Messi, Ronaldo, Ribery, Robben, Ozil or Aguero would not be the complete players they are today. I leave you with a video of my favourite player from the 90s, the one who inspired me to play up front, Gabriel Batistuta.
