Summer 2020 Transfer Window (Extended Version)

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Upon further examination, looks like it varied from country to country.

It does indeed, i think 3 in South America is CB/SW for example.

 

[Tony Towner]

4&6 can both be defensive midfield or centre half traditionally. Floyd Streete wore number 4 in our last Wembley Final as a ch. Peter Daniel and Mike Bailey in the two before that in midfield. I tend to think 5&6 as being the correct centre half numbers

 

[The Bear]

As long as goalie is No.1 and strikers 9 and 10 I couldn't give a shit about the rest.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

10 as a striker...that's another debate

 

[Wilf Wolf]

10 as a striker...that's another debate

If you play two forwards it has to be 9 and 10. No debate!

 

[broughtonwolf]

Err...

1– Goalkeeper
2– Right Fullback
3– Left Fullback
4– Center Back
5– Center Back (or Sweeper, if used)
6– Defending/Holding Midfielder
7– Right Midfielder/Winger
8– Central/Box-to-Box Midfielder
9– Striker
10– Attacking Midfielder/Playmaker
11– Left Midfielder/Wingers

Centre not center, these things matter![emoji35] [emoji16]

 

[Law's Bus]

But w/e. I can't help my pedantry, really.

Err, no. Sorry Alan.

The numbers were originally from the 2-3-5 formation, and no-one played "central defenders" before Herbert Chapman won everything with Huddersfield anyway, so your source is wrong.

They were numbered from the back to the front, right to left. 4, 5 and 6 were all half-backs in a line - more midfielders than anything.

In English football, the central half-back (i.e. "centre half") got pulled back into a defensive position between the two full backs with the coming of the WM formation. Then later on the left half (6) also got pulled back into defence. To compensate, the inside-right (8) (which by this time wasn't a proper forward anyway in the WM, but an attacking midfielder) got pulled back into midfield.

You are right that it varied from country to country though as to which half back got moved into defence and how.

Tifo did a really good video about it here.

 

[sycophantia]

Alans is about right (obviously centre not center...must be a typo)
5 is always CB but 4/6 are interchangeable, midfield or CB

 

[AndyWolves]

This really is a conversation for when the season has ended and there isn't anything else to talk about!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

5 is a defensive midfielder in Argentina. Heresy really.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

This really is a conversation for when the season has ended and there isn't anything else to talk about!

You’d have a point if there was any doubt line up, tactics, use of substitutes etc.

 

[Norman Deeley]

I was thinking this when I first read this thread – and then I saw the sad news about Jack Charlton – but no team for me better summed up traditional numbers than that Leeds team. Sprake, Reaney, Cooper, Bremner, Charlton, Hunter, Lorimer, Clarke, Jones, Giles, Gray.

I’m a big traditionalist where numbers are concerned. Can you seriously imagine Steve Bull with 22 on his back? Or Dave Wagstaffe wearing 29? I have to admit to feeling uncomfortable when Jordao and Neto were given 6 and 7. Now Neto has earned his, but a player we won’t even bring off the bench wearing 6? No, it’s just wrong.

And as we are all reading this thread I’d like to take this chance to apologise to DW for the language I used in my reply on Wednesday evening. There are times when we all over react to defeats and say the wrong thing and on Wednesday it was my turn. So, Dan, I am sorry for my less than eloquent turn of phrase and I hope you’ll accept the virtual pint I’m buying you before the Everton game.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

No worries at all man, I understand and accept.

 

[AndyWolves]

The thing about numbers on shirts is that newer football fans won't give a shit because they won't have known anything different.

 

[Norman Deeley]

No worries at all man, I understand and accept.

Thanks, have a good weekend. And let's hope we can over-react to a win...

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

Does anyone really care what numbers players wear? It’s a bit weird.

Yes I do.

It ruined Football.

1 keeper
2 RB
3 LB
4 DM
5CH
6CH
7 RW
8 CM
9 CF
10 CF
11 LW
12 sub

Thats it

 

[Tredman]

Ruined football [emoji854]

 

[The Bear]

Lol. Ruined football.

I can't say I ever pay attention to the backs of players shirts other than to identify who it is if needed.

 

[Kenny]

Games gone man.

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

I prefer names/squad numbers on shirts.

I didn't realise how much I valued players names on the back of the shirts until they replaced them with Black Lives Matter. I didn't know who half the players were!