The false nine tactical role, is a player who formationally lines up in the position of a traditional number nine, however when in possession, they will drop deep from the striker’s typical high starting position.
In doing this, the player creates a midfield overload, providing their side with a numerical advantage in the centre of the pitch. From this position, the player participates more in build-up than a traditional number nine, and often act as a creative force for wingers who will move into more central positions in attack.
The basic idea is that by dropping deep, the opposition’s central defenders, who are tasked with marking the striker, are pulled out of their defensive line.
This serves to create disarray and a lack of organisation within the defence, creating space and therefore opportunity for the attacking side to exploit.
Since the false nine is such a tactically complex role, it requires a very specific player profile in order to be instilled to its full effect.
The role requires a blend of a striker’s natural goal-scoring instincts, twinned with creative, playmaking abilities, and significant tactical, off-the-ball intelligence.
When used correctly, the incorporation of the false nine role into a tactical set-up can yield great results. Indeed, many of the recent history’s most remarkable sides have incorporated the false nine into their system.
Take for instance, Laudrup in Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona, Fabregas in Del Bosque’s Spain or most famously, Messi in Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.
As a direct result of the success of these sides, many modern fans would immediately think of names such as Johan Cruyff (as a player and manager), Pep Guardiola (as a manager), and Lionel Messi (as a player) as synonymous with the false nine roles.
While of course all of the above were extremely successful with the tactic, it would be a mistake to consider them to be the innovators.
The history of the false nine goes much deeper – with its roots beginning as early as the 1890s.
The Inception of the False Nine – GO Smith
It is thought that the first player to take on the false nine tactical role was Gilbert Oswald Smith, who plied his trade at famous English amateur side – Corinthians – from 1892-1903.
Of course, at this time the role would not have been referred to as a false nine, and rather than an active tactical choice, it was more GO’s individual playstyle that made him a ‘false nine’.
Coming through at Oxford University, Smith was not the strong, imposing player that typically excelled in the more physical game of the time.
Despite this, Smith was able to combat this deficiency through his superior skillset. Taking on a creative role from the centre-forward position, despite the fact that this was almost unheard of at this stage of football’s development.
Smith would sit deeper than was typical for a centre-forward at the time, get on the ball more and work to create opportunities for the rest of the forward line.
This by no means detracted from his goal threat, as he amassed 132 goals in his 137 games for the London-based side – showcasing that he possessed a unique ability that is rare among footballers even in the modern day – the ability to serve as both an elite goal scorer and a true creative force as a playmaker.
On the international stage, Smith would receive 20 caps for England, bagging 11 goals in the process and captaining his side on a number of occasions.
Smith’s one-of-a-kind abilities has led to many considering him one of the first truly great centre-forwards that football had ever seen.
The False Nine as a Tactical Decision – A Brief Period in Argentina
The first time where the false nine appears as an active tactical decision from a head coach is in 1920s Argentina, where there was a brief period in which the popular configuration of the forward line was a ‘V’ or a reverse arrowhead.
In this configuration the central forward, by nature of sitting the deepest with the attacking line, donned a more creative role and became somewhat of a false nine.
The deep centre-forward in this ‘V’ configuration was dubbed the ‘conductor’.
However this trend was short lived and somewhat unremarkable, since the emergence of Tigre and River Plate forward – Bernabé Ferreyra – largely rendered that a forgotten idea.
Ferreyra’s bulldozing approach earned in the nickname ‘La Fiera’ (the fierce) and proved to be far more successful than the ‘V’ shaped forward line.
The False Nine as a Tactical Decision – Sindelar in Hugo Meisl’s Wünderteam
The first truly notable time we see the false nine appear as a successful tactical decision is in Hugo Meisl’s Wünderteam (the Austrian national side).
In the early 1930s, Meisl deployed Matthias Sindelar as a withdrawn centre-forward in place of a typical physical, out-and-out forward.
Sindelar was in many ways a very similar player to GO Smith, and held many of the same attributes – a slight build, but impressive creative skills and a high tactical IQ.
The Wünderteam played an quick passing style, of which Matthias Sindelar was the focal point.
He dropped deep in build-up, using his footballing intelligence and unpredictability to create opportunities for the other forwards in Meisl’s front five.
Sindelar played 43 times for Austria, scoring 26 goals.
Most notably, the Austrians would go deep into the 1934 World Cup, losing in the semi-final to host nation – Italy.
Their impressive performances made them the clear favourites for the next World Cup in 1938, however, Austria would be forced to withdraw from this competition due to the nation being annexed by Nazi Germany.
Sindelar would refuse to play for the German national team, before being found dead in January 1939 in his apartment in Vienna.
Full Development – Hidegkuti in Hungary’s 1950 Golden Team
Gustáv Sebes’ Hungary team is one of the most iconic teams of all time. They won 42 games in a 6-year period, while only losing once.
Their forward line was based on principles of interchangeability, aiming to drag the defence out of position with their fluidity to create space that could be exploited.
Sitting just behind this forward line was Nándor Hidegkuti, who sported the number nine shirt but appeared as much more of an advanced midfielder.
Hidegkuti’s deep positioning was Sebes’ tactical answer to the popular ‘W-M’ formation of the time. He would pick up the ball in deeper positions, asking a question of the defender as to whether to step up to him or not.
If the defender did step up to him, there was space left in behind for runs from elite players such as Ference Puskás or Zoltán Czibor.
If the defender did not, Hidegkuti had time on the ball to use his playmaking ability and attempt to craft an opportunity.
It was a tactic that at the time, was almost infallible and defenders simply did not have an answer for it.
Most people consider Hidegkuti to be the first fully developed false nine.