Is the “Classic #10” still necessary?

By: Jess

Hello sports fans, and welcome back to the IE Sports Radio Blog.

What is a “classic #10”? This phrase is tossed around a lot. However, what does it mean?

The #10 position is often called an “attacking midfielder”. They tend to work “between the lines” or “in the hole”, which is the space between the opposition’s midfield and defense. Their primary role is to drop into those positions and create chances. When the position was first created, the #10 wasn’t required to defend. If you looked at a formation from back in the 1870’s, it would look like a 1-2-7 formation. They were allowed to play with more creativity and freedom. However, with modern soccer, all attacking players are expected to behave defensively. There has been a shift in tactics from an attacking focus to a defensive one. 

Teams are also not built around these players as much as anymore. The positions are more fluid. The “classic #10” role has evolved to become more of a hybrid player who is better able to adapt. If they tend to play a more “traditional” #10 role, then they leave themselves vulnerable to attack. These days the offensive players can be marked, which limits them from acting as creatively as possible, pushing them into playing defense. 

Is the #10 necessary?

Even though teams are not built around the attacking midfielder, there are formations that rely on them as a key player. These formations include: 4-2-3-1, 4-4-1-1 (which is a variation of the 4-4-2), 3-4-1-2, 4-3-1-2, and the 3-5-2. 

Let’s look at an example. LAFC, currently, does not have a #10 on the roster. When LAFC lost Carlos Vela, they were scrambling. It became clear that they had built their tactics around this “man with the golden boot”. Now that he’s gone, they have had to rely more on Denis Bouanga, who has been playing as their #10, just without the jersey number. It took them a while to get their pace after Vela left and they struggled for time. His absence showed that even though he did make a difference, his position was not as irreplaceable as one may think.

Although teams do not necessarily need the #10 to win games, they do still play an important role that could make or break the game. Only time will tell how the position evolves. Tune in to Shin Pads & Shinanigans, hosted by Jess, on Saturdays at 10 AM MST/9 AM PST. Be sure to check out all of the shows throughout the week on IESR. Shout out to our sponsors, Planet Jerky, Seal the Deal Wax Seals, and Vital Apparel, as well as all you loyal listeners that continue to help our network grow. Thank you for reading, and we will see you next time on IE Sports Radio; your direct feed for ALL that is sports.

References: https://jobsinfootball.com/blog/number-10-in-soccer/