I was watching a Messi and Zidane interview on YouTube. Zidane said the number 10 is not as important as it used to to be. The place and position of the number 10 are gone. He used 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 as an example, which are perhaps the two most used formations in football. Messi then agreed by saying there aren’t many 10 left and the position that shows such player is the leader, the midfielder, and the link player is gone.

It seems like the number is being handed to the superstars and to promote and advertise such players. Ansu Fati had no business wearing 10 for Barcelona. While Mabappe wears 10 for France, Griezmann is actually their 10. Rashford in Man United is not a 10. I could go on.

When Messi and Neymar retires from national team duty, Jude Bellingham seems to be the only young player to fill that void.

What do you guys think?

  • LongStorryShort@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Are you talking about the role or the shirt number ?

    Because you mention in the first paragraph the place and position but that has never being stable really. Many great number 10s haven’t played in the pocket. Messi was deployed on the right or as a False 9. Zidane at Madrid played on the left with Guti being the guy in the traditional number 10 slot. Ozil a modern example played often on the left of a front 3 instead of as a CAM. KDB has played as a winger, CAM, F9 and CM for Man City but very much is the primary playmaker when on the pitch.

    If we are talking about the number that has never really being a thing. Historically 433 and 442 have being the most dominant formations and neither have at traditional number 10 in them. Often many iconic number 10 played off the left or as part of a front 2. This means lots of 10s throughout history have not being the primary playmakers of their teams. Man Utd for example - Rashord, Sherringham, Van Nistelrooy, hell even Keane and Scholes have worn it. The number 10 doesn’t really stand for anything but it is an iconic shirt number that some of the greats have worn and therefore kids growing up wanted to wear it. Those kids inspire more kids to wear it and so on.