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Just before Christmas last year, Barcelona played Real Madrid in El Clásico. Marcello Lippi was watching the match for Sky Italia. Cool as ever, Lippi sat and listened to his fellow commentators praise the Blaugrana’s stubby Argentine superstar Lionel Messi before interrupting. He suggested young Messi was being played out of position on the flank.
Hasn’t he always played there? The other commentators replied, to which Lippi responded: “I don’t understand why Messi isn’t given a chance as a central attacker. If he starts on the right, he can only go in one direction. If he starts in the middle, he can run in two and complicate his markers’ jobs.”
Lippi’s recommendation sparked a debate. Is the role of the fantasista changing? No 10s like Francesco Totti and Messi, and No 7s like Cristiano Ronaldo, increasingly find themselves as the focal point of their team’s attack.
Their numbers are historically reserved for great passers and dribblers of the ball, which they are. No 10s and 7s are traditionally the game’s greatest thinkers, they scheme and outwit, unblock defences and break deadlocks. They need the time and space that comes from playing out wide or from deep to conjure their magic.
Why, then, does the trequartista now find himself further forward, in the striker’s natural habitat? Some, notably Alberto Zaccheroni, believe playmakers are positioned up front because the side in question lacks centre-forwards. Is it an emergency measure then?
Totti came to be deployed at the head of a 4-2-3-1 formation in 2006 because Roma’s front men were injured. His success there though persuaded Coach Luciano Spalletti and other European tacticians to replace their No 9 with a No 10 or No 7.
Sir Alex Ferguson played Ronaldo in the middle of Manchester United’s attack against Roma in March. Orthodox strikers Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez were stationed out wide where they worked to assist the Portuguese. Ronaldo, like Totti, blossomed there and won the 2007-08 edition of the European Golden Boot, mirroring the Romanista’s achievement in 2006-07.
Ferguson didn’t have to play Ronaldo there, he chose to. It was a game plan rather than a contingency strategy. Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola recently tried Messi up top against Fiorentina and Milan are expected to field Ronaldinho as their first choice striker this season as well.
Rather than dying, the No 10 is clearly in a state of evolution. Trequartisti have been moved forward for their own survival. Defenders could cynically foul 10s outside the box, risking a free-kick at worst. By placing them closer if not inside the penalty area, defenders risk a lot more. They can give away a spot-kick and get sent off. And that’s the irony. No 10s have significantly more freedom inside the box than outside of it.
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Despite being used in different roles from time to time, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi and Ronaldinho are wingers. The reason they are wingers is not because this is their natural role, but because today's football relies heavily on skilful and pacey wingers.
Furthermore there is no doubting the game is faster than it has ever been. There is also no doubt that football is arguably more tactical than it has ever been. Euro 2008 aside, football over the last past few years has also been more defensive than the 1990s.
The increasingly defensive mentality, especially in Europe, has further enhanced the need for ball winning defensive midfielders. The likes of Makelele, Mascherano, Flamini etc, have become more and more valuable to top-flight clubs. Today they can be as expensive as skilful wingers and forwards.
The evolution of the ball-winning defensive midfielder has been mirrored by the decrease in production of full-backs at the very top. And for me this is the very reason why players like Ronaldo and Messi are being used on the wing.
Rosario
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