Centre Half (no 5) was the big no-nonsense stopper in the middle at the back. Think Jack Charlton. Matched against a centre forward (no. 9), who often in those times was a big bugger (but far from always). So yes, a bit like CB's these days, except there was only one Centre Half. Simples.
Another minor positive from Saturday was it was far easier and quicker to get up the stairs to the walkway after the game. Looks like they’ve modified the barriers at the top to help with the congestion. It’s only taken a couple of decades.
Just to clarify. I questioned No 6 being described as a midfield role. I always understood a No 6 to be one of the two centre backs. I used the term “centre half” (maybe incorrectly) as this was always used alongside centre back when I grew up, played for the school & various other teams afterwards. Perhaps I was part of the crossover generation when the terninology evolved. The point of my post was that 6 is a defender (Bobby Moore ‘66, Harry Maguire ‘22) & a 4 is a midfield position (Stiles ‘66, Rice ‘22)
There's no right answer. Some people consider 4 a defender and 6 a midfielder, some the other way around. There are geographical elements to it too: in the UK your way around is probably more traditional. In the rest of Europe it's the opposite. In South America 5 is sometimes considered a midfielder's number.
As I mentioned previously it goes back to the formation used for a long time. This changed over time and the numbers then bore no relation to the originals as time passed. Even then people like Charlton were described as Centre half’s and still wore no 5. From the best of my memory when I started watching City and for some time after everyone for City and the opposition playing what we considered to be the centre half, who tended to be tall and always came up for corners, wore no 5. please log in to view this image This gives a brief outline of changes. https://www.footballhistory.org/formations.html
Yep. Although the graphic is a bit misleading as in practice the No 5 / Centre Half played further back than the graphic suggests. Full backs primarily stopping the wingers, who typically really were proper 'old fashioned' (obvs) wingers. CH primarily stopping the CF.
Yes, but it is representing the 2 3 5/formation as it was called. Not a 2 1 2 5 one. Are you old enough to remember how Alf Ramsey won Division One in Ipswich’s first ever season in the top flight, a feat unlikely ever to be repeated? Such was the adherence to what numbers meant that he fooled the opposition by telling a winner, Leadbetter to drop back. He was tracked by the opposition players told to mark the winger. He had no pace but was a brilliant passer passing balls into the space created which then were sent forward where Ray Crawford had a field day. This was sussed and the following season didn’t work. Though one bonus was it was what give him the idea for the wingless wonder team which won the World Cup.
I played with a number 7 figo shirt as a goalkeeper in the pitch of my primary school when i was 5 yo. Did i risk jail without knowing?
If that goal had been scored by one of the big prem teams, it would have been talked about none stop... I doubt we will see a better pass, first touch and finish all rolled into one move in the championship this season