The Different Roles and Needs of the Number '4'

I’m no Jonathon Wilson and I recommend you read Inverting the Pyramid for a deep and insightful look into the history of football. It’s truly a great education. What I wanted to do today was discuss the holding midfielder, his role and his number. 

The fascination with shirt numbers has become an important element of modern football. In the past the number associated with a position, usually in a sequence, and as formations switched from the 2-3-5 and W-M, the role of certain numbers changed. Some countries moved their 6 deeper into a defensive position, Argentina moved their 4 to right back, which is why Zanetti wore it throughout his career. Germany had their 4 at CB and had their 6 in midfield. England had a 5 and 6 at CB and the 4 and 8 in midfield. 

These tactical changes and cultural differences have created this fascination and difference with what numbers signify. The iconic number for me is the number 10, the shirt of the true greats. I love what the 10 signifies, and it’s sad to think some people consider the 10 a dying breed. Perhaps there’s liitle room for a Riquelme anymore, but don’t tell me the 10 is dead. He has simply evolved. And to consider the 10 no longer an essential player in the game, and a key part of youth development, will only kill the development of more creative and skilful players. But it’s not the case, and as I wrote last week, English football is having a boom of creative midfielders, a gluttony of 10’s, showcasing their wonderful skill and intelligence. So I think you’d be wrong to right off the 10 in the present day. He is still very much alive. 

 

The need for box to box midfielders

It seems many are desiring the development of an 8. A number we can all agree is the box to box midfielder, this seems synonymous across nations. There have been some lovely attacking versions of the 8; Rooney and Kaka spring to mind, but ultimately this is the midfielder who links the defence and attack, who gets forward. Many consider the box to box midfielder another of those dying breeds, believing the rise of specialists has lost the all-round midfielder of the likes of Robson, Keane and Vieira. 

But in fact this player is back in vogue, the ‘8’ has become the desire of many who don’t just want a 10 but want a bit more. Man City play with two ‘8’’s in their system, players like De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva who are attacking playmakers, but have shown to be able to play deeper in the 8 role. They play in the half space and they know how to exploit space. Odegaard has shown this ability for Arsenal and the Guardiola style of play has grown the importance of these player who play in the halfspace - again terminology wise the inside left and right channel - to exploit space and get the creative midfielders in positions to turn and create. 

Ultimately however it is how you play as a team, and what you desire from your players. My belief is that players should be have the skill-set and ability to be adaptable and be multi-functional, to play between different positrons and different needs. Jude Bellingham wears the number 22 because his youth coach asked him what he wanted to be and he said a 4, 8 and 10. So he is no. 22. All of them. And he proves it. He can play deep, be a box and box and be more attacking. He has the skill-set to do it. Credit to him and Blues for developing such a talented all-rounder. Had Blues used the 6 as their reference for the holding midfielder then Bellingham would be a 24. You see the use of the 4 is an English reference. It is how we refer to that position. And I believe it is important to continue to use this reference, in a world where it appears the ‘6’ is becoming the norm. 

The shift towards the 6 reference coincides with Barca and Guardiola's influence on modern coaching and thinking. When you have one of the greatest midfielders in Xavi Hernandez wearing the 6 shirt it's hard to not associate that role with that number. I get that. 

 

And perhaps since Pep Guardiola has come to England, I have seen a shift towards the use of the Number 6 being referred to as the holding midfielder. More coaches are referring to the position of the defensive midfielder as the “6”. They hear Guardiola use it, Klopp too, and it becomes normalised. Both come from countries where they culturally refer to this role as the 6. But we don't have to conform to that. Yet it seems to have become the accepted term for this role. And while perhaps it’s pedantic to argue against which number associates with what position, I personally feel that in English football, and in English coaching language, we should refer to this position as the “4”. Is it some sort of jingoism and nationalist pride? Or is it simply what we have been brought up on? 

The multi-faceted role of the 4 

When I consider the great ‘4’’s of my lifetime I think of Xavi Hernandez, Claude Makelele, Frank Rijkaard, Michaal Carrick, Sergio Busquets, Andrea Pirlo and Juan Veron. The regista,  the deep lying midfield playmakers. Ironically even the great deep lying midfielder Pep Guardiola wore the 4 shirt at Barca in the 90’s. All of the these players were different versions of the role. And perhaps it’s not the use of the number which needs clarifying, but what type of player he is. Because it’s not a one role only position. 

 

Dick Bate, the greatest coach educator I have ever experienced, used the number 4 in his coaching language, so if it was good enough for him, it’s good enough for me. But he would discuss the different 4’s and what as a coach you expected from him. How would you coach him? How would he play in your team? It’s such a vital question. It comes down to what you want as a coach and what your players can offer. 

 

Bate would talk about the three C’s. Is he a Creator, Continuity or a Carrier. Some would describe this position as a destroyer also, but that is seen here as the continuity player. 

 

Let’s look at the players above and describe their role. 

 

Let’s start with Veron – the playmaker. 

 

Kids who play FIFA probably don’t use numbers as much as abbreviations and perhaps that is a better approach to adapt to. Veron is a DLP – a deep lying playmaker. Dick Bate loved Veron. I had the pleasure of watching him in Argentina for Estudianates in 2010 and although he was coming to the end of his career, he was a joy. Spraying passes, dictating the game, the fulcrum of the team. 

In the same way Pirlo did across his career and Xabi Alonso. I guess Toni Kroos and Thiago have taken the crown as the best deep lying playmakers of the modern game. For Madrid and Bayern these players have excelled and being wonderful at dictating play with such ease and poise. Players who can pick passes, control games and link play wonderfully. This type of player is a terrific passer, a real quarterback style player. The team revolved around these players. 

It’s why I felt Veron struggled at United, because he wasn’t given the full creative freedom of the midfield. A player like him needed that. Needed to control the tempo, to play the passes. A joy to watch. But one which needed the team revolved around him. Paul Scholes became this player as he got older and was excellent. Similar to Pirlo who moved deeper from initially being more of a 10 and became a deeper playmaker. The intelligent, creative passers excel in this position. More space, more options and the ability to have more space to play to. 

The water carrier

So what about the continuity player. The obvious choices here are Makelele and Deschamps. The classic water carriers. The guys who play short and feed other more ‘creative’ talents on the pitch. They regain the ball, lock out for the team, cut off passing lanes and then recycle possession to help the team rebuild and attack. I’ve always felt that without one of these players in your team it’s going to be very hard to succeed! 

The successful teams of the past 20 years have had a player like this in their team. The list is long but let’s just consider a few; Xavi, Gattuso, Dunga, Casemiro, Fernandinho, Javi Martinez and Matic. There’s many more. 

Special mention here for Michael Carrick and Sergio Busquets – for me the two players who evolved this position to become more than just a continuity player, but a creator and continuity in one.  Both could dictate from deep yet also be able to control the tempo, keep passes short and recycle possession. Their quality under pressure and intelligence was often ignored or not appreciated. It’s not always easy to be wowed by this type a player, it’s the kind of player which teammates appreciate, which coaches know they can rely on and which the fans who watch every minute across many seasons grow to really love and appreciate. Perhaps you only really know how important this player is when he’s not there. But as Del Bosque said; “Watch the game you won't see Busquets, but watch Busquets and you'll see the game.”

The Carrier

And the final one of this role is the carrier. The player who can pick up the ball from deep and drive forward to break lines. This player is not as common, perhaps it seems more risky than the other two roles, but he can be so important to the team. The player which stands out to me in recent years is N’golo Kante. Kante can be the Makelele and feed his teammates, but he is an excellent carrier of the ball. I remember his runs for Leicester when they won the league, and if you saw the game last week vs Atleti it wasn’t just the regains where he excelled, but his runs to break lines. He is so dynamic and intelligent in his play that he can break up play, feed passes and run with the ball. 

In some ways he is an all-round midfielder but Kante is best when deeper. Sarri and Lampard both tried him higher as an 8 in order to accommodate the more continuity version of Jorginho. But Chelsea have been better and more successful with Kante playing deeper. As evidenced last week for Atleti. In fact when you consider his success this past 6 years Kante has been the most important defensive midfielder in the game. 

 

Talking of Chelsea players I’ve always been impressed by Kovacic. I watched him at Inter when he was younger before he moved to Madrid and was really impressed by his ability to pick up the ball deep and break lines with his forward runs. Perhaps Madrid wasn’t the best move for him but I felt if a team was fully built around him he could excel in that deep carrier role. He has shown good moments for Chelsea but not sure if he has reached the potential he shown.

 

The player who perhaps is the one to really watch from this position is Declan Rice. I was sceptical of him at first, thinking the hype was too much, but the more I watch him the more impressed I am. He is getting better and better. He can be the continuity player, linking and breaking up play, and he does it well. He has the creator element to his game also – capable of playing longer and forward passes and dictating the game from deep. And he can also carry it. Look at the run he made versus Arsenal on the weekend. He is skilful, a good dribbler and can run positively to break lines. 

At West Ham he has a team which is built around him, where he plays every game, where is important. He is the leader on the pitch. This level of responsibility for a young player is fantastic for his development and he is excelling. I can see why many top clubs see him as a key addition to their team. He is the version of the all-round midfielder which the modern game requires. 

 

The importance of the 4

I consider this player the 4. But as it shows, it's not just one role. Yet when we discuss this role it is important we show a common coaching language. This certainly helps with communication and understanding. Mixed information can be confusing for coaches and players alike. Perhaps we move away from numbers and embrace the abbreviated descriptions? 

But the key is that we understand the differences in the position, that players are different and have different attributes and strengths. We as coaches also want certain things from our midfielders and so some players will excel as they fit in with a coaches beliefs and style, whereas others may struggle. It’s not that players are bad, or that coaches are wrong, it’s just finding that right mix where attributes and beliefs align to provide a positive relationship and development. I think if you as a coach understand your bias and your beliefs, then you can help improve your players and be a better team. 

 

For me the holding midfielder, the number 4 is one of the most important players on the pitch. And he will always the 4 for me. 

The Whitehouse Address @TheWAddress

 

In memory of Dick Bate. A man who taught me so much.