Squad Numbers

[mattbianco1]

They old numbering 1-11 goes back to the days of 2-3-5 line ups in the 20's and 30's.

1

2 – 3

4 – 5 – 6

7 -8 -9 -10 -11

this is history,

as we played last year it should be
1
2-3-4
5-6-7-8-9
10-11
if it wasn't for the old line ups beeing frozen in time, and certain numbers beeing iconic, like a no. 5 and a no. 9, and the classic rightwinger at no. 7.

In a 4-4-2 i would say:

1
2-5-6-3
7-4-8-11
9-10
​

In our current formation it's difficult to say as the numbers don't fit. Many teams on the continent still have #4 as a CB for example. In reality, Freeman should've had 7 and Lafferty 11 last year. I'd go something like this:

Moore (1)
Basham (2) - Stearman (5) - O'Connell (3)
Freeman (7) - Fleck (4) - Coutts (6) - Stevens (11)
Carruthers (8)
Clarke (9) - Sharp (10)
​

But, in this country number 6 at CM doesn't sit right anymore.

 

[mattbianco1]

Imagine Lafferty wearing #9!

The Wikipedia article on squad numbers shows some insight into numbering used by other nations, particularly Brazil and Argentina, which shows how players would bring the preferred number for their position with them when they moved to Europe. I recall Javier Zanetti wearing #4 at right back for Inter for many years.

I've seen something on this before.

Roberto Carlos always wore #6 for Brazil but #3 at Real Madrid

 

[Torrix1889]

Traditionally some shirt numbers have never really made sense! I think it's fair to say that when I started watching football back in the late 70's/early 80's formations never really made a difference to your shirt number and in most cases represented...

GK = 1
RB = 2
LB = 3
CB = 5
CB = 6
CM = 4
CM = 8
RM = 7
LM = 11
ST = 9
ST = 10

Why were centre halves 5&6 and not 5&4?
Why was the 4 then worn in midfield?
Why was LM 11?

 

[stringer]

In a 4-4-2 i would say:

1
2-5-6-3
7-4-8-11
9-10
​

In our current formation it's difficult to say as the numbers don't fit. Many teams on the continent still have #4 as a CB for example. In reality, Freeman should've had 7 and Lafferty 11 last year. I'd go something like this:

Moore (1)
Basham (2) - Stearman (5) - O'Connell (3)
Freeman (7) - Fleck (4) - Coutts (6) - Stevens (11)
Carruthers (8)
Clarke (9) - Sharp (10)
​

But, in this country number 6 at CM doesn't sit right anymore.

The anomaly is that Sharp wears 10, when that's the ideal number for Carruthers/Brooks/Duffy behind him.

1 Moore
6 Basham 4 Stearman 5 O'Connell
2 Freeman 7 Fleck 8 Coutts​

3 Stevens
10 Duffy
11 Clarke 9 Sharp
​

Won't happen of course so maybe, ideally, Clarke 9, Sharp 10, Duffy 11. Or stick to 4-4-2!

 

[stringer]

I've seen something on this before.

Roberto Carlos always wore #6 for Brazil but #3 at Real Madrid

Aye I've seen before Brazilians see 6 as LB number rather than traditional 3

 

[Ginger Gnome]

The 4-4-2 numbering was just modified from the old 2-3-5, so traditionally is the exact way they make sense.
1 is goalkeeper.
2 and 3 are full backs.
7 and 11 are wingers.
9 is centre forward.
Those translate directly from one formation to the other.

4 and 6 then get used for defence or midfield
8 and 10 get used for midfield or striker

4 and 8 is the most common central midfield numbers, with 6 in defence and 10 as a striker, but Man Utd used 4 and 6 for Bruce and Pallister with 5 in midfield. Ian Wright was always 8 for Arsenal with 10 in midfield.

There's no exact science to it, usually just manager preference and if for example Basham was wearing 6 in midfield then dropped into defence in a 1-11, he may well keep 6 and the number of the defender he replaced would go to the incoming midfielder. We had things like Devlin on the right wing wearing 10 in a 1-11 just before the introduction of squad numbers.


Other countries do their numbers differently, so the Dutch and Scandinavian countires often number right to left (left back ends up being 5)

 

[CarlingBlade]

I'm just gonna leave this here and walk away........

 

[Ginger Gnome]

The anomaly is that Sharp wears 10, when that's the ideal number for Carruthers/Brooks/Duffy behind him.

This namby pamby number 10 nonsense from the last few years is rubbish, Clarke and Sharp being 9 and 10 is fine if you're playing 2 strikers. If you're not playing wingers, the flair player gets 7, that's almost a law of football. Lundstram as 7 is an outrage.

1 Moore
4 Basham 5 Stearman 6 O'Connell
2 Freeman 8 Fleck 11 Coutts 3 Stevens
7 Carruthers
9 Clarke 10 Sharp​

 

[CarlingBlade]

Ooppps, it was Shaun Murphy wearing number 7..................

 

[Grecian2000]

When I watch a game of football I always check to see how many of the players on the pitch are numbered 1-11. I find it strange that first choice players are happy to have numbers outside that range, for example John Terry being 26 throughout his Chelsea career.

Me too. As I know sweet fuck all about most sides we play, the closer it is to 1 to 11 on the scoreboard, that's my gauge as to how close they are to full strength.

And what county do we play in?

Yorkshire Danny, YORKSHIRE!

 

[Sean Thornton]

Traditionally some shirt numbers have never really made sense! I think it's fair to say that when I started watching football back in the late 70's/early 80's formations never really made a difference to your shirt number and in most cases represented...

GK = 1
RB = 2
LB = 3
CB = 5
CB = 6
CM = 4
CM = 8
RM = 7
LM = 11
ST = 9
ST = 10

Why were centre halves 5&6 and not 5&4?
Why was the 4 then worn in midfield?
Why was LM 11?

Plenty of CB's wore/wear 4. John Flynn for example.

Ray Kennedy wore 5 in midfield for Liverpool as did, I think Ronnie Whelan.

 

[stringer]

Yorkshire Danny, YORKSHIRE!

A fitting typo from me on Yorkshire Day!

 

[LJBlade]

A fitting typo from me on Yorkshire Day!

And considering you're 24 hours late with your celebrations......

 

[stringer]

And considering you're 24 hours late with your celebrations......

Not really, since it was yesterday

 

[LJBlade]

Not really, since it was yesterday

Yeah my bad, I thought you were saying it was Yorkshire Day today but you were referring to when your original post was made (yesterday)

 

[stringer]

Yeah my bad, I thought you were saying it was Yorkshire Day today but you were referring to when your original post was made (yesterday)

I was!

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Plenty of CB's wore/wear 4. John Flynn for example.

Ray Kennedy wore 5 in midfield for Liverpool as did, I think Ronnie Whelan.

More recently, didn't Craig Short have the number in 05/06?

 

[CarlingBlade]

Clayton Donaldson - no.11

 

[10-0 win]

A in depth historic lookback at formations - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formation_(association_football)

 

[Houston_Blade]

I don't like the number 4 as a CM number, I always used to be 4 as a CB.

 

[CarlingBlade]

More recently, didn't Craig Short have the number in 05/06?

Yes, as did Paul McGrath back in the 97/98 season.