Squad Numbers – Are They Important?
by Steve Candy
Ever since I became an addict of football management simulations on the computer I have always taken great pleasure in assigning the appropriate numbers to the players of my inherited team. This unhealthy obsession has unsurprisingly transferred itself over to real life. I find myself getting worked up when a defender is given a number that should be allocated to a forward player or when a player is given a squad number in the high eighties when there are only twenty or so professionals on the wage bill. Perhaps the real reason I am devoting this column space to such a subject is to try and find out if I am alone in the football supporting world or not.
If you noticed in my previously column, I allocated each of my chosen England World Cup Squad members a number. These, I hasten to add, were not randomly selected. I spent time selecting each number in relation to the player’s position. Hopefully most of you agreed that the squad was well balanced in terms of positions and if you correspond to my opinion you will think it was. My way of thinking is; if a squad is balanced and not too threadbare then the allocation of numbers should not be a problem. Perhaps there is a method in the madness.
Jose Mourinho stated midway through his tenure at Chelsea that a first team squad capable of competing at the highest level should have twenty five players. We know that some squads have more than 25 players to be consistent over the course of a sixty game season in every competition. This is down to investment in youth (Stand up Mr. Wenger in the League Cup especially) or sheer financial scale (Mr. Hughes, though Manchester City’s squad doesn’t seem to be too overblown in my opinion).
While we are at this juncture it may be appropriate to point out that Liverpool’s squad for whatever reason does not seem to be able to have the sufficient quality in every position to have the strength in depth. Senor Benitez is guilty of giving a right back the No. 3 shirt so there may be some correlation in this.
If we are to go along with the twenty five man squad then I am of the belief that this should consist of three goalkeepers and twenty two outfield players allowing for two in every position. Of course some of these players should have the ability to fulfil a variety of positional roles but each player has their number.
Here then is my breakdown of squad numbers and the positions that should fill them:
1. First choice goalkeeper
Why Pepe Reina wears the number twenty five shirt I will never know.
2. Right back
Ideally this would be for an out and out right sided defender though allowances can be made for a player capable at this position, centre back or right midfield.
3. Left back
See above but substitute right for left. Why Bacary Sagna (whose name makes him sound like an exotic bird) wears this number for Arsenal I have no idea. A.C. Milan’s has been retired and justly so because the legend Maldini wore it. On the left or in the middle of the back line.
4. Defensive Midfielder or Right sided Centre Back
I’m happy to see this number on either position. Think Owen Hargreaves as a defensive midfielder wearing the number four or Kolo Toure as the defender option.
5. Centre back
Fans of Argentinian football will know that this number is reserved for more attack minded players. However, giving it to David Bentley is just pure squad number sacrilege.
6. Ball playing Centre Back or Defensive Midfielder
Again I am happy for some versatility here. I see Rio Ferdinand (well at least the one we want to see in South Africa) being worthy of this number.
7. Right sided midfielder/ Right wing/ Right sided forward
A famous number for the red half of Manchester but never consistent with position. Michael Owen is better suited to the eighteen shirt for the role he fulfils. Nor for my liking was Bryan Robson (see number six or eight). Antonio Valencia should have it.
8. Central midfielder
Steven Gerrard wears this shirt for his club; Frank Lampard does so for his. In these cases all is right and proper in the world. The number eight shirt is for your goal scoring, match winning, box to box midfielder.
9. Striker
The number nine shirt is synonymous with idol worshipped Newcastle players. They were all powerful forward players. For once, Newcastle has got something right. The No. 9 should be worn by a strong, line leading attacker.
10. Forward
I was very happy when Wayne Rooney was given the number ten shirt after a few years wearing the eight. It made absolute sense. Rooney, for all his efforts to make contact with every blade of grass on the pitch, is a classic No. 10. The number ten shirt is held in such high regard in Italy that it is a position as opposed to just a number. The prominent South American nations also reserve this shirt for special talents. Thankfully Capello sees Rooney as his No. 10 for England. This number, however, is not for William Gallas. He is a defender.
11. Left sided Midfielder/ Left Wing/ Left sided forward
For some reason the idea of seeing a right winger, central midfielder or forward in this shirt does not harm me mentally. However, the number eleven should be on the left wing. Ryan Giggs is the ideal example of a player at home in this shirt.
It is quite obvious that the first eleven shirts should go to those that would ideally be your starting eleven. Because of that the remaining fourteen allow for a little more positional versatility:
12. Versatile defender or Utility man
John O’ Shea for example13. Second choice Goalkeeper
14. Left midfielder, Central midfielder
15. Centre back.
Not a forward, Tottenham. Peter Crouch now looks odd because of his shirt number as well.
16. Defensive Midfielder, Centre Back
17. Right Winger
18. Striker
More suited to a Jermain Defoe than a big target man.
19. Right back
20. Striker/ Forward
21. Left Back
22. Attacking Midfielder/ Forward
23. Central Midfielder
24. Third Choice Goalkeeper
25. Centre Back
Please don’t ask me why (though of course reader, you may) but I feel better knowing that these numbers are filled by these positions. I think you can agree that a squad like this shows balance, perhaps this is why I need it to be this way.
In regard to positional roles, what has happened to the ‘utility man’? If anyone can respond to this column with any existing ‘utility men’ in world football today I would be grateful. The only one I can think of is John O’ Shea and he hasn’t played upfront for Manchester United, yet.
Please feel free to comment with questions, criticisms, advice or anything else and I shall endeavour to respond accordingly.
(photo credit: Rod Monkey on Flickr, in the Just Football photo pool).
Fan Culture, Football Kits Boots And Attire, Squad Numbers, Steve CandyShare This Post!
About Steve Candy
Steve Candy became a fan of football at the age of six thanks to Italia '90 and a fan of Tottenham Hotspur directly after that. He is known to converse politely with Arsenal fans.
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Nice article Steve. Actually though, John O'Shea has played for Man United upfront once – as an emergency sub against Reading at Old Trafford a few years ago. He was pretty dreadful. Should clearly stick to goalkeeping!
My favourite squad number has to be the number 10 – the mythical 'El Diez' as they say in Argentina. That was my position as a kid and I remember looking up to the great Del Piero who wore the number 10 for the Azzurri with such grace.
Phil jagielka is a definite utility man, remember Sheffield United v Arsenal. He has played in defence, midfield, striker and goalkeeper! A fasntastic article, this. I too share your views that all the numbers should be given to the correct type of player. It is almost an obsession! It just seems to flow better if all the players have the classic 1-11 numbers on and are in the correct positions, it always annoys me how for England, Gerrard has to play with the number 4 shirt on, he is not a defender.
Can't believe someone else spends time allocating the correct numbers to his squad – I don't feel so sad now. I don't know why, I always see #21 as my reserve playmaker's number. I recall it was Zidane's first number when he went to Juventus. Always think that 20, 21 and 22 are aesthetically pleasing, but still, would prefer 1-11.
steve , good point of view , have alot of knowledge for a spurs fan !
Good article. Seems as though players these days see squad numbers as just another marketing tool. See Bendtner, Nicholas who changed from 26 to 52 this summer, madness,
I can’t help but disagree with most opinions on this blog.
A squad number has no importance to the man behind the scenes. A manager does not identify his players by the numbers on their shirts but by the qualities they possess as players in order to justify which position they could possible fulfill.
Sadly I think the nostalgia of the football fan and their relationship with the number on the back of the shirt is one of a dying breed and irreverent to the game and the pace it is constantly involving at.
Either accept this or get left behind watching your Italia 90 VHS collection, reminiscing about your Lothar Matthaus number 10’s………….rip.
im totally in support of this balanced structure but understand it may be seen as old fashioned in the modern game. The degrade of positioin may be responsible for this with classic terms such as centre half and centre forward replaced with sweeping blandness as forward etc. On the flipside the modern "intelectual" footballer (i think of Steven "yer, erm, i think, we played well" gerrard) may of outed the old number system as stereotyping there position and restricting the the chance of playeing on the left for england, cos lets face it we all have a shot. Nice work steve, got me musing. westy
A very worth while topic! For those of you who play Football Manager will whole heartily agree. The only one I disagree with is the sub goalkeeper. If the 1st choice keeper is No.1 then surely the sub keeper should be the next number after the 11? Well that's just my opinion anyway!!
Athletic Bilbao's striker wears the number 2 shirt. He scored at the weekend against Barcelona. I was so confused. Thought he was a right back! Which I think either supports the argument that squad numbers do play a necessary role in football, or proves that I am ridiculously behind the times!
Chris – I see what you're saying (although I'll stick to the World Cup '94 tape, far more memories
), but do you not think that squad numbers help bring at least a bit of cohesion and order to matters on the pitch?
Previously, if you went to a game involving two teams you knew nothing about, at least you could be pretty sure that, for example, the number 2 was a right back playing out of position rather than an out-and-out striker?!
I think behind the light-hearted banter and reminiscing there is a fairly important point to be made about the identification of players on the pitch. Correct me if I'm wrong…
The above comment is one fantastic post right there. Insightful and reasoned. Whoever wrote this needs to identify themself!
hey this a brilliant comment! i fuss over my player numbers as well, really fussy, if i cant agree which player should have what number i turn my psp off and walk away from it!! i hate having to change numbers of my players its like in real life you would hate to have to buy a new shirt for a new number, i dont want to do that to my fans
!!! excellent post, i love how u went into so much detail on everything and all the small details were stretched out (like the bit about gallas number 10 & its significance in italy).
For the sake of the unfamiliar spectator, this is definitely a relevant topic. I agree with the numbering of 1-11; as I see it 5 is right centre back & 6 is left, but that’s a small difference.
I would suggest that your ‘indifference’ to the location of the 11 is it is the “one left over” when lining up the team. In a ‘4-1-3-2′ formation, if I can call it that, the 11 falls naturally onto the left wing. But if you try to play ’strictly’ with 2 central midfielder (4-4-2 with a diamond midfield, or 4-1-2-1-2; probably too many numbers, but you get the idea), putting the 11 on the left seems unnatural, from the perspective of higher number, further up the pitch. In this case, 8, 9 & 10 end up further up, which looks odd; having the 8 on the left of the diamond, 10 at the apex and 11 as left sided striker appears more rational, hence your flexibility.
Regarding the 12-25 numbers, I’m less convinced. 12 as the reserve keeper kind of makes sense on it’s own, but to me it would make sense to have the second squad (out field players at least) numbered as per the first, plus 10; so 12 at right full back, 13 at left back & so on. (It is a bit unfortunate from this point of view that we don’t work in base-11, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undecimal). This would leave 12-25 for the remaining outfield players and goal keepers, but to say that they need to be strictly defined may be taking it a bit too far!