A few months ago, we discussed the four types of forwards currently found in high-performance football and their main characteristics. However, in this blog, we want to make special mention of the false nine and three of the most important fundamentals that this player must master. 

When we talk about the false nine profile, we are referring to a player with great mobility, high technical quality and outstanding capacity to connect with others. This type of striker is not limited to fixing the opposition centre backs, but also to facilitate the progression of the play by creating advantages through their mobility and ability to link with and open up space for their teammates. 

Because of these characteristics, it is essential that they master a series of specific fundamentals that allow them to perform successfully in such situations. Want to know what they are? Here are three of the most important ones. 

1. Dismarking diagonally when supporting to progress the play

It is a fundamental that occurs when the centre forward is in the next line to receive the ball and the defence uses a predominantly zonal marking system or is drawn to the position of the ball. 

Image 1. Graphical representation of the centre forward’s fundamental of ‘dismarking diagonally when supporting to progress the play’. Source: MBP Coaches’ School  

The forward must dismark using an L-shaped supporting movement, with their body sideways and with the intention of progressing in the play. 

– If the centre backs do not press high up the pitch, they may receive balls played into the pocket. 

– If, on the other hand, the defence presses high up the pitch, this will create more space for players to run into behind them.   

Image 2. Playing sequence where the fundamental ‘dismarking diagonally when supporting to progress the play’ appears. Source: MBP Coaches’ School 

2. Coordinating the dismarking with other teammates:

This is a fundamental that occurs when we have two or more attackers without the ball in the centre of the attack with the possibility of receiving the ball. The forward line player must distribute the spaces to get free when in the centre of the team’s attack. From this point, it will be important to coordinate movements, looking for different spaces to get free. 

Image 3. Representación gráfica del fundamento de línea de delanteros ‘coordinating the dismarking with other teammates’ Source: MBP Coaches’ School 

This offers more opportunities for action for the teammate with the ball. 

We can alternate:  

• Two forwards side-by-side ‘one comes, one goes’. 

• Two forwards on different lines, runs in behind from the second forward. 

• With 3 forwards, diagonal movements from the wingers. 

Image 4. Playing sequence where the fundamental ‘coordinating the dismarking with other teammates’ appears. Source: MBP Coaches’ School  

3. Looking for a wall pass to take advantage of a space quickly:

This happens when the attacker with the ball (who momentarily no longer has it) has space that allows them to receive the return pass in advantageous conditions. The player must continue the attacking action by taking advantage of the spaces after passing to their teammate, i.e. by executing a one-two pass.  

In the vast majority of actions, this continuity should be forward, but on some occasions it may also be diagonally, although the purpose of this action will be to receive with free space in front in order to progress through it. 

Image 5. Graphical representation of the collective fundamental in the finishing zone of ‘looking for a wall pass to take advantage of a space quickly’. Source: MBP Coaches’ School  

Image 6. Playing sequence where the fundamental ‘looking for a wall pass to take advantage of a space quickly’ appears. Source: MBP Coaches’ School 

It is clear, then, that although these are fundamentals that other types of forwards can also perform, in the case of the false 9, they will be key to their game because they are situations that they will have to deal with frequently during the course of matches. 

Would you like to learn more about the Individual Fundamentals by Position? 

The ‘Specialist in Individual Fundamentals by Position’ course will allow you to dive deeper into the more than 90 individual fundamentals for each player position. All of these fundamentals are based on an exhaustive study of each and every one of the most common and relevant situations that each player encounters during a match, depending on their position on the pitch. Once these situations have been identified in the play, we study the optimal responses that give the player the best chance of success.