The Evolution of the Centre Forward Role
By Josh Sim
Football may have changed a lot throughout its history, but one thing remains the same: everyone grows up wanting to be the star centre-forward.
It's easy to understand why - those who play in the glamorous role are the individuals who can single-handedly determine a team's fortunes. Score goals and you are instantly elevated to superstar status - yet if they fail to do so, you'll find yourself out of the team.
Yet with modern managers now prioritising centre-forwards who can do more than just score - whether it's holding the ball up, pressing their opponents or creating for their teammates, the role certainly demands a lot more than just goalscorers.
No other manager has made it more clear about the role of the centre-forward than Pep Guardiola , who demanded more from Sergio Agüero when he first arrived at the club - despite the Argentinian scoring for fun in Manchester.
"My game is totally different now from what I was doing five years ago at City."
- Sergio Agüero, 2019
The Manchester City poacher remains the symbol of how the position has changed - once a goalscoring attacker who lived in the penalty area and hunted for loose balls, he's now become a willing presser who can bring his winger teammates into the game a lot more effectively.
It's a far cry from the number nines of the 1930s such as Guillermo Stábile and Dixie Dean, who were the spearhead of the five-man front lines, fielded in the 2-3-5 formation that dominated team selections all around the world.
Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman also used Jack Lambert as the focal point of his W-M (3-2-2-3) formation, tasking him with finishing off goalscoring chances that were carved out through deadly passing and counter-attacking moves. His defensive responsibilities were minimal, given that the legendary manager had deeper midfielders and wing-backs established behind him.
With teams gradually moving to a '4-4-2' formation, the centre-forward role became fragmented into two, with the most-used combination being a physical targetman alongside a speedy, technical forward, perhaps best epitomised in the British Isles by Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish's deadly partnership during the 1980s.
Even after the advent of the Premier League, strike duos were preferred by many - whether it was Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke, or Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton, the role's duties remained divided and distributed amongst the pair, with the rest of the team backing them up as support.
But as newer positions such as the trequartista became introduced, particularly in Italy, the centre-forward took on a more complete role, needing to match physicality with deadly finishing. Because managers wanted an extra deeper attacking midfielder, the lone frontman was free to pursue goalscoring, without worrying too much about their defensive duties.
Hence, the likes of Hernán Crespo and Gabriel Batistuta became goal machines in Serie A, and as teams began to switch towards a 4-5-1 or 4-2-3-1 formation, the position took on greater responsibility. Those now leading the frontline solo were relied upon to not only finish chances - no matter how few they were given - but also create a presence strong enough to occupy defenders, and create the necessary spaces for those behind to thrive in.
But the arrival of Guardiola as Barcelona manager in 2008 then led to the Spaniard tinkering with the role again. After signing and then ditching the more traditional centre-forward in Zlatan Ibrahimović, he settled on David Villa as a number nine, tasked with pressing opponents in favour of winning the ball back quickly.
Moreover, the Spanish forward didn't stay put in a central role - he would interchange his position with the likes of Lionel Messi and Pedro to create a fluid, movement-focused front-three. At times he would even drop deep to collect the ball and continue attacking moves, dragging his markers way out of position.
It would mark a change for many, as teams looked to find strikers who could seemingly do it all, even when not scoring. Whether it was linking up with midfielders, holding the ball up, or exchanging runs with the increasingly-offensive wingers, the centre-forward had become a completely different role.
Today, the centre-forward remains a more well-rounded position than it's ever been. Whether it's defensively pressuring opponents, or making intelligent runs to pull apart a backline, the role certainly demands a lot more from those who continue to take it.
But regardless of what they do, if they are unable to score goals consistently - they'll be out of the team. As with all forwards, they're still judged on their goals, a commodity that remains invaluable.