Is the ‘false 9’ position a real thing, or is it some sky sports pundits made-up nonsense?
I have a memory of Robbie Savage pulling the phrase out of nowhere (I know where, but I am to polite to say) about 4 years ago after he sat next to Thierry Henry for an entire afternoon and had nothing of real value to say. But I can’t ever recall hearing the phrase before then.
So do actual real Premier League managers and professional footballers use it, or is it just some made up nonsense used by sky sports pundits to try and sound intelligent?
The Hungarian national team utilized a false nine all the way back in the fifties and sixties, plenty of examples have already been given as to more modern iterations on the concept, but it’s certainly nothing new.