So, I decided to mess around with this “false nine” thing in my football game today. I’ve heard about it, seen it talked about, but never really tried it myself. Figured, why not?
First thing I did was pick a team. I needed a team with a striker who’s, you know, not just a pure goal-hanger. Someone who can actually pass the ball and, like, think a little. I went with my usual team, they’re pretty flexible.
Setting It Up
I jumped into the formation screen. Normally, I’d play a straight-up 4-3-3, striker right up top. But for this, I pulled my striker back a bit, almost like he was an attacking midfielder. The game didn’t have a specific “false nine” setting, so I just kinda fudged it, making him sit between the midfield and the forward line.
- Dragged my striker back: From his usual position into almost CAM area.
The First Half: A Bit of a Mess
Honestly, the first half was rough. My striker, bless his heart, kept dropping deep, like I wanted. But the other team’s defenders? They didn’t know what to do. Sometimes they followed him, leaving a HUGE gap in their defense. Other times, they just stayed put, letting my striker have all the time in the world on the ball… which he promptly wasted by trying a fancy pass that went straight to the other team.
- Opponent Defenders Confused: Sometimes follow, leave the huge gap.
- My Striker’s poor action: Wasted chances and give possession to the other team.
Halftime Adjustments
At halftime, I realized I needed to change something. My wingers were just standing around, waiting for a through ball that wasn’t coming. So, I told them to cut inside more, to run into that space the defenders were leaving when they followed my striker. I also told my midfielders to push up a bit higher, to offer more passing options.
- Instruct Wingers: To cut inside more often.
- Instruct Midfielders: push up to get more passing options.
The Second Half: Things Start Clicking
Second half? Way better. My wingers started making those diagonal runs, and my striker, now with more space, started finding them with passes. The other team’s defenders were getting pulled all over the place. We scored a couple of goals this way, with my wingers bursting through and finishing. My striker even got an assist, which, let’s be honest, is rare for him.
- My wingers run diagonal.
- My striker get more space, passing more precisely.
The Final Whistle
We ended up winning the game. Was it all down to the false nine? Probably not. But it definitely made a difference. It messed with the other team’s defense, created space, and gave us a different way to attack.
I’m not saying I’m a tactical genius now, or that I’ll use the false nine every game. But it’s definitely something I’ll try again. It’s fun, it’s different, and when it works, it’s pretty darn effective. I might even try it with a different player next time, see if I can get even better results.
