Playing the number 9 role: How important is it in modern football?

Goals are traditionally provided by the number nine. Gerd Muller remains Bundesliga's all-time leading scorer despite his retirement in 1981. Alan Shearer is the Premier League's highest ever scorer, and the same can be said for Silvio Piola, who wore the number 9 shirt throughout an illustrious career in Italy.

The modern game, however, has reinvented itself. At the moment, the two top teams in the Premier League, the most attacking division in Europe, play without traditional strikers, usually known as 'number nines'.

"Both Man City and Liverpool rotate players all over the pitch" states Ali Tweedale, editor of the Coaches Voice platform.

"Rotations are happening everywhere. Pep (Guardiola) said not too long ago that formations are nothing more than telephone numbers, which indicates his belief and the way the modern game is going. That players start in a certain position but move all over the place. So the way that City and Liverpool create space in the final third is through those rotations, dragging people all over the place".

Manchester City made no secret of their desire to sign Harry Kane in the summer, despite their recent success. They have played without a striker since the deal to sign him failed. Ali Tweedale says it's no time to panic.

"I think you kind of have to just trust in someone like Pep Guardiola. In situations like that, they're steaming ahead at the top of the Premier League even though he didn't sign Harry Kane, and they don't have a recognised number nine, and even the number 9 that they do have, Gabriel Jesus often plays out wide on the right. So I think it's more a sign of Pep Guardiola's genius or intelligence (rather) than just a silly admission that they've missed out on a striker."

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