You might sometimes hear people talking about how Cristiano Ronaldo has transformed from a flamboyant no.7 to a clinical no.9 nowadays or perhaps encounter an article in the internet saying that Andrea Pirlo was a great no.6 - it might be confusing at times because both players above didn't actually wear the mentioned numbers respectively. Ronaldo still has number 7 on his shirt at Juventus, while Andrea Pirlo was synonymous with the shirt number 21 in his playing career. This is mainly because those numbers are traditionally worn by certain players in specific positions and thus people often associate it with their roles and/or positions.
No. 1 as a Goalkeeper
A no. 1 is pretty much interpreted as a goalkeeper. Most of the modern day goalkeepers wear no.1 on their shirt and there are so very few cases of outfield players wearing the number - except for several cases like Barnet's player-manager, Edgar Davids in 2013, Simon Vukcevic at Partizan from 2004 to 2006, and going back in time where several national teams like Netherlands and Argentina assigned their squad numbers alphabetically, which explains why Ruud Geels in 1974 and Osvaldo Ardiles in 1982 both wore number 1 for their respective national teams. Talking about its role - it's pretty clear. A goalkeeper is the last line of defence and the first initiator of attack. Goalkeepers should have not just a pair of strong arms, but lightning-quick reflexes, excellent athleticism and agility, mental strength and bravery, intelligent timing, and nowadays, most keepers are expected to have decent ball control and passing skills as they are supposed to be more involved in the build-up, especially for teams who play out of defence.
No. 2 as a Wing-Back
There are many ways to explain what a wing-back in football really is - but in simple words, it is a more attacking version of a fullback. Some might even call it "wide defensive midfielders" as wing-backs usually stand along the same line with a defensive midfielder, only they cover the wider areas. Wing-backs are commonly used in a 3-man defence. It is a very (maybe the most) physically demanding position in football. Wing-backs are tasked to offer width in attack, usually through overlapping runs - but of course not forgetting their job to defend either. It requires a pair of iron lungs, an eye for a cross, body strength, and of course great tackling skills.
No. 3 as a Full-Back
I wouldn't say there is a significant difference between a full-back and a wing-back except that the former is most often used in a 4-man defence, sometimes in an ultra-defensive 5-man defence. Tasked to defend the flanks and of course support the attackers with overlapping runs and crosses either from byline or from deep, full-backs need to master the technical, tactical, and physical aspect of the game, perhaps even more than the other players on the pitch. Sometimes, full-backs are also asked to be in a more defensive role, due to their limited attacking prowess. These full-backs won't really offer support upfront other than a cross from deep or through balls to underlapping teammates. They sit back out wide trying to recover the ball when cleared by the opposition's defenders and also prevent counter-attacks from the flanks.
No. 4 as a Sweeper (Libero)
A sweeper is a player positioned usually between the goalkeeper and the defensive line. Their job is actually pretty different than defensive midfielders who might actually have a similar duty at hand. Sweepers are tasked to sweep up through balls and long balls that get past the defensive line. The presence of a sweeper would push the defensive line a bit higher. In the modern era, you might not see a lot of sweepers anymore. Perhaps the most recent appearance of a player in the role/position of a sweeper is Daniele de Rossi at the UEFA European Championship 2012, where he was deployed as what is called a "roaming libero" with the Italy national team. But back in the old days, there were some legendary sweepers, namely, Ronald Koeman, Franz Beckenbauer, Franco Baresi, Gaetano Scirea, and Bobby Moore for example. "Libero" actually means free in Italian, which explains why sweepers are more like a free-role defender. Some sweepers like Ronald Koeman and Franz Beckenbauer are two examples of the greatest ever sweepers, perhaps revolutionizing the way a sweeper is seen by the whole world. Both players love to drive forward after winning a ball, comfortable on the ball, strong, excellent technique and quick - equally proficient in the arts of attacking and defending is how I would describe them both.
No.5 as a Centre-Back
A centre-back (or centre-half) is a position in football where the players are assigned with defensive duties such as stopping the opposition play, covering the defensive third, and marking its opposition. Central defenders usually play right in front of the goalkeeper except if the team play with a libero. The role of a central defender has evolved in this modern era. A central defender used to be all about defending, tackling, marking, clearing the ball away, and such, whereas most of the modern day defenders are forced to be more technically capable. They need to be more comfortable on the ball, they need to be able to hold the ball, dribble, distribute the ball accurately, and even launching the ball forward in a no-nonsense manner - that is due to the fact that teams nowadays prefer to play the ball out of defence and build the attack from the back. Central defenders must be strong, they don't have to be so big and tall, but they need to be intelligent as to time their tackles, position themselves defensively, and read the opposition plays.
No. 6 as a Defensive Midfielder
The true role of a defensive midfielder pretty much to stop the ball or the opposing attackers from advancing into a more dangerous zone and instigate a counterattack while the other team are on their toes - from there a long list of variations of roles that defensive midfielders play as grows. From deep-lying playmaker (regista), ball-winning midfielder, anchorman, half-back, and segundo volante. From there, their duties varied even more, but still have the main task of destroying or disrupting opposition's plays and launching a counterattack. A defensive midfielder needs to have an excellent vision and passing ability combined with superb defensive prowess and tactical awareness.
No. 7 as a Winger
There are countless wingers who have ever graced the football field in a shirt with number 7 on it that the position became somewhat identical to the number. A winger is a wide forward who aims to either support the other attackers (mainly a centre-forward) or score a goal himself. Wingers could be very crucial for a team depending on their tactics and how they are used. Their fulgurant pace, close control, silky dribbling, attacking flair, and sometimes eye-catching tricks are their main weapons to terror their oppositions.
No. 8 as a Central Midfielder
A central midfielder is the core of a team, the link between defence and attack, and the pivot to which the ball is played. Centre-mids help in both defence and the attack with their ability to put pressure on the enemies, win back possession, keep the ball on their side, dictate tempo, be the creative spark in their team and obviously find their man with a sweet pass. Central midfielders, just like full-backs or wing-backs also need (although not required) to have imposing physical attributes such as pace, stamina, strength, balance, explosiveness, and of course agility - but as long as they managed to master the crafts of passing, ball control, and game reading, I think they should be able to compensate for that. Central midfielders who managed to become well-balanced, all-around players who excel in defending and attacking, like for example, Paul Scholes, Patrick Vieira, Lothar Matthaus, Michael Ballack, Clarence Seedorf and in recent years Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal are only a little of many other examples of complete midfielders in the beautiful game.
Talks are endless when it comes to who is the best no. 9 of all time. People argue a lot about how a great striker should be, but one thing that they could agree with is that as long as they bang goals week in and week out, then they are proper no. 9s - this might be pretty arguable because when talking about strikers, people talk about their stats, how many goals they scored in a certain season or certain span of matches, how effective they are in front of goal, using the ratio of shots on target, off target, and converted into a goal. But despite that, of course there is another aspect of the game that strikers need to focus on depending on their roles. A target man like Olivier Giroud is strong and comfortable playing with his back facing the opposition goal but lacks pace, so he is assigned to hold the ball and give it to an unmarked teammate. A poacher like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang likes to sit up high, waiting and sometimes helping his team put pressure until the opposition player makes any mistake and he tries to pounce on it, utilising his pace, smart reading of the game, great positioning, and of course emphatic finish. An advanced forward like Paco Alcacer drifts wide and roams around sometimes - his movement is very crucial in this as he would attract his marker and open up spaces for the other attackers to exploit. There is also a false nine like Roberto Firmino who sits deep to instead of far up in order to offer help to his teammates.
Attacking midfield is a position between the central midfield and the forwards. Attacking midfielders are usually the most technically proficient and the most creative players on the pitch. Standing a bit higher up, the AMs' duties are to help the attackers in the attacking third, offering options for his teammates, opening passing lanes with their runs, and bringing others into play. Depending on the instructions from the manager, an attacking midfielder could be holding their position up front or push forward into the box in exchange of a striker dropping deep and dragging the defence with him or even drift wide to create an overload in one side of the field, before usually switching to the other flank with a marauding long ball or a quick exchange of passes. Attacking midfielders have the attacking flair, the vision, the agility, and technicality.
Shadow striker or also called deep-lying forward is a position or a role in football usually deployed right behind a no. 9, sometimes alone upfront or part of a three-man attack. Perhaps a bit different than a true striker, shadow strikers look to position themselves in certain areas of the field which could confuse their markers. They could drop deep and link-up play or spread wider. Unlike attacking midfielders, shadow strikers also have the task to score a goal, not just to support the main striker - but unlike no. 9s, they are usually a bit more involved in the process of attack, although not as much as a no. 10.
No. 9 as a Striker
Talks are endless when it comes to who is the best no. 9 of all time. People argue a lot about how a great striker should be, but one thing that they could agree with is that as long as they bang goals week in and week out, then they are proper no. 9s - this might be pretty arguable because when talking about strikers, people talk about their stats, how many goals they scored in a certain season or certain span of matches, how effective they are in front of goal, using the ratio of shots on target, off target, and converted into a goal. But despite that, of course there is another aspect of the game that strikers need to focus on depending on their roles. A target man like Olivier Giroud is strong and comfortable playing with his back facing the opposition goal but lacks pace, so he is assigned to hold the ball and give it to an unmarked teammate. A poacher like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang likes to sit up high, waiting and sometimes helping his team put pressure until the opposition player makes any mistake and he tries to pounce on it, utilising his pace, smart reading of the game, great positioning, and of course emphatic finish. An advanced forward like Paco Alcacer drifts wide and roams around sometimes - his movement is very crucial in this as he would attract his marker and open up spaces for the other attackers to exploit. There is also a false nine like Roberto Firmino who sits deep to instead of far up in order to offer help to his teammates.
No. 10 as an Attacking Midfielder
Attacking midfield is a position between the central midfield and the forwards. Attacking midfielders are usually the most technically proficient and the most creative players on the pitch. Standing a bit higher up, the AMs' duties are to help the attackers in the attacking third, offering options for his teammates, opening passing lanes with their runs, and bringing others into play. Depending on the instructions from the manager, an attacking midfielder could be holding their position up front or push forward into the box in exchange of a striker dropping deep and dragging the defence with him or even drift wide to create an overload in one side of the field, before usually switching to the other flank with a marauding long ball or a quick exchange of passes. Attacking midfielders have the attacking flair, the vision, the agility, and technicality.
No. 11 as a Forward (Shadow Striker)
Shadow striker or also called deep-lying forward is a position or a role in football usually deployed right behind a no. 9, sometimes alone upfront or part of a three-man attack. Perhaps a bit different than a true striker, shadow strikers look to position themselves in certain areas of the field which could confuse their markers. They could drop deep and link-up play or spread wider. Unlike attacking midfielders, shadow strikers also have the task to score a goal, not just to support the main striker - but unlike no. 9s, they are usually a bit more involved in the process of attack, although not as much as a no. 10.
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