False Number Ten

Some attacking midfielders are very vertical and are essentially auxiliary attackers or secondary striker. A false number ten is fielded in the central attacking midfield like a traditional number ten. However, other than the more old-fashioned number tens, he is barely involved in combination plays and does not show any superior creativity. In contrast, he opens holes and behaves intelligently off the ball. Another form of a false number ten is called central winger. He, unlike a traditional playmaker who stays behind the striker in the centre of the pitch, drifts wide when in possession of the ball to overload the flanks.