What would former stars in legacy positions look like in modern top teams?

sparx99

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That's ridiculous. Did you watch him play? Becks could be a deep lying playmaker, he could play in a midfield 3, he could even play wide right. He had such a passing range and a great eye for goal. He got good numbers in an era where the wideman was just expected to cross.
He’d play like De Bruyne on the right of a midfield three.
 

kaiser1

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Where would the 10s play? The players who were brilliant visionary that the teams relied on The most talented on the pitch but had poor speed and work ethics in tracking back

Where will the old 10 fit in modern football,

The support strikers became the new strikers and the old target men got phased off
 

Dancfc

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The deeper lying forward position is basically stone dead in modern football. Guys like Dalglish, Cantona, Baggio, Del Piero, Bergkamp, Totti, would all have to find a new position in modern football. Totti was the only one who actually got a taste of it as an early pioneer of the 'false 9' position.
Is it? Isn't that basically the role Firmino and Havertz play?
 

KeanoMagicHat

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Probably one of the greatest of the last generation would be Paolo Maldini. The guy was utter velvet in the context of football late 80's and 90's. Not a dirty player or a hard player but just an extremely graceful defender who was so hard to beat 1 on 1. Moreover the timing of his defending was an utter joy. As soon as you thought a guy had beat him he managed to get a fantastic recovery tackle in. With the pace of the modern game and VAR, makes you wonder if he would have excelled as much.
Maldini was quick enough and had the awareness and presence of mind to decide early, even when he was 40 he was difficult to get past, so early 90s Maldini would have no problem in the modern game. Then late 90s onwards Maldini would probably just be full-time centre-back and be world-class there. Maldini would excel in any era in any team, he had it all.
 

B20

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Where would the 10s play? The players who were brilliant visionary that the teams relied on The most talented on the pitch but had poor speed and work ethics in tracking back

Where will the old 10 fit in modern football,

The support strikers became the new strikers and the old target men got phased off
Those who can learn defensive positioning and pressing go the route of Andres Iniesta who is basically the poster child for this type in the modern game.

Those who can't, get shunted to the wing.

Except Bruno Fernandes who is allowed to do whatever it seems. But then he plays with two water carriers behind him and fullbacks that are defence first type of fullbacks. It's all very early 00s really.
 

KeanoMagicHat

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Where would the 10s play? The players who were brilliant visionary that the teams relied on The most talented on the pitch but had poor speed and work ethics in tracking back

Where will the old 10 fit in modern football,

The support strikers became the new strikers and the old target men got phased off
A lot would probably play like Foden now for Man City, drifting off the wings, occasionally as false 9, occasionally as midfield. A fluid part of an attacking unit. Guardiola would find a place for any of the classic number 10s. Klopp I'm not so sure. Klopp said the best playmaker was the press so they'd all struggle to fit in there. So it depends on the manager.

But even in the 90s, and many years before that, some managers rejected the number 10 anyway - Sacchi for example and more defensive coaches than him.
 

B20

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Is it? Isn't that basically the role Firmino and Havertz play?
Firmino is not the deeplying forward. He drops deep often sure, but he does not have a centre forward in front of him and his main job is to do a similar job as high up the pitch as possible. But he does that moreso by dropping in to distribute on the overlap.

That's Firmino of old of course. I don't know what the feck the current Firmino is meant to be.
 

kaiser1

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Those who can learn defensive positioning and pressing go the route of Andres Iniesta who is basically the poster child for this type in the modern game.

Those who can't, get shunted to the wing.

Except Bruno Fernandes who is allowed to do whatever it seems. But then he plays with two water carriers behind him and fullbacks that are defence first type of fullbacks. It's all very early 00s really.
A lot would probably play like Foden now for Man City, drifting off the wings, occasionally as false 9, occasionally as midfield. A fluid part of an attacking unit. Guardiola would find a place for any of the classic number 10s. Klopp I'm not so sure. Klopp said the best playmaker was the press so they'd all struggle to fit in there. So it depends on the manager.

But even in the 90s, and many years before that, some managers rejected the number 10 anyway - Sacchi for example and more defensive coaches than him.
Players like Riquelme, Valderrama, and Zidane to a great extent. Not very quick but super talented will they end up like James Rodriguez?. A Delpiero Totti Stochkov or Baggio will likely play false 9. I think Hagi Cryuff Maradona likely goes on the right wing as an inverted winger

Where will Gazza fit? He is my favourite English player of all time alongside Scholes
 

Oranges038

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Probably one of the greatest of the last generation would be Paolo Maldini. The guy was utter velvet in the context of football late 80's and 90's. Not a dirty player or a hard player but just an extremely graceful defender who was so hard to beat 1 on 1. Moreover the timing of his defending was an utter joy. As soon as you thought a guy had beat him he managed to get a fantastic recovery tackle in. With the pace of the modern game and VAR, makes you wonder if he would have excelled as much.

He'd walk it in todays game, easily.

Speaking of defenders.

I think the likes of Nesta, McGrath and Tony Adams would easily slot into todays game.

Roberto Carlos and Cafu would be even more adaptable to now when you see how much more full backs are used today.

I'll give an honourable mention to Johnny Giles and Liam Brady. Both were top class intelligent footballers and would have made it in any era.
 

giorno

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He pocketed players when the best of the best were playing in Serie A. If he could manage Ronaldo, i'm sure he'd be alright against Rashford and Sterling.
He couldn't manage Ronaldo though
Players like Riquelme, Valderrama, and Zidane to a great extent. Not very quick but super talented will they end up like James Rodriguez?. A Delpiero Totti Stochkov or Baggio will likely play false 9. I think Hagi Cryuff Maradona likely goes on the right wing as an inverted winger

Where will Gazza fit? He is my favourite English player of all time alongside Scholes
Stoichkov and Baggio would be easy to slot in a front 3 actually, they both had actual experience doing it and doing it well. Totti too, for that matter, he was phenomenal back to goal.

Del Piero would be a bit harder to place

Zidane is also fairly easy to slot in. Valderrama and Riquelme too, technically, but they were way too slow for modern football
 

Gio

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Players like Riquelme, Valderrama, and Zidane to a great extent. Not very quick but super talented will they end up like James Rodriguez?. A Delpiero Totti Stochkov or Baggio will likely play false 9. I think Hagi Cryuff Maradona likely goes on the right wing as an inverted winger

Where will Gazza fit? He is my favourite English player of all time alongside Scholes
Gazza would be great in a three as a number 8, absolutely perfect there with his work rate, hustle, ball-carrying and attacking threats.

Riquelme and Valderrama would face the same problems that they did in their careers, where they needed bespoke set-ups designed around their strengths and weaknesses. I don't think either fit neatly into a 433 system, which is something they struggled with in their own careers such as Riquelme shunted wide in Van Gaal's Barcelona 3-man attack.
 

GhastlyHun

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Athleticism and professionalism would be the greater hurdles than footballing abilities and attributes for many of the past greats named in here.