New Football Position Explained – Number 8.5 Revolutionising Football

Very recently, some of the best Premier League coaches, Klopp, Guardiola, and Arteta, assigned a brand new role to their footballers who can play both as midfielders and strikers. It all resulted in the new, so-called 8.5 position.

As the name suggests, this position combines the roles of a classic 9 and a classic 8. However, there’s a lot more to it. It became an established part of the top Premier League’s coaches’ tactics. So, many fans became curious and wanted to have this football position explained.

The 8.5 Football Position Explained

In the world of football tactics, it’s the adaptation to the new challenges and outwitting the opponent that matters most. That being said, it’s a bit obvious that the three Premier League clubs that rank high came up with the idea of introducing the 8.5 position first.

These teams are Liverpool, Arsenal, and Man City. First of all, these clubs’ coaches belong to the group of the most elite tacticians in the world. Not only that but this triad is known to have some of the best players in the world.

When I say best players, I mean the ones who can play very well in more than one position, just like Trent Alexander Arnold. If we consider the football position numbers explained, the new 8.5 position will lead us to link position 9 and position 8.

We know that a 9 stands for classic strikers and that an 8 refers to classic midfielders. But how about having a player who can do both? How would it be if a player could score goals or do very important midfield work, both during one game?

There’s a bit of an older concept of the false nine. With the 8.5 position, it’s a little different. 8.5s could spend some time in the midfield, some time out wide, and sometimes as strikers.

The time spent on each role depends on the coaches’ tactics. It’s also subject to the need one team has for such players to cover a particular part of the pitch. It’s not just about being present somewhere.

Instead, the most skilful players tend to take the 8.5 roles and act as if they specialised as midfielders when playing in the midfield and as if they are top-notch strikers when going up front.

The Top Footballers Playing as 8.5s

As Klopp was among the first ones to introduce this position, football lovers first saw Cody Gakpo’s 8.5 role. It’s amazing that Gakpo could play as a midfielder, striker, and out wide exactly one-third of the time.

If we take a look at another player, Kai Havertz, we’ll see him positioning mostly in the midfield. Still, in the game facing Man City, Havertz cooperated very well with Zinchenko and also played as a striker for a little while. He lent the ball to Martinelli, who scored the only goal for the Gunners.
Julian Alvarez is one more player who can help us have this football position explained. The Man City striker, usually playing as a 9, can also play as an 8. He’s shifting between these two positions. Also, when de Bruyne is injured, Alvarez can even play as a 10. Lots of experts believe that Alvarez learned much from his idol, Lionel Messi.