5 Positions in world football that are on the verge of extinction

Every time we move on to a new phase in life, we leave some of the past behind. Football is no different. Full backs are more attacking than ever, defensive lines are higher, keepers act like sweepers, pressing and counter pressing have come into play, I could go on and on about how much the game has evolved in the past decade.As the game has evolved, many elements of of the past are phased out. Some of them make a comeback to relevance while some do not and become extinct as a result.Here is a look at 5 positions that are slowly losing relevance due to varying reasons and may soon become extinct:

#1 Poacher

The poacher is a player who is there in the team with the sole aim to score goals. He has no defensive responsibilities and contributes next to nothing in the build-up phase. He is always on the shoulder of the last defender, aiming to get in behind and score goals. The poacher specialized in scoring all types of goals and had excellent off the ball movement, his teammates knew that if they created even half a chance, it would end up in the back of the net.

There have been many players in the past like Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Filipo Inzaghi, Ruud van Nistelrooy among others who scored goals galore playing as poachers. Inzaghi was a great example of a player who came alive in the box. An innate ability to be in the right place at the right time, coupled with off the ball movement and great finishing skills meant that Inzaghi was as valuable to Milan as a silky creator like Clarence Seedorf and Inzaghi became one of the most revered strikers in Europe when he was in his prime.

The same was true of others like Owen, Fowler and Nistelrooy. You give them a sniff, they score. Times are different now though, a forward is required to contribute in the build up phase with good link up play, have good hold up play for knock downs and he is often the first line of defence by pressing the centre backs into giving the ball away. Someone like Karim Benzema is a prime example of a forward who has all these attributes.

The poacher did not have it in him to fulfil all these duties and is being phased out as a result. Javier Hernandez is probably the only true poacher left in the game right now and even he is relegated to playing a bit part role due to preference for a more complete forward.

#2 Second Striker

Winning the midfield battle has become paramount to win games, which means that very few teams across Europe now play with a 2-striker system so that there is no place for a second striker. The second striker usually plays just off an advanced centre forward. He is a striker who drops deep to influence play, pick passes to set up his strike partner and also try and get a few goals himself by making different runs to that of his partner.

Players like Dennis Bergkamp, Kenny Dalglish, Francesco Totti, Eric Cantona and Gianfranco Zola played as the second striker during various times of the careers to great effect. Dennis Bergkamp is held in as high a regard as Thierry Henry by Arsenal fans. He was probably the best second striker to play for Arsenal. Bergkamp had everything, skill, vision, sublime touch, passing range and great end prouduct in assists and goals.

Henry grabbed most eyeballs during the Invicibles Arsenal season, but Bergkamp was at the centre of most of the goals that Arsenal scored. But the modern game doesn’t really have a place for a second striker and they are Another dying breed in modern football due to tactical implications. Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney are two players who have played the second striker role in recent times but now both of them prefer to play as a striker.

#3 The Classic Winger

This one is probably extinct already. The winger is the position that has evolved the most in the past decade or so. It is now not enough to just hug the touchline and put in crosses towards centre forwards the way many classical wingers, like David Beckham, did in the past.

In a classic 4-4-2 system, the classic winger was THE most creative player in the team, the system was built such that good crosses from wide areas were chief sources of goals and the classic winger did just that. Someone like Beckham was one of the best crossers English football has seen. He had the ability to get into a good position first and then deliver crosses for someone like Andy Cole to score.

But in recent times, with the evolution of the goal scoring inverted winger we are seeing Cristiano Ronaldo, Arjen Robben, Messi and others bang in a lot of goals from the wing by cutting in. The fullbacks have also become more attacking than ever which means that they need a winger ahead of them who cuts in often and creates space for them on the overlap. The Premier League still employs a few classic wingers like Antonio Valencia and Jesus Navas, but their reduced efficacy means that they play second fiddle to more modern wingers. All these reasons mean that the classic winger is all but gone!

#4 Box to Box Midfielder

I have previously stated that players are now required to contribute to all phases of play in modern day football. The box to box midfielder does just that, which makes the fact that such players have become quite rare now, very baffling. Surely it has more to do with the fact that not many players possess the range of skills required to effectively play a box to box midfielder day in day out.

The box to box midfielder is someone who can make tackles and interceptions in the defensive phase and win the ball back. In attack, he possesses the skills to pick a pass and score a few goals as well. Arturo Vidal and Blaise Matuidi are probably the only players in world football right now who play as a box to box midfielder effectively.

In the past, there were players like Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane who were the heartbeat of their respective teams while playing as a box to box midfielder. They had the defensive nous to shield the back four, mark opponent midfielders out of the game, make tackles and win the ball. In offence, they had an eye for a pass and the ability to score and assist. The box to box midfielder is another position that has suffered as a result of the 4-4-2 system being phased out.

#5 Sweeper

The sweeper is essentially your spare man at the back (in a 3-man defence) while the other two defenders man-mark strikers. Clearing through balls, stopping a runner from midfield and in essence, clearing any risk that the other defenders couldn't, he is your last resort saviour in case the defence is breached. With more and more teams now giving the same duties as a sweeper to a holding midfielder, the sweeper is all but redundant.

The sweeper role was popularized by Franz Beckenbauer and others like Ronald Koeman and Franco Baresi also played it to great effect. Martin Skrtel at Liverpool and Ron Vlaar for The Netherlands in the 2014 World Cup are two players who have played sweeper roles in recent times as part of a three-man defence. Vlaar did a great job of clearing away any imminent dangers. He was also the best ball player of the three-man defence.

However, with managers and fans preferring 4 defenders at the back, the sweeper’s role can be regularly seen only on DVDs and Youtube

Edited by Staff Editor