Nines of Milan
The January transfer window saw Milan sign Mario Mandžukić, with the Croatian attacker charged with being the latest to try to break the ‘curse’ of the Rossoneri number 9 shirt. …
Roberto Firmino: Ending Liverpool’s lacklustre recent history of number 9s
Following the departure of Fernando Torres to Chelsea in January 2011, the six-time champions of Europe endured a troubled spell in seeking to replace their Spanish talisman. That said, the …
Chelsea’s false 9s
On Sunday, Chelsea’s new loan signing Gonzalo Higuaín is likely to make his debut in the FA Cup fourth-round tie against Sheffield Wednesday at Stamford Bridge. The Argentinian striker will …
Steve Nicol not keen on 13 in 1986
Elsewhere on the site, we describe Steve Nicol as “a real Swiss Army knife of a player“, and his versatility and the fact that the Liverpool number 4 shirt was welded …
Steve Bruce’s aversion to number 5
We started watching football in 1990-91 and, from an early stage, became aware of the generally accepted way of numbering a 4-4-2. Non-conforming systems, like Liverpool’s (more in the future), …
The numbers to avoid at Cork City
In the final game of the 2011 Airtricity League Division 1 season, Cork City travelled to face Shelbourne with a lot at stake. Shelbourne were the league leaders, two points …