Squad numbers

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

I want to get to the quintessence of each number. When you see someone wearing a particular number and think, "Yes, that's exactly the right shirt for him".

 

1, 2 and 3 are easy - they go to your first-choice goalkeeper, right-back and left-back, regardless of playing style. (I know that Pepe wears the 25, and I really like it that's he's done something different. Maybe, in time, the 25 will become the quintessential goalkeeper number to me. But, for now, it's obviously 1.)

 

4 is more interesting. It's definitely a centre-half's shirt, for me. I know that more conventional numbering might put it in centre-mid, but I like to see it on a big, strong, dependable central defender. The perfect exponent is Hyypia. (Note that I'm not looking for the best player ever to wear the shirt. Lawrenson might be our best ever #4, but really he was more of a #6 type player - except he couldn't have been, as he was playing alongside THE perfect #6.) The Greek is the closest our current squad has to a #4. (Carragher is in the correct shirt, as we'll see later.)

 

5 is Whelan. I'd have liked Didi to have worn it, and I would like Mascherano to wear it now.

 

6 is an elegant, ball-playing centre-half. Hansen embodies the 6. Agger should have it these days.

 

7 is, of course, a Kenny-type player. But it might just be Kenny himself. Anyway the #7 has to play off the main striker, and has to be an absolute genius. On that basis, in the current squad, it might be Gerrard.

 

8 is a midfielder, good passer but not afraid of a tackle. I don't mind him being wide right, but I prefer him in the centre. Basically, it's Stevie circa 2005.

 

9 is easy. Just worth mentioning that Aldridge was a #9, even though that wasn't his shirt.

 

10 can be a striker or a winger, I'm happy with Barnes or (spit) Owen in that shirt. (I am in no way saying that Owen was as good as Barnes, or enjoys anything like his legendary status. Just that it was the right shirt for him at the time.) Important thing is that he's fast and scores goals. I don't like it going to a "traditional number 10"; if Maradona had played for me, he'd have been in the #7.

 

11 is a winger. I know people feel like he should be on the left, but I don't care which flank he's on. Steve Heighway.

 

12 is your second-choice goalkeeper.

 

13 should go to a wildcard player, an unconventional and inconsistent type. I was reasonably happy with Murphy in that shirt, but I'd give it to Babel if he kept playing the way he did at the end of last season. Or Yossi at the end of the season before.

 

14 is a second-choice right-back, prerable one who is s*** at defending and bombs forward. Heggem wore it, didn't he? He should have, anyway. Degen should have it now.

 

15 is a spare #5. Momo once Masch arrived. Lucas now.

 

16 is a spare #6. Few squads have such a luxury.

 

17 is a spare #8. (Sometimes you just stick a 1 in front of the number, as I did with 5 and 6. Sometimes you add the digits together, as I have with this one. No-one knows why.) The young Stevie G.

 

18 is a big, strong, powerful striker. Heskey would have suited it.

 

19 is a young striker, probably won't make it to #9 but you want to encourage him. It should be Ngog's shirt.

 

20 is a spare 10. (Sometimes you double it. Again. no-one knows why.)

 

21 can go to anyone at all. It's one of only 2 shirts I have no strong feelings about. On balance, probably, it's for Ziege.

 

22 is a spare 11.

 

23 is a local hero. Carragher, the young Fowler. Attitude, scouseness. Ideally a boyhood Blue.

 

24 is the other one I have no strong feelings about. Probably goes to some poor quality, French or French-speaking midfielder like Ferri or Plessis. Or Cheyrou or Diao.

 

25 is a nice shirt for a young attacking midfielder. A David Thompson.

[Swipe]

I always think of 8 as a less flashy wide player. Like Houghton or Kirk or indeed Maxi.

 

Gerrard and Lampard and Xavi are both 8's though, so clearly it can be a central midfield too.

 

I've brought nothing to this debate!

Edited May 27, 2010 by Swipe

[Bailo]

I always think of 8 as a less flashy wide player. Like Houghton

Exactly.

 

Aquilani could be an 8 if it weren't for the tricks. But he's not proven himself anywhere near the 7.

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

Exactly.

 

Aquilani could be an 8 if it weren't for the tricks. But he's not proven himself anywhere near the 7.

 

he's a 17.

maybe, with a very slight break of the rules, he could be a 20.

[Cobs]

we should go a la Argentina in '78 and do it in alphabetical order

[Bailo]

he's a 17.

maybe, with a very slight break of the rules, he could be a 20.

If he brings goals, he's a 20. If the goals stick around the 5-10 a season, he's probably a 17. I don't like his 4 at the moment.

 

Who was our last 3? I can't remember what Riise was.

[Benzo-13]

13 is next to 9 for me as main striker.

 

Call it a Müller/Riedle thing growing up.

10 is magic midfielder - should be Stevie.

14 is Xabi's forever.

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

If he brings goals, he's a 20. If the goals stick around the 5-10 a season, he's probably a 17. I don't like his 4 at the moment.

 

Who was our last 3? I can't remember what Riise was.

 

Riise was 6. As Knox once pointed out to me when I was having this conversation with him in a pub (we're cool), if Riise could have picked his own shirt he'd have chosen 69.

 

Finnan was 3. Was Arbeloa 3?

 

If he brings goals, he's a 20. If the goals stick around the 5-10 a season, he's probably a 17. I

 

EXACTLY!

[Drexl]

we should go a la Argentina in '78 and do it in alphabetical order

Thats fantastic!

 

23 was imported from America, Michael Jordan. That was pretty cool in the 90s.

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

Thats fantastic!

 

23 was imported from America, Michael Jordan. That was pretty cool in the 90s.

 

Beckham and Campbell both requested it (at Real Madrid and Arsenal) because of Jordan, I think.

 

other reasons why 23 is perfect for Carra:

the 2 - coz he can play right back

the 3 - coz he can play left back

it's 5 if you add the digits - coz he used to play in centre-mid

it's 6 if you multiply the digits - coz he's a centre-half

and yet he is quintessentially none of the above

[Cobs]

Beckham and Campbell both requested it (at Real Madrid and Arsenal) because of Jordan, I think.

 

 

and they say Campbell's gay

[Lee W]

I can't remember what Riise was.

 

A uniped.

[richwilks]

Was Arbeloa 3?

 

 

He was 17 wasn't he?

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

He was 17 wasn't he?

 

didn't he, in fact, wear #2 for a while and then request #17?

[Hassony]

I have always liked 17, I guess it was because of Macmanaman

 

same with 23 and Fowler

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

I have always liked 17, I guess it was because of Macmanaman

 

perfect shirt for the lad. it hinted at #7, not only with its Dalglish connotations but also its wide-right use at other clubs. but it didn't go all the way there.

 

then, of course, he did go all the way there, which was a bit of a shame. that whole generation (Redknapp included) seemed to go downhill (for various reasons) once they got 'first eleven' numbers.

[Knox_Harrington]

1, 2 and 3 are easy - they go to your first-choice goalkeeper, right-back and left-back, regardless of playing style. (I know that Pepe wears the 25, and I really like it that's he's done something different. Maybe, in time, the 25 will become the quintessential goalkeeper number to me. But, for now, it's obviously 1.)

 

5 is Whelan. I'd have liked Didi to have worn it, and I would like Mascherano to wear it now.

 

11 is a winger. I know people feel like he should be on the left, but I don't care which flank he's on. Steve Heighway.

 

12 is your second-choice goalkeeper.

 

13 should go to a wildcard player, an unconventional and inconsistent type. I was reasonably happy with Murphy in that shirt, but I'd give it to Babel if he kept playing the way he did at the end of last season. Or Yossi at the end of the season before.

OK. I'm taking issue with these.

 

13 I like as a second 9 as mentioned above. Or as second choice keeper. Forget all that superstious s***. A ballsy keeper. Paul Jones should have worn it for us

 

12 Should be an outfield player. From the days you had three subs, 12 and 14 would be outfield.

 

11 Can be a centre mid.

 

10 Can be a ball playing centre mid and could be Aquilani's number.

 

5 Can be silkier - remember, Whelan brought it inside from left mid. I also liked Zidane wearing five at Madrid.

 

I feel 2 can have slight wild card connotations. I wouldn't mind seeing a cheeky 2 move around the pitch a bit more.

[richwilks]

didn't he, in fact, wear #2 for a while and then request #17?

 

Possibly, my first though was that he wore 2.

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

OK. I'm taking issue with these.

 

13 I like as a second 9 as mentioned above. Or as second choice keeper. Forget all that superstious s***. A ballsy keeper. Paul Jones should have worn it for us

 

12 Should be an outfield player. From the days you had three subs, 12 and 14 would be outfield.

 

11 Can be a centre mid.

 

10 Can be a ball playing centre mid and could be Aquilani's number.

 

5 Can be silkier - remember, Whelan brought it inside from left mid. I also liked Zidane wearing five at Madrid.

 

I feel 2 can have slight wild card connotations. I wouldn't mind seeing a cheeky 2 move around the pitch a bit more.

 

I don't like 11 at centre-mid. smacks to me of "give him one of the 1-11 shirts to make him happy". Rrrredknapp.

 

Rules are made to be broken, and Zidane in #5 was one such example. The use of the #2 elsewhere would be similar. It'd be pleasing to see a defensive midfielder wear #2. It'd be f***ing zany to see a striker wear it, and maybe in a good way. I didn't mind Baros in #5, but again, just because it was mEnTal.

[fred milne]

11 Can be a centre mid.

Aye - if we took the side from 2008-9 season run-in, then it would look something like this:

 

1 Reina

2 Arbeloa

3 Aurelio

4 Carragher

5 Mascherano

6 Agger

7 Gerrard

8 Kuyt

9 Torres

10 Benayoun

11 Alonso

[Cobs]

I don't like 11 at centre-mid. smacks to me of "give him one of the 1-11 shirts to make him happy".

 

you wouldn't say that to Souness

[Knox_Harrington]

I don't like 11 at centre-mid. smacks to me of "give him one of the 1-11 shirts to make him happy". Rrrredknapp.

 

Rules are made to be broken, and Zidane in #5 was one such example. The use of the #2 elsewhere would be similar. It'd be pleasing to see a defensive midfielder wear #2. It'd be f***ing zany to see a striker wear it, and maybe in a good way. I didn't mind Baros in #5, but again, just because it was mEnTal.

11 at centre mid is hugely dependent on what you've got going on elsewhere. If you'll have a mad 5 you can have a slightly unhinged 11.

 

I actually f***ing love an 11 up front. A BIG LAD. Crouch would have been boss as an eleven.

 

2 doesn't equal right back as much as 3 equals left back does it? 2's a decent centre back number and I'd have no issues with Lucas or Mascherano wearing it.

[fred milne]

I don't like 11 at centre-mid. smacks to me of "give him one of the 1-11 shirts to make him happy". Rrrredknapp.

Not for me. You've got Cally playing centre-mid handing the shirt to Souness and it ending up with McMahon.

[Conrad]

14 is a number I always think of as Cruyff's - so great that Xabi was 14. It's a cultured midfielder/playmaker number, up there with 7 and 10

 

and 12 is the classic sub number - an outfield player rather a second goalie from the days when there was only 1 sub. Fairclough being the obvious example of a classic 12

Edited May 27, 2010 by Heighway 61 Revisited

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

Aye - if we took the side from 2008-9 season run-in, then it would look something like this:

 

1 Reina

2 Arbeloa

3 Aurelio

4 Carragher

5 Mascherano

6 Agger

7 Gerrard

8 Kuyt

9 Torres

10 Benayoun

11 Alonso

 

hmm, you're probably not wrong there fred. I would agonise for hours over whether to swap Alonso and Benayoun's numbers, and I'm not entirely happy with either, but I think you might be right.

 

I'd f***ing love to see a #1-11 Liverpool team in a Premiership game. That'd be a headstart. "Look at how well WE know our team, and this is the best we have. And we're f***ing organised and disciplined about getting the right shirts on the right players."