Please feel free to correct me on the 1st 2 but I've no idea about number 3. Cheers

1. Low block - sitting deep
2. Transition - winning the ball back in defence and moving the ball forward
3. Pivot - no idea

Or is transition counter attacking/ hitting on the break?

CalamityClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:41 pm

Please feel free to correct me on the 1st 2 but I've no idea about number 3. Cheers

1. Low block - sitting deep
2. Transition - winning the ball back in defence and moving the ball forward
3. Pivot - no idea

Pivot is just a defensive midfielder who sits back and helps to break up play.

Cheers

When did “Bomb Squad” become a thing in football?

ollieclarets8 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:45 pm

Pivot is just a defensive midfielder who sits back and helps to break up play.

Used to have a pivot when you had a schemer who was an attacking inside forward.

But now it's basically a defensive midfielder? How did I do on the transition? I know I should have just Googled it on reflection. I'm sure I'm not alone though

Don't forget false nine.I assume Duke was a false nine a none scoring striker?

4. Press - attack

"Press, press....... press press press " doesn't sound the same

Pivot is all about carrying a sofa

There’s also this idea that a no.10 is further forward and more attacking than a no.8 - they are just on different sides of the pitch

ollieclarets8 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:45 pm

Pivot is just a defensive midfielder who sits back and helps to break up play.

Formerly known as the holding role

1. childish w@nker: most footballers.

Rowls wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:26 pm

Pivot is all about carrying a sofa

Only on a staircase

groove wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:31 pm

Formerly known as the holding role

Is there not a bit of a difference? A pivot more of a ball player from deep and a holding midfielder would generally have less influence on the ball but is instead be better at breaking up play

KellyClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 09, 2025 9:14 pm

Is there not a bit of a difference? A pivot more of a ball player from deep and a holding midfielder would generally have less influence on the ball but is instead be better at breaking up play

Luis is supposed to be a holding midfielder rather than a pivot, according to Benfica fans, at least.

A pivot is generally something that turns through 180 degrees without changing its position.

dougcollins wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 09, 2025 10:01 pm

A pivot is generally something that turns through 180 degrees without changing its position.

A bit like Andrea Pirlo then?

It’s all nonsense. Derived claptrap from pundits who want to sound cleverer than they are.

One day a manager will set up with wing halves and everyone will think it’s amazing

Recycling the ball. What’s that all about?

bfcmik wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 09, 2025 9:37 pm

Luis is supposed to be a holding midfielder rather than a pivot, according to Benfica fans, at least.

Careful bfcmik, some bloke called fatboy will be along shortly to castigate you and all Benfica fans for an opinion like that

djt2006 wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 10, 2025 6:38 am

Recycling the ball. What’s that all about?

Red top wheely bin on a Friday game?

bobinho wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 09, 2025 10:17 pm

A bit like Andrea Pirlo then?

Ray Pointer was often said to turn on a sixpence.

Inverted wing backs - Right/Left back moving into midfield
Double Pivot - two players who sit in front of the defence to support them off the ball and then attack with them acting as the defender's first option for a pass.
1st/2nd/3rd phase of play - the newest invention created to make offsides more complicated and difficult to judge

Low centre of gravity - Short with a fat arse?

What's the difference between a 'number 8' and a 'number 10'?

Im_not_Robbie_Blake wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:07 am

What's the difference between a 'number 8' and a 'number 10'?

Number ten is an attacking midfielder usually behind the striker. (Joe Cole should've/would've)
Number eight is a box-to-box. (Gerrard)

Im_not_Robbie_Blake wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:07 am

What's the difference between a 'number 8' and a 'number 10'?

I think it depends who you ask.

A number 8 for me is an attacking central midfielder. A number 10 is further forward partnering a forward or 'in the hole'.

Bordeauxclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:51 pm

When did “Bomb Squad” become a thing in football?

I'd not heard of that in a football context and assumed it was the same as in rugby. Googled it and turned out to be pretty much the opposite.

CalamityClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:41 pm

Please feel free to correct me on the 1st 2 but I've no idea about number 3. Cheers

1. Low block - sitting deep
2. Transition - winning the ball back in defence and moving the ball forward
3. Pivot - no idea

I would say number 2. Transition , works both ways.

Defensive transition = when a team loses the ball and has to switch from attacking shape to defending shape. (e.g. counter-pressing immediately after losing the ball, or dropping into a low block).

Offensive transition = when a team wins the ball and has to quickly change from defending to attacking. (e.g. launching a counterattack before the opponent can reorganise).

One which makes me cringe is "legacy fan" - just so cold and is indicative of the tiered systems we're seeing in terms of ticketing.

Don Revie was probably acknowledged as the first and best of his time, false nine, or deep lying centre forward in this country.
Man City's 1956 FA Cup win often referred to as the Revie Plan.
In Europe, Austria 30's and Hungary (Hidegkuti) 50's were the most successful exponents.
Nothing new in football and no doubt South Americans would claim to have invented the idea earlier.
Lots of recent examples, in the Premier League, Bobby Firmino might be considered the classic.
Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane both certainly drop/dropped deep as a natural part of their game.

Im_not_Robbie_Blake wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:07 am

What's the difference between a 'number 8' and a 'number 10'?

They are the exactly the same - except the 8 is a right sided inside forward and a 10 left sided. Both normally play behind a centre forward and inside a winger. Modern punditry has confused the terms.

What about a false nine?

The dumbest one of the lot is “scanning” i.e. looking around.

LincsWoldsClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:28 am

They are the exactly the same - except the 8 is a right sided inside forward and a 10 left sided. Both normally play behind a centre forward and inside a winger. Modern punditry has confused the terms.

I think it’s you that’s confused to be fair.

Funny this thread, 90% of folk on here think we play with a ‘10’, and did for all of last season, and under Kompany. Perhaps learning some ‘modern terminology’ might help better understand what’s happening on the pitch.

Why can't people just refer to players as strikers, centre forwards, left winger, right winger, central midfield etc.

Alanstevensonsgloves wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:24 pm

4. Press - attack

"Press, press....... press press press " doesn't sound the same

Pressing, or the press, i.e. aggressive and proactive defending to win the ball back, is nothing new. There are clips of the great Dutch team from the 70’s where they just go for it and the opposition (Argentina spring to mind) just don’t know how to handle it and crumble.

quoonbeatz wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 10, 2025 12:36 pm

The dumbest one of the lot is “scanning” i.e. looking around.

Or would it be " shcopping " Insta for Barca for example.

Wasn't transition one of Dyche's buzzwords, seem to remember him wanting fast transitions which I think we used to call longball.

It's all for nerds who've never even played on the park on a Sunday but can give you the xG progressive pivot stats for a 'number 6' in the Albanian 2nd division.

Funnier than ever now, when the top sides are launching long throws into the mixer again and playing for corners. No doubt there's some new online hipster terminology for that too.

Lisbonclaret wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 10, 2025 6:41 am

Careful bfcmik, some bloke called fatboy will be along shortly to castigate you and all Benfica fans for an opinion like that

I'm probably fatter than fatboy so I'm not scared

I thought pivot was used in old-school football reporting to describe the centre half, probably arising from the time before the 60s when there was a man between the two full backs, with numbers 4 and 6 the wing halves who did a bit of both defending and attacking

I'm sure I've read "Quarterback" used on here. Now that's taking things to the extreme!

Im_not_Robbie_Blake wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:07 am

What's the difference between a 'number 8' and a 'number 10'?

Number 2

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 10, 2025 12:53 pm

I think it’s you that’s confused to be fair.

Funny this thread, 90% of folk on here think we play with a ‘10’, and did for all of last season, and under Kompany. Perhaps learning some ‘modern terminology’ might help better understand what’s happening on the pitch.

Obviously you consider yourself one of the 10% who are better informed than the rest of us. Thank your for your valuable insight.

ollieclarets8 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:45 pm

Pivot is just a defensive midfielder who sits back and helps to break up play.

Pivot used to be the centre half, around whom the fullbacks "pivotted" - one pushing forward, the other hanging back, ready to sweep across in the event of a sudden counter-attack

Seems to me that a considerable number of people think that there is a preferable way to play football, and become resistant to change, when football is always changing, with coaches constantly trying to overcome opponents with new systems and styles. They don't want to be predictable.
If they can find a system that works, they'll try and develop it.

NottsClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 10, 2025 1:46 pm

It's all for nerds who've never even played on the park on a Sunday but can give you the xG progressive pivot stats for a 'number 6' in the Albanian 2nd division.

Funnier than ever now, when the top sides are launching long throws into the mixer again and playing for corners. No doubt there's some new online hipster terminology for that too.

Legacy football.