Sreehari: Striker

Strikers, also known as centre forwards, forwards and attackers, and formerly inside forwards, are the players on a team in football in the row nearest to the opposing team's goal, who are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals.

Modern team formations usually include one to three strikers; two is most common. Coaches typically field one striker who plays over the shoulder of the last defender (close to the opposing team's goal), and another attacking forward who plays somewhat deeper and assists in making goals as well as scoring. The former is usually a large striker (the recently retired Alan Shearer for example), typically known as a target man, who is used to win long balls or receive passes and "hold up" the ball as teammates advance, to help teammates score by providing a pass ('through ball' into the box), or to score himself; the latter variation usually requiring quicker pace. Less frequently, some strikers operate on the wings of the field and work their way goalward.

This very advanced position and its limited defensive responsibilities mean strikers normally score more goals than other players; accordingly, strikers are often among the best-known and most expensive players in their teams.

Centre forward

The centre forward, or an "out-and-out" striker, is normally the principal goal-scorer of a football team. Centre forwards act predominantly as "targets" or the focal point of an attack; it is the duty of the midfield to supply and to assist them to score.

Some centre forwards are "poachers" who work in and around the penalty box to snatch goals and who are sometimes referred to as "fox in the box"'; notable examples of poachers are Gerd Müller, Hugo Sanchez, Davor Šuker, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Hernán Crespo, Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, David Trézéguet, Gary Lineker, Denis Law, Ian Wright and Filippo Inzaghi. These strikers are known for their positional sense and excellent reflexes. Other forwards may rely on their pace to latch on balls from outside the six-yard area, these are called strikers, for example Pelé, Samuel Eto'o, Obafemi Martins, Thierry Henry, Michael Owen, David Villa and Ronaldo. Other players rely on their excellent dribbling ability to pierce through opposition defences, for example (this also lists wingers with an excellent dribbling ability) Zlatan Ibrahimović, Bruno Conti, Alvaro Recoba, Garrincha, Diego Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Ariel Ortega, Antonio Cassano, Eusebio and Lionel Messi.

Other centre-forwards are known as "target men" and are usually of above-average height, with good heading ability. They hold the ball up and bring other players into the game, scoring from crosses, often with the head, and use their body strength to shield the ball while turning to score; examples of target men are Christian Vieri, Adriano, Alan Shearer, Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres, Luca Toni, John Carew, and Peter Withe. Centre-forwards with exceptionally towering figures and accurate heading abilities such as Jan Koller, Peter Crouch and Nikola Žigić also make great "target men".

[edit] Deep-lying forwards

Deep-lying forwards have a long history in the game, but the terminology to describe them has varied over the years. Originally such players were termed inside forwards, or deep-lying centre forwards. More recently, the preferred terms have been withdrawn striker, supporting striker, second striker, fantasista, number ten or playing "in the hole" (i.e., the space between the midfield and defence of the opposing team).

The position was initially developed by the famous Hungary national football team of the late 1940s and mid 1950s-nicknamed the "Magnificent Magyars" or the Aranycsapat (Hung lit: Golden Team). Led by the influential Ferenc Puskás, the team was judged the finest national team of its time and one of the greatest of all time.

The position itself was popularized in Italian football as the trequartista - the playmaker who plays neither in midfield nor as a forward, but effectively pulls the strings for his team's attack. In Spanish-speaking countries, mostly in Latin America, terms that refer to this position include mediapunta, armador or enganche. In England it is now often referred to as the Sheringham role after the former England international Teddy Sheringham who excelled in the role (although England have had other players play "in the hole" prior to Sheringham, such as Peter Beardsley). In France it is called the neuf et demi, the player with the number nine and a half, neither number 9 nor number 10.

Whatever the terminology, the position itself is a loosely-defined one somewhere between the out-and-out striker and the midfield. Such a player is either a skillful, attack-minded midfielder or a striker who can both score and create opportunities for a centre forward.

Deep-lying forwards have often been referred to as "No. 10" players, due to the popularity of particular shirt number among widely known and influential players such as Ferenc Puskás, Pelé, Zico, Diego Maradona, Johan Cruijff, Eduard Streltsov, Michel Platini, Roberto Baggio, Rivaldo, Francesco Totti, Álvaro Recoba, Luis García, Alessandro Del Piero, Gianfranco Zola, Jari Litmanen, Raul Gonzalez and Dennis Bergkamp. However as of recent times, the "No. 10" has been more associated with playmakers and attacking midfielders, the players who play behind the striker and the "No. 11" has been more associated with the Deep Lying Forward.