Alan Curbishley has been out of work for more than three years since his departure from West Ham, but he has devoted himself to studying trends in the game. One he has noticed is the rise of the No.10.
This kind of player does not always have No.10 on his back, although Juan Mata at Chelsea does. Such a player, according to Curbs, tends to have a low centre of gravity and is responsible for 'changing the game' with a pass that splits the defence.
Others identified by Curbs include David Silva and Cesc Fabregas whose ability to 'see the pass' is all the more conspicuous by its absence because Arsenal lack the services of Jack Wilshere through injury.
Pace and strength of themselves are not enough, although they may count for more in League 1. They still count, of course, because as Curbs said a few years that a team newly promoted to the top flight should expect that 'Your quickest player would probably be among the slowest in the squads you will face.' However, Curbs admires the creator's art and in particular the subtlety of No.10.
One question about our current squad is whether they are creative enough, even for League 1. Unfortunately, the use of Kermorgant seems to have led to an outbreak of hoofing the ball forward which does nothing for creativity.
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