Leandro Trossard as a false nine just not all the time

One of the major talking points following Aston Villa 2-0 Brighton – other than what an incredible human being Jason Steele is – centred around Graham Potter’s decision to start with Leandro Trossard as a false nine.

The Albion lined up against opponents who had lost their past five matches in succession without a recognised, out-and-out centre forward on the pitch.

When Potter did finally decide to introduce Neal Maupay as the game creaked into the final 10, it was after Brighton had withdrawn their two most prominent attacking outlets in Tariq Lamptey and Marc Cucurella.

Potter’s game plan at Villa Park therefore entailed playing for 79 minutes with a decent supply line but no striker to get on the end of it, followed by playing for 11 minutes with a striker on the pitch but no real supply line.

It was baffling in the extreme – although he is not the only Premier League manager to have shown determination to make the false nine concept work in the 2021-22 season.

Pep Guardiola dreams of a team of midfield players with no recognised striker. He once said whilst manager of Bayern Munich: “I would like to have a thousand midfielders in my squad.”

Following Serio Aguero’s move to Barcelona, the failure of Manchester City to persuade Spurs to sell Harry Kane and Guardiola not quite rating Gabriel Jesus highly enough to start him every week, City are this season trying to prove that you can win the league with playing a false nine.

It might just work, too. But it is obviously one thing to start without a striker when your attacking midfield options include Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling, Ilkay Gundgogan, Riyad Mahrez, Ferran Torres and Bernardo Silva.

Doing so with Trossard supported by Adam Lallana, Solly March, Jakub Moder or Pascal Gross whilst Alexis Mac Allister watches on from the bench is quite another.

Trossard as a false nine has been deployed by Brighton in three-and-a-half top flight matches so far. This may seem like a small sample to draw any conclusions about the tactic’s effectiveness, but there is already quite compelling evidence about the sort of games it will work in and the sort of games it will not.

The second half of Brighton 1-4 Manchester City was the first time we saw the false nine concept this season. City had no answer to it as the Albion dominated to the point where Ederson was booked for time wasting.

A Mac Allister consolation from the penalty spot was the least that Brighton deserved for their efforts as they drew 1-1 against the champions in the second half. It was just a shame that a shambolic first half showing had left the Albion 3-0 down inside 30 minutes.

Understandably given that second half against City, Potter continued with the false nine at Liverpool. Brighton were more than a match for their illustrious visitors, recovering from 2-0 down to earn a point in a 2-2 draw on Merseyside.

Trossard got on the scoresheet and had he not strayed an inch offside, would have finished with a brace to earn the Albion a famous win.

One-and-a-half games against two of the best teams in the world playing Trossard as a false nine had seen Brighton go toe-to-toe with their big spending, high class opponents.

Next came a rather different calibre of opposition for Trossard to operate as a false nine against. Newcastle United arrived at the Amex bottom of the Premier League with no manager, nor a single win to their name all season.

In typical Albion style, it finished Brighton 1-1 Newcastle. Things might have been even worse had Robert Sanchez not taken one for the team when wiping out the clean through Callum Wilson in the final minutes, preventing the Toon striker scoring from an opportunity he was surely not going to miss.

The Newcastle game was the most disappointing performance of the season so far from the Seagulls. Worse was to come though at Villa Park, where Brighton had 63 percent of possession and yet registered an xG of only 0.29.

Nothing summed up Aston Villa 2-0 Brighton better than the sight of Lamptey and Cucurella fizzing low crosses across goal, only for nobody in a blue and white shirt to get on the end of them.

It was the sort of service which Maupay or any other natural striker thrives on. There is of course every chance that Maupay would have missed – we all know what he is like when presented with even the simplest opportunity – but at least he would have been there. Trossard as a false nine was never going to be.

What all this tells us is that there are certain matches where Trossard as a false nine can work and certain matches where it is detrimental to the chances of Brighton winning the game.

It is a classic case of horses for courses, a saying which my missus absolutely hates and which I therfore naturally use at every opportunity.

Silviniaco Conti was a two-time King George VI winner around Kempton Park, a three mile race over a flat, right-handed course.

Whenever he lined up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup however, you would bet on Gross outpacing him. Silviniaco Conti was no good going over three miles on a hilly, left-handed course. A horse for a certain course.

Trossard as a false nine against the top Premier League sides is Silviniaco Conti at Kempton. Trossard as a false nine against the strugglers near the bottom is Silviniaco Conti at Cheltenham.

All of this stems from the different ways in which sides at the top set up compared to those fighting relegation. Liverpool and City want to dominate possession and get on the front foot.

That suits Brighton, who can therefore make the most of their strengths playing on the counter. There is a lot of space between defence and midfield for Trossard to drop into, which is where he does his best work as a false nine.

In matches where Brighton should be expecting to claim points, have more of the ball and make most of the running, there is less room for Trossard to work.

You need a focal point for the attack to push high and get onto chances. Trossard is never going to do that. Maupay, Danny Welbeck when fit, or another natural centre forward will.

Some Brighton fans have tried to explain Trossard as a false nine becoming Potter’s new flavour of the month by the fact that the Albion have no other options. Essentially, they think Maupay is shit and would rather play without a striker.

That is plainly not true. Maupay has scored four important goals so far in 2021-22. His partnership with Trossard was one of the main reasons that Brighton were riding high in the Champions League spots not so long ago. As recently as September he was voted as our WAB Player of the Month.

Maupay might miss chances, but if he was more clinical he would be playing for a better club than the Albion. He is what £20 million gets you in the modern day transfer market.

Do Brighton need to upgrade if they are to fulfil their potential? Yes – but that does not mean Maupay is not good enough to play at the current time when the occasion suits. That occasion is against the struggling sides.

If Potter is determined to try and emulate Guardiola by playing without a centre forward, then there is one way in which it could end up working regardless of standard of opposition.

Or to be precise, one man who could make it work. Enock Mwepu departing the Newcastle game injured at half coincided with the false nine going from a winning concept to one that has failed to fire.

With Mwepu on the pitch in support of Trossard, Brighton were effectively unbeaten when operating Trossard as a false nine.

The Albion drew 1-1 with City, 2-2 with Liverpool and then led the Saudi Sportswashers 1-0 before Mwepu was withdrawn. Based on that, The Computer could be the software needed for Potter’s false nine to run.

Whilst Mwepu remains sidelined however, the false nine should be ditched against opponents battling relegation. The Newcastle and Villa games show it to be the wrong option.

A genuine striker is required – starting with the visit of 17th place The Leeds United. Trossard as a false nine, just not all the time, please Graham.