Niclas Füllkrug has been in fantastic form in 2024! After being crucial in Dortmund’s run to the Uefa Champions League Final, he has come off the bench and secured a draw for Germany in stoppage time against Switzerland. This prompts the question – is the target man having a resurgence.
A little preface – In the modern game, target forwards are becoming increasingly rare. Most strikers now are praised for their technical skill and ability to play with the feet and dribble. We often see players like Lukaku, who is a perfectly good striker, if used correctly. In Lukaku’s case, he was on the top of his game and earned a move to Manchester United in 2017. Despite having a decent goal output, 42 goals in two season (all competitions), he was ridiculed for having a poor touch and not being “pleasing on the eye”. There was truth to the criticism but the fans were expecting him to be a player he wasn’t.
Fast forward to 2024, there is a shortage of big target men, capable of bullying defenders. Most strikers are quick and technically gifted which is great – you won’t hear any complaints here! Perhaps the younger generations of footballers have noticed there isn’t any love for the big number 9s and have focused on being technical? Or, perhaps the modern coaches aren’t interested in the big number 9 and don’t develop them in the modern game. Who remembers like likes of Duncan Ferguson, Christian Vieri or Didier Drogba?

With the small background covered, I can get to the main point of my article. We see the modern game focused on either possession or teams that focus on the transition. We rarely see the old fashioned 442 (I see you Mr. Dyche) and the wingers that aim to whip balls into the box. How often do we see a left footed winger on the left wing? Now they are on the right hand side, trying to replicate the likes of Mo Salah and Arjen Robben – and maybe for good reason! Because of this style of play, I believe defenders are only practiced in defending this type of football. That is, defending technical dribblers and players running in behind, or players cutting in from the wings. It is basically how every team tries to play so naturally the type of football defenders are used to dealing with.

Enter Niclas Füllkrug! He is a classic target man – 189 cm or 6 ft 2, and is incredible strong and aggressive. He excels in roughing up defenders and specialised in getting his head on the ball. Referring back to what I said earlier, defenders are used to playing against fast technical players, when it comes to players like Niclas Füllkrug, they simply don’t know how to deal with him! Now I am not trying to suggest Niclas Füllkrug is going to put up big numbers, but he disrupts the play and makes the unpredictable happen. I don’t think it was an accident Dortmund made the UCL final, Niclas Füllkrug played 13 games in the tournament! Whenever Germany are in trouble, they can get Niclas up top and whip balls into the penalty area. Most defenders in the modern game will be crapping their pants!

I think this is why we have seen Olivier Giroud last so long in the game. At 37 he is playing in this Euros tournament! I think it’s just down to him being a very unique player these days. If it was 20 years ago, there is no way Giroud would be playing at this age because there was loads of target men around! Now, a player like Giroud is rare and worth having on the bench.
I expect this won’t be the last we see from Niclas Füllkrug in the Euro 2024 tournament. When the game is tight or when Germany are chasing an equaliser, he will be called upon and the defenders won’t have a fun time! This could see a resurgence of the big number 9 – if teams see it working then others will try the same. Maybe the pendulum has swung too far in the direction of the fast technical forward and is in need of a correction. Could the 442 make a comeback? If you ask Sean Dyche, it never left!