Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder on why targetman centre-forwards still have their place

Chris Wilder says there will always be a place in the game for old-fashioned "No 9s" and "team man" Kieffer Moore is proof of it.

The 6ft 5in former Rotherham United and Barnsley targetman is a bit of a throw-back in an era where most forwards seem happier to drop into midfield and play the ball with their feet.

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Sheffield United manager is no tactical dinosaur having pioneered a system based around overlapping central defenders in his first spell as Bramall Lane boss. His current team is more based on patient possession, and Craig Bellamy has tried to bring a more sophisticated approach as Wales manager but both see Moore as a big part of their plans.

"I played with arguably one of the best No 9s to play for Sheffield United (Brian Deane) and I never thought he got the recognition his ability deserved," said Wilder, who signed Moore from Bournemouth this summer despite competition from Friday’s Championship opponents Hull City.

"(Moore)'s a presence, great in both boxes, he scores goals, he leads the line and links it well.

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"He's a good all-round player and a team player, we knew that from the off.

"There's a place in teams for that type of player, especially with the way we play. We needed that, especially losing Oli Mc(Burnie). I wanted to keep them both because I believed we could have played with both.

"There's different ways to win a game of football and you have to pose different problems.

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CENTRAL FIGURE: Sheffield United striker Kieffer Moore leaps for a headerCENTRAL FIGURE: Sheffield United striker Kieffer Moore leaps for a header
CENTRAL FIGURE: Sheffield United striker Kieffer Moore leaps for a header

"There's three ways to play. Kieffer can play whether you play through teams, whether you get round teams and cross it or whether you play over teams and he's the target to go into.

"He gives us those options and he keeps getting picked for his international team. A new manager's come in who wants to change the way they play but still he's important to them."

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