Table of Contents
- So, what is a poacher in soccer?
- Poaching and goal-hanging in soccer explained
- What attributes does a good poacher need?
- Five of the best poachers in soccer
- Should all teams play with a poacher in soccer?
- Recap: The role of a poacher in soccer
A fox in the box, a target man, a playmaker… There are many phrases that have crept into the soccer lexicon over generations that have stuck with fans and pundits alike.
One such term is poacher. It’s used so frequently within the sport that viewers no longer question its origins.
This article will look at what a poacher is, their tasks on the soccer field, and some famous examples of the role.
So, what is a poacher in soccer?
A poacher is a player (typically an attacker) who, either by design or because of the player’s style of play, is renowned for finishing off attacking moves with the ultimate job of scoring the goal.
Poachers are well-versed in creating space in the penalty area, free from marking defenders. They might not be heavily involved in the build-up play like other types of strikers, but their contribution to the team is valuable.
Usually, players labelled poachers aren’t particularly tall or bulky. This isn’t universally true, of course, but taller and more muscular players will likely be less agile than is required from a poacher.
Because players with other, more obvious physical abilities can put their strength, pace, or craftsmanship, for example, to other uses, they’re not usually classed as poachers by those in the game.
Poaching and goal-hanging in soccer explained
The term ‘poacher’ has been around for decades, and poachers have been in soccer for a long time.
Poaching can be described as somebody who sniffs out chances in the penalty area that other players might be incapable of getting to or creating.
Goal-hanging, on the other hand, means being as close as possible to the opposition’s goal as frequently as you can. With the offside rule, this isn’t possible in the same way as it is in 5-a-side or 6-a-side soccer.
The two terms describe similar stylistic attributes and can be interchangeable. The wording is different, however, because goal-hanging focuses a little more on positioning, whereas a poacher would suggest more predatory intuition.
What attributes does a good poacher need?
A good poacher must be agile. It’s essential to their role that they can react to changing circumstances, whether it be a deflected cross or an unforeseen defensive slip, to take advantage of these occurrences to benefit their side.
Instinct is important. Making a snap decision based on what you feel is likely to happen can be the difference between a goal and a squandered opportunity. If you know your teammate well and can guess that, in all likelihood, they will deliver the ball in a certain way or to a certain place, it means you are more likely to get on the end of it.
Also, a degree of patience is needed for poachers because when the chances aren’t quite forming and others would get frustrated and question why they’d make that incisive run, the poacher needs to remain optimistic that a big chance will come and they need to be prepared for it when it occurs.
Five of the best poachers in soccer
In the Premier League, one of the best poachers ever was Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Manchester United frontman was phenomenal in the box, finishing off seemingly impossible chances.
Ruud had the annoying habit (for defenders, at least) of losing his marker in dangerous positions. Hence, he was nearly always available to receive the ball from one of his teammates.
A World Cup great, maybe the best striker the tournament has ever seen – Miroslav Klose. Your side’s xG was in safe hands when Miroslav was around.
Most notably for Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich at the club level, Klose scored bundles before moving to Serie A and seeing out his career with Lazio. The Polish-born attacker represented Germany at the international level where the whole world could see him outmanoeuvring defenders to create goal-scoring chances.
Going a little further back, Gary Lineker was making a name for himself as a fox in the box (not just because of his affinity with Leicester City, either). The Englishman won the World Cup Golden Boot in 1986 and his hat-trick in that tournament versus Poland typifies his predatory instincts.
Few players epitomise the art of poaching quite like Filippo Inzaghi did. Always moving on the shoulder of the last defender, the man was an icon during the 90s and 00s.
Yet how many soccer players out there can boast a goal-scoring ratio quite like the great Gerd Müller? His goals-to-appearances rate is ludicrous, particularly in an era before the likes of Messi or Ronaldo skewed the statistics. Truly one of the best finishers of all time, poaching in a huge percentage of his 555 professional goals.
| Player | National Team | Clubs | Appearances | Goals |
| Ruud van Nistelrooy | Netherlands | Den Bosch, Heerenveen, PSV, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Hamburg, Málaga | 519 | 284 |
| Miroslav Klose | Germany | Homburg, Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, Lazio | 666 | 283 |
| Gary Lineker | England | Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur, Nagoya Grampus | 541 | 286 |
| Filippo Inzaghi | Italy | Piacenza, Leffe, Hellas Verona, Parma, Atalanta, Juventus, AC Milan | 523 | 222 |
| Gerd Müller | Germany | 1861 Nördlingen, Bayern Munich, Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 617 | 555 |
Should all teams play with a poacher in soccer?
Many of the more contemporary managers won’t utilize a poacher these days because they feel that these types of players won’t get involved in the passing moves the team has, thus essentially playing with ten players until their side reaches a threatening position.
If you are more inclined to ask your striker to drop deep to collect the ball, lay it off, or spray passes around from midfield (e.g. Harry Kane), then you might not find it as beneficial to have a dedicated poacher lined up.
While there is no right or wrong way to set a team up, having a poacher on your side could give defenders more food for thought and deter them from pushing too many players up the field to leave a dangerous attacker with more space.
Recap: The role of a poacher in soccer
A poacher doesn’t have an array of jobs like many other positions on the pitch do, but what they are tasked with is vital to your side’s chances of winning.
Agility and focus are unquestionably necessary attributes for a poacher. Keep an eye out at your next soccer match to see if anybody on display is playing as a poacher.