The history of an Inside Forward (and a Winger) can be tracked in the 1880s, on 2–3–5 formation. In 5 attacking players, the two inner players on the penalty box beside the Striker are called the Inside Forwards, and on the next tactical progression, these players moved into the midfield, changing the formation to 2–3–2–3. Nowadays, the term “Inside Forward” is famous for the players on the Flanks that played on the opposite side as his dominant foot, and remains popular until this era.
Based on the explanation above, who is the top Inside Forwards in this world?
Introduction
The Inside Forward’s main task is to cut inside, targeting the opponent’s penalty box and works best if the strongest foot is the opposite of the flank he is playing. An Inside Forward can open space to overlapping fullback as well as to overload the defense. As his main job is starting the attack on the Wings, this player also has two mentalities: Support and Attack.
Both Support and Attack attributes are almost the same. The key attributes for both Support and Attack duties are Dribbling, First Touch, Technique, Off The Ball, Agility, and Balance, with an additional attribute of Passing for Support duties and Finishing for Attack duties. These attributes are considered Preferable in the opposing duties. For the Preferable attributes, both mentalities have Long Shots, Anticipation, Composure, Flair, and Pace, with Support duties have an additional attribute in Vision.
After considering these attributes, the best Inside Forwards can be seen below:
Analysis
Best Midfielder: Lionel Messi (Support/Attack)
Again, there is no surprise. Messi still holds himself as the best Inside Forward, starting the attack mainly from the Right Wing position. Beside him in this list, there is Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mohamed Salah in both mentalities. To complete the top five, there is Philippe Coutinho in Support duties and Kylian Mbappe in the Attack duties.
Messi was an absolute beast in this position, with only two attributes (Off The Ball and Pace) is not deemed world-class yet still the best (4/5). This tremendous statistic puts Messi’s total attributes far behind Neymar, with 26 and 22 points respectively for both Support and Attack duties. Being the best player in this category, Messi also holds the best total of Key and Preferable attributes, with, again, leaving his next best for ten points in both total attributes for both mentalities.
In contrast to the Inverted Winger position, there are a lot more familiar players in this position, and they mainly played in top clubs. However, in contrast to the Inverted Winger position, Messi is not the best player, because he is less familiar with playing on the Wide Midfielder position.
Out-of-the-Radar: Riyad Mahrez (Support/Attack)
Mahrez was a great addition to City’s squad depth after bought from Leicester, and the reason he enters this list is that before City, he spends his time in a non-Champions League club before leaving. Being a left-footed player on the right-wing, Mahrez's top attributes are his Dribbling, First Touch, Technique, Agility, and Flair.
Mahrez’s total key attributes are one of the best, being better than even Ronaldo and Mertens in both mentalities. His Preferable attributes, although are not one of the best, are still better than some players like Eden Hazard and Antoine Griezmann.
You can see the complete chart of the players here:
