Just a few examples from Man Utd where squad numbers didn't/don't matter.

Nemanja Vidić - 15
Roy Keane - 16
Paul Scholes - 18 (needed to be 22 when he came back though as Young had taken 18)
Phil Neville - 12 (for the majority of his United career)
Dwight Yorke - 19

And currently

Robin van Persie - 20

Should scrap squad numbers. If you're chosen to play stand off on the day, you should wear 6 if your chosen to play loose, you wear 13. All this talk of 'its Tony's ideal team. It gives the lads not wearing 1-17 something to prove at training' I'm sorry but if no one had a number surely they'd all be fighting to play at the weekend anyway? It may even make them train harder knowing everyone has a blank shirt. Instead of them thinking to themselves 'oh well I'm number 24, I can't see me taking his shirt unless there's a miracle'.

Football is different, their 1-11 squad numbers won't usually be their first choice whereas in rugby league it typically is.

Scrap it.

Like moving on said.

Earn it...keep it.
That then is his squad number on merit.
He plays shat and then he looses it.

simples

It is the only way that the first choice starting 13 get the correct number

I wouldn't be surprised if Toby King emerges as the best centre at Warrington next season.

I was speaking about this to a sports psychologist last night who probably knows more about this than anyone on here.

He says that the squad numbers have little bearing on how players perform, especially for senior pros who have been playing for years. Apart from those who want numbers for superstitious reasons, the only people who are bothered about this is young players breaking into the squad and being given a squad number (any number) in the first place.

The thing that set me off was the comment about the confidence boost for Grix and he agreed with me that for someone like Grix, his number is irrelevant.

Looking at 1-13, it does look like our strongest team, so it's a boost now for the players who are in it as they will be thinking that if there are no injuries, they'll be playing the first game. But that's as far it goes and is no different to a manager naming any team a week before the match as the players picked would receive the same boost.

I can see 2 purposes, it makes players identifiable and sells shirts. I can't see any objection

Well as he agreed with you I suppose that's that then.

There's nothing like getting an expert to backup your argument

Yes, I would imagine that there's nothing quite like it and as he and you both obviously know more than most on here I stand corrected and if Ratchford gets the number 1 shirt in next year's 'Lotto' whilst Russell gets 24 then hey ho

I don't know more but he definitely does.

Your scenario's not going to happen but if it did and Tony Smith said to them both, Stefan, you're my first choice stand off and Matty, you're my first choice full back, then it wouldn't make any difference to their performances.

Skin tight shirts don't come cheap, and I'll bet Ben Harrison and Stefan Ratchford wouldn't fit into the same 13 shirt. Same goes for Joel Monaghan and Kevin Penny and a number of other alternatives.

The club don't have new shirts every week, this route would force that more often than not.

Plus, the cynic in my sees the kids getting Sims, Clark, Monaghan etc on their shirt, and the club scooping a couple of quid for a few stickers.