The two models
McCormack contrasts the traditional hold-up striker who pins defenders and plays with their back to goal against the dynamic, ball-seeking forward who drops and floats to create a spare player — the 'possession plus one.' His point is that the game has shifted toward the second, but that context still matters; against a deep block the target profile can be exactly what you need.
Where I land as a youth coach
Because context decides it, and because there is no single right way to play, I do not want to specialize a twelve-year-old into one striker profile. The tall kid who holds it up now might be the most technical mover on the team in three years — bodies and skills change, especially through growth. My job is to give every forward the full menu: receive with your back to goal and combine facing forward, pin a defender and also spin off them. Let them become a complete attacker first, and let the role specialize itself later when we actually know who they are.