Understanding Football Tactics and Formations

The validity and efficacy of one formation over another has been a recurring theme in football arguments since the sport’s inception. History has seen an ebbing and flowing between one formation and the next as coaches attempt to overcome and reinvent current trends with no’ perfect’ solution.

One of the key causes for the sport’s ongoing evolution is its uncompromising pursuit of new knowledge and innovation. Without a doubt, a coach who can apply a formation method that their peers are unfamiliar with has a significant competitive edge. Some of the best tacticians are of course the most successful managers.

In this article, we dissect some of the most popular formations in football today and highlight some of their most crucial strengths and weaknesses.

1. 4–4–2

The 4–4–2 system is one of the oldest still in use today. It is most often linked with English football, but many clubs all over the world have used it at some point in their history.

Whatever the case may be, the formation’s Golden Age has come to an end. Using 4–4–2 nowadays, especially if you’re a ‘big club with huge ambitions, is generally viewed as a failure and an indication that a club is unsure of its players’ ability to execute a more sophisticated game plan when in possession. 4–4–2 is simple to learn and practise, thus a well-prepared team can still succeed, but it lacks the complexity and more sophisticated passing lanes/angles afforded by more current, forward-thinking systems.

With two determined forwards, the midfield and defence don’t have to waste time trying to get the ball into advanced areas. Unlike formations with only one striker, the 4–4–2 allows the primary attackers to press forward without having to wait for midfield support. As a result, the best strikers who have ever played in a 4–4–2 are adaptable and versatile. It is possible to create breadth by using two wide midfielders and two very wide full-backs. This can lead to a flurry of crosses into the box, but it also causes the opposition’s defensive line to expand in order to counter any threat down the wings. This frequently results in defensive holes across the middle, which the two strikers can exploit.

However it does have its weaknesses, The 4–4–2’s main flaws are predictability and rigidity, as well as the immense burden placed on the central midfielders to continually attack and defend. Because the system has been around for so long, there have been a plethora of strategies for defeating it, which is made much easier if the wide players in a 4–4–2 lack defensive discipline. Having only two players in centre midfield might make it harder to keep the ball against teams that use a three-man central midfield. When not in control, one of the two strikers may frequently drop back into midfield in an attempt to balance the numbers. To counter this, many 4–4–2 coaches will pair a defensive-minded central midfielder with an attack-minded counterpart, with the former’s goal being to cut away any threat posed by an opponent’s superior numbers before the backline is put under pressure.

2. 4–3–3

This is the system that Jose Mourinho used to great success during his first tenure at Chelsea, and it is still used by some of the world’s best clubs today. It helps teams comprised of really gifted ball passers-by letting them express themselves within a system that prioritises intelligent ball movement as a method of creating scoring opportunities.

You can eliminate the threat offered by an opponent’s full-backs by playing two very forward wide forwards. It becomes too risky for the full-backs to push up as long as your wide forwards stay in very advanced positions, limiting attacking options against you.

Three players in midfield, one defensively minded and the other two playing a ‘box-to-box role, provides for midfield possession dominance against teams with only two players in the middle. This can also free up the full-backs to attack since they know their midfield will maintain possession long enough for them to join the attack.

In order to implement a 4–3–3 with the greatest success, you’ll need players that can think fast about positioning and distribution. The central striker bears a great deal of responsibility for maintaining possession of the ball and bringing his offensive teammates into the game from their wide starting positions. While this is more than possible with the right players, there are only a few strikers in the world who are capable of playing this role against elite-level defenders.

Similarly, teams that have found success with this formation have tended to field world-class defensive midfielders. Players that have been capable of shielding their defence by themselves when their central midfield partners push forward to help attacking movements through the centre of the pitch. When teammates are unable to trust their striker and defensive midfielder to both create and stop chances, the entire system tends to fall down due to a lack of trust.

3. 4–2–3–1

At times, it may appear as if every club on the planet has embraced the 4–2–3–1 formation as their preferred formation. It is undoubtedly the preferred system for a large number of today’s top-tier clubs, with Premier League clubs suddenly appearing to be enamoured with a structure that has been seen in Spain for many years.

Passing the ball through triangles is more successful than passing in straight lines at breaking down opponents, which is where the 4–2–3–1 comes into its own. The positioning of the central midfield two in relation to the more advanced three is specifically designed to generate these passing options, eliminating the problem of reductive ‘straight’ or ‘lateral’ play offered by flat systems like 4–4–2.

Physical exertion may be a concern for teams who use a 4–2–3–1 formation. It’s typical for assaults to start from a relatively deep position in order to produce some misdirection and uncertainty throughout a defence. Attacks can sometimes start at the defence’s core. As a result, the offensive players are under a lot of pressure to play at a fast enough pace to go from one end of the field to the other without giving the opposing midfielders and fullbacks enough time to regain their optimum positions.

4. 3–5–2

The 3–5–2 has had a mini-renaissance in popularity, despite being most popular in Italy. To make the system work, you need wing-backs who are extremely fit and tactically smart.

If you want to halt the counter-attack, the 3–5–2 formation is a good choice. The three defenders should be able to handle any combination of an opponent’s attackers and №10, while the wing-backs are well-positioned to intercept opposition wide players before they can make too much progress.

The 3–5–2, on the other hand, is equally useful as a launchpad for counter-attacks as it is as a weapon against them. Three midfielders and two wingbacks provide plenty of offensive variation for the opposition to worry about while fielding two strikers allow the frontline to generate and score opportunities with little help — especially if the ball arrives at their feet.

The formation’s intricacy necessitates not just a specific type of player, but also a specific combination of players, especially when it comes to covering teammates and initiating assaults. At least one of the back three players must be a skilled passer, while the other two must be exceptional at man-to-man marking and positional discipline.

Due to the sheer complexity of this formation, thus only a few coaches and teams have succeeded in using this formation. Antonio Conte is a notable example.

Conclusion:

As a spectator, understanding football formations will increase your enjoyment. You might applaud an unheralded player’s disciplined performance or grimace at a showy star player’s arrogant play — one who abandoned his position for a chance at fame but ended up hurting his team instead. You will have a more pleasurable time as a viewer if you are able to appreciate the finer aspects of the game via a grasp of formations.

The duty of the competent coach is to adjust the strategy to the game, to educate the players on how to activate the system and how to be flexible and play in varied settings. Formations and setups are easy to discover; everyone knows them.