Implementing a successful football formation depends on variables like footballer quality, ranking on the table, and the competition itself.
Nowadays, there are numerous football tactics and formations out there to choose from however managers spend a great deal of time adapting and tweaking classic tactics to fit the particularities of their clubs. The truth is, there are lots of specifications that influence this choice, and not all of which are strictly technical. For instance, the quality of footballers available can make coaches think twice about what strategy to use. In the absence of quality players in attack, some managers choose to use a more midfield-dense method in an attempt to control ownership of the ball. In the attacking stance, midfielders and wingers will attempt to send out through balls or shoot from outside the box in order to destabilise the defenses of the other team. The AC Milan former US owner would likely confirm that other aspects like player injury and managing a hectic calendar also affect tactical and technical decisions.
While you can constantly read a football tactics book to get excellent insights into playmaking, there is no much better teacher than experience and history. Over the past 50 years, football has actually been enhanced with some of the most pleasurable formations in the history of the game, and a few of which are still used to this day. Nevertheless, the 2010s saw a noticeable shift in football tactics with the rise of a more attacking style of play and a more structured method to playmaking. Modern football has leveraged both skill and tech to create some of the most effective tactics that have actually managed to win top sides numerous trophies. In this context, the revised 4-3-3 tactic has ended up being among the more popular modern football tactics owing to its efficient attack and well-balanced defense. The minority shareholder of Liverpool FC will concur that technical skill and speed make this tactic really hard to ward off.
Widely deemed among the most versatile football tactics, the 4-4-2 is a tactic that can be modified to be more offensive or leaning more to the defensive side. It is for these factors that this formation is among the most common football tactics throughout different leagues and tournaments. If the coach wants to utilise an offensive 4-4-2, they can introduce some crucial changes to enable increased fluidity in passing and play making. For instance, they can make a lozenge in the midfield that consists of one defensive midfielder, two playmakers on the sides, and one attacking midfielder. This lozenge would supply balls to the wingers and a false nine that occasionally drops to a lower position. In a more defensive 4-4-2, the former owner of Aston Villa would inform you that the manager can form an arch composed of 4 players that functions as a barrier that keeps the opponent from reaching the defense line.