Football Tactics Formations - which is which (1-4-3-3)?

At PositionSpecific we believe there are 10 common tactical systems, or what many might call formations, in the game of football. There are 5 systems with 4 players on the defensive line, and another 5 systems with 3 players on the defensive line. What's more, each system has a defensive unit, a midfield unit and an attacking unit.

In upcoming blogs we will cover these 10 tactical systems and discuss each formation in more detail. In this particular blog we will be highlighting the 1-4-3-3 system.

The system that will suit your team the most will depend a lot on your players and their profiles. For example you might have more midfield players suited to playing centrally in your squad so a system with 3 players in your midfield unit might be more suitable, or you might have 2 out-and-out centre forwards so a system that has 2 players on the highest attacking line may be a better fit.

History

In the 1950’s the Uruguayan National team were the first advocates of the 1-4-3-3 system winning the 1950 World Cup. The formation has 4 players on the defensive line, 3 players in the midfield, 2 inverted wide players and 1 centre forward.

Similar to the 1-4-2-3-1 system 1-4-3-3 is also excellent when used to maintain possession of the ball and controlling the midfield. The physical/quick centre forward is usually deployed but a smaller less physical player has been used in recent years and considered a false number 9 to the usual centre forward giving the opposing centre backs an unusual problem, Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas are excellent examples of this. Again various types of player can be used in wide areas however some of the best teams tend to use traditional wingers however the current Liverpool team us their full backs to provide the teams width so they use players who can go between playing wide or playing as an inverter. The 1-4-3-3 system uses a specialist defensive midfielder rather that two holding midfielders like the 4-2-3-1 set up these types of players are very unique as they have the ability to play the position on their own, Claude Makalele and Sergio Busquets are arguably to of the best players to play this position.

Rinus Michaels Dutch teams of the 1974 and 1978 World Cups made the 1-4-3-3 system famous with their version of ‘total football’ even though the team didn’t win either competition. That Dutch side included Johan Cruyff who would later go on to revolutionise Barcelona as a coach in the early 90’s with the same set up. Jose Mourinho used the 1-4-3-3 system when he first took over Chelsea in 2004 and instantly won the Premier League at his first attempt. Pep Guardiola is one of the most successful managers ever using the 1-4-3-3 most famously at FC Barcelona winning 3 La Liga titles and 2 Champions Leagues. Real Madrid winning 3 Champions Leagues in a row from 2016 is also a great example of this system being successful.

Strengths

In possession playing two traditional wingers high and wide as wide forwards instead gives the team in possession the opportunity to question the oppositions full backs when possibly advancing forward and in affect limiting the number of players they can attack with.

Operating with 3 players in midfield with 1 being defensively minded and 2 more attacking minded allows the team to possibly dominate possession and overload teams playing with just 2 centrally.

Teams who are able to play this way and dominate gives their full backs the opportunities to join attacks knowing the team will keep possession long enough for them to advance.

Weaknesses

The 1-4-3-3 systems is hugely dependent on the types of players available, these players must be excellent technicians and have good understanding of positional play to achieve maximum success.

Again similar to the 4-2-3-1 there is huge responsibility of the 3 forward players with the centre forward being able to bring team mates into play or the ability to move beyond the oppositions defensive line to create space and the wide forwards willingness to track the oppositions full backs if necessary.

The teams that have had most success with this formation have always had a world class defensive midfielder. An incredibly selfless player happy to sit and protect their central defenders while allowing others to attack

System Flexibility

Each system we will discuss in this series of blogs naturally drifts into another system in possession during a match. In this case 1-4-3-3 naturally drifts into a 1-3-4-3 system when one of the full backs moves forward into wing back position or the defensive midfielder drops onto the defensive line moving both full backs forward. Please use the link below to see the video of this systems flexibility:

Want to learn more about PositionSpecific, and all that we have to offer ... visit our ABOUT US page, check out our PLANS and PASSES page, and we have some other great FREE RESOURCES too!

댓글