Carrying out an effective football formation depends on variables like footballer quality, ranking on the table, and the competition itself.
Commonly considered one of the most versatile football tactics, the 4-4-2 is a strategy that can be modified to be more offensive or leaning more to the defensive side. It is for these reasons that this formation is among the most common football tactics throughout different leagues and competitions. If the manager wishes to utilise an offensive 4-4-2, they can present some crucial modifications to enable increased fluidity in passing and play building. For example, they can form a lozenge in the midfield that comprises of one defensive midfielder, two playmakers on the sides, and one attacking midfielder. This lozenge would provide balls to the wingers and a false nine that sometimes drops to a lower position. In a more defensive 4-4-2, the former owner of Aston Villa would inform you that the coach can create an arch composed of 4 midfielders that serves as a barrier that keeps the opponent from reaching the defense line.
While you can always check out a football tactics book to get terrific insights into playmaking, there is no better instructor than experience and history. Over the past 50 years, football has actually been enhanced with some of the most satisfying formations in the history of the game, and some of which are still utilised to this day. However, the 2010s saw a noticeable shift in football tactics with the rise of a more offensive design of play and a more structured method to playmaking. Modern football has leveraged both ability and tech to develop some of the most effective tactics that have actually managed to win clubs many prizes. In this context, the revised 4-3-3 formation has actually become amongst the more popular modern football tactics owing to its efficient attack and well-balanced defense. The minority shareholder of Liverpool FC will agree that technical ability and speed make this tactic really difficult to defend against.
Nowadays, there are many football tactics and formations out there to pick from but coaches spend a great deal of time adapting and tweaking traditional formations to fit the particularities of their clubs. The truth is, there are lots of parameters that affect this decision, and not all of which are strictly technical. For example, the quality of players in the squad can make coaches reconsider what strategy to use. In the absence of quality players in attack, some coaches prefer to utilise a more midfield-dense strategy in an effort to dominate ownership of the ball. In the attacking position, midfielders and wingers will try to send through balls or shoot from outside area in order to destabilise the defenses of the opponent. The AC Milan former US owner would likely agree that other factors like footballer injury and managing a busy calendar likewise influence tactical and technical decisions.