There are numerous formations in football, but this post will look at three of the most effective.
The most popular formation is possibly the 4-4-2 formation that was massively famous in English football during the 2000’s. The formation was made famous by one of the most skilled clubs in Italian history; the new AC Milan owner may well look for their coach to resort back to this formation as it has experienced significant success over the years. Many teams nowadays opt for just a single striker, as it offers the midfield a lot more cover and versatility. The advantage of the formation the Italian club applied, is that it provides a lot of width and then two forwards who make excellent options for crosses from those wide positions. Nevertheless, the formation needs quality wingers, therefore if a group does not have options in this position, it works better to play a formation that goes down the center.
One the toughest decisions for a soccer manager, is selecting which formation to play against the opposition. A major element in this choice is the style of play of the opposition. A football formation list is not given out by coaches, unlike in other sports, so coaches don’t know what the opposition team will be like until they get onto the pitch. This shortage of transparency suggests managers must do plenty of research on the competitors to find out how they will play. One choice however, is to disregard the opponent and play a formation that benefits you and stick to it. This choice is what the new Italian manager opts for, who was employed by the Chelsea owner at the start of this season. The Italian coach sticks to a 4-3-3 formation religiously; it has been among the most successful football formations, with so many managers picking it. It is an adaptable formation that enables you to play 3 forwards, but the wide players in roles where they can drop back and aid in defence when required.
A formation that is commonly used by clubs that are lacking the high quality of their opposition is the 5-4-1 formation. By playing this way, a squad can overload the midfield and have a solid back line that can sit in front of their own box. While so many recognise this formation as defeatist, or boring, it is an efficient way of closing out a much better team for extended periods of the match. If you play this formation you can anticipate to have very little possession, with virtually no real out ball considering you just have one attacking player. Teams may play this formation for the initial 70 minutes and then adjust their football tactics in the last period to try and snatch success. The Cardiff City owner has quite frequently favoured coaches that can field this formation well, as they do not have the same calibre players as some other clubs.