The best thing about football/soccer is that there are so many different ways that you can actually play it. A coach’s job is to shape and define the way a team plays.
Many different formations and tactics are used by other football teams, resulting in hundreds of subtle differences. Here, we provide trainers with the most common guidelines, what you need to succeed, and team examples you can study to get your best version. So…
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Classic 4-4-2:
Although the 4-4-2 formation has fallen out of fashion recently, it is enjoying a renaissance, largely thanks to Leicester City in the Premier League and Atletico Madrid in La Liga.
The key to 4-4-2 is partnership. The two forwards, the midfield partner, the full-backs, and the wingers must all have a telepathic understanding of their roles on the pitch.
Wide midfielders tend to be skilled, fast, and accurate in passing. To help them, the full-backs will look for overlap to provide additional attacking options. You can provide good service to your two forwards, who should always be lurking in the box looking for scoring opportunities. Often, these forwards have different skill sets that complement each other – for example, a tall forward who is good in the air and a shorter, more agile forward who can pass all the balls in the air.
The weakness of the 4-4-2 formation is the rigidity and workload of the two midfielders. In modern football, having at least three players in and around the center of the pitch is more popular, so a midfield with two players only has a few people.
Therefore, in the 4-4-2 system, selecting midfielders who are comfortable and tireless in game preparation and defense is crucial.
An excellent example of the classic 4-4-2 formation is the Manchester United team that won the Treble in the late 1990s. They have all the necessary ingredients: two of the best wingers in the game, a forward corps that knows where the goal is, and two busy midfielders who can attack and defend.
Tikitaka:
Anyone who has watched European football over the past decade will have witnessed the rise of tikitaka football.
The key to success lies in having skilled players in the midfield area who can maintain possession of the ball for long stretches of the game. There are also intelligent, mobile attackers who can create space and pull opponents out of position.
Placing formations in this game system is difficult because fluidity is critical to its operation. But having a defensive midfielder is a must. This allows the other two more creative midfielders to move freely and focus on creating scoring opportunities.
The range of movement of these midfielders is expanded due to the constant presence of the full-backs, who push forward and participate in the attack. At Euro 2008, Sergio Ramos and Juan Capdevila stepped up, disrupting the opposition midfield and creating opportunities for the holding midfielders.
Tikitaka football has declined in recent years, mainly as opposing teams manage to rush at teams in possession or hit them on the counterattack.
The most common response to Tikitaka these days is to sit back and let their opponents play before them, staying as compact as possible to detect any danger in the final third. When the ball is regained, teams may lack defense as the system requires teams to maintain a line on the pitch.
By exposing these weaknesses, tiki-take becomes more direct. However, this style revolutionized the sport as we know it, making it a more aesthetically pleasing sport.
Counterattack:
While tiki-taka has declined in recent years, it has been replaced by that most destructive tactic of all: counterattack. Pull your opponent into your defensive third to start a counterattack when you steal the ball and attack at breakneck speed.
Essentially, this tactic is about dropping deep, allowing the opponent to get the ball and push forward, pushing players forward while leaving gaps.
Park bus:
Parking strategy is getting into the pitch without conceding a goal. When it comes to parking, attacking football is secondary. It’s about frustrating the opposition and keeping a clean sheet. If the game ends 0-0, so be it.
The 4-5-1 formation is standard when teams park the bus as it provides two lines of defense with 4 men and 4 players; with one player in a more advanced position, when the opponent has the ball in a deeper position, he can destroy his opponent. This formation often resembles a 6-4 system when the team is focused on the opponent’s goal, with the wingers acting as full-backs and the forwards forming the other side of the midfield.
The defensive nature of this tactic led to its name, which suggests building an impenetrable wall in front of the goal. To be successful, you need a disciplined team with players ready to fight for every ball. While this may limit your opponent’s attacking options, you won’t win many games using this strategy because you won’t let players attack.
However, by and large, this is still a tactic that teams use in a single game rather than an entire season – especially when facing a team you think has superior offensive capabilities.
Long ball game:
This is an often derided strategy. Defensively focused teams typically employ long ball strategies as they could be more visually appealing and require less respected technical skills.
Essentially, the idea of the long ball game is to pass the ball forward from deep in the air to the forward, who receives the ball and initiates the attack.
To successfully use this tactic, the forward must be physically strong, able to hold the ball, and have good aerial ability. Long balls can also get the ball into space for fast-attacking players to grab. They also need some quality attacking midfielders to join the attack and ensure the forwards are not isolated.
Teams with long balls are usually defensively oriented. They aim to use physical players at the top to control the opponent in the air and keep the ball as far away from the goal as possible.
Long ball football is often criticized for being ugly, but it can produce moments of brilliance. A long pass from defender Frank de Boer triggered the goal, and seven Argentinian players were immediately substituted. Bergkamp’s technical ability was rightly praised, but it still took an old-fashioned hoof to drive the move.
High pressure:
Unlike some of the tactics discussed above, high-pressing play is based on how you control the ball rather than how you control it. The high press is based on the precedent that the further up the pitch you win the ball, the shorter the distance you have to travel to reach a scoring position.
This tactic is very effective for teams that like to keep the ball. Pressing the opponent puts incredible pressure on every pass they make. One turnover, and you’re suddenly in the lead, and some of your offensive players are already on the field.
You need ten players on the field pressing as a unit to do this. This can be one of the most tiring tactics for players as they have to face their opponents for 90 minutes, but the rewards can be huge. The defense starts at the top of the court. So choose a forward who is unselfish, quick, and doesn’t mind getting involved in the physical aspects of the game.
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Just like that, long-passing teams can be successful despite the pressing team’s proactiveness. Such players who can put the defense under pressure when they require long balls in streaking in channels would utilize this and suddenly nullify all your urgent pressing and open room behind your defensive lines.
