.png)
What does a formation truly reveal, and which formation was the most prevalent in the past Premier League season?
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter! In this issue, the following topics take center stage:
⚽ Formations
↗️ The most popular formation of the Premier League season 2022/23
👉 New training exercises
⚽ Formations
Formations are often overrated in tactical analysis. Knowing, for example, that a team uses a 4-4-2 formation when the opponent has possession of the ball provides little information about how the team actually behaves. Questions about the use of attacking or defensive pressing, the spatial or man-marking orientation of players, and the signals used for pressing arise from in-depth tactical analysis, not just knowledge of the formation.
To understand a team's tactics, focus should always be on the team's tactical methods first. A formation alone says little about a team's style of play. Although I attempt to downplay the importance of formations, their influence cannot be completely denied. The formation initially provides the framework, giving players a rough idea of their responsibilities on the field and how their teammates should behave. Whether a team plays in a 4-3-3, 5-3-2, or 3-4-3 influences the spaces and opponents players are confronted with. Thus, the formation offers players a framework to perceive their own position in space, that of their teammates, and that of opponents.
The impact of a formation ultimately depends on a team's tactical nuances. Attacking pressing from a 4-4-2 formation differs significantly in processes and spatial occupation from defensive pressing from the same formation. Therefore, it is challenging to assign a specific playing style to a particular formation. Making general statements like "teams in a 4-4-2 employ higher pressing" is difficult to generalize.
Nevertheless, formations provide insights into spatial distribution and potential numerical advantages or disadvantages on the field. In modern football, coaches often switch formations to maintain their team's style but adjust spatial occupation. This allows a targeted response to the opponent's strategy. Professional footballers are trained to operate in various positions and within different formations.
In this post, we cannot delve into all formations in detail, but I would like to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of three common formations:
Advantages:
Teams in the 4-4-2 formation are typically characterized by a clear field division. The fact that this formation has only three lines - a four-man defense, a four-man midfield, and two strikers - allows the team to operate in a vertically compact manner. The four-man lines are close together, and the two strikers up front minimize the distance. This can significantly reduce the space in which the opponent can play. Simultaneously, the 4-4-2 formation is very versatile. If a team wants to increase pressure in the midfield, a midfielder can move forward. It is also possible to play with very deep wingers. A four-man defense can quickly become a five-man defense or even a six-man defense. From the 4-4-2 formation, one can switch extremely quickly to practically any other formation.
Disadvantages:
The advantages - good balance, high adaptability - are also the disadvantages of the 4-4-2: While the formation is well-balanced, the defending team doesn't have a real advantage anywhere on the field. Neither in defense nor in the midfield can they easily achieve numerical superiority, as is the case with other formations. Formations with at least a five-man row are better suited to cover the entire width of the field. Another problem is the clear lines: If the defending team is not vigilant, the opponent can occupy the space between the defense and midfield or between midfield and attack. Players must be careful not to allow significant gaps to develop between the lines.
Advantages:
The 4-3-3 formation is often considered equivalent to the 4-1-4-1, as the 4-3-3 can quickly evolve from it: The two wide midfielders simply need to move up to the same level as the striker. Strictly speaking, the 4-3-3 should be referred to as a 4-1-2-3. However, the configuration of a 4-3-3 differs from that of a 4-1-4-1. The focus here is mainly on the three players in the attacking line. They can exert high pressure on the opponent, while the three-man midfield secures the center behind them. Therefore, I distinguish the 4-3-3 and the 4-1-4-1 from each other.
Disadvantages:
The downside of the 4-3-3 formation is that this variant is quite risky. If the opponent has figured out how to neutralize the front three attackers, they can gain an advantage in the midfield. As a result, the defending team may lack players, especially on the wings. This means that the midfielders must be ready to cover a lot of ground and close these gaps. Many teams defending in a 4-3-3 formation, therefore, switch to a 4-1-4-1 when the opponent approaches their own goal.
Advantages:
In recent years, the 5-3-2 formation has become increasingly popular in professional football. The advantages lie in the effective protection of the center: Three midfielders and two central strikers can establish numerical superiority in the center, directing the opponent's build-up play to the wings. With the five-man defense, both width and depth can be well defended. Individual players can also move out from the defense to support the midfield.
Disadvantages:
A disadvantage is evident on the wings. Here, the full-backs and midfielders must cover a lot of ground to close the gaps on the flanks. Pressing against deep full-backs is hardly possible. This variant also has weaknesses in attacking pressing: When midfielders advance, the midfield becomes undermanned. This quickly leads to less attractive formations like 5-2-3 or 5-1-4. Therefore, the formation is not particularly suitable for an attacking pressing style. Most teams primarily use a 5-3-2 formation for a compact defense in midfield pressing.
↗️The Most Popular Formation of the Premier League Season 2022/23
Only three of the teams that landed in the top 10 preferred the 4-2-3-1 formation, but it was by far the most frequently used formation throughout the entire 2022/23 season.
Out of the 39 coaches who managed at least one Premier League game, a staggering 31 resorted to this system at some point during the season.
Compared to the previous season, where it ranked second behind 4-3-3, we observed a 61.1 percent increase in the utilization of the 4-2-3-1 formation.
👉 New Training Exercises
Explore five brand-new exercises! Register for free as a website member to gain unrestricted access to all exercises. We strive to upload new exercises on a weekly basis.
3 vs. 3 + Joker and 1 Goalkeeper
Defending the Long Ball
Finishing Drill - Real Madrid
4 vs. 4 + 2 Goalkeepers (Scorer exits)
Finishing Drill - Manchester City
Comments