Down a goal? Wanna start the game in a 4-3-3 for some real offensive and defensive pressure on the opponent?
Get that early goal and take the game by the neck? Well lining up in this formation will definitely give your opponents something to think about.
More offensive minded and aggressive is this formation in a nutshell, so if you think you have the personnel to pull it off, make it happen.
So now you wanna know which professional sides use this formation and why it's successful for them?
As well as the requirements and demands this formation takes on from an individualistic and team stand point. Another great way to understand the formation you're playing in (other than playing in it and reading this amazing page) is to understand which formations work well against it.
When you learn which formation can hurt the 433 you will better understand its limitations, gaps and increase your IQ as a player overall. Learn the strengths and weaknesses of as many formations as you can so you know when, where and how to best take advantage of it while playing your next match.
Okay Klopp time to turn your team into the attacking side you've always dreamed of. No pressure.
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If played with the right energy and mentality the 4-3-3 can be a nightmare for opponents. A back four that has three strikers running at them for ninety minutes and pressuring them every time they so much as look at the ball can be quite a handful. As much as this formation promotes offensive play you need midfielders that can cover a lot of ground to be able to compensate for only three in the middle.
If you're playing in a 4-3-3 one of the toughest formations to come against is either a 4-5-1 or a 3-5-2 formation mainly because of their superiority in the midfield and width in attack.
This formation will make the front three of the 4-3-3 forced to drop back and defend the wide areas weakening themselves on offence at the same time. Proper service to the front three will be a challenge when the midfield three are constantly pressured and overrun in the middle of the park.
Your best bet is to play direct and skip the midfield line and go directly to the forward line from you defenders. This may cause challenges in build up play and transition but you need to find a way to beat the midfield five while not compromising what you do so well which is pressure and attack high up the pitch.
For a deeper analysis of the 433 and formations and it's flexibility feel free to read this article about how it can adapt throughout the game, 4-3-3 vs. 4-1-4-1: Tactical Flexibility.
Well unfortunately there is no perfect formation or we'd all be playing it. The 4-3-3 has it's appealing and not so appealing attributes like every set up. Ever heard the saying it's not what you say but how you say it? In soccer we have a similar saying, it's not what you say, it's how you play.
Strengths
-Attacking options
-Dynamic attack
-High line of defensive pressure
-Perfect for a team with a plethora of attacking players
Weaknesses
-A little slim in the middle of the park
-Gaps appear in the midfield when countered
-Lazy defending can leave a back line exploited
Pay close attention not only the positioning and responsibilities of where you play but also of your teammates to understand how the formation works as a whole. Also you never know you may change positions and it is good to be familiar with the position you are moving to ahead of time and all of it's connecting pieces.
Goalkeeper Positioning
-Goalkeepers need to stay connected with the team as they move forward in attack to reduce the gaps between the defensive line and themselves.
Goalkeeper Responsibilities
-Communicating to midfielders to pick up players in transition on the strong side
-Organizing all players on set pieces
-Bringing vocal energy, instruction and encouragement to all players throughout the match
-Organizing the team defensively to minimize high quality and dangerous scoring opportunities for the opposition
Defenders Positioning
The Defensive line can play:
-Flat back 4 laterally across the back
-Flat Back 3 with a Sweeper in behind the line of three acting as support or cover
Defenders Responsibilities
As a unit the back four should:
-Work in unison in keeping the defensive shape of their own line and the lines in front of them in order
-Should act as a direct cover for the midfield line and adapt to the attackers formation alterations
Center Backs:
-Dominate the air, work to hold the middle of the park
-Defensive rocks, relied on to be neat and tidy in the back
-Ball winners, ball winners, ball winners!
Outside Backs:
-Release pressure by holding your form as a wide wing back
-Patrol flank being able to join the attack when the situation presents itself
Midfielders Positioning
The Midfield line can play:
-Flat 3 across the middle (most common)
-1 Holding 2 in front (holding sits in front of the defensive line and acts as more of holding defender)
-2 holding 1 in front (1 in front more offensive and looks to combine forward)
-Or other variations of the triangle standard or inverted.
Midfielders Responsibilities
As a unit the middle three should:
-Stay composed in the middle of the park, keeping their shape and not getting pulled out
-Be dynamic in it's attack by exploiting areas in behind the opposing defensive line
-Look to combine forward as much as possible to be in a numbers up situation
Center Midfielders:
-Take risks forward to create 3v2 and 2v1 situations
-Keep the rhythm of the game
-Provide defensive stability along with service to wide areas
Outside Midfielders:
-High work rate in attacking wide areas in the offensive third
-Able to recover to assist outside back as much as possible
Strikers Positioning
The Forward line can play:
-Flat 3 up top
-Triangle with one in behind two up higher
-Triangle with two behind and one lone striker up top
-Staggered variations of the above sets
Strikers Responsibilities
-High pressure on the back line of the opponent
-Create turn overs and havoc for the opponent building out of the midfield
-Be creative in the attack it's a 4-3-3 for a reason, put the ball where it counts.
Now that you know what it takes in this formation to be successful it takes a unique skill to get the right players to buy into a formation that is not only about all offense all the time.
To an untrained eye sure it seems like this is all offense all the time but to truly make the 4-3-3 effective it takes a combination of discipline defending and fearless attack.
Teams that are successful that line up this way have certain commonalities such as speed, creativity, perseverance and discipline. Instilling that in a side that sets up this way can lead to lethal injections of goals, assists and happy supporters.
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