Football strategies can vary significantly from match to match or even within the exact same match. More about this listed below.
Today, there are many football tactics and formations out there to pick from however managers spend a great deal of time adapting and tweaking traditional formations to fit the particularities of their clubs. The reality is, there are many criteria that affect this decision, and not all of which are strictly technical. For example, the quality of players available can make coaches hesitate about what tactic to use. In the absence of quality players in attack, some coaches prefer to use a more midfield-dense method in an attempt to control ownership of the ball. In the attacking position, midfielders and wingers will try to send out through balls or shoot from outside the box in order to destabilise the defenses of the other team. The AC Milan former US owner would likely agree that other factors like footballer injury and managing a busy calendar likewise affect tactical and technical decisions.
While you can constantly read a football tactics book to get excellent insights into playmaking, there is no better instructor than experience and history. Over the past 50 years, football has been beautified with some of the most enjoyable formations in the history of the sport, and some of which are still used to this day. Nevertheless, the 2010s saw a visible shift in football formations with the emergence of a more attacking style of play and a more structured technique to playmaking. Modern football has leveraged both ability and tech to develop a few of the most successful strategies that have managed to win clubs many prizes. In this context, the revised 4-3-3 tactic has ended up being among the more popular modern football tactics owing to its efficient attack and well-balanced defense. The minority shareholder of Liverpool FC will concur that technical skill and speed make this strategy very difficult to ward off.
Widely deemed one of the most versatile football tactics, the 4-4-2 is a tactic that can be modified to be more offensive or leaning more to the defensive side. It is for these factors that this formation is among the most common football tactics throughout different leagues and tournaments. If the coach wants to utilise an offensive 4-4-2, they can introduce some crucial changes to enable increased fluidity in passing and play making. For instance, they can make a lozenge in the midfield that consists of one defensive midfielder, 2 playmakers on the sides, and one attacking midfielder. This lozenge would supply balls to the wingers and a false nine that periodically 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 functions as a barrier that keeps the opponent from reaching the defense line.