The 4-3-3 Formation Tactics Explained [Download PDF]

4-3-3 Game Model

4-3-3 Formation arguably one of the most popular formations in modern football the 4-3-3 has become widely appreciated as a solid strategy in all phases of the game, allowing for superb defensive coverage when out of possession, but also an extremely good system when building play through short passes and combinations, especially through the three central midfielders.

Where does the 4-3-3 originate from?

In response to the 1950 World Cup final defeat at home to Uruguay, Brazil started to use a back line of four in a 4-2-4 formation. They went on to use this formation at the 1958 World Cup, which they won. By 1962, Brazil had adapted once more to create a 4-3-3 formation structure in which Mário Zagallo dropped from the front line into midfield.

At the next World Cup, in England in 1966, the hosts and eventual winners used a more permanent defensive midfielder – Nobby Stiles – in a 4-1-2-3 formation.

Although the 4-3-3 was then used across Italy, Argentina and Uruguay for years to come, Rinus Michels’ Netherlands and Ajax sides of the 1970s were two of the most famous for inspiring the use of a 4-3-3 shape. It was these teams’ tactics that led to the concept of Total Football and encouraged the likes of Johan Cruyff to use a 4-3-3 when he became a coach, too.

4-3-3 formation INITIAL SET-UP

4-3-3 formation strengths Points

1. Provides excellent balance in central midfield with three cms.
2. The number six acts as a defensive screen for the back four.
3. A deep midfielder allows the fb’s more freedom to join the attack.
4. The balance in the middle allows for one or two of the cm’s to join the attack.
5. Natural wide players allows for penetration in wide areas, supported by the fb’s.
6. The sytem creates natural passing triangles when in possession.
7. Defensively, the formation can shift to a 4-1-4-1 or 4-5-1 and provides good defensive coverage when in a mid/low block.
8. Provides good balance with three central midfielders.
9. Addition of a defensive midfielder allows for added balance in the four phases.
10. System creates natural passing triangles/diamonds to progress play.
11. The formation can be naturally flexible and adapt to specific match situations.

4-3-3 formation Weakness Points

1. The system relies on good defensive discipline from the number six to protect the defence, if this isn’t the case then the back four can be easily exposed.
2. The FB’s can become isolated 2v1 if the wingers in the system are caught high up the pitch.
3. The absence on a ‘number 10 means there is a natural lack of creativity in and around zone 14, although the system can easily switch to a 4-2-3-1 with a number ten.
4. The cf can become isolated if the system shifts to a 4-5-1 in a mid/low block.
5. FB’s can become isolated if the wingers are not disciplined in the defensive transition and when out of possession.
6. A lack of a ‘number 10’ can mean the supply from midfield to forwards becomes disjointed in and around zone 14, although the system can shift easily to a 4-2-3-1 to combat this.
7. CF can become isolated if the team operates in a 4-5-1 low-block.

4-3-3 BUILDING FROM DEEP – POSITIONING OF THE CENTRE BACK

OFTEN THE CENTRE-BACKS IN AJAX’S BUILD UP PLAY ARE WIDE. TEN HAG PREFERS HIS CENTRE-BACKS TO HAVE THE BALL IN THE HALF SPACES FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS:

1. It creates more passing options, especially when progressing the ball through the thirds.
2. Offers natural width and can draw players into wide areas to free up space in the middle.
3. It can unlock the potential to exploit the opposite side of the pitch if the team defending become narrow and look to overload the ball side.
4. It presents a vertical pass to either a narrow winger or to the centre forward. As ajax always build with one or two players advanced in the half-spaces.

4-3-3 BUILDING FROM DEEP – KEY PLAYER MOVEMENT

1. Cb’s in half space when looking to progress the ball through the thirds.
2. Full-backs create the width.
3. A pivot shows to create a central passing option (pivot player rotates).
4. One of the three players (either winger/number 10) drops deep.
5. Winger’s vacate wide space to invert more centrally into the half space to receive from cb’s.
6. Centre forward moves to be vertical with the ball.

4-3-3 BUILDING FROM DEEP – The STRUCTURE

1. When building the play from deep, ajax’s structure can replicate a 2-4-4.
2. The 2-4-4 structure when building from deep shows the willingness to vertically progress the ball into the final third as soon as possible.
3. Ajax have excellent creative attacking players, therefore they are happy to rely on 1v1 situations in the attacking third as a result of being 4v4 in this instance.
4. The full-backs also retain their width to be able to penetrate from wider positions. Especially important given how narrow the wingers become.
5. One of either the number ten or a winger will drop into the highlighted space to create a passing angle on the half-turn if they struggle to progress the ball past the middle third.

LOW BLOCK in 4-3-3 Formation

1. The 4-3-3 shape reverts to a narrow 4-1-4-1 with the wide midfielders dropping deeper to assist the full-back to ensure they aren’t overloaded.
2. The centre-forward uses the half-way line as a reference to engage and apply pressure to the attacking team.
3. Two defensive lines of four, with the deeper midfielder (number 6) zonally marking zone 14 and can track opposition players entering this area and roaming between the lines.
4. The low-block relies on vertical compactness, limiting the spaces in between the defensive lines for the opposition to penetrate through.
5. The low-block should operate in a narrow manner to force play into wider areas outside the defensive block, this makes it harder for the opposition to penetrate through the block.

4-3-3 IN/OUT OF POSSESSION SHAPES

IN POSSESSION 3-2-5

OUT POSSESSION 4-1-4-1

Which are the best examples of teams using a 4-3-3 formation?

Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona

Pep Guardiola has often used a 4-3-3 as his preferred starting shape. With Barcelona, the width was created by wingers such as Lionel Messi, Pedro, Cristian Tello or Alexis Sánchez, or converted wide forwards in Thierry Henry and David Villa (above, top). Playing with high, wide players worked to pin back the opposition’s back line. This created space in the inside channels for Xavi, Andrés Iniesta or Thiago to dominate possession, and feed play into the forwards. A dropping centre-forward – or false nine – in Samuel Eto’o, Messi or Cesc Fàbregas further overloaded areas in central midfield.

Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool

In Klopp’s 4-3-3 formation, wrong-footed wingers Mo Salah and Sadio Mané moved inside, allowing full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson to overlap and provide crosses, cut-backs and the majority of the team’s width (above). Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum, playing just ahead of single pivot Fabinho, provided support underneath the ball. Centre-forward Roberto Firmino offers forward runs to threaten in behind and combine high up the pitch, but just as commonly drops in to midfield to create overloads.

Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli

Sarri’s 4-3-3 formation used a blend of wingers and overlapping full-backs to provide the team’s width, often in an asymmetrical style and with different combinations on each flank. On the left, right-footed winger Lorenzo Insigne would cut inside, and left-back Faouzi Ghoulam overlapped. Marek Hamsík made forward runs through the left inside channel as part of the rotations on that side. On the right, right-footed winger José Callejón held the width, with right-back Elseid Hysaj more often keeping his position in the back line – especially when Ghoulam pushed forward (below).

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