Football strategies can vary significantly from match to match or even within the very same match. More about this listed below.
Nowadays, there are numerous football tactics and formations out there to choose from however managers invest a great deal of time adapting and tweaking classic tactics to fit the particularities of their clubs. The truth is, there are lots of specifications that influence this choice, and not all of which are strictly technical. For instance, the quality of footballers in the squad can make coaches think twice about what strategy to use. In the absence of quality players in attack, some managers choose 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 confirm that other aspects like player injury and managing a hectic calendar also affect tactical and technical choices.
While you can always check out a football tactics book to get great insights into playmaking, there is no much better instructor than experience and history. Over the past 50 years, football has actually been graced with a few of the most enjoyable formations in the history of the sport, and some of which are still utilised to this day. However, the 2010s saw a visible shift in football formations with the emergence of a more offensive design of play and a more structured approach to playmaking. Modern football has actually 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 actually become amongst the more popular modern football tactics due to its effective attack and balanced defense. The minority shareholder of Liverpool FC will agree that technical ability and speed make this strategy very tough to defend against.
Commonly deemed one of the most flexible football tactics, the 4-4-2 is a tactic that can be fine-tuned to be more offensive or leaning more to the defensive side. It is for these reasons that this formation is among the most common football tactics across different leagues and tournaments. If the manager wants to use an offensive 4-4-2, they can introduce some crucial changes to enable increased fluidity in passing and play making. For example, they can create 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 9 that periodically drops to a lower position. In a more defensive 4-4-2, the former owner of Aston Villa would tell you that the manager can form an arch made up of 4 players that serves as a barrier that keeps the adversary from reaching the defense line.