INTRODUCTION
The 4-3-3 formation was first popularized by Runis Michels, the Dutch coach, in the 1970s. Since then, we've seen an incredible variety of implementation of the 4-3-3, ranging from Johan Cruyff's Barcelona with Tiki-Taka, Pep Guardiola's formidable Manchester City lineup, and Liverpool's Champion's League winning side in the 2018/19 season. With the wide use of this formation, we've seen several variations and tactics within the system. This article attempts to lay down the important roles, attacking dynamics, and defensive tactics of the 4-3-3 formation. This article serves as the first article in our "Introduction to Football Analysis" series, which attempts to help football beginners understand the technical aspect of the game.
THE ROLES OF THE 4-3-3 FORMATION
The 4-3-3 formation generally involves a goalkeeper, two centre-backs, two fullbacks, a single holding defensive midfielder, two central midfielders, two wingers and a single striker.
Let us dive into the roles of the individual players:
The Goalkeeper: The goalkeeper needs to be good on the ball, to easily integrate into the build-up system and tactics of the feature. An example is Allisson, from Liverpool
The Center-backs: Similar to the keepers, they need to be good ball players under pressure, to control the build-up tempo and play balls into the midfield, breaking midfield lines and opposition presses. They must also be able to effectively supply long balls in case the wingers or striker have enough space. An example is John Stones
The Fullbacks: They need to have enough pace and stamina to push forward during attacks, while tracking back to defend on the flanks. Additionally, they must be extremely aware of 1) the other fullback and 2) the winger on their flank. For example, sometimes, when one fullback pushes forward, the other one inverts to form a back three. They must also know when to overlap the wingers, or invert into an attacking position while the wingers hold width. Therefore, for a fullback in this system, communication is key.
The Midfielders: They can line up in 3 different options: a flat three, a triangle with a single defensive midfielder (single pivot), or a triangle with 2 defensive midfielders. They need to support the defenders during build-up, while also breaking press lines with their passing ability. There are generally three roles in the midfield: A box-to-box who controls the tempo of the game, A defensive midfielder who assists the back four in build-up, and to add an extra defensive layer, and a playmaker (sometimes roaming) who creates chances, and links the attack to the midfield and defense
The Forwards: The front three are the pinnacle of the attack for the team. The wingers need to communicate with the striker as well as the fullbacks. They need to know when to hold width and allow fullbacks to overlap, or move into the half-space and allow the fullbacks to gain width. They need to be quick and good on the ball to enter the box, or take on defenders in 1v1s. The striker has different roles according to different tactics. For example: The striker may be a false-9 who holds back and creates space for the wingers , or a Target Man who gets on the end of long balls and crosses. Sometimes, the striker may need to hold up play with good shielding ability to bring the midfielders and wingers into the attack
These are the important roles in the 4-3-3 system. Let us move onto some of the tactics and dynamics
ATTACKING PRINCIPLES IN THE 4-3-3
The 4-3-3 is deeply rooted in positional play, with the presence of passing triangles throughout the pitch. This gives every player two or more options to look to, to bypass opposition pressing lines. The form of positional play advocated in a 4-3-3 involves players moving into spaces based on the runs of the other players (For example, a defensive midfielder may move into the area of a fullback who chooses to push forward, to cover the defensive area), always keeping men in all of the 5 vertical channels. Possession retention is simplified because of this, with passing options around the ball carrier.
The 4-3-3 allows three central midfielders, that can easily create overloads in the narrow midfield channel. The single pivot can facilitate the tempo of the game, controlling all the progression. This can allow the central midfielders to act as free No. 8s, and push high into the half-spaces, providing a good attacking thrust. With the fullbacks and wingers, overloads are very common in the flanks with a 4-3-3. When the wingers hold width, the fullbacks may invert into the half spaces to provide numerical advantages and 2 v 1s. Otherwise, the fullback may overlap the winger, who enters the half-space. This allows the system to have 5 players up front, supported by 3 midfielders, in the form of passing triangles, providing an extreme numerical advantage in the vertical channels.
To sum up, the positional dynamics of the 4-3-3 allow the ball carrier to always have two simplified passing options at hand, at any moment in the game. This manifests in the form of passing triangles, which boost the possession retention of the team, and allow the ball to be moved up from build-up to attacking very quickly, using intricate passing sequences. The support of the central midfielders, and the fullbacks in the flanks to stretch or pin the opposition defense provides a numerical advantage in attack.
DEFENSIVE PRINCIPLES OF THE 4-3-3
The fluidity of the 4-3-3 provides several options in defense, with wingers staying on the same line as the striker, keeping narrow, to provide a compact structure to the 4-3-3, not allowing the opposition to find gaps in the formation. The wingers may also tuck in below the striker to form a low 4-5-1, which allows the team to defend from a deeper point. The defensive pivot in the midfield often acts as a defensive layer above the defenders (as a destroyer).
The 4-3-3 can always be adapted into a double pivot with a 4-2-1-3 in case of the single pivot being closed down. The central midfielders could also provide a defensive cover by remaining deep, allowing the forwards to channel their efforts into attack. While pressing, the striker looks to cut off passes, while the high midfielders cover the double pivot, reducing central progression. The usual pressing pattern is as follows: The striker will close off an area for the goalkeeper, restricting him to a single area. A central midfielder will then close off a center-back, with the wingers covering the fullbacks, and the other defensive midfielder pushing up to cover the pivot.
In defense, the 4-3-3 can usually rely on two center-backs, an inverted wingback and a holding midfielder to shut down all opposition threats. If the press is bypassed at any given moment, the 4-3-3 shifts into a 4-5-1 with the wingers tucked in to form a more compact structure. The 4-3-3 is an amazing formation for high presses and holding the opposition progression back very deep.
THE WEAKNESSES OF THE 4-3-3 SYSTEM
The spaces in the wide flanks between the fullback and wingers may be exploited by the opponents during transition, allowing smooth counter-attacks
With the number of players pushing forward to join the attack, counter-attacks need to be met with extremely quick transitions back into the 4-5-1 structure, which may not always be successful, and is very physically demanding
A striker who isn't supported by the wingers or the No. 8s, will often always be isolated between the center-backs, without much advent of receiving the ball, or making an attacking threat
So, this has been an introduction to the roles, principles, and weaknesses of the 4-3-3 formation for beginners. Look out for the next part of this series, our introduction to the 4-4-2.
Read more about the history of football tactics: https://www.uniscorefootball.xyz/post/football-history-and-the-evolution-of-football-tactics
Read our Arsenal analysis: https://www.uniscorefootball.xyz/post/the-art-of-scoring-and-the-surge-of-arsenal-under-mikel-arteta