The coach's vision together with the team's goal for the season dictate the strategies employed. Here is why.
At present, there are many football tactics and formations out there to select from however managers spend a lot of time adapting and tweaking timeless tactics to fit the particularities of their teams. The truth is, there are numerous criteria that influence this decision, and not all of which are strictly technical. For instance, the quality of footballers in the squad can make coaches think twice about what tactic to use. In the absence of quality footballers in attack, some coaches prefer to use a more midfield-dense technique in an effort to control ownership of the ball. In the attacking position, midfielders and wingers will try to send through balls or shoot from outside the box in order to destabilise the defenses of the opponent. The AC Milan former US owner would likely confirm that other elements like footballer injury and managing a hectic calendar likewise affect tactical and technical decisions.
Widely considered one of the most flexible football tactics, the 4-4-2 is a strategy that can be fine-tuned to be more offensive or leaning more to the defensive side. It is for these factors that this formation is amongst the most common football tactics across different leagues and competitions. If the manager wishes to utilise an offense-forward 4-4-2, they can present some crucial changes to allow increased fluidity in passing and play building. For instance, they can create a lozenge in the midfield that comprises of one defensive midfielder, two playmakers on the sides, and one attacking midfielder. This lozenge would supply balls to the wingers and a false nine that sometimes drops to a lower position. In a more defense-forward 4-4-2, the former owner of Aston Villa would inform you that the coach can form an arch made up of 4 midfielders that functions as a barrier that keeps the adversary from reaching the defense line.
While you can constantly check out a football tactics book to get great insights into playmaking, there is no better teacher than experience and history. Over the past 50 years, football has been graced with some of the most enjoyable formations in the history of the game, and a few of which are still utilised to this day. Nevertheless, the 2010s saw an obvious shift in football tactics with the emergence of a more attacking design of play and a more structured technique to playmaking. Modern football has actually leveraged both ability and tech to develop a few of the most successful tactics that have managed to win top sides many trophies. In this context, the revised 4-3-3 tactic has actually ended up being among the more popular modern football tactics thanks to its efficient attack and well-balanced defense. The minority shareholder of Liverpool FC will concur that technical ability and speed make this strategy really tough to ward off.