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Although the 4-3-3 formation became prominent several decades ago, it has somewhat dominated the football world in recent years. It is because of the number of managers that have used it to attain a high level of success.
However, only a few football fans understand how the formation works. It is also crucial to how and when to wager on teams that predominantly play this formation. ทีเด็ดบอลวันนี้
That is why we at Gyan baksa interviewed Tim Harrison, a betting expert from BetZillion, to give us an insight into how the 4-3-3 formation works.
The history of the 4-3-3 formation can be traced back to the 1920s and 1930s when football was developing. However, it didn’t become prominent until Brazil used it predominantly to win the 1962 World Cup, having used the 4-2-4 formation to win the 1958 World Cup.
Here is Brazil’s triumph in the 1962 World Cup:
After that, England also used a variety of formations (4-1-2-3) to win the World Cup in 1966. Following that time, the 4-3-3 evolved and became a household formation during the 1970s, thanks to Rinus Michel, who used it as head coach of Ajax and the Netherlands. It gave him the credit of being the founder of “Total Football,” allowing the likes of Johan Cruyff to adopt the formation when he became a manager.
The setup of the 4-3-3 formation is straightforward because it sets up a team to play on the front foot.
They are:
Here is what the setup looks like.
Just like any other standard formation, this formation sees a setup of four defenders protecting the goalkeeping.
It comprises:
The role of the center-backs is to ensure they protect the goal from opposition attackers, while the full-backs must be positionally aware to attack and defend when it is time.
The setup of the 4-3-3 formation allows the defenders to get involved in the attack, considering it is a possession-based formation. As a result, the defenders must be excellent passers of the ball. That is why defenders like Virgil van Dijk and Ruben Dias are reckoned as some of the best center-backs in world football today.
On the other hand, the full-backs must be excellent in defense and brilliant in attack. They can support the team’s attack by creating chances through crosses.
The efficiency of this formation depends mainly on the three midfielders, which is why the likes of Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi excelled for Barcelona with this formation.
The three midfielders can be set up in various ways. First, they can line up in a flat position with one defensive midfielder and two central midfielders on either side of him. The setup could also see a deep-lying midfielder and two attacking midfielders just ahead of him. On the other hand, some teams set up with one deep-lying midfielder, one central midfielder beside him, and an attacking midfielder just forward of them.
The potency of this setup depends on how well the midfielders can keep the ball, allowing their attackers to see more of the ball to score goals. Usually, the deep-lying midfielder is calm and collected, connecting the defense to the attack.
While the midfielders must get things going for this formation to work, the attackers must be alert to hurt the opposition team. Since the formation promotes possession-based football, the attackers will see a lot of the ball, and it could sometimes be challenging to differentiate between attackers and midfielders. It is because the attackers will also get involved in the run of play, sometimes switching positions with the attacking midfielders.
The three forwards usually consist of a traditional No. 9, flanked by two players on the wings. According to BetZillion’s list, the wingers are generally responsible for creating chances for the striker and scoring goals.
Another style for the three forwards could see a false N0. 9 with two inside forwards supporting him from each flank. Liverpool executed this style with Roberto Firmino in the wrong No. 9 position and Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah as inside forwards for several years.
Strengths of the 4-3-3 Formation
The first thing to remember before creating an account with a bookmaker and betting on teams that use this formation is that the 4-3-3 formation is possession-based. This is because the defenders will keep a high line of defense, pushing the team forward to play most of the game in the opposition’s half. As a result, units that use this formation will likely have lots of balls.
The formation creates several triangles on the pitch, giving players several options to pass to. The formation also creates overloads in midfield, allowing the team to have lots of the ball. It is also possible because the full-backs and forwards will add bodies in midfield. Manchester City won the 2021/22 Premier League title using this style despite not having a traditional No. 9.
Here is how Manchester City claimed the Premier League in 2022:
In addition, the 4-3-3 formation helps a team set up a high line of press. The forwards are saddled with the responsibility to press the opposition’s defense, allowing the team to win the ball in the opposition’s half. It will give the team plenty of chances to score a goal.
Furthermore, when the team has to defend, the three players in midfield will serve as covers for the defense.
Weaknesses of the 4-3-3 Formation
While the 4-3-3 formation can be seen as a perfect football formation, it has some weaknesses that opposition teams can exploit.
The formation sees the full-backs overlap considerably, leaving many gaps for opposition teams to exploit. As a result, couples who are excellent at counter-attacks can punish sides that use this formation. To prevent this, the full-backs must be fast, agile, and strong, falling back as quickly as possible. Also, the midfielders must be alert to cover the gaps in this situation.
In addition, the form requires that players be physically fit to press the opposition players. So a manager will need the right players for each position for the formation to work.
Before you place bets on teams that use the 4-3-3 formation, it is crucial to understand the setup. Since the formation supports possession-based football, teams with the right players to execute it will usually enjoy lots of success with silverware to show for it. If you are yet to read this guide, this may be your chance to understand how the 4-3-3 formation works.