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The 4-3-3 formation is one of the most popular and widely used tactical systems in modern football. Its origins can be traced back to the mid-1960s, when Dutch football coach Rinus Michels first introduced the concept of 'Total Football' to his Ajax team. This innovative style of play emphasized fluid positional play, with players interchanging positions on the field, and the 4-3-3 formation was a key component of this philosophy.
Ajax's success and their 4-3-3 formation quickly spread throughout the Netherlands and eventually to the rest of Europe. The Dutch national team, under Michel’s guidance, used the 4-3-3 formation to great effect in the 1974 World Cup. They reached the final and earned widespread admiration for their attractive, attacking style of football.
The 4-3-3 formation was also adopted by other European teams in the 1970s and 80s, most notably by Barcelona under the coaching of Johan Cruyff, a key player in Michels' Ajax team. Cruyff further developed the principles of 'Total Football' and the 4-3-3 formation, heavily influencing Pep Guardiola, the midfield lynchpin of his Barca 'Dream Team'. Guardiola's philosophy has gone on to shape the next generation of managers like Mikel Arteta, Xavi, Erik ten Hag and others.
In the 21st century, the 4-3-3 formation has continued to evolve and adapt to modern football tactics and strategies. Its flexibility allows for both defensive solidity and attacking prowess, making it a popular choice for many top teams around the world. The 4-3-3 formation has a rich history and has played a significant role in shaping the way modern football is played today.
Pep Guardiola and his mastery with Messi
Pep Guardiola's use of Lionel Messi as a false 9 at Barcelona in the late 2000s and early 2010s created a team regarded as the greatest club side of all time. The use of Messi in this position allowed for greater fluidity and creativity in attack and created an almost unbeatable team.
The false 9 position allowed Messi to drop deep into midfield and link up with attacking midfielders and wingers, creating space for others to attack. This allowed Barcelona to create numerous scoring opportunities and led to a more unpredictable and dynamic style of play. Messi's individual skill and creativity also added to the formation's effectiveness, as he could score goals himself or set up others.
Guardiola's use of the false 9 position with Messi also allowed for a greater emphasis on possession and control of the midfield. Barcelona's midfielders could control the game and dictate the tempo, while Messi's movement and positioning allowed for quick and incisive passing. This led to a team that could dominate possession and control games while still creating numerous scoring opportunities.
The success of Barcelona's use of Messi as a false 9 was evident in the numerous titles they won during this period. The team won multiple La Liga titles, Copa del Rey trophies, and two Champions League titles, including a historic treble in 2009. Their success also inspired other teams to adopt similar tactics and formations, leading to a greater emphasis on possession and control in modern football.
The use of the false 9 position with Messi also significantly impacted the role of the traditional centre-forward in football. It demonstrated that a team could be successful without a traditional target man and showed the effectiveness of a more fluid and creative approach to attacking play. This increased the emphasis on individual skills and positional flexibility in the modern game.
Guardiola's use of the false 9 position with Messi was a significant development in the history of football tactics and has had a lasting impact on the modern game.
A statistical overview of how Barcelona's dominance in the 2008-09 season under Guardiola
This section gives an overview of data metrics (which were obtained from FBRef.com) to analyze what made the 4-3-3 formation effective for Barcelona during the 2008-09 La Liga season.
1. Tika-Taka leading Barcelona to Spanish football dominance
During the 2008-09 La Liga season, Barcelona emphasized the use of a 4-3-3 false 9 formation, which allowed Lionel Messi to occasionally drop into the midfield. This led to midfield overloads which allowed Barcelona to dominate football matches, creating a league-high number of goal-scoring chances and shots on target.
The talented players available for Barcelona (including Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi) ensured that Barcelona could outscore their La Liga counterparts during the 2008-09 season.
2. The first time when the global football audience was introduced to pressing and counter-pressing
Whenever possession was lost, an unwritten rule within Barcelona's team was that the opposing players should be pressed immediately. The aim was to regain possession within five seconds.
This approach ensured that the attackers were viewed as the "first defenders," in the sense that Barcelona's attackers were expected to initiate the team's pressing. This disrupted their opponents in La Liga from building up their play from the back.
Barcelona (compared to their "big three" opponents (Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid) conceded the fewest shots on target, made fewer saves, and conceded the fewest goals. This enabled Barcelona to build a foundation to outscore their opponents while conceding the fewest goals, an old-age formula for winning football titles.
The 4-3-3 formation in modern football: Manchester City and Liverpool FC as case studies
The 4-3-3 formation has been associated with teams that play an offensive, high-pressing, high-scoring style of football. Manchester City and Liverpool can be used as modern-day examples. This formation allows attacking players to have more freedom and express themselves creatively, leading to a more dynamic and unpredictable style of play.
Manchester City, under Pep Guardiola, have become synonymous with this style of play, using the 4-3-3 formation to dominate possession and control the tempo of games. The team plays with a high defensive line and relentless press, leading to a high rate of turnovers and quick transitions in the attack. Attackers like Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero, Leroy Sane, and Riyad Mahrez were free to interchange positions, creating confusion for opposition defenders.
Liverpool, under Jurgen Klopp, have also adopted the 4-3-3 formation and have used it to significant effect. The team played with a high-energy press, with attacking players such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino leading the charge in previous seasons. The formation allows for a fluid and dynamic style of play, with the front three interchanging positions and creating opportunities for each other.
The use of the 4-3-3 formation by these teams has also emphasized full-backs as attacking players. Manchester City's Kyle Walker and Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold have been praised for their attacking contributions and ability to create chances from wide areas. The formation also allows midfielders to contribute to the attack, with players such as De Bruyne and Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum playing a key role in creating chances.
A statistical overview of how Manchester City's dominance in the 2017-18 season under Guardiola
This section gives an overview of data metrics (which were obtained from FBRef.com) to analyze what made the 4-3-3 formation effective for Manchester City during the 2017-18 season.
1. The return of "old school wingers" in modern football
Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane as wingers who tugged the touchline and used their blistering pace on the width. This, together with Sergio Aguero as their main striker in the 4-3-3 formation, was a potent goal-scoring combination.
Additionally, using Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, and Bernardo Silva as the "roaming free eights" created havoc for opposition teams. This ensured Manchester City could create a high volume of good-quality opportunities for offensively-minded players. The result was a Manchester City team that obliterated the opposition with scintillatingly offensive football.
2. Introduction to underlapping/overlapping fullbacks
The acquisitions of Ederson, Kyle Walker, and Benjamin Mendy enabled the team's defensive and offensive structure to improve substantially.
Initially, Mendy and Walker were deployed as fullbacks who tucked into midfield positions (also called "underlapping fullbacks"). This enabled Manchester City to achieve the following:
(i) Overload the midfield to dominate the offensive phase of play.
(ii) Provide security in the middle third of the field if the opposing team attempts to launch a counter-attack against Manchester City. This enabled Manchester City to launch their offensive play in the knowledge that conceding goals would be reduced should the opposition team launch a counter.
Secondly, Ederson has attributes most modern-thinking coaches and managers ideally want in their goalkeepers - the ability to initiate and play from the back. Over recent Premier League seasons, Ederson has proven his ability to be an excellent shot-stopper and ball-playing goalkeeper. This has enabled Manchester City to achieve two things:
(i) Against defensive opponents, Ederson's accurate passing has often initiated several offensive phases of play.
(ii) If Manchester City were to face an opponent that has aggressive pressing, Ederson has demonstrated his ability to remain composed and to play through the opponent's press. This enabled Manchester City to initiate counter-attacks.
Jurgen Klopp's "Gegenpressing" leads Liverpool to their first Premier League title in the modern era
This section gives an overview of data metrics (which were obtained from FBRef.com) to analyze what made the 4-3-3 formation effective for Liverpool during the 2019-20 season.
1. Effectiveness personified
Manchester City might have dominated the goalscoring charts, but Liverpool's collective resolute shone through. This was demonstrated by Liverpool's ability to concede the fewest chances and goals.
For some context, when Liverpool sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona, the funds obtained were used to acquire Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker. This enabled Liverpool to establish a defensive foundation and resolution that complemented their offensive prowess. This resulted in Liverpool having the meanest defense while contributing to the second-highest goal-scoring scenarios.
This was achieved through the following:
(i) Liverpool's front-three (Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, and Mohammed Salah) initiated Liverpool's Gegenpressing against opposition players. The intensity of the Gegenpressing led to scenarios where Liverpool won the ball in their opponent's defensive third, leading to the creation of chances and goals.
(ii) Liverpool's use of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson as overlapping fullbacks in the 4-3-3 formation enabled offensive dominance to be realized. Firstly, Alexander-Arnold and Robertson had the technical ability to deliver passes and crosses that could be converted into goals. Secondly, Alexander-Arnold and Robertson were deployed as "underlapping fullbacks" to enable Liverpool to enjoy offensive dominance against most teams in the Premier League.
(iii) Virgil van Dijk provided the defensive structure and solidity that was lacking at Liverpool for a number of years. Firstly, with Alexander-Arnold and Robertson primarily focused on providing the offensive impetus that was expected from Klopp, Van Dijk's defensive capabilities were vital.
Van Dijk had all the attributes that were required of a modern-day defender: physical robustness, quickness, ability to play from the back, and the ability to read the game immaculately. This enabled Liverpool to dominate most games with the knowledge that Van Dijk could provide the defensive guidance required.
