The 3-4-3 is incredibly versatile, offering width, elongation, a strong defensive structure, and provides you with up to 5 in attack. Phenomenal formation, there’s a reason Tuchel finds huge success with it
The problem with the formation is how complex it is to use for semi pros or non pro team to use due to how many people got used to the back 4 system. Trying to find average joes or semi pros that is discipline and fit enough to trackback and attack as a wingback is a challenge on itself.
Johan Cruyff's 3-4-3 was incredible. He however did not use alot of the double pivot but a single pivot in Guardiola, who was the engine in that system. His wingers were more often than not hugging the touch line but with great fluidity and rotations, Total football. He had defenders who had great pace, in Ferrer Sergi. I also always look at the 3-4-3 as a 3-1-3-3 formation.. With wingers wide. Thank you Tifo
@@djdewaal289 I absolutely agree with you. Cruyff's tactics on tifo would be wonderful. He is spoken of in a tifo video on total football however but just generally and with Cruyff as a player
3-4-3 is great and I use it all the time on my FM save, however, it sucks against the 4-2-3-1 or the 4-4-2(if your defenders aren't good headers).. The 4-2-3-1 provides a very strong attacking power due to the CAM, that one extra player in the middle can cause problems to the 3-4-3, because in a 4-2-3-1 the wingers can be wide and the striker acting like a poacher is alone against one of the 3 defenders while the wingers(if good dribblers) can go and dribble the defense and make deadly through passes to the poacher. So keep the defensive line normal or low...
@@dedasalmeida9047 the 3-4-3 is good when facing 2strikers. Issues arise when there are counters on the flanks while playing against 4-4-2 . but gives a lot of advantage when building up from the back if they press with two strikers.. They can't press with three, if they do, we have a numerical advantage in midfield.
Yep, Kante is the key, he's two midfielders rolled in to one when you consider defence, work-rate and what he can do on the ball. Tuchel came in with the perfect system for that squad when fully healthy, but this season has almost been a case study in how toothless a 3-4-3 / 5-2-3 can look when you replace ideal players like Kova and Kante with makeshift players like Barkley and RLC, even more so when you don't have your first choice LWB to cover up the weakness in midfield.
@@zPvQi The injuries really should’ve made Tuchel change his team shape for the temporary. Frustrating watching them try to force a 3-4-3 when their missing players would make a 5-3-2 or a 4-2-3-1 make a lot more sense. As an American, I can’t understand why they keep using Pulisic as a false 9 and pretending it works. They should work to compensate for the missing players
@@frieza2235 1, missing Kante means you need more than 2 guys in the midfield. Kante is a special player and idk if anyone in the world can do what he does defensively 2. They’re missing Lukaku and Werner so trying to rely on a single striker like they have by shoving Pulisic out there as a striker hasn’t worked. It’s not a perfect match in any sense and I’m not a football genius, but what they’ve been doing won’t work trying to replace valuable players with backups or players out of position to keep the system in tack
The best example of the efficiency of the 3-4-3 is the outstanding work Ruben Amorim is doing in Sporting Portugal. While using this system he turned Sporting from 4th in the previous season to champions, and now 1st level on points with Fc Porto
Saudações Leoninas. Ao ver esta explicação estava a visualizar perfeitamente o Sporting do Amorim. reparei numa coisa. o papel do center back (Coates) não é muito "importante" mas sim os dois homens de cada lado.
I really like the 3-4-3, but you need very specific personnel to use it effectively. It’s my late stage career mode formation. Start with 4-2-3-1 because it’s easy and solid. Transition to 4-3-3, with more attacking full backs, a solid CDM and more versatile midfielders. Then when the right players are in the team go to 3-4-3, with one of the wide forwards set to drop deep to collect the ball and form a midfield 3 when defending.
I only do careers in Fifa 14 but I decide the formation when I start Mt career and then only use that and buy players to fit it (usually similar to the ones in real life like 343 for Atalanta, 4231 for Napoli, 442 and 4231 for Everton etc etc)
@@dedasalmeida9047 i see.. but from my point of view those team who use 3-4-3 the wide midfield that you called mostly originally played as wing backs, like Reece James, Kieran Trippier, Reguilon and suchs. Thus for me they consider as wing backs to me but when the team use 3-4-3 formation they switch to wide midfield.
@@dedasalmeida9047 this. Wingbacks are defenders and thus only used in 5xx formations. Fullbacks can be used as wide midfielders if they're technically able (Reece James) or often exposed defensively (Marcos Alonso) but a formation with 4 across the middle by definition doesn't use wingbacks unless it's a 541. Pedantic but it's not hard to understand because the "back" in wingback should give it away. Wingbacks are typically mostly seen in a 532 because they have to offer the width of a winger while taking up the defensive role of a fullback (I guess they count in the 41212 like under Ancelotti in 09/10 if they actually get forward). In these dominant teams they're glorified wingers but still expected to take up their fullback spot on defence. Some people say "it's the formation in the attacking shape" but if that was the case, Liverpool would be a 235 and Chelsea would be a 325 or even a 145. Using two "10s" or narrow inside forwards rather than wingers would make it a 3421 anyway not a 343.
@@RL- to me, in formations that use 5 at the back , the wingbacks must balance both their offensive and defensive work , while in formations that use 3 at the back , there are wide midfielders who do the wingback role, so they are expected not only to do their offensive and defensive duties , but also help to keep possession of the ball in the midfield .
@@faajose also, they’ve literally been mentioned before by Tifo and have conceded the 3rd fewest goals behind Chelsea and City (who do not play a 3-4-3). Which considering they have a MUCH smaller budget than those two with lower player quality and depth is commendable. We also have a +10.36 xGA which means our defenders and goalkeeper are coming up big time when we need them. We’re probably one of the best defenses in the premier league Edit: used xG instead of xGA
It was a slight modification as the 3Rs were forming a perfect triangle always rotating. Marking them was very challenging for the defenders bc of the high mobility and of course their outstanding dribbling skills and speed for Ronnie and R9.
On the topic of Chelsea, you should make a video why Chelsea's attacking options have always failed at Chelsea and why players like Drogba or Costa thrived
I remember that once halfs were used to describe midfielders as well. Whatever happened to that? Maybe a video on why these terms became obsolete would be amazing.
The term ‘half’ goes back to the late 19th century, when the 2-3-5 formation was pretty much standard in England and around the world. The two defenders were referred to as full-backs (which eventually became the role we know today); the three in ‘midfield’ were called half-backs with the central most of them being the centre-half and the two either side being wing-halves. Also, in the 1920’s, Herbert Chapman used the centre-half as a third defender; which created the W-M formation (or 3-2-2-3). That’s the reason why the English sometimes refer to central defenders as centre-halves.
It's similar to how those players who are part of a back 4 but are very rarely the most fully back are called full backs. It refers to their old employment in a 2-3-5 Formation. You'd have an attacking 5, a pair of wingers out wide, a pair of inside forwards, and a centre forward/striker Behind them are the 3 half backs - left half, right half, and the namesake of your question, the centre half. These are as close as you're getting to midfielders for the time. Behind them are your 2 full backs, right back and left back, who were de facto full time defenders, they were fully back. Tactics eventually started changing so teams would deploy a W-M shaped formation - a 3-2-2-3. The centre half dropped into defence alongside the full backs, left and right half in front of them, inside forwards dropped back a bit, wingers and centre forward front line. As this started evolving into what we know as the 4-4-2, another half back dropped into the defence, and the full backs were pushed wide, so really they're centre backs, but they used to be centre halves and the name just stuck. Ditto full backs who used to be our most central defenders are now racking up assists at Liverpool. You can also see the 2-3-5 influence on squad numbers. In a 2-3-5 your goalie is 1, right back 2, left back 3, half backs 4, 5, 6, right winger 7, right inside forward 8, striker 9, left inside forward 10, left winger 11. So the number 2 and 3 went to the sides of the defence, 4 and 5/5 and 6 (whichever) dropped deep between them, the remaining one staying in midfield, 7 and 11 kept on the wings, 8 dropped into midfield, 9 and 10 up top.
Ah glad to see you guys cover the 3-4-3. I do like the 3-4-3 and its variations; what can I say, I am a fan of Total Football. I lean towards a 3-4-3 Diamond/3-4-2-1 in FIFA because they are the closest to being able to play as a 3-6-1/3-3-3-1 akin to the Australian football team in 2006 (Kewell, Viduka, Cahil, etc). Rather than strictly dominate the centre midfield, I utilise a wide back 3, 2 wingbacks and 2 wingers/wide attacking midfielders (I have them go wide and cut inside where needed) to play through the flanks but will have the midfield assisted by the non-ball holding wide player to cut inside. The two midfielders will either act as a double pivot or be a combo of an 6 and 8 or 6 and 10. I also use it as my most aggressive formation when using a 4-3-3 holding, with the fullbacks pushing up and CDM dropping into the defensive line.
Very interesting but was genuinely surprised as the description said 3-4-3 but the video more interested in a 3-4-2-1 arguably than the 3-4-3 of 2 wingers up top and a central striker - albeit tactical flexibility was noted.
Interestingly enough, the attacking formation of the 3-4-3 which is a 3-2-5, I remember hearing that it used to be used during the 1930s and 1940s mostly used by an arsenal manager (I forgot his name). It got so popular that it was coined the "WM formation". Because the back 2 players would form a W and the front 5 an M.
This is the tactic that Ruben Amorim implemented very successfully at Sporting CP. It was really interesting watching this analysis while thinking about the tweaks that Amorim did to the formation, and the slight changes in roles, sometimes. The tactic has also been adopted by Jorge Jesus at Benfica, more recently, although not as successfully. Many believe that 3 men at the back doesn't really fit their players/game.
3-4-2-1 is the modem variation of the 3-4-3. Some mentions could be made of Cruyff's and Bielsa's 3-3-1-3. In Cruyff's the two players flanking the defensive midfielder are central midfielders, the wingers are pretty much the only ones providing width. In Bielsa's the other two players that make up the midfield 3 are wingbacks
I'm helping coach a recreational youth team (U-16) soon, so I am familiarizing myself with different formations and styles that I'm not familiar with. These videos are really helpful!
my fav system is 3-2-2-3, offers great attacking numbers, supreme midfield dominance, and a very solid 3 at the back with wide back able to join attack, wingers being able to cut in as second strikers or stay wide, and the two 10s being able to run in behind or roam in the midfield.
I'm curious how supreme midfield dominance is possible with the way you mentioned. You have wingers and two no 10s. That effectively means the two no 10s will always be outnumbered in midfield as they have to act as central midfielders too.
I suppose it would work if the team played some sort of extreme Gegenpressing where the defenders or wingbacks would play long balls to the opposition and the wingers, forwards and no 10s press the opposition to try and win the ball back. However, we are screwed if the opposition breaks the press cos they have acres of space to move the ball since literally 6 of our players are in their half and the wing backs are in the flanks
@@bri1085 he's describing a more compact 3-4-3, where the 2 attacking midfielder and 2 central midfielders form a square to overload the midfield and increase possession. It's also very handy against possession based teams such as Barcelona, Man city and PSG because you break their creativity to create chances in the middle, however, you'll be vulnerable a lot of time in the flanks because if the 2 forwards(not wingers) are too high in the field they will have less time to help covering the flanks in the midfield.
My favorite formation , but without good wing backs its useless in attack. The isolation of a wing back is key here, Chelsea were on fire with Chilwell and James scoring a lot of goals before Chilwells injury, since then the attack has been terrible
I like xavi's current variant of the 3-4-3 formation in big games. Kounde and christensen offer the necessary attributes to hurt defenses with their ball carrying and line breaking abilities, while Araujo offers physicality and agression plus great 1v1 defending. A double pivot of de jong and busquets, with Sergio operating as the more tactically disciplined player allowing FDJ to push up while also benefiting from frenkie covering up the miles that the slower and older player can't carry out. Balde operates as the traditional left wing back offering width. On the other side, ousmane is more of a right winger balanced out by coverage of the highly energetic and agressive gavi. Pedro and gavi are not traditional 10s but they have a great ability of playing complex roles and receiving the ball between the lines to shake defenses, behind no other than Lewandowski as a 9.
Could you do a series of potential formations. I'm interested in a 2-3-2-3 with wide center backs and a holding mid that can drop into a 3 at the back and although it works on FIFA it might not in real life. Or have ridiculously out balanced formations such as 4-1-5
What formation suits “traditional wingers” best? For example: Left footed left wingers looking to create from out wide. It’s only fullbacks providing width these days
4-4-2. The way United used it to maximize Beckham's abilities. Two strikers up top to get on the end of those gorgeous pinpoint deliveries. But it does require really good CMs who can play together. Luckily United had Scholes, Keane, etc.
pep guardiola last season at barcelona 3-4-3 was also an incredible formation too, extremely fluid, positionally demanding, total football and almost similar to johan cruyff 3-4-3 but without a great cb that function as a libero who can dribble from deep; koeman
LvG's fluidic 3-4-3 will always be my favourite. Its insane how easily he switched it into 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 diamond and 2-3-3-2 formation. They key was Daley Blind at United, Frenkie de Jong at Netherlands. Only if United trusted his process.
The key to preventing the midfield being overloaded is having synergy with the wide centre backs. Rudiger and Azpi a few years ago were the perfect examples of this, they had the ability to progress the ball combined with the defensive know-how to do it safely. This is absolutely crucial because with the wing backs pushed up, it leaves the wide areas exposed. Furthermore, the wing backs being pushed up means long balls from CB/DM to wingers are less effective. Whereas Liverpool can have Van Dijk ping it long to Salah or Dias, Silva can't do the same for Sterling or Mount, because they are narrower due to the wing backs positioning. That means less time for them to get attacking support from midfield. The importance of good ball-playing wide CBs was evident in Chelsea's 3-0 loss vs Leeds. They couldn't cope with the midfield overload as a result and there's no plan B with this formation.
in turkish super league, vitor pereira's fenerbahce used to play with this system but media criticized them all the time so he ended up being sacked. they were playing really exciting with that formation but media only knows 4-2-3-1 in turkey.
I personally prefer the 3412, If the opposition play a back 4, you can still man mark them and press them. But also reduce the risk of being overrun in the center. Defensively, its like a 52121 formation, forcing the opposition out wide, and letting your Fullbacks catch the opponent. One striker can still move out wide to form a diamond passing pattern. With my current amateur football team, we often get cought with our pants down, because they basically run trough us over the center. We employ the 442 most of the time, and pretty much one defensive mid and one attacking mid. Once they get past the attacking mid, you can pretty much consider it a free goal in my opinion, since the defensive mid has so much space to cover.
You were talking about the 3-4-2-1 formation the whole time. What about the real 3-4-3 diamond formation which has one striker and wingers instead of two number 10s
Italy used the 3-2-5 in attack to win the Euros this past year even though on paper it was a 4-3-3. Obviously different from this formation described today, but very similar in attack and the 3 man defense as well.
Klopp uses dynamic positioning for his formation so that it can throw opponents off while transitioning from attack to defence and vice versa. Fabinho is a david luiz-esque player in that, he can functioned well as a defensive mid while effective as a strong cb. When fab slit in between the cbs, it would left some space for either hendo or thiago to pick up lost balls from opponents.
Because a midfield player is sacrificed with no real benefit. Why have an extra defender on the pitch when you can have a midfielder who's more involved with overall player?
How about an analysis on what would happen if there were a match between a top classic team from the 50's or 60's and a modern team? Would the classic team be thrashed due to moderns tactics, physicality, etc?
Because they have 3 central defenders and 2 holding midfielders and they have structured the 5 and 2 so so close, relating movements the pockets close and the distances are so close and at the same time so waaayyyyyiiiddddeee
gotta ask, i've been using 5-2-3 in PES 2021 as a Base Formation with 3 CBs 2 WBs 2CMs/AMs 2 Wingers and 1 Striker, does that make it 3-4-3?? coz it is somewhat 3-4-3 when attack.. and it is highly effective formation in Top Player(With Counter Attack and High Pressing)..
There is a 343 in PES mobile ... With flat 3Cb and LM and RM with 2 SS and a CF. A bit risky as you only have 3 defenders, thus you need ur LM and RM to trackback. but it is a solid formation if you can press your opponent
@@balasubramanianah969 Not really because 3-2-2-2-1 has two WMFs and WFs. So the overlap on the wings is through MFs and WFs. WMFs operation higher up the pitch than the CMs. Overload in the attacking third in the wide regions for one of the CMs to operate freely in the middle of the pitch while the other CM becomes a single pivot. Variations, you know.
Yes that is my preferred formation. I can still get overloads either in midfield or the final third and still get them to track back to form a back 5. Then who doesn’t like 2 strikers interplaying with each other.
3-4-3 is my opinion not a great tactic for most teams. You will score alot of goals but you will also have alot of teams scoring many goals against you. For every position you need one substitute. So 3 central defenders in the bench and 3 strikers in the bench. Most teams are lacking either in central defenders on in strikers as they are rare in the transfer markets. So if you have alot of money maybe 3-4-3 is a good tacitc
Teams that use this formation are very weak to quick counterattacks, I played in one of these systems as a lest centre-back and the missing man can play a huge role in the game
The 3-4-3 is incredibly versatile, offering width, elongation, a strong defensive structure, and provides you with up to 5 in attack. Phenomenal formation, there’s a reason Tuchel finds huge success with it
The problem with the formation is how complex it is to use for semi pros or non pro team to use due to how many people got used to the back 4 system. Trying to find average joes or semi pros that is discipline and fit enough to trackback and attack as a wingback is a challenge on itself.
Huge success?
He got only one cup. And sliping in premier league. Huge success 🤣
Plus world class keeper and DM. No wonder Chelsea were so hard to break down.
@@rohit2571 context is needed. Half the squad is either injured or with COVID, don’t see the funny part?
Johan Cruyff's 3-4-3 was incredible. He however did not use alot of the double pivot but a single pivot in Guardiola, who was the engine in that system. His wingers were more often than not hugging the touch line but with great fluidity and rotations, Total football. He had defenders who had great pace, in Ferrer Sergi. I also always look at the 3-4-3 as a 3-1-3-3 formation.. With wingers wide. Thank you Tifo
Cruijff's 3-4-3 deserves and entire video devoted to it, honestly
@@djdewaal289 I absolutely agree with you. Cruyff's tactics on tifo would be wonderful. He is spoken of in a tifo video on total football however but just generally and with Cruyff as a player
3-4-3 is great and I use it all the time on my FM save, however, it sucks against the 4-2-3-1 or the 4-4-2(if your defenders aren't good headers)..
The 4-2-3-1 provides a very strong attacking power due to the CAM, that one extra player in the middle can cause problems to the 3-4-3, because in a 4-2-3-1 the wingers can be wide and the striker acting like a poacher is alone against one of the 3 defenders while the wingers(if good dribblers) can go and dribble the defense and make deadly through passes to the poacher. So keep the defensive line normal or low...
@@dedasalmeida9047 the 3-4-3 is good when facing 2strikers. Issues arise when there are counters on the flanks while playing against 4-4-2 . but gives a lot of advantage when building up from the back if they press with two strikers.. They can't press with three, if they do, we have a numerical advantage in midfield.
@@living_craft agree!
Using only two players in midfield can be a major weakness… unless you have N’Golo Kante
Especially against a 4 3 3 or 4 4 2 diamond
Yep, Kante is the key, he's two midfielders rolled in to one when you consider defence, work-rate and what he can do on the ball. Tuchel came in with the perfect system for that squad when fully healthy, but this season has almost been a case study in how toothless a 3-4-3 / 5-2-3 can look when you replace ideal players like Kova and Kante with makeshift players like Barkley and RLC, even more so when you don't have your first choice LWB to cover up the weakness in midfield.
@@zPvQi The injuries really should’ve made Tuchel change his team shape for the temporary. Frustrating watching them try to force a 3-4-3 when their missing players would make a 5-3-2 or a 4-2-3-1 make a lot more sense. As an American, I can’t understand why they keep using Pulisic as a false 9 and pretending it works. They should work to compensate for the missing players
@@TylerAven10 huh, How would their missing players make a 5-3-2 or a 4-2-3-1?
@@frieza2235 1, missing Kante means you need more than 2 guys in the midfield. Kante is a special player and idk if anyone in the world can do what he does defensively
2. They’re missing Lukaku and Werner so trying to rely on a single striker like they have by shoving Pulisic out there as a striker hasn’t worked.
It’s not a perfect match in any sense and I’m not a football genius, but what they’ve been doing won’t work trying to replace valuable players with backups or players out of position to keep the system in tack
The best example of the efficiency of the 3-4-3 is the outstanding work Ruben Amorim is doing in Sporting Portugal. While using this system he turned Sporting from 4th in the previous season to champions, and now 1st level on points with Fc Porto
Saudações Leoninas. Ao ver esta explicação estava a visualizar perfeitamente o Sporting do Amorim. reparei numa coisa. o papel do center back (Coates) não é muito "importante" mas sim os dois homens de cada lado.
Exacto. taticamente O futebol português está a evoluir cada vez mais
He is now at the best club in England ❤
I really like the 3-4-3, but you need very specific personnel to use it effectively. It’s my late stage career mode formation. Start with 4-2-3-1 because it’s easy and solid. Transition to 4-3-3, with more attacking full backs, a solid CDM and more versatile midfielders. Then when the right players are in the team go to 3-4-3, with one of the wide forwards set to drop deep to collect the ball and form a midfield 3 when defending.
I'd say the biggest weakness of the formation is the difficulty in recruitment.
@@whatchachattin or the players
I only do careers in Fifa 14 but I decide the formation when I start Mt career and then only use that and buy players to fit it (usually similar to the ones in real life like 343 for Atalanta, 4231 for Napoli, 442 and 4231 for Everton etc etc)
Both wing back must have a huge amount stamina as well. They always running up front for a counter attack and track back fast if they lost possession.
Hello malaysian
They're not wing backs. Unless you're using a back 5. They're just wide midfielders operating mostly in the midfield and the final third of the pitch.
@@dedasalmeida9047 i see.. but from my point of view those team who use 3-4-3 the wide midfield that you called mostly originally played as wing backs, like Reece James, Kieran Trippier, Reguilon and suchs. Thus for me they consider as wing backs to me but when the team use 3-4-3 formation they switch to wide midfield.
@@dedasalmeida9047 this. Wingbacks are defenders and thus only used in 5xx formations. Fullbacks can be used as wide midfielders if they're technically able (Reece James) or often exposed defensively (Marcos Alonso) but a formation with 4 across the middle by definition doesn't use wingbacks unless it's a 541. Pedantic but it's not hard to understand because the "back" in wingback should give it away. Wingbacks are typically mostly seen in a 532 because they have to offer the width of a winger while taking up the defensive role of a fullback (I guess they count in the 41212 like under Ancelotti in 09/10 if they actually get forward). In these dominant teams they're glorified wingers but still expected to take up their fullback spot on defence.
Some people say "it's the formation in the attacking shape" but if that was the case, Liverpool would be a 235 and Chelsea would be a 325 or even a 145. Using two "10s" or narrow inside forwards rather than wingers would make it a 3421 anyway not a 343.
@@RL- to me, in formations that use 5 at the back , the wingbacks must balance both their offensive and defensive work , while in formations that use 3 at the back , there are wide midfielders who do the wingback role, so they are expected not only to do their offensive and defensive duties , but also help to keep possession of the ball in the midfield .
I’m surprised that Wolverhampton was not cited at all considering we mainly play a 3-4-3 and showcase how strong a defensive system it can be
Agreed. Arguably that - Wolves' - is more of a 3-4-3 too than what the video describes (3-4-2-1).
Because they're a mid table club, who would mention them?
@@faajose I mean, they’re 8th in the table and are challenging for European spots but okay
@@faajose also, they’ve literally been mentioned before by Tifo and have conceded the 3rd fewest goals behind Chelsea and City (who do not play a 3-4-3). Which considering they have a MUCH smaller budget than those two with lower player quality and depth is commendable. We also have a +10.36 xGA which means our defenders and goalkeeper are coming up big time when we need them. We’re probably one of the best defenses in the premier league
Edit: used xG instead of xGA
@@will_from_pa Their games are very tough to watch.
Before Tuchel or Martinez, it was Scolari that used this formation to success in 2002, using his WBs Roberto Carlos and Cafu to full effect.
That was the deadly wing back combo.
Scolari used 3412 .. with Ronaldinho play in the hole behind Rivaldo Ronaldo ..
Big Phil ftw
3 R’s up top aswell
It was a slight modification as the 3Rs were forming a perfect triangle always rotating. Marking them was very challenging for the defenders bc of the high mobility and of course their outstanding dribbling skills and speed for Ronnie and R9.
On the topic of Chelsea, you should make a video why Chelsea's attacking options have always failed at Chelsea and why players like Drogba or Costa thrived
Those 2 have been the only consistent strikers we’ve had over the years. Smh
because they are physically strong and fit in team
I remember that once halfs were used to describe midfielders as well. Whatever happened to that? Maybe a video on why these terms became obsolete would be amazing.
The term ‘half’ goes back to the late 19th century, when the 2-3-5 formation was pretty much standard in England and around the world. The two defenders were referred to as full-backs (which eventually became the role we know today); the three in ‘midfield’ were called half-backs with the central most of them being the centre-half and the two either side being wing-halves.
Also, in the 1920’s, Herbert Chapman used the centre-half as a third defender; which created the W-M formation (or 3-2-2-3). That’s the reason why the English sometimes refer to central defenders as centre-halves.
It's similar to how those players who are part of a back 4 but are very rarely the most fully back are called full backs. It refers to their old employment in a 2-3-5 Formation. You'd have an attacking 5, a pair of wingers out wide, a pair of inside forwards, and a centre forward/striker
Behind them are the 3 half backs - left half, right half, and the namesake of your question, the centre half. These are as close as you're getting to midfielders for the time.
Behind them are your 2 full backs, right back and left back, who were de facto full time defenders, they were fully back.
Tactics eventually started changing so teams would deploy a W-M shaped formation - a 3-2-2-3. The centre half dropped into defence alongside the full backs, left and right half in front of them, inside forwards dropped back a bit, wingers and centre forward front line.
As this started evolving into what we know as the 4-4-2, another half back dropped into the defence, and the full backs were pushed wide, so really they're centre backs, but they used to be centre halves and the name just stuck. Ditto full backs who used to be our most central defenders are now racking up assists at Liverpool.
You can also see the 2-3-5 influence on squad numbers. In a 2-3-5 your goalie is 1, right back 2, left back 3, half backs 4, 5, 6, right winger 7, right inside forward 8, striker 9, left inside forward 10, left winger 11.
So the number 2 and 3 went to the sides of the defence, 4 and 5/5 and 6 (whichever) dropped deep between them, the remaining one staying in midfield, 7 and 11 kept on the wings, 8 dropped into midfield, 9 and 10 up top.
Ah glad to see you guys cover the 3-4-3.
I do like the 3-4-3 and its variations; what can I say, I am a fan of Total Football. I lean towards a 3-4-3 Diamond/3-4-2-1 in FIFA because they are the closest to being able to play as a 3-6-1/3-3-3-1 akin to the Australian football team in 2006 (Kewell, Viduka, Cahil, etc). Rather than strictly dominate the centre midfield, I utilise a wide back 3, 2 wingbacks and 2 wingers/wide attacking midfielders (I have them go wide and cut inside where needed) to play through the flanks but will have the midfield assisted by the non-ball holding wide player to cut inside. The two midfielders will either act as a double pivot or be a combo of an 6 and 8 or 6 and 10.
I also use it as my most aggressive formation when using a 4-3-3 holding, with the fullbacks pushing up and CDM dropping into the defensive line.
Very interesting but was genuinely surprised as the description said 3-4-3 but the video more interested in a 3-4-2-1 arguably than the 3-4-3 of 2 wingers up top and a central striker - albeit tactical flexibility was noted.
But it is still 3-4-3 formation
They're the same. Whenever a team plays a 343 the wingers usually come inside a bit more.
That's like an amazing documentary for the 3-4-3 formation. Thank you.
Interestingly enough, the attacking formation of the 3-4-3 which is a 3-2-5, I remember hearing that it used to be used during the 1930s and 1940s mostly used by an arsenal manager (I forgot his name). It got so popular that it was coined the "WM formation". Because the back 2 players would form a W and the front 5 an M.
Arsenal Manager Herbert Chapman.
Herbert Chapman
I believe that Arsenal manager was Arsene Wenger
@@Skegfromcraigslist FFS wasn't even born 😂😂
Love it, please do 3-5-2 next
This is the tactic that Ruben Amorim implemented very successfully at Sporting CP. It was really interesting watching this analysis while thinking about the tweaks that Amorim did to the formation, and the slight changes in roles, sometimes.
The tactic has also been adopted by Jorge Jesus at Benfica, more recently, although not as successfully. Many believe that 3 men at the back doesn't really fit their players/game.
Thank you for the video...Please do a 4-2-2-2 as well..
I love the backround jazz music . Amazing information , thank you for posting
Should’ve done 4-3-2-1 for Christmas because it is a Christmas Tree!
3-4-2-1 is the modem variation of the 3-4-3. Some mentions could be made of Cruyff's and Bielsa's 3-3-1-3. In Cruyff's the two players flanking the defensive midfielder are central midfielders, the wingers are pretty much the only ones providing width. In Bielsa's the other two players that make up the midfield 3 are wingbacks
Keep the hard work
I am guessing that sooner or later Tifo will upload coaching fundamentals that you would normally find in Level 1 coaching courses.
I'm helping coach a recreational youth team (U-16) soon, so I am familiarizing myself with different formations and styles that I'm not familiar with.
These videos are really helpful!
lets go
my fav system is 3-2-2-3, offers great attacking numbers, supreme midfield dominance, and a very solid 3 at the back with wide back able to join attack, wingers being able to cut in as second strikers or stay wide, and the two 10s being able to run in behind or roam in the midfield.
I'm curious how supreme midfield dominance is possible with the way you mentioned. You have wingers and two no 10s. That effectively means the two no 10s will always be outnumbered in midfield as they have to act as central midfielders too.
I suppose it would work if the team played some sort of extreme Gegenpressing where the defenders or wingbacks would play long balls to the opposition and the wingers, forwards and no 10s press the opposition to try and win the ball back. However, we are screwed if the opposition breaks the press cos they have acres of space to move the ball since literally 6 of our players are in their half and the wing backs are in the flanks
That's the 343 you've described
@@bri1085 he's describing a more compact 3-4-3, where the 2 attacking midfielder and 2 central midfielders form a square to overload the midfield and increase possession. It's also very handy against possession based teams such as Barcelona, Man city and PSG because you break their creativity to create chances in the middle, however, you'll be vulnerable a lot of time in the flanks because if the 2 forwards(not wingers) are too high in the field they will have less time to help covering the flanks in the midfield.
@@dedasalmeida9047 teams would have a field day with this just purely the box with crosses until they break
Antonio Conte's 3-4-3 at Chelsea FC 🙌🙌👑
Pep seems to have excellent success with this formation recently. Interesting to watch
Conte revolutionized this formation and changed English football imo 🤷🏾♂️
Yes for one year
No Conte don't use 3-4-3 he usually uses 3-5-2
@@Fernandez2023Eno he used 343 at Chelsea. Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool used it before him though.
@@Fernandez2023E he’s still using 343 right now
@@Fernandez2023E that was at inter
I love this formation. 2 diamonds in either side of the field. Yumm.
I just tried this in FM with Torino. Players loved it 😂
Absolutely loved this explanation. I started appreciating this system when Antonio Conte joined Tottenham.
the 3-2-5 structure surely has to be the most well-balanced attacking structure. ensures a foundation for the attacking players to increase output
There isn't any formation like 3-2-5
Literally no team in any established league plays 3-2-5. And I think there are good reasons for that.
My favorite formation , but without good wing backs its useless in attack. The isolation of a wing back is key here, Chelsea were on fire with Chilwell and James scoring a lot of goals before Chilwells injury, since then the attack has been terrible
I like xavi's current variant of the 3-4-3 formation in big games.
Kounde and christensen offer the necessary attributes to hurt defenses with their ball carrying and line breaking abilities, while Araujo offers physicality and agression plus great 1v1 defending.
A double pivot of de jong and busquets, with Sergio operating as the more tactically disciplined player allowing FDJ to push up while also benefiting from frenkie covering up the miles that the slower and older player can't carry out.
Balde operates as the traditional left wing back offering width. On the other side, ousmane is more of a right winger balanced out by coverage of the highly energetic and agressive gavi.
Pedro and gavi are not traditional 10s but they have a great ability of playing complex roles and receiving the ball between the lines to shake defenses, behind no other than Lewandowski as a 9.
Could you do a series of potential formations. I'm interested in a 2-3-2-3 with wide center backs and a holding mid that can drop into a 3 at the back and although it works on FIFA it might not in real life. Or have ridiculously out balanced formations such as 4-1-5
What formation suits “traditional wingers” best? For example: Left footed left wingers looking to create from out wide. It’s only fullbacks providing width these days
Pep sometimes do this when injuries happen. Puting sterling outwide in rw, cm push forward, cancelo push up to cm.
4-4-2. The way United used it to maximize Beckham's abilities. Two strikers up top to get on the end of those gorgeous pinpoint deliveries. But it does require really good CMs who can play together. Luckily United had Scholes, Keane, etc.
433 with tucked in fullbacks and stretched out wingers - I think we know who's teams we're talking about
4-1-4-1
4-2-4
pep guardiola last season at barcelona 3-4-3 was also an incredible formation too, extremely fluid, positionally demanding, total football and almost similar to johan cruyff 3-4-3 but without a great cb that function as a libero who can dribble from deep; koeman
I expected the 4231 formation to be the next one
But still a great video
Thanks to this formation
Ruben Amorim put Sporting in another level
Do 4231, please tifo!
LvG's fluidic 3-4-3 will always be my favourite. Its insane how easily he switched it into 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 diamond and 2-3-3-2 formation. They key was Daley Blind at United, Frenkie de Jong at Netherlands. Only if United trusted his process.
I love these videos, It would be amazing to have a 3-5-2 video soon. I have seen a lot of teams using it recently including my own.
You have to do a video of Xavi’s Barca, mate! Game against Sevilla was epic!
Perfect opportunity to explain the Christmas Tree formation
I'm not mad, just disappointed
Ahhhh the 4-3-2-1 formation ...
Please review in
Ralf Ragnchik Tactics 4-2-2-2
The key to preventing the midfield being overloaded is having synergy with the wide centre backs. Rudiger and Azpi a few years ago were the perfect examples of this, they had the ability to progress the ball combined with the defensive know-how to do it safely. This is absolutely crucial because with the wing backs pushed up, it leaves the wide areas exposed. Furthermore, the wing backs being pushed up means long balls from CB/DM to wingers are less effective. Whereas Liverpool can have Van Dijk ping it long to Salah or Dias, Silva can't do the same for Sterling or Mount, because they are narrower due to the wing backs positioning. That means less time for them to get attacking support from midfield. The importance of good ball-playing wide CBs was evident in Chelsea's 3-0 loss vs Leeds. They couldn't cope with the midfield overload as a result and there's no plan B with this formation.
in turkish super league, vitor pereira's fenerbahce used to play with this system but media criticized them all the time so he ended up being sacked. they were playing really exciting with that formation but media only knows 4-2-3-1 in turkey.
Let's hope not too many games are canceled sunday
This formation is fascinating and I am using it in my squad in PesM
Let’s not forget it also stretches the opposition’s shape and shuffled play wiiiiiideee
I love tactics and this channel is wonderful
I personally prefer the 3412, If the opposition play a back 4, you can still man mark them and press them. But also reduce the risk of being overrun in the center. Defensively, its like a 52121 formation, forcing the opposition out wide, and letting your Fullbacks catch the opponent. One striker can still move out wide to form a diamond passing pattern. With my current amateur football team, we often get cought with our pants down, because they basically run trough us over the center. We employ the 442 most of the time, and pretty much one defensive mid and one attacking mid. Once they get past the attacking mid, you can pretty much consider it a free goal in my opinion, since the defensive mid has so much space to cover.
More of these would be great!
Sampaoli plays with an unorthodox 3-4-3 at Marseille this season with one of the CM drop back as fullback when defending.
If I learned anything from this video it’s that you have to be pretty bloody good if you want to play as a wing-back in this system
1:17 That's how Pep Guardiola made 3-2-4-1 formation! It's really good tactic to use 5 players in attack and 5 players in defence!
4:08 "Assistant Manager: We're being seriously overrun in the midfield"
My favourite Formation
You were talking about the 3-4-2-1 formation the whole time. What about the real 3-4-3 diamond formation which has one striker and wingers instead of two number 10s
I feel he was speaking from a more modern day example of the formation, with 3-4-2-1 indeed being more popular
Hi Mate, love your stuff! what editing software do you use to create these annotations?
The problem with Thomas tuchels 3-4-3 is that there’s no coehesion between the double pivot and the attacking midfielders .
Where is sensible transfer series ? It's almost January.
One of my personal favorite
Italy used the 3-2-5 in attack to win the Euros this past year even though on paper it was a 4-3-3.
Obviously different from this formation described today, but very similar in attack and the 3 man defense as well.
Merry Christmas tree formation xx
woah my favorite channel.
In my teenage years, 343 is synonymous with Zaccheroni .. When 442 is a trend formation ..
I’m completely distracted by the boss’s nova background music
the best formation at all levels
Klopp can actually use 3-4-3 cuz Trent and Robbo anyways play as wing backs more or less but idk why Klopp doesn’t want a back 3 for some reason
Klopp uses dynamic positioning for his formation so that it can throw opponents off while transitioning from attack to defence and vice versa. Fabinho is a david luiz-esque player in that, he can functioned well as a defensive mid while effective as a strong cb. When fab slit in between the cbs, it would left some space for either hendo or thiago to pick up lost balls from opponents.
Because a midfield player is sacrificed with no real benefit. Why have an extra defender on the pitch when you can have a midfielder who's more involved with overall player?
real life =/= fifa
I’m sure Klopp knows why lol, his system is obviously working amazing
@@bri1085 and there is the truth.
Tito football = Guide to FPL 💪🏽
4:58 The most important thing imo.
If these 2 players mess up, you're screwed
Loved the vid - chelsea fan 😊
I was waiting for the "merchandiiiise" jingle! 😁
How about an analysis on what would happen if there were a match between a top classic team from the 50's or 60's and a modern team? Would the classic team be thrashed due to moderns tactics, physicality, etc?
Depends on what era the ref is from aswell.
Because they have 3 central defenders and 2 holding midfielders and they have structured the 5 and 2 so so close, relating movements the pockets close and the distances are so close and at the same time so waaayyyyyiiiddddeee
With Berner in behind
And that is why you can’t be close because they push you here push you there
gotta ask, i've been using 5-2-3 in PES 2021 as a Base Formation with 3 CBs 2 WBs 2CMs/AMs 2 Wingers and 1 Striker, does that make it 3-4-3?? coz it is somewhat 3-4-3 when attack.. and it is highly effective formation in Top Player(With Counter Attack and High Pressing)..
There is a 343 in PES mobile ... With flat 3Cb and LM and RM with 2 SS and a CF. A bit risky as you only have 3 defenders, thus you need ur LM and RM to trackback. but it is a solid formation if you can press your opponent
I love seeing more teams playing with back 3s. Really spices things up for everyone
Love the video
This is the formation Nottingham Forest used to beat Arsenal 😩, that time Antonio Conté favours it.
Can you do the 4-2-3-1 next?
Please talk about why no one really shine while playing under Ronaldo or Messi.
Suarez, ozil, Neymar?
Suarez and neymar?
Serious question : Am i the only one that gets inspired by this channel and uses the tactics in Fifa career mode ?
Great video Tifo! love coaching the 3421 formation. This will be a perfect little intro clip to show my players. Cheers!
Please make a similar video on 3-2-2-2-1. It's a very rare but highly effective formation. Though requires a horse-like stamina and running.
Wait. Isn't that a 343 itself?
Isn't that formation Bielsa uses for his Leeds side?
@@dedasalmeida9047 i think it is.
@@dedasalmeida9047 I thought Bielsa uses 4-1-4-1.
@@balasubramanianah969 Not really because 3-2-2-2-1 has two WMFs and WFs. So the overlap on the wings is through MFs and WFs. WMFs operation higher up the pitch than the CMs. Overload in the attacking third in the wide regions for one of the CMs to operate freely in the middle of the pitch while the other CM becomes a single pivot. Variations, you know.
For Christmas, you guys should have explained the 4-3-2-1!
Tifo, please review the tactics of the Shaolin Soccer team.
why does this sound like a flight safety video
Tifo football number uno fan
PSG needs this
Can you please explain the 3-4-1-2?
Yes that is my preferred formation. I can still get overloads either in midfield or the final third and still get them to track back to form a back 5. Then who doesn’t like 2 strikers interplaying with each other.
Can you please make a video about 5-3-2 and 4-2-3-1 ?
with the correct choice of players 343 does well against 433, but any formation that lacks a dm will be weak on counterattack
3-4-3 is my opinion not a great tactic for most teams. You will score alot of goals but you will also have alot of teams scoring many goals against you. For every position you need one substitute. So 3 central defenders in the bench and 3 strikers in the bench. Most teams are lacking either in central defenders on in strikers as they are rare in the transfer markets. So if you have alot of money maybe 3-4-3 is a good tacitc
3-4-3 is the superior formation.
you have 4 wingers, 3 or 5 defenders or 6 midfielders depending on the situation. just awesome
And a striker
4-2-3-1 next please. Let’s discuss the counter attacking tactics employed by Mourinho and Benitez.
Benitez is using a 442
Negelsmann's bayern plays 3 4 3 with davies and coman as wingbacks. Sane and muller are two 10's.
Hmm... I'm thinking of deploying goblins in my back 3. I guess we can have goblins in this situation?
Skeletons are more proficient.
3-5-2 next please
No mention of the L/RCB overlapping the wing back who's made an inverted run/moved slightly infield.
Teams that use this formation are very weak to quick counterattacks, I played in one of these systems as a lest centre-back and the missing man can play a huge role in the game