[3-4-3] Barcelona Guardiola style

[Natak]

Hi all,
Taking advantage of the FM2012 demo i decide to play with Barcelona and try to create the famous 3-4-3 Pep Guardiola.

Formation :

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The basics :
- We must control the ball and get very high possession (between 65% and >80%).
- Game one-touch football (so not to keep the ball by players)
- Pass in the feet.
- Very high defense with big press for immediately retrieve the ball (and keep high possession).
- Very wide to spread defenses and provide more solutions to the midfielder.
- Do not play offside but some counter-attacks.
- The corners are not direct (for possession and not many good players head).

We have:
1- Classic goalkeeper with short passes.
3- Central defenders with a stopper and 2 covers.
1- Defensive midfielder raking balls in the middle, help defenders and gives balls to players more creative.
2- Midfielders, they are the brain of the team, one deep lying playmaker in support and the second advanced playmaker attack to occupy all spaces.
1- Attacking midfielder with support.
2- Inside forwards on each wing, stretch the opposing defense to create space and give the maximum solution for creative players.
1- Complete Forward (if your attacker is less complete replace by an advanced striker) is the free electron and your serial goalscorer.

My biggest surprise for this tactic has been the very good defense! We recovers the ball very high and with the possession (often over 65%) the opposing team doesnt attack often! I even had matches with NO SHOOT for the opposing team! Only 6 goals conceded in one half of the season ...

Its ESSENTIAL for this tactic to make those shouts from the beginning to the end of every matchs :

View attachment 198349

This is essential for the tactic works well!

I will test this tactic with a small team and adapt if necessary.

Last little thing this tactic is special and your players will require a few games to assimilate it!

Results :
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Yep sometimes the adverse team don't shoot... and i have more of 80% possession :wub:


Passing:
View attachment 198352

Messi:
View attachment 198353

Please give me feedbacks to improve the tactics! Ask me if you need more screenshots or if you have any questions.

Ps: Sorry for my English it's not my native language.

 

[Fish Hunter]

I am gonna give it a go with Roma

 

[dngrs]

I'll give it a try
Judging by the results, you have a good tactic there
your DC role combination seems the best for playing barca 343
how did you use Alves?

 

[Josh Kelly]

Just had a little try with Manchester United and it looks pretty good

 

[JAwtunes]

I will give it a go with ... Barca i guess.

a couple of things though, Guardiola uses very attacking fullbacks (not three centre backs) and Barca do play the offside trap and very well, probably as their back line consists of just 2 players most of the time, so i guess its fairly easy to work it well.

cheers.

 

[Cosades]

What about Alves?..

 

[Natak]

First of all thank you for using my tactic!

I didnt use Alves often unfortunately just sometimes for substitute Pedro. Usually when Pep use his 3-4-3 Alves dont play.

JAwtunes --> When Guardiola use the 3-4-3 he has three centre backs and no fullbacks! You maybe confused with his 4-3-3 ?

 

[3piger73]

very good

 

[Daniel Alves]

Which pitchsize do you recommend?

 

[Lol_101]

i wanna try it, but im sure my arsenal team will go with a 3 man defense XD

 

[Natak]

Which pitchsize do you recommend?

IRL Barcelona play with a wide pitch, but in 3-4-3 we have no fullbacks and its easier to defend with a narrower pitch.

In my opinion the best are :
Wide/short for a VERY top team like Barcelona (best for stretches defenses but harder to defend with just 3 defenders).
Narrower/short for others team (easier to defend and keep possesion).

Lol_101 --> You can try you'll be surprised

 

[mikedodgson]

Tactic looks great, I'm going to try in my first demo game on fm12.

How have you got on testing with a smaller team?

 

[Natak]

Tactic looks great, I'm going to try in my first demo game on fm12.

How have you got on testing with a smaller team?

I dont have testing with a small team for the moment! I'll test when the game released this weekend, probably with Southampton and i'll make some ajustement if necessary.

 

[Zagallo]

Usually when Pep use his 3-4-3 Alves dont play.

I take it you don't watch Barcelona Natak...

 

[spallphi92]

good tactic with your result you post . But you say when PEP use 3-4-3 , Alves don't play . It's wrong . The best important thing with 3-4-3 Barca of PEp is they play 3-4-3 in attact and 4-3-3 in defense , they can swith this imediately . Alves in 3-4-3 is a RM (role Wide midfield) or Winger ...with very high workload of him . He run both for defend and attack and boss of the Right field . Alves is the key player in 3-4-3 of Barca because how they swith from 3-4-3 to 4-3-3 is belongs to him . So in this tac , if you want it play like Barca , i think remove the potision of Pedro and change it in to Winger for Alves . That's absolutely true of Barca style in 3-4-3

 

[Lol_101]

Usually when Pep use his 3-4-3 Alves dont play.

lol wtf!.

alves movesinto an attacking role in this formation, which he does best.

so theres adebial, pique, and puyol, and in the 4 man midfield alves plays as right winger and cesc ,xavi in the middle, while Sanchez (or anyone , maybe inesta (thus being injured)) plays in the left. then messi, villa and pedro (or maybe Sanchez) take over the reigns up front.

 

[Natak]

Thank you for trying to help me to improve the tactic!
I've not watch all the Barca matchs but when i do unfortunately they played in 4-3-3 and my reference match for this tactic is Barcelona-Villareal

Replace Pedro for Alves with a winger its a very good idea! And with support role it gives other options for midfielders and a best occupation of pitches. I'll do a second version!


If you have other advise please tell me

 

[I Hate Fish]

lol wtf!.

alves movesinto an attacking role in this formation, which he does best.

so theres adebial, pique, and puyol, and in the 4 man midfield alves plays as right winger and cesc ,xavi in the middle, while Sanchez (or anyone , maybe inesta (thus being injured)) plays in the left. then messi, villa and pedro (or maybe Sanchez) take over the reigns up front.

Alves is useless in a 3-4-3 formation. When he bombs down the right flank, the other two defenders are left so horribly exposed and smart and determined teams can exploit the space left behind by him. Just look at their game against Valencia; Puyol was often the lone defender at times, and Abidal was caught out of position too many times. Alves in a 3-4-3 is exceedingly dangerous for the team he's playing with, and I think Guardiola will probably switch back to a 4-3-3 later on in the season.

 

[spallphi92]

Alves is useless in a 3-4-3 formation. When he bombs down the right flank, the other two defenders are left so horribly exposed and smart and determined teams can exploit the space left behind by him. Just look at their game against Valencia; Puyol was often the lone defender at times, and Abidal was caught out of position too many times. Alves in a 3-4-3 is exceedingly dangerous for the team he's playing with, and I think Guardiola will probably switch back to a 4-3-3 later on in the season.

Just remember 3-4-3 is only a test of Pep with Barca with weaker team . They don't use it often because it's not safe . But here, we try to emulate that 3-4-3 tactic and to promote Barca when thy play 3-4-3 , Alves is an important player , because he quick , have good attribute to play both defend and attack (with support duty) . 3 defender : Abidal,Pique and Puyol in 3-4-3 can swith to 4 defender with Alves plus i the right in defend .In attack,he is a winger to "one touch" with midfielder and Messi to keep possesion , also sometimes cross to creat very dangerous change . So how effective it is belongs to Alves movement .

 

[Zagallo]

Alves is useless in a 3-4-3 formation. When he bombs down the right flank, the other two defenders are left so horribly exposed and smart and determined teams can exploit the space left behind by him.

Which other 2 defenders?? With the 3-4-3 he is not a defender but a right midfielder, so there's no 2 defenders but 3.

Just look at their game against Valencia; Puyol was often the lone defender at times, and Abidal was caught out of position too many times.

Wrong, Puyol was not the lone defender, there was Mascherano and Abidal, and Abidal was not caught out of position, the problem was the back 3 setup. Instead of Puyol as right CB and Mascherano in the center(because of pace), Mascherano started as the right CB, and was getting caught not ouf of position but due to 1-2's by Valencia attack and Soldado dropping on that side to create numbers when Valencia were starting their attack, which allow Mathieu overlapping to give him a hard time because of pace. Obviously the center back (Puyol) had to cover as normally happens in every tactic (regardless if it's a back 3, back 4 or back 5).
2nd half Mascherano was moved inside where the lack of pace is not so crucial under Barcelona style (remember Ronald Koeman, I could beat him for pace with one leg and carrying my other leg on my shoulder) and Valencia's joy ended in half time, which allow Puyol to be substituted 15 mnts 2nd half for Thiago Alcantara.

Alves in a 3-4-3 is exceedingly dangerous for the team he's playing with, and I think Guardiola will probably switch back to a 4-3-3 later on in the season.

As Lol_101 told you, "Alves moves into an attacking role in this formation, which he does best." He is absolutely crucial in this formation.
And it's time for people to understand about Barcelona 4-3-3. That's only on paper, because 99% of games it's a mix of 2-3-5, 3-4-3 and 3-5-2. When Fabregas plays, and when attacking the last third, it's a front 5 (Alves, Pedro, Messi, Fabregas and Villa).
While in transition (defense-attack) and Tiki-Taka, it floats between 3-4-3 and 3-5-2 depending on Messi movement. 3 -Mascherano, Busquets, Pique, 5(4) - Alves, Xavi, (Messi), Iniesta, Abidal, 2(3) - Pedro, (Messi), Villa.

Take care

PS. Next time you watch Barcelona, sometimes forget about the ball and Messi and just watch players movements and tactical compensation (exchange), and you will learn and understand a little bit more.