Steadfast - A flat 4141.***v2 update 01-01-19
Formation Overview
Often the de rigueur choice for difficult away games, particularly employed by European teams for the away leg of Champions League/Europa League knockouts the 4141 and its brother the 451 offer a solid platform for controlling the midfield with easy possession whilst defensively being difficult to play through.
When deployed with ambition, as we do here, the wide players are thrown forward creating a 433 when attacking.
True counter-attacking is difficult as your lone Striker has to do much of the work himself, so instead we rely on a ‘delayed counter’ with some incisive flank play to get us in behind where we can feed balls to our Striker, opposing Winger and our midfielders with their late runs into the box.
Here, a key feature of the tactic is playing through the false 9, he drops as he’s supposed to and feeds the onrushing central midfielders who often find themselves on the end of a chance.
Our Wide Midfielders are instructed to sit narrow to became auxiliary strikers at times,so in other words, we get enough players into the box quickly enough for us to attack effectively.
Over all it’s a very compact formation, with good cover in key areas of the pitch whilst ensuring attacks are supported quickly.
Getting the upperhand
Aside from just throwing together some roles & duties I like to try and create an‘effect’ or combination of effects which yields results noticeably better than when that ‘effect’ is absent.
An obvious example is combining a high line with an urgent press. Whilst both instructions are useful in isolation, when combined their positive effects are amplified.
Here are some of the ideas I’ve tried to implement into the tactic.
The Forward Pivot
The ‘Pivot’, if one is used, is normally in the DM or AMC position. Here we are using our Striker, with a narrow midfield 4, play focused through the middle we can feed our Striker with his back to goal who can pick out one of the onrushing midfielders before turning and supporting the attack.
When not on the ball we are looking for his movement to displace defenders, disrupt the structure of the defence creating space for our midfielders.
A feature of the tactic is spreading the goal scoring burden across the front 5, we can expect double figures for all of them in a good season.
Turning Harry Kane into an assist machine. All from open play.
The ‘False 6’
The use of a Half Back has a number of ‘knock on’ effects which to my mind allows for the safest yet most incisive way to play out from the back.
Whilst we might have a romanticised vision of our Half Back breaking up play before pinging pin point diagonals up the pitch, the true value is in the‘passive’ effects his presence creates.
As well as splitting the Centre Backs as described below, he tends to get heavily pressed when on the ball. In fact we want him pressed as this opens up midfield and he will always have a couple of easy lateral passes available to the Split Centre backs who should now have multiple options in front of them, more often than not up the line to his near sided Wingback or he may even bypass him and go straight for our Wide Midfielder.
Whilst no more effective than an Anchor Man or Defensive Midfielder in the defensive phase, the true benefit of our Half Back is in building attacks. His triggering of formation changes set in motion positive effects which help us play through the thirds hopefully resulting in a chance for us to score.
Overloading the flanks early
The effect of the Half Back coming deep, the Centre Backs splitting, the Wingbacks pushing up the flanks putting them in close proximity to our Wide Midfielders gives us a very early overload on both flanks.
This is a dangerous situation for our opponent with only an astute pass or 1-2 seeing one of our wide players in open space running in behind our opponents defence. Better yet, as the defence is drawn to the ball this leaves our opposing Wide Midfielders in acres of space and available for a spectacular long diagonal pass seeing him with even more space to attack.
At this point our False 9 should be intelligent finding a pocket of space, pulling defenders with him creating yet more space for our Box to Box guys to run into on the edge of the penalty area.
Results. (Season 1, no transfers)
Corners – the routine is set up for your Right Backs to take corners.
Throw In’s – Right Backs to take right throw in’s, Left Backs to take left throw in’s
NO OI's
Formation Overview
Often the de rigueur choice for difficult away games, particularly employed by European teams for the away leg of Champions League/Europa League knockouts the 4141 and its brother the 451 offer a solid platform for controlling the midfield with easy possession whilst defensively being difficult to play through.
When deployed with ambition, as we do here, the wide players are thrown forward creating a 433 when attacking.
True counter-attacking is difficult as your lone Striker has to do much of the work himself, so instead we rely on a ‘delayed counter’ with some incisive flank play to get us in behind where we can feed balls to our Striker, opposing Winger and our midfielders with their late runs into the box.
Here, a key feature of the tactic is playing through the false 9, he drops as he’s supposed to and feeds the onrushing central midfielders who often find themselves on the end of a chance.
Our Wide Midfielders are instructed to sit narrow to became auxiliary strikers at times,so in other words, we get enough players into the box quickly enough for us to attack effectively.
Over all it’s a very compact formation, with good cover in key areas of the pitch whilst ensuring attacks are supported quickly.
Getting the upperhand
Aside from just throwing together some roles & duties I like to try and create an‘effect’ or combination of effects which yields results noticeably better than when that ‘effect’ is absent.
An obvious example is combining a high line with an urgent press. Whilst both instructions are useful in isolation, when combined their positive effects are amplified.
Here are some of the ideas I’ve tried to implement into the tactic.
The Forward Pivot
The ‘Pivot’, if one is used, is normally in the DM or AMC position. Here we are using our Striker, with a narrow midfield 4, play focused through the middle we can feed our Striker with his back to goal who can pick out one of the onrushing midfielders before turning and supporting the attack.
When not on the ball we are looking for his movement to displace defenders, disrupt the structure of the defence creating space for our midfielders.
A feature of the tactic is spreading the goal scoring burden across the front 5, we can expect double figures for all of them in a good season.
Turning Harry Kane into an assist machine. All from open play.
The ‘False 6’
The use of a Half Back has a number of ‘knock on’ effects which to my mind allows for the safest yet most incisive way to play out from the back.
Whilst we might have a romanticised vision of our Half Back breaking up play before pinging pin point diagonals up the pitch, the true value is in the‘passive’ effects his presence creates.
As well as splitting the Centre Backs as described below, he tends to get heavily pressed when on the ball. In fact we want him pressed as this opens up midfield and he will always have a couple of easy lateral passes available to the Split Centre backs who should now have multiple options in front of them, more often than not up the line to his near sided Wingback or he may even bypass him and go straight for our Wide Midfielder.
Whilst no more effective than an Anchor Man or Defensive Midfielder in the defensive phase, the true benefit of our Half Back is in building attacks. His triggering of formation changes set in motion positive effects which help us play through the thirds hopefully resulting in a chance for us to score.
Overloading the flanks early
The effect of the Half Back coming deep, the Centre Backs splitting, the Wingbacks pushing up the flanks putting them in close proximity to our Wide Midfielders gives us a very early overload on both flanks.
This is a dangerous situation for our opponent with only an astute pass or 1-2 seeing one of our wide players in open space running in behind our opponents defence. Better yet, as the defence is drawn to the ball this leaves our opposing Wide Midfielders in acres of space and available for a spectacular long diagonal pass seeing him with even more space to attack.
At this point our False 9 should be intelligent finding a pocket of space, pulling defenders with him creating yet more space for our Box to Box guys to run into on the edge of the penalty area.
Results. (Season 1, no transfers)
Corners – the routine is set up for your Right Backs to take corners.
Throw In’s – Right Backs to take right throw in’s, Left Backs to take left throw in’s
NO OI's
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