THE 4-3-3 SYSTEM OF PLAY

THE 4-3-3  SYSTEM OF PLAY

HISTORY

The 4-3-3 formation

The 4-3-3 system of play has its origins in the Dutch club and national sides and was taken to Spain by legendary Dutch coaches which has seen both nations use the system extensively in the development of their youth players.

The system is made up of the goalkeeper, four defenders playing in a flat line, one central holding midfielder, two attacking central midfielders with two wide forwards playing either side of a central forward.  The running power and possession control of the two attacking central midfielders (ACM) and the ability to break play and recycle possession of the holding central midfielder (CDM) are key to the success of the system.

IN POSSESSION

The presence of three forwards in the 4-3-3 allows for the team to be dynamic in attack by employing a mix of styles suited to the team, qualities of players at disposal and the philosophy of the coach.  The 4-3-3 system allows for players in deeper areas of the pitch to play direct vertical balls quickly to any of the 3 forwards thus skipping the midfield (counterattacking).  Alternatively, a player on the ball can make use of the nearby support network of players to advance play through the thirds (patient build up). This is also possible because the 4-3-3 allows for a network of diamond and triangle arrangement of players around the player in possession all over the field of play.

4-3-3: Triangle and diamond arrangements 

A key feature of the 4-3-3 often seen is to play inverted players in the wide forward positions i.e. right footed forward on the left wing and visa versa so as to allow the wide forwards move closer to the centre forward in the final third of the pitch. This allows for the team to overload the central areas or as an alternative allows space out wide for overlapping fullbacks to move into. In this scenario, the 4-3-3 morphs into a 2-3-5 in its most attacking phase with five players in the final  third. Hence in the final third, there are 5 options in the 5 vertical channels of the pitch.

OUT OF POSSESSION

The presence of three central midfielders in front of the back four provides the team with a strong presence in the central axis of the pitch and penetration is difficult. The potential areas of the pitch that could be exploited by an opposition playing against a 4-3-3 are a) the spaces in between the wide forward and the full back b) the spaces in behind the back 4 and c) the spaces in front of the back four if/when the holding central midfielder (CDM) is pulled out of position by clear movement.

Areas of exploitation in a 4-3-3

The back four will defend zonally and slide to the strong side i.e. the side where the ball is. To stop the opponent exploiting the space in between the full back and the wide forward, both wide forwards would be expected to drop into midfield alongside the central midfielders thus morphing the shape into a 4-5-1 or a 4-1-4-1.  If the wide forward cannot get back in time, the nearside central midfielder would push out wide to support the full back and prevent the opposition having an overload while the rest of the midfielders slide across to cover and balance.

4-3-3: Recovery run of wide forwards

The presence of three forward players facilitates pressing from the front and the central forward will be tasked with forcing the opposition centre backs to play the ball out wide  so as to allows the team slide to the strong side and trap the opponent. The wide forward on the ball side would now be tasked with guiding the play back infield to midfield traffic while the centre forward finds an optimum position that prevents the full back from playing the ball back to the opposition goalkeeper or centre backs

In a high pressing team,  the full backs and two attacking central midfielders would be expected to push up, track their direct opponent and close the space between themselves and the forward players. Yet they should be prepared to recover to support the centre backs and holding midfielder in the event that the opposition decide to play a direct ball.

SPECIALIST POSITIONS OF THE 4-3-3

The holding central midfielder (CDM) has a key role in this formation and is often referred to as the quarter back or pivot. The CDM is expected to have dual qualities of being a deep lying playmaker – dictating play and launching attacks from deep via a diverse range of passes and yet also be an enforcer – breaking up ball and intercepting opposition passes.  In the 4-2-3-1, the workload and responsibilities are shared by the two holding midfielders however in the 4-3-3 the player is expected to be a hybrid capable of fulfilling both of these roles.

4-3-3 VIDEO PLAYLIST