This attacking formation has been used by national sides of Brazil
(62), and more recently Portugal and Holland. Amongst the more
notorious of coaches it has been effectively deployed by Jose
Mourinho, Zdenek Zeman and Jesualdo Ferreira and Ajax, Rosenborg and
Chelsea are included in the many club sides that have used this
system of play. So what is it, how is it normally used, what
benefits does it have, and what are its draw backs?
4 3 3 Set Up
4 – 3 – 3 is normally set up in the following line up: Goalkeeper,
Right back, 2 Centre backs, Left back, 3 Central midfielders (one
holding), 3 Attackers including a Right and Left wing and a central
striker.
This formation favors teams boasting a good central defensive
midfielder who is able to hold their position, disrupt the
oppositions attack and maintain possession offering support in front
of the defensive line and support behind the two other central
midfielders and attackers. The defensive central midfielder should
be able to read the phases of play effectively and have good
awareness of passing options and they must be disciplined in
maintaining and organizing shape, balance and depth to their team.
Wingers in the 4-3-3
Teams that use the 4 – 3 – 3 formation typically have 2 lively
wingers who provide width in attack and defensive support when not
in possession. The 2 wingers should like to run with the ball and
like to dribble but in addition should they be comfortable
dropping back to support the defensive line when needed. The wing
position in this formation can be a physically demanding role and
also demands a high quality end product so its effectiveness can be
limited by the personnel a coach has available.
Central Striker in the 4-3-3
The central striker can play several roles in this system depending
on their strengths as an individual and the tactics and weaknesses
of the opposition back line. Some use the striker as ‘touch the net’
player who will create depth to the side making their runs between
the 2 centre backs and keeping these 2 players occupied. This
creates space for the 2 wingers to attack the full backs in 1 on 1
situations. Using this ‘touch the net’ run creates an immediate
outlet when possession is regained and suits a strong robust
striker.
One potential drawback with the 3 attackers
One potential drawback with the 3 attackers occurs when the
ball is switched to the wide players and the central player can
become isolated in and around the penalty area when the cross is
delivered. In this scenario it is imperative that the opposite
winger joins the central striker in the danger areas as does at
least 1 of the two attacking midfielders, whilst the other attacking
central midfielder will look for pull backs and knock downs a little
deeper than the attacking runs which are higher up into the penalty
area.
What if the opposition holds their defensive line high up
If the opposition back four hold their defensive line high up the
pitch and do not allow the central striker to create depth then a
combination of the striker coming short to draw a centre back
further up field, the two wingers keeping wide to stretch the back
line and forward runs form the 2 attacking midfielders beyond the
defensive line can be used to open the defense. If in this scenario
the centre back does not follow the striker then the striker can
turn on the ball and play through to either attacking centre
midfielder or behind the full backs for the wingers to attack. Due
to the numbers of players who can become involved in the attacking
third this system of play can become a very attacking formation.
The
Back Four
The back four essentially play a traditional role when not in
possession denying space and pressurizing in key areas but with the
defensive central midfielder on hand to help with 2nd balls and
compacting the oppositions midfield play. For more information on
defensive shape and organization please refer to the forthcoming
articles on defensive principles. When in possession and the ball
has switched wide to winger the opposite full back should push
forward to fill the space left by his own winger who will make
attacking runs inside to support the central striker. As this occurs
the defense will slide across to maintain balance and shape.
Key to a successful 4-3-3 formation
When not in possession the 4 – 3 – 3 formation almost becomes a 4 –
5 – 1 system as the 2 wingers should ‘sag’ back in to the middle
third to compact the opposition’s midfielders. If the opposition is
playing a 4 – 4 – 2 system there is also opportunity to press for
the ball higher up the pitch in the attacking third. This can force
the opposition to play more directly through to their forwards and
allow more chances to regain possession. The key to a successful 4 –
3 – 3 formation occurs in the moment of transition in play between
the opponents possession and regaining the ball. Immediately
possession is gained the team must be prepared to create width,
depth and support at pace and can sometimes be seen as a counter
attacking tactic against strong teams.
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