ENGLISH FOR FOOTBALL

The 3-4-2-1 is a variation on the 3-4-3, whose origin can be traced back to the 1930s…

…with Vittorio Pozzo in and Herbert Chapman in .

The 3-4-2-1 is a formation that can quickly create out wide…

…so he must be able to pick the wing-backs with a dinked pass.

The middle centre-back will need to provide cover if the wide centre-backs up.

Silva sits than the other two, allowing them to hold a position in the half-space…

…attempting to out the wing-back, centre-mid or inside forward.

Next up the two centre-mids are both during build-up and for adding support in attack.

Their positioning must be coordinated, with one moving forward, the other will and cover.

They will be required to defend and attack …

…and have excellent into the box.

Against tougher opponents they will alongside the back three to form a back five…

…and attempt to cover the space out .

Their is often in between the defence and midfield line and so will need…

…to be excellent at receiving the ball on the to immediately attack the back line.

Finally, the lone striker is the point for this formation.

He will need to have excellent -up play and the ability to…

…control the ball under pressure and it off to the two inside forwards.

Son and Kulusevki’s incredible technical ability and …

…means they can receive the ball in spaces and immediately attack the back line…

…to either shoot from distance or the ball into Kane.

While defensively the pentagon shape in the centre means it often forces…

…play out wide, where the wing-backs can close down any potential …

…and the formation can into a solid 5-4-1 system.

If the opposition presses too high, then a pass in midfield…

…means the team usually has one midfielder completely .

This creates a diamond shape on both …

…giving the wide centre-backs of options for moving the ball forward.

While they start as a back three, they will into a back four…

…which can be in many different ways.

In the opposition’s the 3-4-2-1 can quickly gain control of the pitch…

…and in the opposition, having the two wide centre-backs in the half-space…

…means that there’s a lot of the opposition need to cover.

One way this system gaps…

…is with the coordinated movement of the two forwards.

These overloads wide are one of the main threats of this formation…

…and the 3-4-2-1 can very quickly create gaps in the opposition’s full-back.

Dropping off the back line, a centre-back out of position…

…and up space for Son and Kulusevski to move centrally.

If well , it can be incredibly challenging for the opposition to gain ground…

…as the two centre-mids and three centre-backs mean they can …

…any runs outside the box and possession.

If the opposition is able to beat the and moves into the defensive half, this formation…

…can quickly cover all the dangerous spaces by into a back five.

Given the number of players on the back line, it often results in teams in a low block…

…and stopping any or passes that come into the centre.

As with all formations, it requires the whole team to work together…

…and a single player not back, could leave gaps for the opposition.