THE 4-3-3 FORMATION contd.

MIDFIELD(PART 1)

Three midfielders are used. There are 3 options for how the midfield stands;

*1 defensive midfielder, 1 central midfielder and 1 attacking midfielder.

*2 defensive midfielders and 1 attacking midfielder.

*1 defensive midfielder and 2 attacking midfielders.

1 defensive midfielder, 1 central midfielder and 1 attacking midfielder: One of the midfielders is allotted a free role. This option works best if the team has one midfielder who is a box-to-box player. The defensive midfielder maintains a centralized position and acts mainly as a ball winner and a distributor, if possible. Technically, the team playing this formation is expected to dominate play. This option allows for the team to pick and spray passes all around the pitch. This is because the presence of 3 players at the middle, each with a defined role helps produce dominance and control of the game. It is only in rare cases using this option that the defensive midfielder is allowed to push forward. This is because even if one of the defenders join the attack, the defensive midfielder is to cover for him. Only a good ball winner with brilliant tackles is played in this position. The central midfielder is required to have a high work rate and strength thereby fitting into a free role. He runs through the midfield, defense as well as attack. He picks the ball from the full backs and defensive midfielder and dictates the pace of the team. If a skimmer is played in this position, it is an added advantage. In play, the central midfielder is required to play every position on the field.

THE 4-3-3 FORMATION

The formation fields 4 defenders, 3 midfielders and 3 attackers. It became the most common formation in recent years following the advanced technicalities introduced in the game.

DEFENDERS

Two central defenders and two full backs, one on either flank. Usually, one of the central defenders stands as the sweeper and the other as the last man. Special attention is given to the full-backs. The full-backs are given an additional task of initiating attacks. They roam forward and are required to perform their defensive roles as well.

Full Backs: The left and right full backs provide width and attacking options for the team. Players with a high work-rate, speed and good delivery are used in these positions. These qualities they have to combine with their sound defensive abilities. The rate at which a player can overlap and return to perform his primary duty of defending is of great importance. In most teams using this formation, it has been discovered that one of the full-backs is always more attacking than the other. Sometimes, one wonders if this is only natural or a game plan. When a team is attacking in most cases, the full backs run the flank through to the opponent’s goal line. Tactically, the full-backs are to play as the wingers as the wing forwards either play into the mid-field or the attack. The prevalence of this formation in modern day football has almost made it compulsory for full-backs to play long into the attack, regardless of the formation being used. It has also been observed over time that the full-backs initiate most of the attacks. The mid-fielders pick the balls from the defenders, spray to the full-backs who play back to the mid-fielders and run forward for a return pass.

The ability to alternate speed and break runs are additional qualities a full-back should possess.

Only players with good technique, speed, good ball delivery and work rate can successfully play these positions. Most football lovers hold the view that the idea of full-backs pushing into attack started with Cafu and Roberto Carlos in the 2002 FIFA Mundial.

to be continued

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EL-CLASSICO(NOW THAT THE MIGHTY HAS FALLEN)

As the players filed out with high expectations, viewers across the globe were in high spirit and a lot of excitement surrounded the much talked about tie.

Some said it was a war of C. Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi, others said Guardiola vs Mourinho. Whatever anyone said,it was going to be a thrilling encounter.

LINE-UP
Barcelona lined up a 4-3-3 formation with Valdes in goal: Alves,Pique,Puyol,Abidal,Xavi,Busquets,Iniesta,Pedro,Messi,Villa.
Madrid lined up a 4-5-1 formation with Casillas in goal: Ramos,Carvalho,Pepe,Marcelo,Alonso,Khedira,Ozil,Ronaldo,Di Maria,Benzema.

1ST HALF
In the early stages of the first half,barcelona were more tactical as they looked to pick the ball quickly in the mid-field and send it to the left flank. They did this with an aim of disorienting Madrid's 5-man midfield.They were quick with their passes and this did not give Madrid mid-fielders particular players to mark.Xavi was the commander of this game play and distributed passes as quickly as he ran forward to score the first goal. The quick play at the center of the park allowed Villa enough space and time to think anytime the ball was sprayed to him. Iniesta constantly joined Villa on the left flank to cause Ramos more troubles as Ronaldo drifted to the centre of the field,leaving Ramos with no support behind.Even now,I wonder why Alonso or Khedira was not present to support Ramos in marking these Spanish 'wizards'.But for two good runs,Messi did not do more than pass the ball excellently in the first half. The two goals scored by Xavi and Pedro in the half showed how quick Barca can attack and use the ball to the detriment of their opponents.After these two goals,Madrid struggled to find their feet but it almost appeared as a repay of the Germany-Spain world cup match. The individual abilites of the Barca players was on display as they kept possession wonderfully.

2ND HALF
The half-time substitution of Ozil for Diarra was an evidence of confusion in the Madrid bench.At half time,I expected the special one to bring on a more-attacking player for Khedira instead of Ozil. I was amazed at the simplest of tactics with which Guardiola defeated Mourinho as he switched his attack from the left to the right in the second half,thereby causing Marcelo a lot of problems. In this half,Messi and Pedro did the same job which Villa and Iniesta did in the first half.If you followed the game,you would notice Messi set Villa up for two goals in almost the same fashion that Iniesta set Xavi up for the first goal. If only Madrid had known that the second half would cause more problems for them than the first!Once again,Messi showed class as he dished through passes to Villa for two brilliant finishes by the man i like to call the 'number 1 goalscorer of today'.Villa makes goalscoring seem an easy task.After much pressure on Marcelo,Mourinho took him off for Arbeloa who did a better job defensively.Carvalho was lucky not to have been sent off when he used his hands to stop a goal-bound move by Pedro.Later in the game,it was Ramos who was going to get his matching orders. Bojan and Jeffren came on later in the game and the youngsters teamed up to register their presence on the pitch as the former swung in a great pass to the latter for a clinical finish.
In a nutshell, Barcelona made the match seem like a training session.

SUBSTITUTIONS
DIARRA --> OZIL(MADRID)
ARBELOA --> MARCELO(MADRID)

BOJAN --> VILLA
KEITA --> XAVI
JEFFREN --> PEDRO

Watch out for the next post on the 4-3-3 formation.

ARSENAL-TOTTENHAM(THE NORTH LONDON DERBY)

I've been away for a while but now back and better.Learnt so much in little time.
The game is:

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur

Barclays Premier League, Emirates Stadium

Saturday, November 20, 2010, 12:45

Referee:‬ Phil Dowd

Arsenal news: Jack Wilshere passed a fitness test on Friday and will be named in the squad. Laurent Koscielny is back from suspension. Robin van Persie had 45 minutes more football with Holland this week but is highly unlikely to start.

Tottenham news: Striker Jermain Defoe, having recovered from ankle surgery, is back in training and is included in Harry Redknapp’s squad, and will likely be used as a substitute.Lennon could also play some part in this fixture.

The North London derby promises to be an entertaining one as both teams have always been known for their abilities to come all out and attack their opponents.Flashes of class and pace will be the highlight of the game but I see Arsenal carrying the day as they tend to be more technically disciplined. I expect the Arsenal midfield to put pressure on Spurs and make it very difficult for them to find their feet for most of the game.

On the other hand anyway,one cannot rule out the 'bullet' pace of Bale and the thunderous strikes from the left foot of Van der Vaart.Tottenham are a very strong side too and could go out to pick 1 or 3 points in this early kick off.

I however do not see this as a 'Modric vs Fabregas' game as players like Nasri and Bale have been in excellent form this season.I also believe that if both coaches place Walcott and Bale on the right and left flanks of their teams respectively,it is going to be much action on one side of the fray.Nevertheless, I do not see Walcott starting this game.

Whatever the results turn out to be,we are assured of a fun-filled,all-attacking afternoon.

I will be here after the game to highlight the technicalities and tactical activities of the match,rating and analyzing each player in the process.

While some say it is a battle between Fabregas and Modric, I see it as a battle between these men who are techincally sound and mentally alert;

CURTAIN RAISER

As we gear up for the start of a new season,England comes alive again today as the community shield is played. The champions are going head to head to kick-start a new season as players from both sides race against time to attain full fitness.

Chelsea's Carlo Ancelotti is sticking to the 4-3-3 formation he played against Hamburg on Wednesday night with Hilario in goal as the only change to the squad. Benayoun starts from the bench alongside Drogba and others as Essien is set for his first real test after a long spell on the sidelines.With Ashley Cole on the left, Malouda will be able to drift in most times as Anelka is played as the lone man upfront.

Hernandez should get the nod to start instead of Berbatov alongside Rooney if Sir Alex Ferguson sees it right to start the new boy.We are likely to see O'Shea at left-back due to the absence of Evra.Aside this,I believe Man U's team will remain unchanged from what they had last season.Alternatively,we could see a 4-3-3 formation for Man U too.

Immediately after the game,I will be here with detailed analysis of the match.

Always hit this blogspot to read up more about games played and technical inputs of the gaffers because we are ready for a challenging flight this season.


Chelsea (team): Hilario, Ivanovic, Terry, Ferreira, Cole, Essien, Lampard, Mikel, Kalou, Anelka, Malouda. Subs (from): Turnbull, Bruma, Zhirkov, Carvalho, Benayoun, Kakuta, Drogba, Sturridge

Man Utd (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, O'Shea, Neville, Evans, De Laet, Vidic, Smalling, Brown, Fletcher, Scholes, Gibson, Giggs, Park, Valencia, Nani, Cleverley, Rooney, Hernandez, Berbatov, Owen, Macheda.

1ST ROUND OF MATCHES ENTERS FINAL DAY

As the first round of matches of the FIFA WORLD CUP,SOUTH AFRICA 2010 enters the final day,I review the games so far and try to evaluate if the teams have played up to the anticipated levels.
SOUTH AFRICA 1-1 MEXICO
A typical first game of the competition. Mexico started well and pushed forward through Dos Santos and slowly the host nation got into the game and fought hard to earn a draw after a second half which went their way.Two players worth mentioning in that game are Dos Santos and Tshabalaba.
URUGUAY 0-0 FRANCE
One game France showed us they do not have much to offer in this WC.Uruguay's Forlan gave a solid performance but did not get all the needed support for Suarez,we must say we expected much more from the Ajax man.Evra did all in his capacity to drive his team forward on a day Arsenal's Diaby was present in the midfield but sadly with an almost absent Gourcuff except for those far wide shots.Maybe someone lied to him that the Jabulani would go right into the net when you shoot from any distance and angle even without precision.
KOREA REPUBLIC 2-0 GREECE
What J.S Park put up in this game is the kind of performance you expect from the big players in a team.He drove the team forward and two good goals assured them maximum points in a game where Greece struggled throughout to find their balance.
ARGENTINA 1-0 NIGERIA
This has grown into a rivalry since 2005 when these two teams mate at the Under-21 level in holland,but Argentina have remained at the advantaged end of the rivalry.Even in 2002 WC,Argentina only managed a 1-0 win against Nigeria and if you recall,Ike Shoronmu put up a goal keeping clinic that day.Lionel Messi was allowed his runs forward but denied registering himself on the score sheet by the magnificent form of Enyeama;great for indeed.While the Nigerian side kept their cool with only a few attacks in that game,Gabriel Heinze's goal seperated both sides.
ENGLAND 1-1 USA
Soccer fans all over the world stayed glued to their TV sets to see their favorite premiership stars bring glamour to the WC. But yet again,the English team did not play to their full potential and this made the tactically disciplined USA side pull a draw,no thanks to a Robert Green error.This was a game where the midfield battle was stiff and Glen Johnson the only full back allowed to stretch forward many times.England sincerely missed Barry and the surprise inclusion of Miner in the starting 11 did not help matters.
ALGERIA 0-1 SLOVENIA
An uneventful match which saw another goal keeping error enough to secure vital 3 points for Slovenia.Algeria had a good game with Ziani doing good work from central to mostly attacking midfield.


I will be back to discuss other matches at the end of today's games.

We expect so much from a team that I say will give a solid performance.Brazil had a good start yesterday,although most people expected more than that from them.Worthy of note was Maicon's super strike. And today,Spain enters into the world cup..Indeed,the world cup has begun.

THE ENGLAND-USA GAME

USA
The ever-technical Bradley did not fail in his plan to keep England away,but unlucky to record one of those crafted wins.The substitutions were important and this is why I place this man as one of the most brilliant coaches in the game right now.Most times,I think he has a weak bench and that is why he does not get his substitutes to win games for him,but at least,they keep the game in order.
Lining up a solid 4-4-2 against England,USA kept a good defensive wall and gave Dempsey and Donovan the task of handling the English midfield in an attempt to create some space in between the English midfield and defense.Also worth mentioning is the tenacious presence of Micheal Bradley,son of the coach.Also worth mentioning was the brilliant run and eventual strike of Altidore which was denied a goal by Green and the wood work.
ENGLAND
The 4-4-2 of England which to me presented a surprise introduction of Milner into starting from left lacked the cutting-edge to gain victory from the well battled game.And again the need for a Joe Cole or Walcott is called.Wait a minute,what was on Capello's mind when he chose the starting XI?
Lampard started deep until sometime in the second half when Gerrard let him loose and Carragher allowed Terry to tear the game forward.I could bet Milner would have done better if allowed to stay on with some instruction and I really wonder why it was not Joe Cole on for him.Even flying both wings did not provide any more width for Capello's side.The side played for total dominance but lacked the authority of one of the supposed strongest teams in the world.

NOTABLE POINTS FROM THE GAME
*Ashley Cole was kept at 'home',no thanks to Donovan who did a good job while Johnson worked the right side through giving England width.
*Gerrard took the game upon himself but with Lampard not doing much until late in the game,he only could do his best.
*Tim Howard had a decent game and what he had to do,he did with minimal fuss.And when called upon on high points,he was present.
*Onyewu did excellently and had the nerve to hold Rooney to the ground thereby giving the entire USA defense less work to do.
*Dempsey and Donovan did not fail to deliver and showed their presence has professionals with good experience.Such performance is expected of high profile players in their respective countries.
*Bocanegra and Gerrard put up captain performances tonight.
CRITICISMS
Wright-Phillips?Aaron Lennon?James Milner?
Findley made some good runs in the first half which I believe should have torn Altidore space enough to net one goal.
COMIC
Only God knows what curse is on English keepers.Green was some form of comic relief for the goal he conceded.

I leave you with this question:
Gerrard,Dempsey,Johnson,Onyewu..Who of these four (4) was the best player on the field for the USA-ENGLAND game?

THE 4-4-2 FORMATION(MODIFIED)

Just when we thought the left and right mid-fielders were going into extinction paving way for Left and Right wing forwards,our ever-intelligent football experts introduce a modified 4-4-2 formation.
DEFENSE(4)
As expected of football these days,the full backs are allowed to run the whole line through to the attack.If both full backs have attacking abilities,then the wing mid-fielder plays centrally. This gives the team a stronger midfield,thereby giving them an advantage of dominance of the game.
When either of the full backs pushes forward,there is always one mid-fielder to cover for him.
MIDFIELD(4)
In this formation,either a left or right wing mid-fielder is featured along with 1 attacking,1 central and 1 defensive mid-fielder.Most times,one of the mid-fielders tends to play on the other wing but only supporting the wing back on that flank.
The peculiarity of this formation is the fact that the attacking mid-fielder is granted freedom to join the strikers in attack while the winger plays centrally.Infact sometimes the winger adapts to a central role just like the case of JAMES MILNER of ASTON VILLA.
ATTACK(2)
Just like in the traditional 4-4-2,the 2 strikers can both play through the middle or from both sides of the field.When playing through the middle,the strikers rarely play side-by-side,instead they play 1 behind the other.
The sound technicality of modern footballers makes them modify the 4-4-2 formation to a 4-3-3 sometimes during the course of the game. This way,one of the strikers(mostly the one with more pace or foot work) drops to one wing,inviting the winged mid-fielder to join the attack on the other wing.This makes the other striker act like a lone striker and the attacking mid-fielder playing just behind him.

TEAMS WITH THIS FORMATION:
Chelsea(4-4-2):
Defenders: Ashley Cole,John Terry,Alex and Ivanovic.
Mid-fielders: Frank Lampard,John Obi Mikel, Micheal Ballack,Florent Malouda.
Strikers: Nicolas Anelka,Didier Drogba.

Tottenham* with Modric,Huddlestone,Palacios and Lennon in midfield

Supposed English team with Barry,Lampard,Gerrard and Lennon/Wright Phillips in Midfield

Spain* with Alonso,Iniesta/Fabregas,Xavi and Silva in Midfield

Many other teams also use this formation.

*It should be noted that Tottenham used this formation before Modric got injured in 2009/2010 season and Spain's formation is subject to many changes based on the decision of the coach.


Feel free to comment and ask questions about this.You can check on this blog regularly for more about football...

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