THE 4-2-3-1 FORMATION

Been away for long and now I'm back. By popular demand, I want to examine the 4-2-3-1 formation. The formation lines up 4 defenders,2 central midfielders,3 attacking midfielders and a striker. The interesting thing about this formation is that it allows almost every player the opportunity to score goals. There is flexibility from midfield to attack. The peculiarity of this formation is fluidity. I won't bore you with the many stories of how everyone should line-up, instead I will highlight the dynamics of the formation. Concentration is in the midfield. The central midfielders: A team can line-up one defensive and one central midfielder or 2 central midfielders with at least one being very mobile. I believe playing a defensive midfielder and another mobile central midfielder allows the team explore all areas in midfield. This is because the anchor man shields the defense while the mobile man runs around the midfield in a circular direction as he defends and attacks when necessary. Playing 2 central midfielders isn't bad though but the danger in it is that we might have a rigid midfield; this does not allow for fluidity. The anchor man plays the traditional holding role while the mobile man picks balls from defenders and the anchor man to drive the team while bearing in mind the fact that he must run after the opposing players when they are in possession of the ball. The mobile man can be anywhere on the field at any time as he is expected to always be where the action is. He is also to cover for any over-lapping defender. This position requires a player with strength,pace,endurance and quickness. A good eye for goal is an added advantage. Essentially, the central midfielders do all the dirty jobs The attacking midfielders: They determine the pace of the game. The number of goals the team scores and the quality of play is largely determined by these men. Traditionally,we should have 2 wing forwards and a central attacking midfielder. These days, coaches get to play central players in wide roles and get good results. The beauty of this area on the field is in the swapping of roles and positions by these 3 players. This makes it very important for players in these positions to possess good ball passing skills,pace,quickness and tactical soundness. Many coaches have played left-footed players from the right flank and it pays off. The players can easily cut-in and run at goal. One must not ignore the fact that the wide players must drop to give support to the full-backs and the central player should drop to deep midfield roles so as to create space,if need be. In some cases,the central player plays as a second striker as he is required to play behind the striker. The striker: It is becoming increasingly boring for front men to remain in the box waiting for balls to reach them. Most strikers drop into midfield roles to help the team bring the ball into their opponents 18-yard box. A shortcoming of this approach is possible crowding of the midfield and absence of a goal scorer when the ball gets into the box. Strikers who have excelled in this position are those who easily swap positions with the wing forwards; this allows for co-ordination and team play when a team is attacking. Whichever way the striker chooses to play, he needs quick movement and anticipation. Follow me on twitter: @coachsanmi email: olaniyan.olusanmi@acesports.com.ng