soccer strategy

[JohnnyDrama]

ive been reading this forum for a few days. this is my first post so i will make it short and to the point. the whole idea of the 5312 is just ridiculous and should be banned for even putting it even if it was just a mistake. also, totalfootball. thats possibly the worst formation i have ever ever seen. EVER.

[TheGodEmperor]

dont be decieved because the diamond looks so wide and long...its the same as a 4 defense line, except with one central defender playing slightly ahead of the other. Its been unclear because of the limitations of using dots on a computer screen to illustrate my point. And I like having outside players so that teams can switch the ball alot and play a wide game. I'd use the central midfielder mainly as a connecting piece, although they should make runs through the middle to pick up a cross and back up the striker. I see what you all mean by the defense being easy to penerate, but the solution to that would be to move the outside mids in when they play defense so that the stopper has more support. The wingers would come back a bit too and help control the midfield (ie covering the other team) when the ball is not in our possession. All the teams I've been on play a 4-4-2 formation, except I've noticed that it encourages a lob-and-run style of game, so I think that a 4-3-3 formation would help to bring the ball wide again. That way, the striker would not be going by himself up the middle and waiting for people to overlap him, he'd have two wingers who are always pretty well alongside him so that they can easily overlap him if need be and create triangulation. If anyone sees flaws, point them out please....maybe I could learn something. 

[TheKingNut]

I just don't see this formation being sound enough defensively to be heralded as a great formation that can be used to start a game. Maybe it could be used when chasing a game but it seems a team would get too exposed in the middle of the park and there would be confusion at the back in terms of who would pick up who

[TheKingNut]

I wrote this on the Spain Euro 08 thread too......

What you are not seeing though is that this formation would not be good for a winger. The full backs would be forced into playing too narrow, making it very hard to play out. In my personal opinion this sort of shape would encourage a more direct style. There are not enough bodies in midfield to pop it around. If the midfield played tight then maybe I could see the team getting hold of it in there but I just don't think a team could play out in this shape.

[moby]

I wrote this on the Spain Euro 08 thread too......

What you are not seeing though is that this formation would not be good for a winger. The full backs would be forced into playing too narrow, making it very hard to play out. In my personal opinion this sort of shape would encourage a more direct style. There are not enough bodies in midfield to pop it around. If the midfield played tight then maybe I could see the team getting hold of it in there but I just don't think a team could play out in this shape.

thats a very good point. at our school we play the diond formation and we play out wide alot. almost all our goals came from the wings in our last match.

btw if TF10 you formation was attacked from the wings it could maybe get the two central defenders out of position. then the winger could center it and the attacking midfeilder could rip one in.

[TheGodEmperor]

I just don't see this formation being sound enough defensively to be heralded as a great formation that can be used to start a game. Maybe it could be used when chasing a game but it seems a team would get too exposed in the middle of the park and there would be confusion at the back in terms of who would pick up who

yeah you're right there, actually. I've played with this formation alot, and found that it makes for a great crossing game. Since the cross is the best aspect of my game as a player, I can see how many chances it creates. Therefore, if I have a good crosser on my team, I would definitely use this formation. The 4-4-2 doesn't use the corners as much because the wingers are more pulled back. However, I think Moby's formation would also work well in that respect. I understand the weaknesses of the formation. I would need really fit wingers (the ones further up the field) so they could pressure the ball back past the midfield (when we dont have the ball). Then the outside mids would push in to center and support the stopper while the fullbacks would push farther out to scoop the ball off the opposing wingers if our wingers have let people through. The sweeper, of course, would sweep balls away frow across the net and give the fullbacks an angle of support from behind.

[TheKingNut]

Totalfootball, in all honesty I think you are complicating things far too much. The basis of most teams is a solid, straight back four. Occasionally a back three can work but how often do you see a team start with three center backs in football today? Hardly ever. Almost all teams play a traditional back four, with full backs as the main outlets with which to play through.

[TheGodEmperor]

I have a back 4, with 2 fullbacks and 2 centerbacks: a sweeper, and a stopper

[TheKingNut]

But a sweeper and stopper just doesn't work in modern football

[TheGodEmperor]

they do if used properly. They just require active midfielders and forwards who come back past half when the other team has the ball past our half.

[TheKingNut]

Name one team in the Champions League that plays it. Watch Euro 2008 and see how many teams play it......To save yourself the time, I can tell you now, that no teams will use that defensive shape in the tournament

[TheGodEmperor]

the sweeper would have to do more running, but the good thing about the sweep-stop formation is that the fullbacks have support both in front and behind them.