Football is all about scoring and stopping goals. But there are many different tactics that can be used in pursuit of these aims – and that’s where the manager earns his crust. It might be better to play more defensively to hold on to a lead. Or, if the team is losing, a more attacking set-up that allows the players to push further forward may be required. To alter the way the team is playing requires a change to the structure. Traditionally, teams play in a 4-4-2 formation – that is four defenders, four midfielders and two strikers. But, as the game has progressed and developed, managers and players have experimented with many variations of team formations. Adaptability is the key and the best managers can change formations as the game progresses. The most common formation you will likely see in the soccer world today is the 4-4-2. It’s made up of four defenders, four midfielders and two strikers. It is an adaptable system where you have strength in midfield and plenty of width. Having two strikers means that the front line has extra support rather than having to wait for the midfield to reach them. This formation, like others, tends to free up the full-backs, who will have more time on the ball than midfielders, particularly if the opposition is playing 4-4-2 as well. In fact, some coaches see the two central midfielders in this formation as defenders and the full-backs as attackers.

This formation also offers the chance for one of the two central midfielders to get forward and support the strikers. It actually stems from what was a 4-2-4 system used by great Brazilian and Real Madrid sides of the past. Sometimes the two midfielders will take turns in pushing forward to keep the defenders guessing. But some teams, such as the Three Lions England or even the Samba boys of Brazil sometimes favour a more solid approach, assigning a midfielder to have a more defensive and deeper role – such as Ledley King or Jamie Carragher or even Emerson to cover the defence. This gives the more attacking midfielder greater freedom to push forward and support the strikers. This type of formation has been called the diamond formation as the four midfielders form a diamond-like shape, and it favours a team which does not have strong wingers.

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