If the 3-4-3 and 3-4-2-1 are ‘cousins’ that normally get mixed up, then the 3-4-1-2 is a good relative of the 3-5-2. In today’s blog, I’ll dicuss the reasons behind me making this statement.
Consisting of 3 Defenders, 2 Central Midfielders, 2 Wide Men , 1 Attacking Midfielder and 2 Forwards, the 3-4-1-2 is as close to a 3-5-2 that you could ever get. This formation allows its user to play an extra attack minded player, scraficing a would be Central Midfielder for a player who can potentially make a difference at the business end of the field. Similarly to the 3-4-2-1, the player/s that operates behind the Forward/s can be any type of player which ofcourse is completely dependent on your personnel and tactical approach. What most teams tend to do these days is rotate between using the 3-4-1-2 and 3-4-2-1 throughout the course of a match and you too can also do this but it is imperative that you understand how to use the arrows in your favor to do so.
PROS
*Player behind Forwards provide a lot of different options as how to best utilize him
*Player behind Forwards can essentially ‘drop in’ to form a 3 man midfield along the other 2 Central Midifelders
*Central overloads are possible with this formation
CONS
*Formation is vunerable against teams that play down both flanks
*Although central overload is possible, if the Attacking Midfeilder fails to track back effectively then opposition can gain control in the middle of the pitch
- Central Midfielders may become very isolated against an opposition counter (especially if both Wide Midfielders are asked to play more attackingly)
A very good formation that can make your team score a lot of goals but the potential threat of conceading a lot is too much for me to make it one of my favourites. Still, give it a go and see how it works for you!
The Soccermanager Experience 