And here we are…. Getting the season underway with arguably the most unorthodox formation within the entirety of S.M.W… Now, as many of you Soccermanagerites should already know, we’ve went through each formation in more detail within season 3, but for just a quick briefing: The 3-1-3-3 is a centrally biased formation that seeks to create overloads within the middle of the pitch in order to be in positions where your players are closer to the goal rather than being in wider areas where the ball will then have to be played back within the middle of the park. Ofcourse, the weakness for this will be your lack of width, and against teams that have some good ‘Wingers‘ or like playing down both flanks, you’ll be constantly placed under pressure via your players having to be so stretched into areas that don’t suit the 3-1-3-3’s set up. Nevertheless, there’s still a possibility that you can use this formation and be successful, and it will be determined by the players you have within your team.
So, let’s get to the main reason why you’ve clicked on this episode…. 😁
Just as a reminder, we will not be focusing on this area within this season, lads. The education you will learn pertaining how to get the best balanced XI that you possibly can will be well worth its omission.
Now then, on to today’s formation:
DEFENCE
The main aim of this season is to ensure that we can locate the most balanced team for each formation that can be used by any single one of us. We start off in goal where Robert Sánchez will be getting possession and implementing his ball playing skills as a ‘Modern Keeper’. It is imperative that every player within this formation is comfortable on the ball regardless of if you’re playing a short passing style or a long passing style. V.V.D will most likely collect the ball in easier possession (when there’s no pressure from your opposition), while both Walker and Gvardiol will aim to get as wide as they possibly can to be early outballs within your defensive third (both are very important as well in your defensive phase since they possess good pace to deal with the inevitable balls going down the flanks).
MIDFIELD
Aurélien Tchouameni is the sole Pivot with the job of simply sitting infront of the back 3, not going too far from them even if your team is well into the opposition’s defensive third. He will be performing simple passes to his attack minded teammates as this isn’t the formation for him to be conducting play. The three ‘F.A.P’s’ infront of him are arguably the most important players within the entire formation as they will be tasked with using their freedom to get unto the ball, in addition to providing width if needed. They are also crucial in the defensive phase as they need to have a decent amount of work rate which will prevent your team from being outran in the middle of the park. None of the three need to be your main creative spark, but they all should possess a good through ball in them.
FORWARDS
Upfront, the front 3 should be focused on staying within their position for as long as possible until your team has the ball within the attacking third. Inaki Williams and Moussa Diaby will both keep the width for as long as they possibly can, while Watkins leads the line as best as he can, using his freedom as a ‘General Forward’ to locate spaces where he can be dangerous. Williams in particular will aim to make runs ‘in to out’ in order to get into goal scoring opportunities, but it would be more beneficial if you chose toplay another‘Winger’ on that side like a Jonathan Bamba or Kaoru Mitoma since they will be more disciplined to stay out wide for a bit longer which will allow one or two of your F.A.P’s to run into the open space their positioning has created. However, Inaki is just an example of a player who, although mainly wants to score goals, can still operate slightly wider when necessary. REMEMBER though: this out wide positioning will only be for a short period since this formation is primarily aimed at central domination!
DEFENSIVE TRANSITION
Since defence starts from the front, your front 3 will need to have enough discipline to get involved with this side of the game, while your midifield 4 will generally spilt into a flat 4 with your RAM and LAM (Right and Left Attacking Midfielders) potentially becoming ‘Wingbacks’ aiming to assist your RCB and LCB (Right and Left Center Backs) whenever they are being overloaded. In addition, your F(R) and F(L) will also need to assit with helping out defensively when dealing with the inevitable overloads on the flanks by your oppostion. The most important player within your defensive transition will arguably be Aurélien Tchouameni (or whomever you decide to play within this position). His secondary role will be to organize the more attack minded players in front of him by constantly instructing them on where they need to be. This is why it is MANDATORY that this player is a bonified ‘Ball Winning Midfielder’ since they are the only ones with this “sixth sense” for smelling danger a couple of plays before it occurs…
Now then, that was enticing, wasn’t it! We’re just getting started, and in our next episode, we take a look into one of the five most popular formations within S.M.W…. Check it out by clicking the link below…
The Soccermanager Experience 