Do you remember back in episode 11 when I mentioned that the 4-4-2C has a very close formational cousin? Well, this is the formation I was talking about! The 4-3-1-2 is another formation that plays in a sort of diamond midfield set up, albeit it has some different characteristics that make it quite the contrary to its cousin. In this formation, the 3 within the midfield are slightly more separated from each other which allows the M(LC) and M(RC) to be more dynamic compared to the ones within the 4-4-2C. The AM(C) within this formation is more closer to the forward line than he is to the midfield 3, while the central M(C) starts off in a higher position compared to the DM(C) within the 4-4-2C, and will be needed to give a more deeper role in order for him to both protect the back line and operate as the hub of the team (only if you want him to do so, ofcourse). Every other player within the 4-3-1-2 operates similarly to the players within this formation’s “cousin”, but we will still aim to get into as much detail as we possibly can.
Just a reminder that we will not be looking at this section within the entirety of season 9.
DEFENCE
We start out as always in defence where we have the current World Cup Golden Glove winner and a quite exceptional shot stopper in the Argentinian Emiliano Martinez. I am a huge fan of his and he has the character that is necessary to control his penalty boxwith authority. In the back line, we have arguably our strongest one to date in terms of each player’s individualistic point of view, with my current favorite D(C) in world football in Marquinhos whom I believe deserves his flowers as one of the pioneers for ‘BPD’s’ who are also quite exceptional when it comes to defending. He is partnered by Spanish international Pau Torres, who also possesses very good defensive capabilities while also being quite effective on the ball as well. Both will be very important in ensuring that this team can get their build up play going and will share the responsibilities when it comes to who is progressing the ball up the field. It is pretty safe to say that this back line possesses some of the best technical defenders in the game and we are seeing exactly that with João Cancelo and Ben Chilwell both providing the width on each side, with Chilly being more of an outlet who will aim to make off the ball runs as much as he possibly can while showcasing his technique via crossing and taking shots. Cancelo, on the other hand, is a player that just exudes endless bouts of finesse on the ball wether it’s via his passing, technical dribbling or his shooting abilities. A simply sensational player who is also incredibly intelligent and will be a creative threat from his DM(R) position.
MIDFIELD
We have a midfield 3 that is filled with one creative player who is flanked by more hard working players who will aim to use thier energy to motor up and down the entire pitch in an endless pursuit of impacting both boxes. Manuel Locatelli is the main hub from dead centre of the pitch who majority of his teammates will be aiming to look for as he uses his creative prowess in an attempt to assist as many of his teammates as he possibly can. If you have noticed, Manuel’s arrow has not been touched which is an indication that he will play slightly higher up the pitch which will allow either Marquinhos or Torres (most likely Correa) to play slightly higher up the pitch during attacking bouts of possession. The main reason for this occurring is due to the fact that both Seko Fofana and Pitor Zielinski will provide high levels of work rate which will allow the more creative players (Locatelli and Marqinhos in particular) to shine. One last note on both B2B’s and it’s how they are slightly different from each other. Seko is a player that is full of energy and will do most of his damage in between both boxes, while Zielinski is more of a high impact player who will do most of his damage within bothboxes…
FORWARDS
We finish things off with the front 3 and I must say that these lads here would cause a ton of nightmares for defenders a many if they were to ever play together! We’re talking about 3 players who have have speed, exceptional movement, finishing and creative capabilities, and you can expect that they all will be floating around the attacking third making it quite difficult for any opposition to lock them down. Based on who we have within this front 3, you can expect Musiala to be the one provided with the most freedom, while Salah will drift towards the right hand side, and Jota will aim to be the most central of the three who will do most of his clinical work around the penalty box (and if you know anything about Jota, you’ll know that he his exceptional in the air)
DEFENSIVE TRANSITION
If we compare this to the 4-4-2C then we can see how much of a commonality is found within both defensive phases. However, there is the slightest difference between the two that if not taken into consideration could cause an imbalance due to not having the ideal player within the respective position that will ensure there isn’t any leakages within the set up. This difference is the positions of the AM(C) and both M(LC) and M(RC). Firstly, the AM(C)’s higher position up the pitch allows him to maneuver against the defensive set up of your opposition more aggressively, while the M(C)’s slightly wider position allows them to aid the ‘WB’s’ more easily as well as applying pressure against your opposition’s wide players if necessary. Ofcourse, the downside to this is a potential mishap in your midfield region, so take this into consideration…
The decision is now up to you, soccermanagerite. Will it be the 4-4-2C or the 4-3-1-2 that gets your next formational pick?
The Soccermanager Experience 