In my earlier years watching soccer, one of the things I cared about more than anything was formation.
Even before I became obsessed with soccer players, what excited me the most was the arrangement of players in specific positions and how they spread all over the pitch.
There are so many formations in soccer and different ways teams tend to approach games, but one of my favorite setups was the 4-2-3-1 formation.
As I grew older and understood the game more, my love for this formation grew. I watched great teams attain success playing this style and saw great managers win major trophies using this formation.
What is the 4-2-3-1 Formation?
This formation is one of the most popular soccer systems in the sport.
Here, you see a traditional back four, consisting of two central defenders and two fullbacks, a pivot of two midfielders at the base with two wingers on either side of a number 10, or an attacking midfielder who plays behind the lone striker upfront.
Origin of 4-2-3-1
The origin of this famous formation could be traced back to the current Manchester City assistant coach, Juanma Lillo.
The 58-year-old, who has managed clubs like Real Sociedad, Al Sadd, Vissel Kobe, Tenerife, and Zaragoza, among others, was one of the major influencers of this formation, going back to his time at Salamanca.
This was the first job he took in La Liga in 1992, and he was the head coach of the club at the young age of 29.
Lillo may not be the most popular coach, nor is he the most decorated, but his contribution to the game inspired one of the greatest managers of all time Pep Guardiola.
“Juanma sees things no one else in the game sees. He understands football on an incredible level, so he is the perfect person for me to work alongside. I have always been inspired by him – his knowledge of football, his intelligence, and his humanity mark him out as a very special person in my life – and we have a shared ideology.” High praise from one of the most celebrated managers of all time.
What Are the Strengths of a 4-2-3-1 Formation?
The modern game is a possession and pressing-based game. With more and more teams looking to have control of the ball and press, the 4-2-3-1 allows them to have players spread across the pitch equally to close down opposition defenders in the buildup.
Since there is a player (the attacking midfielder or number 10) behind the strikers, some coaches tend to move the number 10 up front alongside the striker and create a 4-4-2 formation or a 4-2-4 formation that allows the four players up front to go one on one with the opposition’s back four.
These teams can set up different traps in their press to either force a team to play out wide before triggering the press or play centrally before closing the opposition down in midfield.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal currently play that way.
When the ball is won back in the opposition half or midfield, the four frontmen can attack the space behind the opposition. If the team boasts quick attackers like Arsenal, for instance, they can turn high turnovers into transition opportunities and goals.
Possession-based sides that build out from the back can count on six (seven if you count the ball-playing goalkeeper) players in the first phase.
With the back four and the double pivot in midfield, teams can create numerical advantages against the opposition press as well as drag defenders out of position to open space for the number 10 in central areas or the half-spaces.
The number 10 often has a free role in this system. This means that he will pop up in different positions during different phases of play to problem-solve. Mesut Ozil and Juan Mata are prime examples of players who have thrived in that position and role.
Also, teams who choose to sit back and defend find this formation particularly useful. Just like the more front-foot teams convert to a 4-4-2 to press, the more conservative sides will sit back and play a low block to ensure the opposition does not penetrate the defense centrally.
The spaces between each player in this compact structure are as minimal as possible, and the players can shuffle from side to side in unison to ensure the spaces remain the same regardless of where the ball is.
Teams that play against these defenses tend to get frustrated and commit more players forward. This leaves spaces behind the defense, which the defending team can exploit with quick counterattacks.
Inter Milan’s treble-winning side in 2010 which was managed by ‘The Special One’ Jose Mourinho is just one of the great teams to have played this way successfully.
What Are the Weaknesses of a 4-2-3-1 Formation?
The major weakness this formation has is that the striker upfront can be isolated. Oftentimes the striker will go two-on-one with the center backs or even three-on-one depending on the opposition’s formation.
Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United have this problem. They are a team that plays the 4-2-3-1, and their main striker, Rasmus Hojlund, did not score a Premier League goal in his first 17 games for the Red Devils.
He often fed off scraps up front due to the minimal service he got from players around him.
This formation can also be exploited in wide areas. Some teams commit both their wide forwards and their fullbacks on one side into attacks, leaving space on the flank and exposing the central defender on that side to attackers who can be dangerous in one-on-one situations.
The worst thing you could do to a central defender is make him defend against an attacker in open space while facing his own goal.
Roles of players in the 4-2-3-1 in possession
Since pressing teams in soccer today can match teams, man for man all over the pitch, the goalkeeper serves as the extra man in possession and has become a vital part of the build-up.
A goalkeeper who is good with his feet will be able to pick out passes and find his teammates in good positions to progress play.
Depending on how the team plays, the fullbacks may invert into midfield while one of the pivot players will move into the forward positions to support the number 10 and create numerical advantages on the pitch.
Some other teams prefer to go the traditional route by playing with two inverted wingers and overlapping fullbacks who push forward to provide extra width.
The midfielders in the pivot stay in position while the number 10 plays in the hole, supporting the wingers and the striker upfront.
Roles of Players in the 4-2-3-1 Out of Possession
Out-of-possession styles in this formation vary from team to team. This could also depend on the formation of the opponents.
Some teams prefer to drop into a 4-4-2 and press with the 10 and the lone striker on the same line. For others, they would keep the 4-2-3-1 shape, especially when going against teams that play the 4-3-3 formation.
The pivot midfielders and the attacking midfielder can go one-on-one with the opposition’s defensive midfielder and two central midfielders.
Using this 4-2-3-1 tactic against the 4-3-3 formation will make sure the opposition struggles to get the ball to their best passers in midfield and ensure that when the players do get the ball, they have no time and space to use it. Trust me, even at the local pitch I play at, it is so hard to deal with playing under the press.
Which Clubs and Managers Use the 4-2-3-1 Tactic?
Here are some of the managers who have used this formation to great effect at their respective clubs.
Hansi Flick at Bayern Munich
In 19/20, Bayern Munich made history by winning the second treble in their club’s history (which was also the second for Bayern in less than a decade).
They ended the 2020 calendar year with six titles won, and Hansi Flick’s Bravarians played with a 4-2-3-1 formation throughout.
With Thomas Muller playing behind Lewandowski, the German icon was allowed a free role, which allowed him to interchange with the inverted wingers and make runs beyond Robert Lewandowski, who played as the lone striker.
Muller’s creative ability and goalscoring were on display as he notched up 14 goals and 26 assists in 50 games. The wingers invert into central areas to create goal-scoring opportunities while trying to create chances for Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, or any player up front.
They were also flexible defensively as a team. Being able to play a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1 when they pressed or when they decided to sit in a mid- or low block because the formation allowed them to be compact and tight in the low block defense, as well as mark man-to-man or set pressing traps out wide or centrally.
Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid
‘The Special One’ might be out of a job after his latest sacking by Roma, but his track record shows that he is still one of the best ever to step foot in a dugout.
Mourinho is a manager famous for using the 4-2-3-1 formation for some of the greatest teams, including his star-studded Real Madrid squad, which had players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil, Angel Di Maria, and Sergio Ramos, to name a few.
They played a counter attacking style that had them soak up pressure from opposition attacks by sitting back and defending to get their opponents to commit bodies forward and leave space behind for lightning fast transitions with the world class talent they have.
They defended in a zonal marking formation with each player responsible for their own zones on the pitch.
There was little space between his players and his system allowed his team to be defensively resolute while making full use of the attributes possessed by the attackers in space.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City
The UEFA Champions League holders used the formation mainly in the 2020/21 season.
Guardiola opted for a more conservative team with Fernandinho or Ilkay Gundogan partnering with Rodri at the base of midfield.
The likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva played in different positions across the front four, with Sergio Aguero being the only recognized center forward on the team.
City played with a wrong-footed left fullback who inverted into midfield. Rather than having an inverted fullback out wide, City played with two inverted fullbacks with the wingers out wide, hugging the touchline and keeping the width.
The purpose of the fullbacks inverting is to have six players in defense against transitions while the attackers can break down the opposition with freedom.
Benefits and Drawbacks of the 4-2-3-1 Formation
The 4-2-3-1 formation is beneficial for teams that have goal-scoring threats out wide who can function as inverted wingers as well as a creative attacking midfielder who can create chances and score goals.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard are examples of players of that profile.
The biggest drawback is the fact that strikers in this system can get isolated against opposition defenders. The 4-2-3-1 tactic is vulnerable to the 4-4-2 diamond formation as well. There is a man advantage in midfield with a diamond, and teams will always find an extra man.
What is the Difference Between the 4-2-3-1 and the 4-3-3 Formation?
Some soccer fans say that the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations are the same, but the major difference lies in how both formations look.
The 4-3-3’s midfield shape can be likened to a regular triangle, while the 4-2-3-1 looks like an inverted triangle.
Tactically, the difference between the two formations is the fact that there is a sole defensive midfielder protecting the back four with two central midfielders on either side in a 4-3-3 while the 4-2-3-1 has an attacking midfielder in front of a double pivot.
Final Thoughts
The 4-2-3-1 is proven to produce results, as it provides a good foundation for players with individuality and flair. Some of my favorite teams to watch in the past have employed this system, and I’m sure some of yours have, too.
Players like Juan Mata, Santi Carzola, Bruno Fernandes, Eden Hazard, and others have thrived in this system.
This formation remains one of the most popular in world soccer today and there is nothing to indicate it getting outdated anytime soon.
