Long days are gone where the formation was a landmark for any football team. I would dive deeper, tactical formations as we knew them only exist in newspaper in Modern Football, and that’s the only place they look good!

In real life, during games, formations are just what I believe to be the starting point for the desired behaviors we are looking to execute as a team. 

Football is very simple, let me give you an example of my last statement. Let’s assume my team is defending with a starting point of a GK+4+4+2 formation and I will give you 3 images for discussion.

Image 1 – Classic GK+4+4+2

Image 2 – Lateral Pression

Image 3 – Defending in central areas, in the last third

From these 3 images, which one you think it comes from a newspaper? 

Easy, right?

“We see formations in different ways. Last game we had more than 30 formations throughout the entire match, and the week before agains Manchester City we had 43 different formations.” 

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal FC Head Coach

However, the game doesn’t occur in the same sequence and the other 2 images presented may well be the desired movements and positions for the team for these specific moments.

Or they might not be perfect.

It’s normal, takes time to implement synchronized movements throughout the team and to make everyone to think the same way, at the same moment.

Step by step, movement by movement, player by player, you will be able to influence the team and demand for more pictures as the ones you have in your mind.

Mikel Arteta stated that Arsenal FC had more than 40 formations during the match against Manchester City and that is the exact picture we must retain of Modern Football, as it moves forward and Game Models continue to develop.

Individual and Collective behaviors determine the different formations and to align the team must be our central focus of attention and concern, impacting individual awareness, zone awareness, lines awareness and, finally, collective awareness.

Regarding the newspaper, it’s very good that those images are still selling and feeding coffee chit-chats. 

We all need that to feed the Love for the Game!

See you next time!

Cheers.