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The evolution of formations
- Updated: October 7, 2016
Since the Premier League’s inception 25 years ago, English football has undergone some wholesale changes.
With hi-tech new stadia and talent recruited from around the globe, the face of football has changed but how have teams, and specifically their formations, altered over the years?
Modern systems require full-backs to provide defensive stability and attacking threat in tandem, a role in stark contrast to defence-orientated requirements of the past.
At the other end of the pitch, the days of formidable strike partnerships appear to have disappeared, replaced by the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the lone centre-forward position or Adam Lallana in the fashionable false nine role.
As part of Sky Sports News HQ’s evolution of football week, Danny Higginbotham takes a closer look at the latest trends…
Defence: 4-4-2
DANNY SAYS: This is still the best system, in my opinion. As long as it switches to 4-5-1 when out of possession it’s a formation that can outdo anyone, Leicester City showed that last season.
The role of the full-backs is different in this system, at present we see full-backs play like wingers with both attacking at the same time. But historically when one full-back would attack the other would tuck in and make three at the back – if one full-back went, the other would not go.
Defence: 4-2-3-1
DANNY SAYS: This is a more traditional modern-day formation. One of the teams who utilise this system well are Tottenham. What they do very well is attack with both full-backs, who are expected to play both left-back and left midfield at the same time.
Spurs transfer from defence to attack so quickly and the full-backs are key to that as they break into open space with pace. One second they’re defending, the next the ball’s in the back of the net.
The way that is done nowadays is down to the defensive side of things, teams want to maintain their defensive solidity when they’re attacking.
This is achieved when the two centre-backs split and a midfielder drops back into the …
