Most effective formation of the season -4-2-3-1

As the season reaches half way mark, 4-2-3-1 is the formation used mostly in majority of leagues. 

English premier league

West ham 

Everton

Chelsea

Leicester City

Manchester United

Wolves

Arsenal

Brighton

Laliga

Real Betis

Athletic club

Real Sociedad

Granada

Eibar

Serie a 

Napoli

Sassuolo

AC Milan

Bologna

Bundesliga

VFB Stuttgart

Bayern Munich

RB Leipzig

Shalke

Monchengladbach

Hoffenheim

Borussia Dortmund

ISL teams

Mumbai City 

Hyderabad 

ATK Mohun Bagan

East Bengal

Why? 

This formation balances team in attack and defence. And helps in covering most of the ground easily so that team can keep possession and convert possession to attack and goals. 

There are many other teams who use its variants like 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1 which gives supremacy at midfield. 

In modern day football, most of the team wishes to start from back , build attack then reach in opposition box in numbers. That's why 4-2-3-1 is so much accepted. 

Teams like Real Madrid and Liverpool use long airballs to attack so use 4-3-3. Instead, 4-2-3-1 uses penetrating passes, space behind defenders, 1-2 s and off ball movements. Instead of crosses, formation uses box and area infront of goal to attack and score. 

Mourinho used this formation in 14-15 season to make Chelsea champions, with Matic and John Obi Mikel as CDM and Hazard , Oscar and Willian as attacking midfielders. Mourinho used Diego Costa as one Forward, who was strong , would hold the ball at attacking third of pitch and combine with attacking midfielder to score. 

When team loses possession, formation helps to re organise very quickly and cover danger areas as CDM always waits for ball at midfield. Formation also gives more freedom for wing backs. 

Even though , it uses front area of opposition field more to pressure, when they regain ball possession, uses wingers to take ball forward or into box and uses small ground crosses to score using AMF and FW. If the ball gets cleared, Wing backs and CDM will be ready to get it back and attack. 

In modern football, as teams try to press early and high up the opposite team pitch, 4-2-3-1 gives more chances to win ball early without running more so that players can keep their stamina. 

It is said that the formation got wide spread acceptance from Spain first. Then, with its success and changing need of speed and possession in football, formation got more users. 

How to learn/practice 4-2-3-1?

Formation based small sided game sessions are the best way to practice this formation. 

4 a side

Use 3-1 formation as lone FW and 3 midfielders. 

6 a side

Gradually add CDM into the practice with 2-3-1 into form in play. In opposition, make defenders play in 4-2 formation. 

Rondo

4v2 and 6v3 rondos are very effective for its practice as formation demands high level of coordination among players, especially attacking players, movement. 

My boys playing 4-2-3-1 and winning comfortably. 

https://youtu.be/vTQ0lG2oyng

Practicing for 4-2-3-1 in small sided game 7 a side

https://youtu.be/C0Zyymqz-QE

Vineeth

vineeth673@gmail.com