The Canadian Stretford End

Plenty of teams play a 4-5-1 today, or a moderation of the 4-5-1 (4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 4-3-2-1, 4-1-4-1 etc). It currently is the “in” formation as 4-4-2 is looking a little outdated. The top teams that play 4-4-2 effectively tend to have either a centre forward and a player who plays off to one of the flanks or play a diamond midfield. A flat 4-4-2 with two forwards playing down the middle can leave a team way too exposed and requires two forwards who have a very good partnership. Chelsea play 4-4-2 very well with that diamond formation, Manchester City can play a 4-4-2 with usually one of Adebayor or Tevez dropping off to one of the flanks during an attack. Against top teams though a 4-4-2 often looks a little old-fashioned. So everyone is trying to make a 4-5-1 work. The question is what is the key to a successful 4-5-1, or moderation of the 4-5-1.

Since Manchester United have started playing 4-5-1 in all their big games, with Wayne Rooney upfront by himself I’ve taken a keener interest in the theory behind a 4-5-1 and what makes it work or not work. The thing is a bad or average 4-5-1 is way worse than an average 4-4-2, so for teams with less ability to try playing a 4-5-1 can turn out very badly. Often the centre forward is way too isolated and has no means to carve out opportunities, and attacks are way too slow moving. In an average team playing a more direct style, playing with two forwards down the centre increases the chances of one of them creating an opportunity. So playing a 4-5-1 requires a certain something, using the example of the Manchester United team over the past few weeks I’m going to try and pinpoint that something.

One common misconception about the 4-5-1 is that the wingers need to get into the box and provide a player to play off of for the forward as often as possible. Watching Manchester United or Arsenal play the 4-5-1 (Arsenal probably play more of a 4-2-3-1) this is not true at all. It is the forward’s job to hold up the ball, and look ahead of him for the wingers or a full back to create width. That is one of the strengths of the 4-5-1, the width. With good fullbacks and wingers the attack down the wings is where a 4-5-1 can best expose an opposition. So to have wingers come and support the forward is redundant, because that isn’t the way to make a 4-5-1 more effective, that is the way to make a 4-5-1 look more like a 4-4-2 a formation which many observers of the game are more comfortable with.

With that being said there have been plenty of teams who have good wingers, who don’t excel in a 4-5-1. Liverpool this season is a great example. Benayoun, Kuyt, and Riera are all good wingers by my standards, but Liverpool’s 4-5-1 this year has not done the job for them. That doesn’t explain the key, so let’s look at the forward. The forward needs to be someone who can move, make good runs and can pose a threat up front on his own. These are qualities that Wayne Rooney has always had, but the 4-5-1 hasn’t worked in the past for Manchester United, so why now? What has changed?

I think the answer comes in the centre of midfield. The general consensus is that there needs to be a least one quality passer in that midfield three. Manchester United have Paul Scholes and to a certain extent Michael Carrick. But then again, Arsenal have plenty of fantastic passers in their midfield, but they tend to fall apart against top teams, and the problem isn’t always defensive. So the key lies in a different role. The high-pressure man. In Manchester United’s case Darren Fletcher.

When Liverpool were getting results last season with Xabi Alonso sitting deep Mascherano had plenty of support behind him and less to worry about so he was pressuring opponents much higher up the pitch. What this does is force the opposition to clear quickly, and adds an air of panic into opposing back fours. Why this is so important in a 4-5-1 as opposed to other formations is that is keeps lots of men forward at all time. Without a high pressuring midfield it means that the second a team playing a 4-5-1 concedes possession nine men have to be running back. If you have someone like a Darren Fletcher who can force the opposition to give up the ball it means that your players can stay further forward and there is more than just one sole target up front at all times. This is where the other components like wing play and quick, quality passing comes into it. With this player who can pressure high up the field everything else fits into place.

So maybe the high pressure man isn’t the key to a 4-5-1, since it isn’t the only important element, but it is the element most often overlooked when a team tries to play a 4-5-1. It may seem simplistic saying pressuring higher up the pitch creates more opportunities, but it is much more about the positioning of other players that makes this player so important to the functioning of a 4-5-1.

Just for a bit of background and info on this formation deal. I love formations and their application, I think it’s one of the most exciting parts of football so I’m going to try and do a lot of these formation pieces and I hope you enjoy them. But what really helped me understand more than I ever could from just watching the game about formations was Jonathan Wilson’s book “Inverting the Pyramid”. For those who haven’t read it. Read it! It will give you a whole new appreciation for the game.