Formation Experimentation: The 3-4-3

[OneMoSalah 8,778]

I wrote an idea in another thread about a certain formation we can play. Since others are pasting there ideas I will do the same .

4-4-1-1, bit more advanced though I'll explain.

Effectively Mata is a left winger and Hazard is in the number 10 position. Ramires is more of a wide midfielder, Mikel sitting slightly deeper and Oscar just a CM.

Mata and Hazard could interchange positions (similar to what Inter Milan's Ricardo Alvares and Wesley Sneidjer did in this formation under Andrea Stramaccioni in May when Inter beat AC Milan 4-2.) If they both end up in central positions the team can switch to 4-3-2-1 or a 4-3-3 basically with Ramires coming inside as a box to box midfielder. Also if we occupy the build up play more to the left with Hazard and Mata interchanging, we could then spray the ball to right into space catching teams out (hopefully) where our right back could go and deliver the ball in to the box.

Kind of links on with the bit I just mentioned, if we had a right back like Dani Alves or Maicon we could play a 4-4-1-1 but with 3 central midfielders in Ramires, Mikel and Oscar, the ball could come inside to either Oscar, Mikel and Ramires and then to the right back who could go further up and provide a cross/shoot for goal as Ramires isn't the greatest crosser in the world. (Similar to what Inter did with Zanetti coming inside more and Maicon having all the right flank to himself.) Also it enables us to get more bodies into the box if we have a third central midfielder spare rather than having a winger and full back both in the flank.

Just an idea, read about Stramaccioni's tactic vs Milan and wondered if we could use it but for a start we'd need a more attacking right back with pace, good delivery and stamina being able to go back and fourth easily.

http://www.zonalmark...t-to-the-right/

[J.F. 1,484]

Can someone send me Ancelotti formation with Chelsea in season when we scored 103 goals? Thank you.

[OneMoSalah 8,778]

Can someone send me Ancelotti formation with Chelsea in season when we scored 103 goals? Thank you.

Thats it isn't it?

[Blue Armour 4,289]

3-4-3 isn't essentially a new formation for us...

Its basically how our 4-3-3 used to look when we attacked. The holding mid drops back between the centre-halves and the wing-backs push forward.

Problem is we don't have a good wing-back on the right-hand side. Bosingwa's gone, Ferreira is slow. Even if Ivanovic were available I wouldn't play him there. The only other options are Bertrand (the best one IMO) and Ramires.

[Blue Armour 4,289]

Thats it isn't it?

Only in the first half of the season. We started banging in the goals, only after we switched to 4-3-3 with Malouda on the left wing.

[Jype 6,398]

Can someone send me Ancelotti formation with Chelsea in season when we scored 103 goals? Thank you.

At first something like this:

Drogba - Anelka

Deco

Lampard--------------Ballack

Essien

Cole - Terry - Carvalho - Ivanovic

Cech

Midway through the season it became clear it wasn't working as expected and we switched back to the 4-3-3 with the usual lineup being something like this:

Drogba

Malouda------------------------Anelka

Lampard------------Ballack

Essien

Cole - Terry - Carvalho - Ivanovic

Cech

edit: Slow as fuck.

[OneMoSalah 8,778]

Only in the first half of the season. We started banging in the goals, only after we switched to 4-3-3 with Malouda on the left wing.

Wasn't it not more a 4-3-2-1 with Malouda and Anelka tucked in more rather than out as natural wingers?

[Jype 6,398]

Wasn't it not more a 4-3-2-1 with Malouda and Anelka tucked in more rather than out as natural wingers?

I suppose so, but that was only because of the way they are as players. Anelka, a centre forward being played out of position and Malouda being his usual self, which is nowhere near a traditional winger. Still, our team played some magnificent football back then. Oh, those were the days.

[Blue Armour 4,289]

Wasn't it not more a 4-3-2-1 with Malouda and Anelka tucked in more rather than out as natural wingers?

Tbf, our front 3 was so good at the time they all kept interchanging positions, with even Drogba moving out to the left/right wing from time to time. Anelka was essentially a roaming forward also serving as a make-shift playmaker (as we had no Mata, and Deco wasnt always available)..Those were the good times (until the following season when opposition defenders had our front 3 more or less figured out)....

[OneMoSalah 8,778]

Tbf, our front 3 was so good at the time they all kept interchanging positions, with even Drogba moving out to the left/right wing from time to time. Anelka was essentially a roaming forward also serving as a make-shift playmaker (as we had no Mata, and Deco wasnt always available)..Those were the good times (until the following season when opposition defenders had our front 3 more or less figured out)....

I loved Deco, what a player. Even when he wasn't at Chelsea I still thought he was unreal. Such a shame we signed him when he was 30 or something.

[J.F. 1,484]

remember?

[Jype 6,398]

I loved Deco, what a player. Even when he wasn't at Chelsea I still thought he was unreal. Such a shame we signed him when he was 30 or something.

Yep, a great player in his prime and even did well for us during the two years he was at Chelsea, but I still think we should never have signed him and instead gone after someone younger who would probably still be ruling our midfield. I'm just glad we have since then moved on from making such signings, and aside from Torres the players we've bought in the last couple of years have mostly been very sensible and of great age, meaning they are yet to hit their peak and have decent re-sale value even if things don't work out they way they were planned. Crucial things now that the FFP is coming.

This thread seems to be going way off topic.

[BlueSanti 290]

David Luiz 4 Libero

Is there any reason that we should have someone between our goalie and our defenders?

[communicate 2,703]

At first something like this:

Drogba - Anelka

Deco

Lampard--------------Ballack

Essien

Cole - Terry - Carvalho - Ivanovic

Cech

Midway through the season it became clear it wasn't working as expected and we switched back to the 4-3-3 with the usual lineup being something like this:

Drogba

Malouda------------------------Anelka

Lampard------------Ballack

Essien

Cole - Terry - Carvalho - Ivanovic

Cech

edit: Slow as fuck.

That 11 players in their prime

[OneMoSalah 8,778]

remember?

Deco's chest pass there was absolute genius.

[Shane 2,275]

At first something like this:

Drogba - Anelka

Deco

Lampard--------------Ballack

Essien

Cole - Terry - Carvalho - Ivanovic

Cech

Midway through the season it became clear it wasn't working as expected and we switched back to the 4-3-3 with the usual lineup being something like this:

Drogba

Malouda------------------------Anelka

Lampard------------Ballack

Essien

Cole - Terry - Carvalho - Ivanovic

Cech

edit: Slow as fuck.

Towards the end Malouda played in the centre and Kalou and Anelka were on the wings.

[Tomo 21,733]

Im kind off with @Superblue_1986, in the extent it might be too much to change to it this season.

Now i have been n the belief that 6th to 1st in one season is too much of a jump, the closest we can win the title imo is 2013/2014. The key to all off our Premier League wins so far has been a change of formation.

2004/2005 we were struggling with the diamond, so Jose reverted to 4-3-3, done something no one saw coming and put Duff and Robben together and they terrorized the league a new one.

2005/2006 After storming away in the first half of the season, the second half we slowed down a bit and at one point United cut the lead at the top from 18 points to 7, teams were finding answer's to the wingplay, so Jose again did something no one saw coming and revert to 4-4-2 with Drogba and Crespo upfront, a move that confused the shit out of everyone.

2009/2010 Carlo brought his preferred diamond to Stamford Bridge and upto November it was working, we were winning games in style and had a 5 point lead at the top, however in December results were going wrong and only kept our place at the top due to United messing up a few results aswell. So in the New Year after clearly knowing the diamond has been found out, back to 4-3-3 and that caused havoc, as we scored 7 goals in a game 3 times and 8 once, on the way to winning the league breaking scoring records.

The next season we challenge for the title (which as i said will probably be the season after this one) we will most likely need another big mid season formation change no one see's coming, is this the one that could be utilized?

[Jype 6,398]

Im kind off with @Superblue_1986, in the extent it might be too much to change to it this season.

Now i have been n the belief that 6th to 1st in one season is too much of a jump, the closest we can win the title imo is 2013/2014. The key to all off our Premier League wins so far has been a change of formation.

ing the league breaking scoring records.

The next season we challenge for the title (which as i said will probably be the season after this one) we will most likely need another big mid season formation change no one see's coming, is this the one that could be utilized?

Agreed. Me and that other guy who started this thread weren't by any means suggesting we push the panic button and switch the formation instantly after a few bad results with the 4-2-3-1 because that stuff happens only in FIFA and FM, but just some food for thought and if /when sometime in the future it has come to the point where a change in formation is necessary, then something like this 3-4-3 (or 3-4-2-1, whatever) should be taken into serious consideration. At least on paper we seem to have the right players for it, apart from central midfield which seems to be our problem with any formation but more likely than not we are going to improve our midfield next year at the latest so it really shouldn't be a problem then.

Interesting times...