ABC it's easy as 4-3-3

Evolve or be extinct. It is a simple fact that if you do not move with the times then you will get left behind, a fate that professional football in England is in serious danger of sucombing to.

Historically England is a nation who favour the 4-4-2, a formation which has been around since the introduction of the eleven player rule. The 4-4-2 is a very British formation; not too edgy, nice and reliable, solid defensively and efficient on the attact - but it also lacks style and flair, there is little room for fluidity. Yes, the 4-4-2 is very British, formal and rigid.

In Academy Football there is a different story altogether, players are being developed to produce a new breed of English player. Creativity, technicality, confidence and composure are becoming customary; guile is a more desireable trait than grit, determination, and brute force. Many Academies are no longer looking to produce players for the 4-4-2, the mission is create individuals who can master the 4-3-3.

The 4-3-3 rose to prominence with Ajax and has since been perfected by Barcelona, with a little assistance from one Johan Cruyff. The 4-3-3 is everything that the 4-4-2 is not, it encourages flair, fluidity, attacking through the middle, short and sharp intricate passes - it favours the technicians over the giants, all whilst maitaining the security of a back four. More over, the 4-3-3 is flexible and can be quickly adjusted to change tactically:

In Figure 1 you have a traditional 4-3-3 with a solid bank of four defenders, three midfielders and three central attackers. With a simple adjustment this can be converted to Figure 2, where you keep the security of four defenders but have a defensive midfielder for additional protection and play two attack minded central midfielders to encourage creativity. The shape of the forwards change so you have one focal point central attacker and two players pulling out high and wide - very useful for stretching the pitch and pulling opponents out of position. This variation of the 4-4-3 was favoured by Pep Guardiola during his extremely successful tenure at Barcelona. With some slight tinkering you can create a much more defensive formation, Figure 3, with one of the attacking midfielders being sacrificied for another holding/defensive midfielder, this type of 4-3-3 is favoured by Jose Mourinho and is effective at counteracting the formation used in Figure 2. And for those games in which your team is dominating play, the compact central midfield leaves space for the fullbacks to assist with the attack whilst keeping the insurance of two central defenders and at least one holding/defensive midfielder providing cover - Figure 4. The beauty of the 4-3-3 is that it is possible to make changes to your tactics without substitutions, but simply in the transition from defence to attack, for example when defending you could set up as Figure 3 and when you regain possession your team shape can adjust to Figure 2 and eventually Figure 4.

With the prevalence of 4-3-3 in Academy football it seems strange that so few Premier League teams use this formation.It is logical that the system played by a First Team should be the mould of an entire Academy set-up as the role of an Academy is to produce First Team players, so why do so few clubs enforce this ideal?

As time goes by more and more emphasis will be put on producing technically superior players, add that to the never-say-die mentality that is engrained on the English psyche and it is only a matter of time before there is a vast improvement on the standard of player we produce. To increase the speed of which this process happens there needs to be a philosophy in place that provides a natural progression from Academy football up through to International football and as Academies are focusing on the 4-3-3 it can only be a matter of time before more clubs and eventually the National team follow suit.

Evolution is a slow process and has it's victims and well as its victors; there is a slow and sure change manifesting in the way the game is being approached  in England, let us hope that it is not so slow that it creates a gulf between us and other leading nations that is simply too large to close.

Foundations are the Key

The tallest buildings in the world wouldn't stand if they didn't have the correct foundations, neither in fact would the shortest. When starting with a building project you have to start from the bottom and build up, and make sure you get the experts dealing with the appropriate stages; plumbers do the plumbing, electricians do the wiring and so on. Follow these rules and you will have a safe and reliable building, and when the planning and attention to detail is meticulous you can end up with something magnificent. Now replace this metaphorical building with a young footballer and the same rules still apply.

The general school of thought in football is that the best coaches work with the oldest players and the newest coaches have to do an apprenticeship with the younger players. I believe that this is a huge misconception; coaching u6/7 is completely different to coaching u18 and requires a different approach, something that not every coach can adjust to and expecting them to do so would be similar to hiring an electrician for your pipes and a plumber for your wiring.

Coaching a u6/7 age group can be frustrating at times, but the rewards far exceed the negatives. With this age group you have a completely blank canvas and can teach good habits and work on the foundations to build a solid technical footballer. Many people think that you have to over simplify things and treat them like infants, but speaking to and treating them as equals is a refreshing change for 6/7 year olds and gives them an extra impetus. Getting things right early on means you start to build a better and more intelligent footballer and you may even surprise yourself with how technical or complex you can be.

With older age groups the style of coaching is very different, the focus shifts from teaching to refining. You have to be able to notice subtle and slight faults with a player's technique and know what minor changes are needed to make the biggest difference. Football is a game of habits and it is unlikely you will completely reinvent a player at u18 so your focus is on making their strengths even stronger and their weaknesses less so. The latter age groups in youth football also become a lot more tactical, you need to teach players not only their roles and responsibilities but that of their teammates and how they must all intertwine to create a harmonic machine.

With the introduction of The FA's Youth Modules more emphasis is being placed on age appropriate coaching but there also needs to be an incentive to encourage the strongest coaches to stick with an age group if this is where their greatest skill-set lay. It is human nature to want to grow and develop and moving to a new age group gives you a new set of challenges, but maybe the stigmatism that often goes with coaching the youngest age group forces coaches to move to older age groups earlier.

Slowly and surely attitudes are changing in football, and new ideas come in thick and fast to help different aspects of the game improve. Hopefully we reach a point where we do not judge but show appreciation to those who are patient and inventive enough to get most out of the youngest age groups, without them there is a far greater task further down the line.

Show Racism the Red Card

In the run up to Euro 2012 there is growing concern about racial abuse. Theo Walcott's and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's families have decided not to travel to the tournament and Sol Campbell has advised fans to watch it at home. UEFA have tried to assure people that they have a "zero tolerance" policy on racism and that racism is "only a problem at domestic level".

I feel there is a lot of hypocrisy regarding racism in football. Europe's governing body declare they have zero tolerance but then in the same breath admit there are domestic racism problems in Poland and Ukraine. Fans will racially abuse players from opposing teams but will cheer a goal scored by one of their team's black players only a few moments later, seemingly ignorant to the fact that their abuse will be heard by and affect their own players too.

The problem does not lie solely with racism, but also with sexism and homosexuality. Kick it Out and The Justin Campaign are doing their bit to fight the problem but more needs to be done to by other organisations.

If UEFA are aware of racial issues at any level they should commit to their "zero tolerance" policy and enforce strict and severe punishments. Not only should fans be punished as individuals, but UEFA should punish the clubs and FA's in charge - maybe this would lead to clubs and national governing bodies tackling the problem head on instead of putting on a bravado.

There is no room for racism or any discriminatory behaviour in modern society, and especially not in a sporting environment. Athletes, and all people, should be judged on their merits not their race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. Here's to a future when we finally have kicked it out!

Same Old Same Old

Alex Ferguson was once famously told "You'll never win anything with kids"....we all know what happened next. If you don't give untested players the opportunity to shine they never will. As the saying goes: if you don't bet big, you won't win big.

In my opinion the England squad selection shows a lack of bravery, but more importantly a lack of planning and ambition for the future. In the same way people choose an iPhone, or kids pick the new Nike boots, Hodgson has picked the same old trusted names even though there are better options available. I am not criticising Hodgson as a manager, but I think he could have made a statement of intent in his selection.

Many people will raise eyebrows to certain names being included, and more will raise their eyebrows to players who were excluded, but it feels as though Hodgson has taken the easy way out. Players such as Gerrard and Lampard have been fantastic servants for England and have played in numerous international tournaments, albeit in a disappointing fashion, but have they performed better this season than Britton or even Carrick?

Graham and Holt are the archetypal number 9; big, strong, good in the air, with good hold up and link up play. But both players have done something Carroll hasn't this season and that's score goals. If these players were at a more fashionable club would they have been selected?

England are unlikely to win the Euro's so maybe Hodgson could have had an eye on the next World Cup and given some more young players some experience at an International tournament. Germany did it at the last World Cup and they surprised everybody.

Only time will tell how the Euro's and ultimately Hodgson's England career will turn out. I just hope he doesn't make the same mistake as countless other managers and picks the best players for his system instead of building a system around England's so called best players.

Style over Substance?

"The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It's nothing of the kind. The game is about glory. It's about doing things in style, with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom." - Danny Blanchflower.

Blanchflower made it clear to all how he felt the game should be played when he was a part of Spurs' triumphant Bill Nicholson squad in the 1950's and 1960's, winning simply wasn't enough, it was about winning well. Gaining points was secondary to playing attractive and exciting football, a sentiment still held by teams such as Barcelona and Ajax to this day. But with the added financial pressure applied to managers and coaches, it is an ideal that is increasingly more difficult to implement.

Think back to when you was a child, or the moment you fell in love with the beautiful game. Was it an exciting passage of play or a magical piece of skill by a club hero that first captured your attention, or was it a gritty park-the-bus one nil win?

As a coach you have to decide on which side of the fence you sit; do you want to play attractive and exciting football and be patient in the knowledge that results will eventually follow, or is winning at any cost paramount.

Stoke City are a very well organised team and Tony Pulis uses the players at his disposal perfectly, but it is not a style for children to try and replicate if they want to develop technically. On the other hand they are a perfect example of tactical discipline and perform the roles assigned to them with little fuss.

Jose Mourinho's sides flirt with both possessional domination and settling for a narrow victory. First and foremost they outplay the opponent, but when that fails to break them down they turn to whatever means are necessary to steal the points.

Trying to get the balance between technical superiority and implementing a winning mentality is an extremely difficult task but there is a perfect model to follow. The German youth development programme has created extremely technical players such as Mesut Ozil and Mario Gotze, and they continue to play attractive football, but they also dismantle opposition with the ruthless efficieny you would expect from a German side.

Whatever your philosophy or your expectations from your players, try to remember what brought you into the game and ultimately remember that footballers should love the ball, not be afraid to have it for fear of making a mistake that could cost points.

It's a team game

Joga Bonito. The beautiful game. It brings us all together. It shows us the importance of working as a unit, how to compete within a collective, it is the ultimate team game…or is it?

At what point does football become a team sport?

In my opinion football is less of a team sport then many believe, especially at youth level. As a young aspiring player you cannot play the game based solely on fitting in to a team. Understanding how to operate as part of a team is essential, but without outstanding individual technical ability you can all but kiss goodbye to your dreams.

As a young player your game is about you. You need to improve your dribbling and passing techniques, you need to learn the roles and responsibilities of each position, you need to develop the tactical understanding needed to operate in a number of formations; in essence you need to progress to a level of dynamism that exceeds your teammates if you want to be noticed, and you need to continue to grow and shine in order become a professional footballer. However part of this process is to develop the intelligence and understanding of when to release the ball, to identify when a teammate is in a better position, that as creative and attack minded as you may be you still need to work on your defensive qualities. When the opportunity to become a professional has bypassed you, then the game is more – but not exclusively – about the team.

But what about the professional game?

Many times I have heard the phrase “the sum of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” and it is something I agree with, but it helps when all of the parts are of such an exceptional ability that the weakest link is stronger than the opponent’s best player. Even in the greatest teams there is a stand out player, and when things are not going well this is who the rest of the team look at for inspiration and a match winning moment. Often you see players neglect certain responsibilities because they are aware that another member in the team will pick up the slack.

Maradona widely receives plaudit for “single handedly” winning Argentina the 1986 World Cup; he also brought a failing Napoli two Scudettos, one Coppa Italia, one UEFA Cup and one Supercoppa Italiana. Where are his teammates in the recognition of success?

Players’ that can bring championships alone are few and far between, Barcelona would often drop points without the consistent and undervalued Victor Valdes, Makelele’s defensive grit and ball winning was essential in Chelsea’s success under Mourinho; even the greatest players need support from the rest of the squad.  Football is the ultimate team game, but maybe it is more important to learn how to operate in a team than as a team.

Nature vs Nurture

"It's a funny thing, the more I practice the luckier I get"

Arnold Palmer, the great golfer coined the phrase that I heard as a young boy and carry with me to this day. Too much emphasis is placed on luck. I am not disagreeing that an element of luck can be instrumental in success; lucky to be in the right place at the right time, lucky that your boss likes you over your promotion rival, lucky that your team had a good day and your opponents didn't. Luck definitely has its part to play. But the key ingredients are talent and dedication.

Like luck, "natural talent" often tips the scales of importance in the mind. People believe Messi is such a good player because he is naturally talented, Ronaldo, Xavi and Iniesta too.

Natural talent definitely exists. Genetics mean Ronaldo has more fast-twitch fibres and therefore possess the explosive and electric speed he utilises so well. Xavi and Iniesta are intelligent men, as well as footballers, and this helps them read situations more quickly and identify space others do not see. From an early age Messi has been able to dribble with the ball seemingly glued to his feet. Without doubt some find the game easier than others, some need to train less but still improve, but the thing that distinguishes the good from the average and the great from good is their dedication, application and unwavering desire to improve.

From grassroots football to full time professional it takes around 10,000 hours of football. That is 10,000 hours of high exposure to the ball to improve technique, high tempo tatical and functional practices, friendlies, league and cup matches, and tourments. It also helps if you have a kick around in the park/street/school, try to compete against yourself in ball juggling, and kick a ball against a wall or uneven surface to improve passing, first touch and reaction time. Suddenly the talent does not seem so natural.

Maybe people do not know that Ronaldo goes to training early to work on stretching and breathing exercises, or that Beckham would spend an hour or so after training working on set-pieces. This extra commitment and hard work makes it look easy. Xavi and Iniesta are able to play one and half touch football because their football education at Barcelona's La Masia has conditioned them, making their widely admired style of play second nature.

Education is very important, receiving the correct imformation makes all the difference. Realism in training gives you the skills to take into games. A good coach teaches you not only how to play but also to understand instructions; and maybe more importantly, how to take criticism and how to develop the attitude to learn from it.

Like everything in life, to succeed in football you can not rest on your laurels. Natural talent will only get you so far, the rest is hard work, dedication, application, the right attitude, and desire to be the best you can be. And if all of these added together are not enough, you can at least rest assured you gave it everything and avoid a lifetime of regret.