We don't use 4-3-3 correctly of late.Yes, we might set out in three lines on the pitch - but of late, that's about it. What is it we had before that we are missing now?
Key are the wide forwards, that flank the lone central striker. All-round attacking players with pace and shooting ability, who use their speed on the wings before cutting in towards goal. The lone striker himself may be a powerful target man or someone who drops deep to drag defenders away and leaves space for the wide forwards who can then fall in as a false 9's.
These strikers are supported by at least two of the central midfielders. Those central midfielders form a tight triangle in the middle of the pitch and often fall into the key roles of ‘creator/destroyer/passer', to attack, defend and maintain possession. Some midfielders combine all of those elements but a well-balanced midfield is key to the formation.
With a compact central midfield, the full-backs can also join the attack and use huge amounts of space due to the high positioning of the wide forwards.
Pros
There's a reason why many of the most dominant sides of European football use it. These are the sides that expect a win each week, with enough offensive power to overcome sides determined to leave with a draw.
In possession, the 4-3-3 allows at least 7 players to attack, as the wide forwards squeeze the defence, the full-backs come up behind them and two of the central midfielders push forward.
However the special quality of a good 4-3-3 is the strangling quality it brings. This comes from combining two elements, a three man central midfield which can dominate possession via passing triangles and three strikers who can press high up the pitch. Opponents find it hard to get the ball and hard to keep it. Midfielders can´t get a hold of the ball and are pressured quickly when they do. The defenders are faced with three men pressing them and there are no easy balls to the wings when the full-backs push up.
Cons
The flipside is that a 4-3-3 which can't keep hold of the ball while attacking is potentially very vulnerable. The only players left back in defence are the centre-backs and the defensive midfielder. That creates a very dangerous situation on the counter as opposing wide players have plenty of space to break into. Anything less than a top defensive midfielder, who is physically strong, has great positioning , lots of pace and accurate passing can leave the centre-backs very exposed. One misplaced pass and the opposing team have a dangerous counter.
The 4-3-3 also requires a huge amount of discipline from its wide players. The potential to be exposed by having wide forwards who fail to track back is enormous. Full-backs who storm up in support of an attack must have the energy to race back and defend for 90 minutes. If not, opposing wide players will run riot on the flanks.
See anything we maybe used to do and stopped?
See anything unbalanced about how we have been setting up? Who is our midfield creator? Who is our destroyer? Who is our passer?
4-3-3 is great but it's hard to get right!!
We are not going to be dominant on Thursday so is 4-3-3 even a consideration against a quick counter attacking side?
Could be setting up for a fall if we try it when we don't quite have the right players available and on form?
