The History of the 2323

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The attacking 4-3-3 formation is used by many clubs in world soccer and when played in the right way it can be used with devastating effect. This formation is suited to a short passing game and is useful for ball retention. In the 1930's the formation though used a 2-3-2-3 variation.

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The recent 4–3–3 was a development of the 4–2–4, and was played by the Brazilian national team in the 1962 World Cup, although a 4–3–3 had also previously been used by the Uruguay national team in the 1950 and 1954 World Cups.

 

The extra player in midfield allows a stronger defence, and the midfield can be staggered for different effects. The three midfielders normally play closely together to protect the defence, and move laterally across the field as a coordinated unit. The three forwards split across the field to spread the attack, and may be expected to mark the opposition full-backs as opposed to doubling back to assist their own full-backs.

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Different versions of the formation have been played over the years. A staggered 4–3–3 involving a defensive midfielder (usually numbered four or six) and two attacking midfielders (numbered eight and ten) was commonplace in Italy, Argentina, and Uruguay during the 1960s and 1970s. The national team that made this famous was the Dutch team of the 1974 and 1978 World Cups, even though the team won neither.

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The Metodo Version of the formation is a 2-3-2-3, like a W W and was devised by Vittorio Pozzo, coach of the Italy national team in the 1930s. Pozzo realised that his wing-backs would need some more support in order to be superior to the opponents' midfield, so he pulled two of the 5 forwards to just in front of midfield, creating a 2–3–2–3 formation. This created a stronger defence than previous systems, as well as allowing effective counter-attacks. The Italian national team won back-to-back World Cups in 1934 and 1938 using this system. It has been argued that Pep Guardiola's Barcelona and Bayern Munich used a modern version of this formation.

 

This formation is also similar to the standard in table football, featuring two defenders, five midfielders and three strikers (which cannot be altered as the "players" are mounted on axles).

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These are good systems to learn because of its tactical flexibility.  Minor adjustments in positioning and mentality easily allow the system to become a more defensive 4:5:1, or a more attacking 4:2:4.  These adjustments are easier to make in to 4:3:3, especially for younger players, than in most other systems. 

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In club football, the team that brought this formation to the forefront was the famous Ajax team of the early 1970s, which won three European Cups with Johan Cruyff, and Zdeněk Zeman with Foggia in Italy during the late 1980s, where he completely revitalised the movement supporting this formation. It was also the formation with which Norwegian manager Nils Arne Eggen won 15 Norwegian league titles.

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Most teams using this formation now use the specialist defensive midfielder. Recent famous examples include the Porto and Chelsea teams coached by José Mourinho, as well as the Barcelona team under Pep Guardiola. Mourinho has also been credited with bringing this formation to England in his first stint with Chelsea.

 

 

The formation works best when a team is going forward and attempting to win a match, rather than simply trying to contain the opposition. However, it is important to ensure there are enough players defending when teams are on the back foot.

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Showing players the patterns of movement in enhances their understanding of the system, and allows for quicker learning on the training field.

 

It also provides a guide and reference for players to return to after the training for continued learning.  Players that are familiar with the basic concepts of every line in the system, both in attack and defense, will be smarter and better prepared to make quick decisions on game day.