5 Reasons Behind the Deployment of a 4-5-1 System or Formation in A Soccer or Football Game

In the contemporary game of football or soccer in recent times, a formation or system called 4-5-1 has had a greater percentage of players, especially smaller clubs, clubs or nations that are playing abroad. There are five main reasons this type of system or formation is used.

The definition for the system is required. A 4-5-1 could refer to the use of a goalkeeper with four defenders, five midfielders, and a striker. A good instance of a team making successful use of this arrangement is Greek National in European Football Championships 2004 when they emerged as champions thanks to the use of this system. Now let us look at the reasons.

1. Flexibility – Soccer, or football is a fast-paced sport in which an attack could be transformed into a counter attack of the opposing team in the event that possession gets lost. Therefore, the use of a 4-5-1 structure lets you be flexible in both defense and attack. In the event of an attack or possession of the ball, right and left midfielders could act as wingers, allowing them to advance to join the striker. Additionally, out from the 3 central midfielders one or two could move to join the attack. The remaining midfielder will drop back to support the defense in the event of a counter or break attack from the opposing team. For defense or with no control of the ball the five-man midfield could be able to press opponents to regain possession of the ball. A different example is the five-man midfield could bring more strength to the midfield in order to gain or keep possession to lessen the pressure on the back.
2. Defensively defending a lead of one goal in certain games it is possible for the game to be extremely competitive and one goal could decide the result. Therefore, some coaches would prefer to utilize a 4-5-1 system to protect the lead during the final ten to twenty seconds of play. The system’s flexibility can be seen in the previous paragraph under 1. The system could also permit the team to launch a counter attack in the event that the opponent throws caution to get an equalizer. Another purpose is to move the ball around in order to reduce the time and the most effective way to accomplish this is to hold possession.
3. In a game that is played away In modern day league games it is important to score a point in the spbo game that is drawn, particularly if the game is on the road or against a strong opponent is vital. The reason for this is that most home teams will attempt their best to win home with their support in their midst, playing the role of the 12th man. For instance, in recent games such as Liverpool against Birmingham City or Manchester United against Reading the two teams City and Reading utilized a 4-5-1 method to shut down the midfield of Liverpool or United. The strategy usually allows teams to walk away with an advantage or avoid the beating by a strong opponents. This would usually mean an advantage for smaller teams.
4. In the event of playing against a stronger opposition In the 3rd paragraph, when playing the strongest opposition in the home arena, a 4-5-1 strategy is a good option to use for the same reason of gaining points or avoiding a major loss. This kind of attitude to game is often viewed as a denialist approach, however, surviving in top leagues across the globe will bring in huge profits for clubs. A good example of this of this is an example is the English Premiership where millions can be lost if a team gets removed from the league. Therefore, some teams prefer to utilize this strategy to prevent losing with low scores or draw game to earn points, while playing it is more aggressive in opposition to teams of similar standing.
5. Injury – This is the most infrequent reason for that a 4-5-1 formation should be employed. The reason for this is a simple one. There are more midfielders and defenders than strikers within the club. So if a club is facing injuries to its strikers and is in need of treatment, it might be more likely to use the same system as other clubs. In addition, using players who are familiar with positions could have more effect than playing them in a non-trained position.