The untapped system that could suit Fulham well.

[FPT]

I'm not talking 442, or 433 and not even 4411. I'm looking at a continental formation, one briefly used by Pep Guardiola's Barcelona side, and seen worked well by a certain Spaniard with a team famous for their pies. This formation was also used by Guus Hiddink as his South Korea side finished 4th in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

I am of course talking about the 343.

The 343 provides defensive solidity, more aggressive passing channels and the ability to press high up the field penning the opponent into their half. The 343 requires energetic full backs and solid all round central midfielders, this is the bread and butter of the formation, if you have this, it can work.

The striker is typically a "big man," someone that can bring others into play and be the pivot of attack, the figurehead, we have that. The wingers need to be aggressive, with an eagerness to attack the full backs and press up the pitch.

When defending, the formation can become a 541, giving the opposition great difficulty in breaking down that sheer amount of players, but the shape of the 343 provides every player with more than one passing option, they can either go inside, outside or backwards, or in a central midfielders case, they have the option to play into the central striker.

If we were to ploy this system at Fulham:

                                                                               Stekelenburg
                                             Hangeland                       Hughes                         Amorebieta

Riether                                                         Sidwell                         Parker                                            Riise/Richardson


Dejagah                                                                        Berbatov                                                                                     Kacaniklic

- In Maarten Stekelenburg, we have a goalkeeper adept at playing the ball from the defence, and will be helped by the angles and distances the three man defence gives in possession.

- All three centre backs are competent in possession, Amorebieta and Hangeland in particular have a very effective ability when bring the ball out and have the skillset to find Berbatov from 30-40 yards away.

- Riether and Riise both have a high energy playing style and they can be more free in this with the cover provided from the three central defenders.

- Sidwell and Parker, despite their limited passing ability, would flourish in this role, it's all about work rate and positioning, if you nail these two, you suit the role.

- Ashkan Dejagah and Alex Kacaniklic both have the ability to get up the pitch, pressing high and running with the ball, in the 343 we don't lose the valuable partnership of Riether and Dejagah also.

- Dimitar Berbatov can be the leading man for attack, his touch and ability can hold the ball for team mates to comes and help in going forward, his intelligence both on and off the ball would be of great assistance.



Just a theory, don't tear my head off.

[SmithyFFC]

Sorry when did Barcelona ever use this system?

And no sorry, although a decent shout, are three centre backs are far too slow for this system.

[TheDon]

                                                                               Stekelenburg
                                             Hangeland                       Hughes                         Amorebieta

Riether                                                         Sidwell                         Parker                                            Riise/Richardson


Dejagah                                                                        Berbatov                                                                                     Kacaniklic

looks a bit lop sided to me

[Vinnieffc]

I played in a team which tried the 343 formation back in the 90's. It works if you have intelligent players but is more dependant on the quality of the opposition. As a sweeper I played as the centre of 3 centre halves.. Most pressure was on the 'wing backs' who were full backs/midfielders getting up and down the pitch. SWe experimented with it but ended up playing a 4411 as I guess we were too thick to make the 343 work !!

[horse1031]

Nice post, well thought out.

I think it has some promise.  I like Amorebieta on the left of a back 3 but don't know if Hangeland is quick enough to handle a quick winger on the other side if Reither is Bombing forward all the time.

[Vinnieffc]

That's the problem Mr Horse.. If the opposition has any quality they can by-pass the midfield and strike on the break quite easily. But it's horses for couses (no pun intended).. You sometimes need to play a system the players are happy with (in our case 4411) rather than get the players to adapt to an unfamiliar system.. (ie. We were thick footballers)  :005:

[Classic94]

It's an interesting idea, but I doubt we have the players to facilitate it right now.

[FPT]

Sorry when did Barcelona ever use this system?

And no sorry, although a decent shout, are three centre backs are far too slow for this system.

Here you go, educate yourself :)

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2011/08/29/barcelona-5-0-villarreal-tactics/

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/jonathan_wilson/09/05/barcelona.343/

http://deadspin.com/how-the-3-4-3-beat-milan-and-rethroned-barcelona-as-the-453548067

[FPT]

Nice post, well thought out.

I think it has some promise.  I like Amorebieta on the left of a back 3 but don't know if Hangeland is quick enough to handle a quick winger on the other side if Reither is Bombing forward all the time.

Ideally, Aaron Hughes is 24, not 34 and can play on that right hand side. That was one of the problems.

[Jack Fulham]

Works well for Hull.

[callumc513]

I like the idea in principle, except we'd need two new, younger centre backs to partner Amorebieta and arguably a new striker (for this system.)

Best example of a striker performing this role in a 3-4-3 would be Arouna Koné's selfless movement and aerial ability, overloading the fullbacks by creating a 2v1 on either flank.

[cmg]

Ddn't we do something like this under Bracewell 1999-2000?

Taylor:Finnan Melville Coleman Symonds Brevett Davis Clark Hayles Horsefield Goldbaek sort of thing?

[Alan]

If we were to ploy this system at Fulham:

                                                                               Stekelenburg
                                             Hangeland                       Hughes                         Amorebieta

Riether                                                         Sidwell                         Parker                                            Riise/Richardson


Dejagah                                                                        Berbatov                                                                                     Kacaniklic

To be honest, if we were to play the system Martinez had at Wigan, it'd have Hughes as the right of the 3 at the back, with Brede going inside. Martinez used an out & out CB in the middle, with CB's that can also play at FB either side of him. He also used strikers that can also play as wingers in the wide positions of the front 3. So that'd be Taarabt & one other...

[callumc513]

If we were to ploy this system at Fulham:

                                                                               Stekelenburg
                                             Hangeland                       Hughes                         Amorebieta

Riether                                                         Sidwell                         Parker                                            Riise/Richardson


Dejagah                                                                        Berbatov                                                                                     Kacaniklic

To be honest, if we were to play the system Martinez had at Wigan, it'd have Hughes as the right of the 3 at the back, with Brede going inside. Martinez used an out & out CB in the middle, with CB's that can also play at FB either side of him. He also used strikers that can also play as wingers in the wide positions of the front 3. So that'd be Taarabt & one other...

In the short term, Dempsey?

[KP_FFC]

thats not really a 343, more a 523.

we did try a 3 cb formation this season im sure and i didnt like it. i really like our 451 formation rene uses.

[PaulJ123]

Would like to see if we got a quicker CB for the right position (Hangeland in the middle). Not really the time to implement it though

[hovewhite]

You would need a couple of younger players alongside the man in the centre of defense,I would like to see it.
However I couldn't see it being used to next season.

[Scrumpy]

A well thought out post.

But could you squeeze in Parker, Karagounis and Sidwell into this system?

If not, I'm not interested. Those three would start every match, if I was in charge.

[FPT]

A well thought out post.

But could you squeeze in Parker, Karagounis and Sidwell into this system?

If not, I'm not interested. Those three would start every match, if I was in charge.

You could but you'd lose the defensive solidity outwide, it would look like:

------------------------Stekelenburg
-------Hughes----------Hangeland----------Amorebieta
Riether------------------------------------------------------Riise
------------Parker------Karagounis------Sidwell---------------
--------------------------Taarabt--------------------------------
------------------Berbatov-------Bent--------------------------

[K33NY]

Would never suit Fulham with current squad, and its most deffinetly not the time to even try this tactic, RM's 4-5-1 has got us 9 points and a draw in the cup with using youngsters, I think its much better to use what we have, then if RM buys is younger players at the summer, loads off the older and non usefull ones, MAYBE he can experiment with it in the pre season.