Who Dares Wins 4-2-3-1 / 100 goal tactic

Introduction

High Octane Football is a term used to describe teams that play with a lot of physical demands. The football on display is played with high intensity with and without the ball.

Teams look to press high and in numbers to force their opponents into mistakes with the hope of winning the ball high up the pitch for quick counterattacks that are often deadly. With the ball, teams attack in numbers often with the wingbacks bombing forward to help pin teams into their own third of the pitch.

This type of football is often associated with German football home to the counter-press or Gegenpress, most famously it was used as a blueprint by Ralf Rangnick who liked his teams to press in a hexagon shape from a 4-4-2 or 4-2-4 shape.

This style of high energy attacking football is no longer exclusive to Germany and has made its way across Europe with coaches Like Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea exponents of this style.

The Tactic

The shape is a 4-2-3-1 but is asymmetric with the second striker playing deeper than the conventional forward in the Rangnick system. The principles are similar but also differ, the pressing is intense from the front 4 who look to push the opponents deeper whilst the double pivot protects the centrebacks if the press is beaten.

The BWM is the natural aggressor and they look to put pressure on the ball to force the turnover, whilst the DLP holds their position shielding the back 4, before launching lightning-quick counter-attacks from deep like a quarterback.

The wingbacks are key to the success of this system they need to be able to get up and down to supply the width, allowing the front 4 to play narrow and overload the central zones. Opponents then have to cover greater distances making it easier to play killer balls through the bigger gaps.

Check out the video below for a more in-depth breakdown of the tactic.