4-3-2-1 Modern Christmas Tree // Total Football

I wanted to recreate what Ancelotti did in Milan but making it more modern-football style.

This how the formation goes in game


And this is how it really develops


SK(Su) in order to mantain a high defensive line

Basically, we don't need BPD because their passes would bypass the main playmaker in the team (DLP) so we prefer the CB giving the ball to him.

Our width will be 1 CWB and 1 WB (support or attack duty depends on the team we face)

DLP, our main playmaker, as we pretend to be high up in the pitch we need someone in the back providing deep passes and controlling the tempo

2 Carrileros, we need our midfield to cover those halfs spaces between the wing and the midfield and also bring the ball up. It's important that this 2 midfielders have high physical attributes because they will be running across the pitch.

The 2 Numbers 10's will be an AM(at) and a SS(at). The AM will drop between the lines and stay wide to provide width and help with key passes, the SS will help the CF to press their CBs and also make runs behind the defensive line.

Finally, a CF(Su or At) in order to work with the Number 10's dropping to the midfield, making run behind the back or holding the ball and pass it to the SS

You will be thinking how this formation defends if they are not any defensive rol assigned, well let me explain it, we defend by overloading the midfield and pressing inside so we defend by accumulation and it turns out great. Here are the defensive stats throughout the league:



3rd in league, champions league winner and runner-up in FA Cup


We give freedom to the players so our creativity in the final third let us dribble and score, you can put "work ball into the box" if the shots are not connecting




As you can see, it's not a Possesion oriented system, but a total football one.


And that's pretty much it. A Total Football formation where every player contributes in attack and defend in a compact block.