Perhaps your soccer team is yet to gel, and you’re currently struggling to keep the opposition at bay. While there are lots of things you can do to improve, changing your formation is one of the best adaptations you can make.
This is because your formation is the very essence of how your team plays the game, and if your setup isn’t right, it will be hard to keep a clean sheet.
To help you out, we introduce three of the best soccer formations for weak teams in the sections that follow and explain how they might help you improve your performance out on the field.
What is the best soccer formation for weak teams?
One of the best soccer formations for weak teams is 4-5-1, as it’s really easy to set up and isn’t overly complicated to maintain. We also like 4-4-2 and 5-4-1 for the same reasons, and they’re excellent formations to try if you don’t have the strongest players in your league. Below, we explain each of these formations in detail and give our reasoning for choosing them as the best for weak teams.
What is a soccer formation?
Just before we get into the three best formations for weak teams, we should just clarify what we mean by formation in soccer. The term ‘formation’ refers to the way a team sets up on the field and is given as an expression of numbers (4-5-1, for instance).
Although there are eleven players on a team, soccer formations always add up to ten, as the goalkeeper isn’t included in the expression of the formation. There’s not really a reason for this, but just remember that it doesn’t mean you should play without a goalie!
The first number always refers to the number of defenders, while the second number refers to the midfielders present on the field. The final number is the number of attackers that a team is planning to field.
In almost all soccer formations, there are more defenders than attackers, but it’s not always the case! The formation that is widely regarded as standard in soccer is 4-4-2, which is four defenders, four midfielders, and two attackers.
Formations can be as easy or as difficult as you make them, but when you’re a weak team, it’s best to focus on something that is straightforward and easy to understand. Going for a 3-4-3 with inside forwards and a false number nine, for instance, would leave a lot of your players scratching their heads and wondering what on earth you’re going on about!
So, with that in mind, we’ve decided to introduce you to three of the easiest soccer formations to introduce to your players that will help you stop leaking goals and at least get organized out on the soccer field.
The best soccer formations for weak teams
4-5-1
Our first recommendation is to line your team up in a 4-5-1 formation. This means you will play the match with four defenders, five midfielders, and one attacker. Starting with the defense, you should play a flat back four, meaning that your defenders’ sole job is to defend, and you’re not encouraging the full backs to fly forward.
Next, allocate one of your five midfielders to sit in the anchor role, which is just in front of the back four and just behind the midfield four. This person is there to break up the play and stop the opposition from running at your defense. While they can’t do everything themselves, the player in the anchor position will sure up your defense.
In the next line, you should again have a flat midfield four, with two central players and two wide players. The role of each of these players is to get forward and defend when required, so they will need to have good levels of fitness.
The final piece in the 4-5-1 jigsaw is a sole striker, who will need to hold the ball up and bring the rest of the players in to play when your team has possession. This is a difficult job, and it’s best played by someone with strength. While you probably won’t score a great deal of goals when you set up in a 4-5-1 formation, it’s ideal for weak teams and will keep everything compact.
4-4-2
Some people might be surprised to see 4-4-2 appear on this list, as it’s now seen as a relatively attacking formation that could leave your team exposed. But the reason we’ve included it is because it’s the easiest formation to play, and it’s often how kids learn how to play the beautiful game from a young age.
The midfield and defense line up as two solid banks of four, and there isn’t a great deal of rotation out on the field. It’s often used in junior soccer as it allows kids to learn how to develop their positional play and focus on their core attributes.
The fact that you play with two attackers means that you have more chance of scoring, and you won’t find that your sole striker is isolated for large periods of the game. If you’ve just taken over the coaching of a weak team, particularly in junior soccer, it’s a good idea to switch to a 4-4-2 while your players improve their confidence and keep things as simple as possible.
5-4-1
The third and final formation we would recommend trying if you’re in charge of a weak team is a 5-4-1. As you start the game with five defenders, it gives you a much better chance of keeping things tight at the back. However, it will also limit your chances going forwards, so you will need to bear that in mind.
One of the most important combinations in a 5-4-1 is the three center-backs that play at the heart of the defense. You will need to make sure that they have a good relationship and they know their roles. If they’re not well coordinated, the central defenders will struggle to maintain their positions, and it will render the entire formation pointless!
You will also need to think carefully about how you use your full-backs when you play five at the back. You will often see soccer teams employing very attacking full-backs (who are best referred to as wing-backs) in a 5-4-1. But this can end up causing you even more problems as they often get caught up the pitch, so we’d suggest keeping things tight and asking your full-backs to focus on defending.
Like playing a 4-5-1, you will need to task one of your midfielders with supporting your sole attacker, as they won’t get much joy out of the defenders when they’re up there alone. So, if you’ve recently found your team leaking lots of goals, opting for a 5-4-1 is a good way to improve your defensive credentials.
Top tip: If you’re looking to sure up your defensive shape and want to stop conceding so many goals, check out this super helpful blog post where we teach you how to ‘park the bus‘ in soccer!
Recap: The best formations for weak teams
Sometimes in soccer, it’s a good idea to admit that your team isn’t quite up to the same level as your competitors before adapting your formation and setup to reflect this. It can end up saving you goals and a lot of embarrassment out on the field.
Whether you opt for a 5-4-1, 4-4-2, or 4-5-1 formation, we hope the new setup helps to improve your chances and gives your team the confidence and belief they need to press on and carve out some impressive results.