3-1-4-2 Formation in Football: Flexible Midfield For Dominating Possession

Next on our journey through the most popular football formations is the 3-1-4-2 formation, a variation of the formerly popular 4-4-2 formation. Many modern head coaches have used this formation.

How do teams line up in a 3142 formation?

The 3-1-4-2 is set up in a relatively simple way. The formation uses three centre-backs, who are the players with the main defensive responsibility in the team. These centre-backs may split at times so they can cover the defensive wide positions where full-backs would usually be stationed.

In front of the three centre-backs is a central defensive midfielder whose main job is to protect the backline by breaking up opposition attacks. The midfielder will also shuffle across and attempt to cover the vacant space left by the absence of full-backs or wing-backs.

In midfield four, two of those players will be central midfielders, who will have a responsibility to contribute to both the attack and defence.

Usually, one of the two midfielders will sit back slightly deeper, allowing their midfield partner more scope to get forward and support the attack. They may take turns supporting the attack.

The other two players in midfield are either wing-backs or wide midfielders. If they are the former, they will track back into defensive positions and often act like full-backs when the opposition is attacking.

If they are wide midfielders, they are likely to track back slightly less. They will also push forward to aid the forwards and are often the most creative players when operating with a 3142, as they are likely to be the players supplying the attack.

The two forwards are the attacking focal point of the whole team. They are the ones expected to score the majority of the goals for the team. One forward may come short to bring himself into the game or hold the ball up, but if he does, then the other one will stay in an advanced position.

If a team wants to play the pressing game, the two forwards are the ones who will start the press from the front.

When was the formation first developed?

thomas tuchel managing chelsea
Анна Мейер, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons

The 3-1-4-2 formation is a variation of the 3-5-2 that was believed to have been first used by Argentina’s boss, Carlos Billardo, in 1984.  Thomas Tuchel, during his time at Chelsea, and Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone used formations of a similar style to win silverware. The pair are considered to be some of the best managers of their generation.

Numerous clubs in Europe’s top leagues have used the formation in recent years, including clubs in Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

As Barcelona’s head coach from 2008 until 2012, Pep Guardiola successfully used the system to get the best out of players such as Cesc Fabregas.

Former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa also implemented the system at times to help the Whites get promoted from the Championship to the Premier League in season 2019/20. He also used it occasionally with the Whites in the English top flight, although it had mixed results in the Premier League.

What are the pros and cons of the 3-1-4-2?

3142One of the main pros of this system is that it is relatively well-balanced, as the four centre-backs and the defensive midfield look after most of the defensive duties, while the players in front often fall back into defensive positions when out of possession.

Another advantage of this system is that the team always has two players in attacking positions. This means that a long pass into forward areas can relieve the pressure on the defence and create a goalscoring opportunity.

The large number of players in the middle of the park can allow teams to dominate and control possession in a key area of the pitch. If one of the forward players drops in, there is an even greater chance of overload.

One of the most significant weaknesses of this formation is that it can lack width. Without full-backs, there are fewer potential attacking options out wide.

The second con also involves no full-backs, as without them, opposition teams can find it easier to attack down the flanks, especially in quick transitions.

The last con is that the team relies on the midfielders to help the forwards in attacking areas. If the wide midfielders or the central midfielders don’t support their front two, it won’t be easy for the team to create goalscoring opportunities. If the forwards can’t hold up the ball, it will come right back at their defence, adding strain on the backline.

Is it popular on FM?

Many variations of 3-5-2 have been popular in recent versions of the Football Manager, as they give a good balance to a team in general. Although I didn’t test it, Josh Daly’s Ultimate 3-1-4-2 was highly rated in FM 23.

Due to the way the tactic is set up, I am sure there are some successful 3142 formations for FM24. Although I prefer my formations to have wingers, this is undoubtedly the sort of formation that I would enjoy playing with on FM24.

I will have a look on the usual Football Manager sites to see if I can find a 3-1-4-2 tactic and if I do, write about it in a future article.

Have you used the 3-1-4-2 formation on FM? And if you have, did it bring you success?