9v9 3-4-1

■  FORMATION: 3-4-1

PROS: Strong in defence, it uses an interlinking system when repelling It will not get overrun in midfield and encourages good support via the wide midfielders, both in attack and defence.

CONS: This is a tiring formation for one striker unless a rotation system is in place. It is also hard on the wide players, who have to support the attack and act as wing backs.  

■   DEFENCE

An interlinking combination between midfield and defenders means that if players hold positions and coordinate movements, they will be hard to pass through. Have the outside midfielders covering the fullbacks if they are under attack from wide players.  

■   MIDFIELD

The powerhouse of the formation - pressing opponents and dropping to support the defence when out of possession, while pushing up in support on the attack. It is strong enough to hold its own against any attacking formation, but must work hard, especially the wide players.  

■   ATTACK

With only one player to get the ball to, attack is the weakest feature of this formation. The striker will need support from central and wide players for this to be effective going forward.  

■   PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

A defensive formation that works well against strong opposition.

The team sits deep to soak up pressure and wins the ball to counter-attack.

Success relies on the midfield/defence combination, which is a good learning curve for players because the midfield formation - and, to some extent, the defensive system - will adapt to the 11v11 game.

It can be tough on the striker but it is good for learning how to hold the ball up, like Romelu Lukaku, and is certainly a good development formation for working on N’Golo Kante-style tireless midfielders.  

ATTACKING 3-4-1