Could a formation change help?

A team’s formation is not just where players stand at a specific moment. It influences player movements, and specifically, the direction and degree of each player’s movements and how it affects their teammates.

The formation gives players the platform to perform on matchday, and makes it easier to carry out the team playing style.

Simply put, good players look average in a formation that puts them in the wrong place at the wrong time, and conversely, average players look good in a formation that has them organised to be in the right place at the right time.

Assuming Milicic intends to retain the current wing-oriented playing style, a potential solution to the abovementioned problems might be the 3-4-1-2 formation occasionally used by Melbourne City in the W-League this season.

City have several of the current senior Matildas in their squad, and as a result provide an approximation of what the Matildas might look like in a 3-4-1-2.

Against Canberra for example, City’s starting 11 comprised Carpenter, Lydia Williams, Steph Catley, Aivi Luik, Emily van Egmond, Kyah Simon, and Emma Checker.

In the diagram above, City have the ball in defence (blue arrow (1)).

We see Catley and Carpenter pushed high in their fullback positions to provide width, as they do for the Matildas (2). Notice however, the number of players City have in the central corridor of the pitch (blue area (3)).

Compared to the Matildas’ 4-3-3, the 3-4-1-2 only has two players wide and therefore allows for more players to be positioned centrally.

This means more players are able to move in between the lines, without sacrificing width, making the attacking build-up less predictable.

Another benefit of the 3-4-1-2 is the defensive cover offered in transition. Imagine if Canberra were to counterattack in the space behind Carpenter (4).

Unlike the 4-3-3, where only two centrebacks are present to cover the width of the field, in the 3-4-1-2 a third centreback helps reduce the space each defender has to cover.

This would provide Carpenter and Catley a few extra seconds to track back, and in possession would provide them greater freedom to attack.