Soccer is a game of strategy. It involves 11 players on the park for 90 minutes with the strings being pulled by the coach or manager depending on where you live. Players are positioned like pawns and tested mentally and physically for the duration of the match. In the past, coaches merely picked the sides and waited for the half time speech to motivate their team. A simple change or a substitution and the coach has completed his job. How times have changed. Modern soccer has become a battle of inches and the players have evolved into super athletes that cannot be separated head to head. So what makes the difference? Could it be the coach that once upon a time was only needed to pick the starting eleven?

Could it be the guy that puts out the cones for you at training? Or the guy that stands behind the goals waiting eagerly to fetch your wayward shot? The difference between winning and losing in most games is the coach. The strategy he employs could see your team playing all out attack or putting up a fortress in front of goals. The style you play is also significant and will dictate the pace of the game. Will you play counter football or long balls? Will you keep possession and starve your opponents of the ball or simply play down the flanks? Depending on the style and strategy used, the coach must also pick his formation.

Common formations are 4-4-2 and the 3-5-3. Commonly used for a defensive purpose is the 4-5-1 with the lone striker used to chase down the long clearing balls from defence. Teams that are aggressive employ the 3-4-3 system and the coach gives the strikers freedom to terrorise the opponents defence. Another popular formation is the 5-3-2 where the coach utilises a sweeper to give his defence extra protection. This formation also allows the wing backs to penetrate via the wings and is a great formation for counter attack soccer. As already stated, footballers today have developed into super athletes where inches separate the majority of players. Through the guidance of the coach with the implementation of his style, formation and strategy, games will be won and lost.

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