The ultimate guide to mastering the 4-5-1

You just suffered one defeat too many. Your matches are not satisfactory. In short, you feel something is wrong. Your midfield is falling apart, your defense is like Swiss cheese, and some of your players can't string two passes together.

In a word, you feel bad about it. You have your little idea, your system of play is not the right one. And you want to try the 4-5-1. But you're afraid of getting it wrong. You don't know how to play with it. And you don't know if this formation is right for you.

We tell you everything about this system of play, which differs from a 3-5-2 formation or a 4-2-3-1 system of play. Let's take a quick look at the composition used by Domenech with the French team in 2006!

1. What is the 4-5-1?
2. 4-5-1: offensive animation
3. How to defend well in a 4-5-1?
4. The advantages of a 4-5-1 system of play
5. What are the weaknesses of the 4-5-1 formation?

What is the 4-5-1?

The 4-5-1 is a fairly simple system that consists of:

• 4 defenders, 2 central and 2 fullbacks.
• 5 midfielders.
• 1 lone forward.

Note that there are some nuances in the midfield. You can position your 5 midfielders in several ways. You have the option to use, among others, these 3 formations:

Flat midfield with 3 central midfielders and 2 wide midfielders

Playing in a "V": 1 defensive midfielder, 2 central and 2 wide midfielders a notch higher.

2 defensive midfielders and 3 central

Yes, the options are numerous. And this is where the 4-5-1 differs from systems that resemble it. The midfielders are close to each other.

We give you an example. The 4-5-1 in "V" can be reminiscent of a 4-3-3. But the wide midfielders in the 4-5-1 do not play as high as the wingers in the 4-3-3.

There you go, now you know how to place your players. Now, you want to know how to score goals with this setup. Naturally... in the next part, we explain how to effectively exploit the offensive animation when using a 4-5-1 system of play.

4-5-1: offensive animation

The offensive animation of the 4-5-1 mainly goes through your central midfielders. Indeed, they will (generally) be the first to receive the ball upon recovery. They retain and circulate the ball. They therefore offer several passing options: back passes or through balls, crosses, etc.

Depending on their positioning and style of play, your midfielders play several roles:

• Link players to ensure transitions between defense and attack.
• Wide players, with the aim of widening the play, crossing, or cutting inside.
• Attacking players, to support the forward, play with their back to goal, or create an overload.

The role of midfielders in 4-5-1

The attack in 4-5-1 is not limited to your midfielders, far from it... your fullbacks contribute greatly. How? By replacing your wide midfielders who have gone to conquer the opponent's goal. Or better yet, by overlapping on the side to enhance the work of the wide midfielders. They thus participate in ball retention and circulation.

And the forward? Yes, we're getting to that. So, to be frank, your forward must know (almost) everything. Naturally, he is alone. He will receive all the balls, and they are all different.

Try to find a player who has a bit of: Giroud, Lewandowski, and Haaland. Let us explain.

Your forward receives a cross? He must be able to score with his head.

One of your midfielders sends him a through ball? He must be fast enough to reach it.

Oh yes, he must also be able to play with his back to goal to participate in ball circulation.

And now? The defense. You are bound to lose the ball, right?

How to defend well in a 4-5-1?

To be honest with you, you're in luck. The 4-5-1 is a defensive monster if played well. An impenetrable wall. Why? Because everything is doubly protected!

Your central axis is guarded by your 2 central defenders with 2 or even 3 midfielders in support. Your sides are covered by 2 fullbacks, the defender and the midfielder. Upon losing the ball, you always have a player to fill the gaps. The central or defensive midfielders replace the fullbacks who have gone on the attack. Conversely, the fullbacks can substitute for the midfielders if they struggle to get back into position.

The defensive solidity of the 4-5-1

However, your players will need to be patient. Facing a wall of 9 players, your opponent will hold onto the ball... for a long time. They will need to maintain the press and hold their positions.

You've seen how to place your players, how to attack, and how to defend. And now? We weigh the pros and cons of the 4-5-1.

The advantages of a 4-5-1 system of play

The incredible asset of this formation is its defensive solidity. You potentially have 9 players to protect your goals. The spaces are almost non-existent for your opponent.

Next, this composition is easy to understand. Your players find their way easily. Its structure is clear: 4 defenders, 5 midfielders, and 1 forward. And the roles are not complex: wide midfielder, central defender, holding midfielder. Many players are familiar with these positions. In addition to being clear, this system of play has another advantage: the space is reduced between each compartment of the game. What does this change? Transitions and ball circulation are simpler!

The 4-5-1 also has the benefit of surprising offensively. Your opponent might think you only have your lone striker to score... as we have seen, your attacks can come from the midfielders or the fullbacks.

This system of play also gives you another advantage: counterattacks. You will have quite a few. Indeed, facing your numerical advantage in defense, your opponent will play high. Upon recovering the ball, you benefit from huge spaces and an overload in attack if your players make forward runs quickly enough.

Finally, the 4-5-1 is very flexible, it can easily transform. For example, your 2 wide midfielders can move up a notch to become wingers and play in a 4-3-3. In short, you have a system of play that easily adapts to different scenarios of a match.

And unfortunately, there are not only advantages. We list just below the disadvantages and pitfalls to avoid when setting up your 4-5-1.

What are the weaknesses of the 4-5-1 formation?

You have probably guessed it, the Achilles' heel of this composition is its lone forward. And this poses two problems for you. The first? You will have few opportunities, a few shots, no more. You must therefore be as efficient as the French team in 2018. The second? Your forward must be multifunctional, and that is not easy to find.

And since you only have one spot, many of your forwards remain on the bench without playing.

Another problem with the 4-5-1 is the amount of effort required. Offensively or defensively, your players run a lot. They reposition themselves upon losing the ball, constantly press the opponent, and rush towards the attack upon recovery.

Also, this system of play requires your players to have discipline and concentration. Especially to manage their positioning in the midfield.

Finally, you may have difficulty quickly moving forward, the transitions will be short because the space between your midfielders and defenders is reduced.

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