Having a powerful defense is the key to stopping sides that have highly technical players. More about this below.

Even though a lot of football coaches would have different techniques and strategies in their football tactics book, they all usually tend to be variations of their signature tactical plan, because they only present small tweaks depending on the other group's design of play and in-match situations. In this context, the AC Milan former US owner would likely concur that one of the most popular football strategies that has been utilised by lots of top teams is the 4-2-3-1. Football coaches usually employ this strategy when they want to manage the midfield and enforce their style of play on the opposing, particularly when considering that 5 or six players will occupy the midfield area in the defense position or when building play. In the attacking position, the 3 attacking midfielders need to be technically-skilled as they will need to get creative in order to open up some area for the centre forward and the two full backs.

No matter what football team you support you will likely concur that one of the most common football formations in the history of football is the 4-4-2. Compared to other popular formations, this attacking disposition uses 2 strikers, and that makes it among the higher-scoring football strategies. Defense-wise, it is considered well-adjusted as the midfielders would be put in a lozenge figure and those closer to the defense line are needed to focus more on defense responsibilities while likewise assisting the wingers and strikers in the attacking stance by feeding them through balls and long passes. As for the striking duo, the Arsenal FC owner would validate that a lot of clubs tend to utilise a well-built striker along with a more technically-skilled forward who has the ability to dribble past the defense. These two profiles enhance one another as the latter would produce chances in tight spaces whereas the former would score in close distance to the goalkeeper.

Each coach has a particular system of play as some take pleasure in implementing offensive football formations, whereas others go with defensive plays. For example, particular teams are known to have a defensive design of play that hinges on strong defense lines and quick counterattacks, and the Lille former owner is most likely to validate this. When it comes to defensive football formations, the most used and efficient one according to lots of experts is the 4-5-1. This tactic places a higher emphasis on defense, which suggests that the rival would have more ownership of the ball, which may work in the favour of mostly-defensive teams. This puts massive pressure on the offensive lines of the adversary as the bloc of defenders may either reclaim the ball and counterattack while the team is exposed, or the pressure may get to the challenger to the point that they start making mistakes and lose the ball.