Welcome to Sokker14's 4-3-3 (2) formation guide ft. Liam9lfc

Intro

Holland's set-up

Holland in '74

Influences

The four-three-three

User guide

Gameplay

Custom Tactics

Player Instructions

Picking your team

Sample teams

Outro

Updates

Sources

Intro

1974, WEST GERMANY - Under the guidance of coach Rinus Michels twenty-three long-haired, decadent hipsters arrive in West Germany to swan around Germany for a month. The Dutchmen don't look like classic examples of professional footballers. But within a month, they'd steal the heart of every football fan in the world. We go through their story and look to replicate it into FIFA, for one of the best formations in the game.







For much of the twentieth century Holland was a quiet and unremarkable place to be. The flat and featureless land, muttered by a conservative population that was inward-looking and old fashioned.



As it was with society, so it was football. Professionalism was not permitted till the mid 50's and as a result the Dutch game were slow and unrefined. Only once before, in 1908, had Holland qualified for the World Cup and the post-war record was little better.



But in the 1960's, things began to change. Dutch society underwent a social and cultural upheaval; art and music became increasingly experimental. Holland became the land of the avant-garde.



Arguably the biggest representatives of this social revolution were AFC Ajax of Amsterdam. With their long hair and carefree attitude, Ajax began the 70's winning three European Cups in succession, playing in a style and swagger that had never been seen before.



He [Rinus Michels] was the coach of Holland at the 1974 World Cup, but it was at Ajax in the 60's and 70's that Rinus Michels formulated the ideas he'd later apply to the national side.



Michels believed the game was about the use and control of space. He demanded his players to be ultra fit and able to interchange positions. Der Generaal was the architect of what became known as Total Football.



At Ajax, Michels nurtured the talents of players who would later prove so influential to Holland at the 1974 World Cup; players like Johnny Rep, Johan Neeskens, Wim Suurbier, Arie Haan and Ruud Krol. But one player stood out from the crowd: Johan Cruyff was three times world player of the year and captain for club and country.



Ajax's great rivals Feyenoord were also an influence on the national team winning the European Cup, the UEFA Cup and the Dutch league twice in the early 70's. They provided seven players for the World Cup squad. And where Ajax had Cruyff, Feyenoord had Willem van Hanegem. [1]



NOTE: The text above is a passage from Sky Sports' documentary about the Dutch National Team from '74. Click to watch the entire video.



With the addition of Rob Rensenbrink, the Cruyff of Belgium, Holland entered the World Cup with confidence and an incredibly talented group of players, which would put on a show in West Germany. For much of the twentieth century Holland was a quiet and unremarkable place to be. The flat and featureless land, muttered by a conservative population that was inward-looking and old fashioned.As it was with society, so it was football. Professionalism was not permitted till the mid 50's and as a result the Dutch game were slow and unrefined. Only once before, in 1908, had Holland qualified for the World Cup and the post-war record was little better.But in the 1960's, things began to change. Dutch society underwent a social and cultural upheaval; art and music became increasingly experimental. Holland became the land of the avant-garde.Arguably the biggest representatives of this social revolution were AFC Ajax of Amsterdam. With their long hair and carefree attitude, Ajax began the 70's winning three European Cups in succession, playing in a style and swagger that had never been seen before.He [Rinus Michels] was the coach of Holland at the 1974 World Cup, but it was at Ajax in the 60's and 70's that Rinus Michels formulated the ideas he'd later apply to the national side.Michels believed the game was about the use and control of space. He demanded his players to be ultra fit and able to interchange positions. Der Generaal was the architect of what became known as Total Football.At Ajax, Michels nurtured the talents of players who would later prove so influential to Holland at the 1974 World Cup; players like Johnny Rep, Johan Neeskens, Wim Suurbier, Arie Haan and Ruud Krol. But one player stood out from the crowd: Johan Cruyff was three times world player of the year and captain for club and country.Ajax's great rivals Feyenoord were also an influence on the national team winning the European Cup, the UEFA Cup and the Dutch league twice in the early 70's. They provided seven players for the World Cup squad. And where Ajax had Cruyff, Feyenoord had Willem van Hanegem. [1]NOTE: The text above is a passage from Sky Sports' documentary about the Dutch National Team from '74. Click to watch the entire video.With the addition of Rob Rensenbrink, the Cruyff of Belgium, Holland entered the World Cup with confidence and an incredibly talented group of players, which would put on a show in West Germany.

Holland's set-up





Michels lined his men up in a 4-3-3, but that was nothing more than a formality. Rep and Rensenbrink moved up and down their flanks, while surges forward from Krol and other fullbacks were welcome to add more options [3].

Michels preferred XI for the tournament: Jan Jongbloed, Wim Suurbier, Wim Rijsbergen, Arie Haan, Ruud Krol, Wim jansen, Johan Neeskens, Willem van Hanegem, Johnny Rep, Johan Cruyff †, Rob Rensenbrink.



In the middle of it all, Cruyff confidently orchestrated the movement. The of Argentina show Cruyff all over the field: scoring early from center forward, lobbing in a pitch-perfect cross from the far left side for their third goal, punching in a score from an extreme angle for the final nail in the coffin. [3]



In goal, Michels controversially picked Jan Jongbloed as his first choice goalkeeper (instead of PSV's Jan van Beveren). Valued more for his ability to sweep up behind the high back line than for his ability as a shot stopper, Jongbloed would prove vital for the style of play that Michels wanted his Holland side to adopt.



All of this contributed to Holland's play style of high pressing, hypnotic passing, and a heavy reliance on technical skill. Briefly: Total Football. Rarely before and never since has a squad arrived at a World Cup and unleashed a completely fresh approach to the game as the Dutch did. One only needs to have a look at the bewildered responses of the Uruguay players during – to realise how bewildering their manipulation of space, exchanging of positions and magnificently aggressive offside trap must have seemed. [2]Michels lined his men up in a 4-3-3, but that was nothing more than a formality. Rep and Rensenbrink moved up and down their flanks, while surges forward from Krol and other fullbacks were welcome to add more options [3].: Jan Jongbloed, Wim Suurbier, Wim Rijsbergen, Arie Haan, Ruud Krol, Wim jansen, Johan Neeskens, Willem van Hanegem, Johnny Rep, Johan Cruyff †, Rob Rensenbrink.In the middle of it all, Cruyff confidently orchestrated the movement. The of Argentina show Cruyff all over the field: scoring early from center forward, lobbing in a pitch-perfect cross from the far left side for their third goal, punching in a score from an extreme angle for the final nail in the coffin. [3]In goal, Michels controversially picked Jan Jongbloed as his first choice goalkeeper (instead of PSV's Jan van Beveren). Valued more for his ability to sweep up behind the high back line than for his ability as a shot stopper, Jongbloed would prove vital for the style of play that Michels wanted his Holland side to adopt.All of this contributed to Holland's play style of high pressing, hypnotic passing, and a heavy reliance on technical skill. Briefly: Total Football.

Holland in '74







Holland team group: l-r, Cruyff, Jongbloed, Haan, Keizer, Rijsbergen, Rep, Suurbier, Jansen, Hanegem, Krol, Neeskens.



The now fluent Oranje would face Argentina first, a team in transition – and indeed conflict over the future of the game in their country – from the 1966 and 1970s styles to the 1978 team, and it would be another comfortable win for Michels’ team.



The heavens opened and rain descended, but even the weather couldn’t halt the Dutch and goals from Krol, Rep and Cruyff (2x) condemned the Argentines to a 4-0 defeat, and another humiliation on behalf of the Dutch. Next up, East Germany.



East Germany had progressed to the second phase – their best performance in a World Cup – defeating neighbours West Germany 1-0 in the first round in a stunning upset. However, there would be no such story again. East Germany played admirably against what was admittedly a far superior side, and in more pouring rain in Gelsenkirchen the Dutch won 2-0 through Rensenbrink and Neeskens. Holland versus Brazil, would decide who would advance to the final in Munich.



What followed – in effectively the semi-final of the tournament – was one of the dirtiest games ever seen at a World Cup, and certainly one of such importance. It is a darker side of Dutch football that does exist, and reared its ugly head in the final of the 2010 World Cup, but in this game the violence was mutual.



In amongst the disgusting levels of gamesmanship, Holland won 2-0 with goals from Johan Neeskens and Cruyff, with the Neeskens goal being another wonderful one scored by the Oranje in 1974. With their victory, Holland were through the final, where they would face the hosts West Germany and their captain, Franz Beckenbauer.



The game started as many of Holland’s had, with the Dutch in control. And within two minutes, Holland's superiority would lead to a desperate slide tackle by Uli Hoeness, which brought Cruyff down.Penalty: before West Germany had even touched the ball.



Neeskens stroked home the penalty, blasting it straight down the middle as Sepp Maier dived to his right. Holland 1, Germany 0. From here you would think that the Dutch would take the game to the Germans, and kill the game off within the first half hour. They certainly had them on the ropes. However they didn’t. [4]



The text above is a summary from These Football Times' article about 'Holland 1974: the legendary failed heroes of the Oranje'. Click to read the extensive report of Holland's games at the World Cup.



I hate to tell you what happened next, but I think you can guess. The West Germans fought their way back into the game and took the lead after goals by Paul Breitner and Gerd Müller.







For the final minutes Holland continually attacked, but it just wasn’t to be. The ball wouldn’t go in. Ninety minutes of thrilling, enthralling football ended, and the team that had captivated football fans around the world had lost. Holland were runners up at the 1974 World Cup. [4]



NOTE: And despite finals in '78 and 2010, The Netherlands never won the World Cup. Dutch football still wonders what should have been. In the first group stage, Holland would play Sweden, Bulgaria and former champions Uruguay. With two wins and a draw, Holland topped the group with five points – two points for a victory back then –, and along with Sweden went through to the second stage. They would face East Germany, Argentina and holders Brazil in the second phase.Cruyff, Jongbloed, Haan, Keizer, Rijsbergen, Rep, Suurbier, Jansen, Hanegem, Krol, Neeskens.The now fluentwould face Argentina first, a team in transition – and indeed conflict over the future of the game in their country – from the 1966 and 1970s styles to the 1978 team, and it would be another comfortable win for Michels’ team.The heavens opened and rain descended, but even the weather couldn’t halt the Dutch and goals from Krol, Rep and Cruyff (2x) condemned the Argentines to a 4-0 defeat, and another humiliation on behalf of the Dutch. Next up, East Germany.East Germany had progressed to the second phase – their best performance in a World Cup – defeating neighbours West Germany 1-0 in the first round in a stunning upset. However, there would be no such story again. East Germany played admirably against what was admittedly a far superior side, and in more pouring rain in Gelsenkirchen the Dutch won 2-0 through Rensenbrink and Neeskens. Holland versus Brazil, would decide who would advance to the final in Munich.What followed – in effectively the semi-final of the tournament – was one of the dirtiest games ever seen at a World Cup, and certainly one of such importance. It is a darker side of Dutch football that does exist, and reared its ugly head in the final of the 2010 World Cup, but in this game the violence was mutual.In amongst the disgusting levels of gamesmanship, Holland won 2-0 with goals from Johan Neeskens and Cruyff, with the Neeskens goal being another wonderful one scored by the Oranje in 1974. With their victory, Holland were through the final, where they would face the hosts West Germany and their captain, Franz Beckenbauer.The game started as many of Holland’s had, with the Dutch in control. And within two minutes, Holland's superiority would lead to a desperate slide tackle by Uli Hoeness, which brought Cruyff down.Penalty: before West Germany had even touched the ball.Neeskens stroked home the penalty, blasting it straight down the middle as Sepp Maier dived to his right. Holland 1, Germany 0. From here you would think that the Dutch would take the game to the Germans, and kill the game off within the first half hour. They certainly had them on the ropes. However they didn’t. [4]The text above is a summary from These Football Times' article about 'Holland 1974: the legendary failed heroes of the Oranje'. Click to read the extensive report of Holland's games at the World Cup.I hate to tell you what happened next, but I think you can guess. The West Germans fought their way back into the game and took the lead after goals by Paul Breitner and Gerd Müller.For the final minutes Holland continually attacked, but it just wasn’t to be. The ball wouldn’t go in. Ninety minutes of thrilling, enthralling football ended, and the team that had captivated football fans around the world had lost. Holland were runners up at the 1974 World Cup. [4]NOTE: And despite finals in '78 and 2010, The Netherlands never won the World Cup. Dutch football still wonders what should have been.

Influences

Michels was later appointed as Head coach of Barcelona and tasked to bring his ‘total football’ style to Spain. With Michel’s protégé, Johan Cruyff, and Barcelona went on to win La Liga for the first time since 1960.



Cruyff also won the Ballon d’Or in both ’73 and ’74, as the Dutch pairing began to lay the foundations of total football and youth development at Barça.



Both Cruyff and Michels departed the Camp Nou in 1978, however Cruyff wanted to establish a version of ‘De Toekomst’ (Ajax Youth Academy ‘The Future’) in Barcelona and his proposal was accepted by President Josep Núñez in 1979, as ‘La Masia' (FC Barcelona’s Youth Academy ‘The Farmhouse’) was established.



Johan Cruyff returned to the Catalan club as Head Coach in 1988 to find a club in crisis, both on and off the pitch, as his former side had only won 2 La Liga titles in 28 years.



It had been 10 years since the inception of La Masia, and Cruyff got to work building his ‘Dream Team’ by signing established internationals such as Romario, Hristo Stoichkov, Ronald Koeman and Michael Laudrup, whilst promoting cantera (youth academy) players such as Albert Ferrer and Pep Guardiola into the starting XI.



Cruyff’s Dream Team went on to win 11 titles in 6 years with the side regularly adopting a 3-4-3 formation, adapted from the 4-3-3 model.



It is therefore fitting that Guardiola became Head Coach of Barça in 2008 and during his time in charge led the club to 14 titles in 4 years, surpassing his mentor Cruyff.



Guardiola is now renowned as a great tactical thinker who adapts his teams formation, sometimes mid-game, based on the attributes of his own team, the approach of the opposition and the state of the game. [5]



Everyone led back to Michels and his Holland of '74, a team that revolutionized the way we play and think.

All chapters can be found in the index below:NOTE: The first four chapters, marked in orange, are well-recommended as intro and background information for the rest of the guide. Nevertheless, Liam and I have decided to include them in spoilers as it could discourage some readers, especially those interested in the tactics and team selection only, to read the guide.