Double Pivot or 3 Headed Monster?

Matt Tumminia looks at two very different formations and discusses which one suits us best.

 

4-2-3-1 vs 4-3-3

I will cut to the chase and say that this piece has little to do with the current form of our beloved Tottenham or any upcoming matches. Instead we will be looking at the differences in two similar formations; the 4-2-3-1 double pivot and the 4-3-3 (the sound you just heard was the majority of people clicking to a different website). We will only be looking at the midfields of both systems so let’s jump into it with both feet, similar to a tackle from Mr. Karl Henry.

Double Pivot

The idea of the double pivot is something that has come to prominence in the last few years as many midfielders are now able to do both the defensive work as well as contribute in the final third. They used to be called box-to-box but now I think they are just referred to as complete central midfielders, willing to get dirty, tackle hard and then initiate an attack immediately. We currently possess two players of this ilk in Dembele and Sandro, unfortunately as the Beast is currently fighting off intergalactic villains bent on world domination (men made of steel don’t get injured so Spurs needed an excuse for his absence), we are currently left with a glaring hole in our preferred system. This system is very simple to explain; the two midfielders trade off in responsibilities so that when one goes forward, the other stays deep to play as an outlet or to make runs that pull defenders away from the ball carrier. The Beast and Moose complimented each other perfectly, like ox tail stew and Red Stripe beer (Hooray beer!). Of course, there are not too many players in the world who can play in this system as it requires a great deal of discipline and intelligence to avoid getting caught out of position and leaving the back line in a world of trouble. Here lies the advantages and disadvantages of this system; requires high levels of energy, intelligence and athleticism as well as technical abilities and great positioning. Not many midfielders check all these boxes (I’m talking to you Mr. Parker) so when one of these two players is missing, the system doesn’t work and then it becomes a standard 4-2-3-1 with one holding and one central midfielder. This is fine, but not nearly as fluid as the double pivot.

3 Headed Monster

The 4-3-3 is in theory, a very simple formation. Three forwards, three central midfielders, each with a specific strength. The 3 CM’s can consist of two players of the double pivot mold as well as an attacking mid, or a deep lying playmaker who moves into the space created by the other two midfielders runs and then “orchestrates” the tempo from a subdued position. One can say that Huddlestone could fit this deep lying playmaker role with Sandro and Moose running around like gladiators in the Coliseum but I still feel he’s a little too immobile for such a role. When teams try to sit deep and put 9-10 men behind the ball, yes, his ability to distribute the ball
to the wings and over the top would definitely come in handy, but against a team who likes to pressure, a slower player such as Tom may struggle without the proper amount of time to pick a pass. This is where a player such as Holtby or Carroll would excel. Both of these two players would be able to play at the bottom of a triangle consisting of Sandro deep and Moose the more attacking of the three. Moose is great at taking on opposing players and making someone miss could pull another player out of position, which would free up space for one of the forwards. Like I said, very simple to understand. Plus, Holtby and Carroll aren’t afraid of getting stuck in and mixing it up and both prefer to play as the deep playmaker.

Conclusions

For right now, we should be playing a 4-3-3 as we are missing Sandro to play the double pivot. This could work very well against some of our upcoming opponents if we get Bale, Lennon and Defoe back as they can present quite the counter-attacking threat with their pace. Parker could play as the destroyer, Carroll or Holtby the playmaker and Moose or Siggy at the top of the triangle. Plus, we know the success that AVB had with the 4-3-3 at Porto so a change now could really have us humming come the final few matches and early into next season.

Thanks for reading! COYS!!

 

 

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