Frank Lampard’s tactical toolbox: Four formations Chelsea can use

4. 4-3-1-2

Potential XI: Kepa Arrizabalaga; Cesar Azpilicueta, Kurt Zouma, Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell; Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic; Kai Havertz; Tammy Abraham, Timo Werner

This is the true wildcard formation. Lampard used the shape to get by Leeds in the Championship playoffs and briefly tried during his first Chelsea preseason. Given the versatility of Chelsea’s players, practically every single player on the roster could find a spot in the formation and it could work.

To start with, it is good to understand that Lampard likes to clog the central lanes and channels. The 4-3-3 often has more in common with a 4-3-2-1 than its own namesake. Lampard’s usage of inverted wingers only further increases this overload centrally.

It is nearly impossible to find another shape that clogs the center more than a 4-3-1-2, which is basically a 4-diamond-2 without a clear player holding all the time. It saw a miniature renaissance in the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino as a counter to three at the back formations, but few teams would be able to play it well. Chelsea is one of those teams now.

If the 4-4-2 adds extra pressure to all the players besides the strikers, 4-3-1-2 heaps it on to everyone in equal measure. The widest central midfielders and the strikers (and occasionally the 10) all need to be able to provide width according to the play. Off the ball, the midfield needs to move in perfect unison back and forth across the pitch and on the press to prevent the opponent from finding a way through.

But if the team is able to do that, then the formation can guarantee overloads everywhere on the pitch. It can adapt to build play up or the two strikers can constantly find pockets of space to run into.

This is the Hail Mary formation. It is extremely unlikely that it will be used from the start and it is also unlikely that it will be used late on in matches. If it is used, however, it has the potential to be an incredibly potent tool to turn a match around. At the same time, the increased duty on everyone to do their job well could lead to a very thin line between success and failure.

What other formations do you think Lampard might use next season and why? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!