Chelsea’s signings this window give Frank Lampard multiple options to line up with next season. What are four formations the manager could utilize?
Many like to look for Jose Mourinho’s finger prints on Frank Lampard’s tactics, but he shares much more in common with Carlo Ancelotti than the Special One. Lampard is not wedded to one formation or even a variation of one formation. Instead, he has a basic idea and the overall shape can change depending upon the players available, their form, and the opponent.
In his first season in charge, Lampard stuck with three formations. The 4-3-3 and the 4-2-3-1 were his main choices and will likely continue to be in the new year. The 3-4-3 was used to cope with the loss of N’Golo Kante through injury and to bolster defense.
The new signings will give Lampard increased flexibility and bring the Blues closer to his ultimate vision for the club. Three at the back has more or less been built away from (unless Declan Rice signs and some centerbacks stay that are not expected to), but it has been replaced by far more attacking variance. Ancelotti used several shapes up top during his tenure and Lampard looks set to do the same. How might the Blues line up throughout the season and what would force the changes?
1. 4-3-3
Potential XI: Kepa Arrizabalaga; Cesar Azpilicueta, Kurt Zouma, Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell; Kai Havertz, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount; Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic
This is the dual eights formation that Lampard started to use after the Covid break but the plan ended when Kante became injured. The two more attacking midfielders require a much more defensively minded midfielder to hold/sweep behind them and without Kante that was impossible.
This is the formation to use against opponents that are packing it in and daring Chelsea to break them down. This was a common issue last season and the main way the Blues have gone about solving it is the transfers of Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz. The former offers a playmaker that can create from wide and centrally while the latter becomes a battering ram from deep.
Perhaps most importantly is the ability to find space and rotate with teammates. Chelsea could rely on Ziyech finding the perfect pass to slice a defense open, but ideally the movement breaks the opponent down more than anyone pass. There should be plenty of rotation between the eights and the wingers as they move towards goals. The fullbacks should be overlapping the wingers often. And Timo Werner should be given free rein to roam while someone (most likely Havertz) fills the space that he is vacating.
Off the ball, this formation will be all about the press which is why Mason Mount finds his way in. Other than Kante, no other player really presses the way the Englishman does. His ability to rotate with Christian Pulisic and back again will also be key.
Anytime Chelsea is playing an opponent that is sitting off and trying to win on the counter, this will be the go to shape. So long as the movement is constant on and off the ball, the opponent should start to open up and give any number of the Chelsea attackers a lane or channel to cause havoc.
2. 4-2-3-1
Potential XI: Kepa Arrizabalaga; Cesar Azpilicueta, Kurt Zouma, Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell; N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic; Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic; Timo Werner
The only difference between this formation and the 4-3-3 is Mateo Kovacic comes in for Mount. This changes the shape of the midfield from an inverted triangle to a more normal triangle.
Instead of one player sitting deeper to help the play out from the back, there will be two. Instead of one player behind the play to help switch things, there is two. And when possession is lost, there are generally going to be two players there to sweep/hold instead of the one.
Compared to a 4-3-3, the 4-2-3-1 is naturally more solid and the term often used is “springy”. 4-3-3 is built to build the ball up and rotate between the eights, front three, and occasionally fullbacks. In a 4-2-3-1, that double pivot more often than not stays put and see-saws between itself rather than rotate with anyone. This frees up the wider players to get forward and the band of three to rotate between themselves. The formation, overall, becomes more direct because it bogs itself down in possession faster. It also tends to be better suited to press earlier. Because there are two players prepared to sweep/hold, the players ahead of them can get more aggressive in the press.
The directness but added defensive solidarity is what makes the formation better suited for opponents that are looking to press Chelsea rather than sit off of them. Kovacic is Chelsea’s most press resistant player and he does well in a double pivot compared to Mount. That allows the Blues to survive an opponent’s press while also being able to take advantage of the space the opponent creates when pushing up.
In theory, this would be the go to formation and lineup for an opponent like Liverpool or Manchester City, but high pressing sides like Leeds would also have a harder time against this shape than the 4-3-3.
3. 4-4-2
Potential XI: Kepa Arrizabalaga; Cesar Azpilicueta, Kurt Zouma, Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell; Hakim Ziyech, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic; Christian Pulisic; Tammy Abraham, Timo Werner
When Timo Werner signed for Chelsea, it was assumed that Lampard would find a way to play him with Tammy Abraham instead of in his place. Then Abraham began to struggle, Olivier Giroud passed him in the depth chart, and suddenly Werner looked as though he would be the lone man up top for the new season.
That raised a different set of concerns. Werner has played the majority of his career in a partnership up top. Playing as a lone striker is a much different job and he has at times struggled to do so. Lampard’s work around already seems to be having a midfielder (Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the friendly against Brighton, most likely Havertz during the season) move up and fill in any space vacated by Werner. This created a “strike partner” for Werner to play off of without really doing so.
But there will be times when two up top will be the way to go for Lampard and Chelsea. The formation went from having a bad rap and being seen as old fashioned to becoming a bit of a hipster’s choice afterwards. The main issue is that, outside of the striker, the 4-4-2 asks more of every individual player so it simply became easier to use 4-3-3.
This formation will likely get its most use as a late game shape to try to claw back a lead. In practice, it will not be a great deal different than the 4-2-3-1, especially with inverted wingers, but the added striker will make it more potent on offense.
Chelsea’s versatility in attackers could also create a few variations to the shape as well. Lampard could opt to use Callum Hudson-Odoi on the left and Pulisic on the right to have two true wingers. Havertz could line up as a forward that drops deep and knits things together. Olivier Giroud could sit up top, collect crosses, and flick on teammates for goals.
From the start of a match, this formation might be best to just get some players rotated in but it could also be good against three at the back shapes. Generally, a team wants to underload, not overload the opponents defense. One striker and two wingers/inside forwards can occupy four defenders arguably better than four can. Three at the back (which usually changes to five at the back) can outnumber the three attackers or match them in a way that is not beneficial. Two strikers up top supported by two wingers can counteract that.
If 4-2-3-1 finds itself as the main formation during the season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see 4-4-2 become a close second given how Havertz may operate. It does ask more of the individuals, but Lampard wanted a versatile, high pressing squad for a reason.
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!