Worldclass clubs tend to have a signature formation that they utilize for a lot of matches. More about this below.

While formations that favour the attack are the most enjoyable to see, some groups depend on defensive football formations for various factors. They may want to maintain their lead or just save efforts for more vital upcoming games. No matter the motive, strategies that favour the defence can be extremely efficient at stopping the opponent from building play and producing dangerous chances. In this context, the 4-5-1 is probably one of the most popular defence-focused strategies. This tactic counts on building defensive strength in the midfield location by developing a 5-player lozenge that covers some essential locations of the midfield. The main goal here is to stop the opponent from advancing further down the pitch. This is something that the Aston Villa former owner is most likely familiar with. The defense line typically plays higher up the pitch to create more strength in numbers in conjunction with the backline of the midfield.

Perhaps among the most used football formations is current years is various variations on the here 4-3-3. This is one of the most popular offensive football formations, and for good reasons. This tactic provides a great deal of flexibility as it can be quickly customised depending on the team's goals and in-game circumstances. The majority of managers use this tactic mainly due to how efficient it can be in developing chances and scoring goals. This is especially the case for clubs that have talented midfielders and wingers who have the ability to use tight areas to their benefit. This is something that the AC Milan former US owner is likely knowledgeable about. This is just because the lines are close to each other in this formation, suggesting that clubs have to rely on fast and precise passes as well as great dribbling capabilities. The midfield and attack line frequently push forward as a unit to create goal-scoring chances.

The last 10 years have actually seen the introduction of many modern football formations that managed to gain popularity with coaches and technical directors. While these tactics definitely have their place in modern-day football, more classic tactics are still the signature formations of a few of the most popular clubs. For example, the 4-4-2 is a formation that has actually been used in football since the 1970s as it is a reputable method that can be easily customised. This formation can be made more attack-focused or defence-based just by presenting some key modifications. This is something that the Crystal Palace former owner is likely to confirm. The stance of the 4 midfielders is what determines the team's strategy. For more attack effectiveness, coaches might select one defensive midfielder and a line of three attacking midfielders that play behind the forward line. To make it more defensive, the 4 midfielders can be put in an arch to cover more area.