Flank Combinations

You should choose role combinations on the flanks that enable you to balance your playing system. The player roles and duties that you use should also be suitable for your desired tactical style and your players’ abilities.

You can generate an automatic tactical analysis of the flank role combinations in your tactic by using the Role Combinations System Analyser. You can also analyse roles/duties individually by using the Player Roles & Duties Role Analyser.

Introduction & System Analyser
Central Defence Combinations | Central Midfield Combinations
Flank Combinations | Central Attack Combinations

Forward Movement Partnerships

Each role/duty’s possible partnership and partner types can be worked out based on its playing position and its tactical instructions related to forward movement (mainly Get Further Forward and Hold Position), as explained in the Player Roles & Duties guide.

Do to the importance of stretching play on the flanks it is advisable to try to use forward movement partnerships that focus on penetrating space. Such partnerships can also create space in central midfield and central attack by drawing opposition players out of position towards the flanks.

In particular, to focus to a large extent on penetrating space it can be useful to use:

• One or more high risk overlapping partnerships.
  • Useful if you are using attacking football in particular – to help to create space in congested advanced areas.
  • Useful if you are using short plays in particular – to help to create space when cycling possession.
• One or more high risk direct partnerships or overloading direct partnerships.
  • Useful if you are using defensive football in particular – to help to penetrate space quickly from deeper areas.
  • Useful if you are using direct plays in particular – to help to penetrate space directly.

Alternatively, you may want to use less risky options that still focus on penetrating space but to a lesser extent, such as:

• One or more medium risk overlapping partnerships – useful if you are using attacking football or short plays in particular (similar to high risk overlapping partnerships).
• One or more medium risk direct partnerships – useful if you are using defensive football or direct plays in particular (similar to high risk direct partnerships).
• One or more balanced interchanging partnerships (relatively lower risk) or overloading interchanging partnerships (relatively higher risk) – so that players can alternate their forward movement as appropriate. This implements a very fluid aspect to your playing system, with the partnership itself being very fluid, even if your system fluidity elsewhere is more structured.

Positional Responsibilities

Balanced role/duty combinations on the flanks include roles/duties that stretch play, create chances, apply defensive pressure and provide defensive cover.

Stretching Play

Stretching play on the flanks is considered to be of high importance. It is therefore advised to use at least one player who performs the responsibility or two players who contribute fluidly on each flank.

Roles that Carry Out the Responsibility

If you are using two players on a flank then stretching play on that flank can be carried out by any of the following:

• One D/WB(R/L) individual performer – specialises in stretching play from a deeper position.
  • Combine him with an M/AM(R/L) complementary partner who makes less forward movement to create space more effectively using overlapping movement, with the performer overlapping his partner (forms a high/medium risk overlapping partnership).
  • Alternatively, combine him with an M/AM(R/L) individual performer, as explained below.

• One M/AM(R/L) individual performer – specialises in stretching play from a more advanced position.
  • Can directly penetrate space on the flank more effectively than a D/WB(R/L) individual performer.
  • Combine him with a D/WB(R/L) complementary partner who makes less forward movement to provide him with more effective cover (forms a high/medium risk direct partnership).
  • Alternatively, combine him with a D/WB(R/L) individual performer to provide him with more effective support and create overloads that can create space in central areas (forms an overloading direct partnership).

• Two fluid contributors – work together and interchange to stretch play (forms a balanced interchanging partnership).

If you are using only one player on a flank then stretching play on that flank can be performed by:

• One D/WB(R/L) individual performer – specialises in stretching play from a deeper position.

Creating Chances

Creating chances on the flanks is considered to be of medium importance. It is therefore advised to use at least one player who performs the responsibility on each flank.

If you use a lone flank player on a particular flank then you may want to use a player in an off-centre central playing position, who is either positioned wider in a flat three-man structure or is instructed to Stay Wider or Dribble Wide, to create chances on his near flank. However, in most cases this responsibility can be performed by the lone flank player.

Focal Roles

Some roles/duties that can be used for performing creating chances on the flanks are playmaker focal roles, while some are target-man focal roles. This means that teammates are instructed to pass to them more often, which enables your team to focus on using that player to create chances.

Roles that Carry Out the Responsibility

Creating chances on each flank can be carried out by one individual performer.

Applying Defensive Pressure

Applying defensive pressure on the flanks is considered to be of medium importance. It is therefore advised to use at least one player who performs the responsibility on each flank.

If you use a lone flank player on a particular flank then you may want to use a player in an off-centre central playing position, who is either positioned wider in a flat three-man structure or is instructed to use More Urgent pressing intensity, to apply defensive pressure on his near flank.

Roles that Carry Out the Responsibility

Applying defensive pressure on each flank can be carried out by one individual performer.

Providing Defensive Cover

Providing defensive cover on the flanks is considered to be of medium importance. It is therefore advised to use at least one player who performs the responsibility on each flank.

Roles that Carry Out the Responsibility

Providing defensive cover on each flank can be carried out by one individual performer.

Related Guides

Other Role Combinations guides

• Introduction & System Analyser
• Central Defence Combinations
• Central Midfield Combinations
• Central Attack Combinations

Related Tactics Guides

• Player Roles & Duties – to analyse individual player roles and duties for use in your playing system.
• Adding Team & Player Instructions – to adjust your tactical style as appropriate, taking into account any less suitable roles/duties.
• Playing System Balance – tactical theory guide.
• Positional Responsibilities – tactical theory guide.
• Attacking Structures – tactical theory guide including forward movement partnerships and forward movement scores.
• Responsibility Distribution – tactical theory guide on assigning positional responsibilities.