Football Tactics: The 4-3-3 Formation Introduction Used by some of the greatest teams in footballing history, the 4-3-3 finds its most significant root in the Dutch style, the Total Football. A philosophy which emphasizes fluidity and flexibility among outfield players, Total Football became synonymous with the 4-3-3. Making use of either a dedicated defensive midfielder and two slightly ahead of him, or two defensively oriented midfielders and an attacking one ahead of them, two wide forwards, and a dedicated centre- forward, the 4-3-3, when used properly, makes a compelling case for being the most devastating formation in football. Notoriously propagated by Dutch legend, Johan Cruyff, the 4-3-3, in conjunction with Total Football , has been used to outstanding effect by teams such as the Louis Van Gaal’s Champions League-winning Ajax team in ’95, the Dutch national teams during their numerous World Cup runs, and by debatably the greatest club side of all time, the ‘09 Pep Guardiola Barcelona side that swept the entire world away in their sextuplet-winning blaze of glory. 4-3-3 Formation