Ange Postecoglou has divided opinion with his 3-2-4-1 system, but his coaching philosophy is fundamentally about his key principles, not the formation\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Ange Postecoglou has been clear in his mandate as Australia\u2019s national team coach. Right from the start he indicated he would set out to challenge and change the mentality of the Socceroos from plucky underdogs to a team capable of dominating games with a modern brand of proactive football. Challenging established norms has been a common thread across his managerial career \u2013 from setting out to be the first NSL team to win back-to-back titles with South Melbourne, to changing expectations of what A-League teams were capable of playing with his possession-focused Brisbane Roar.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been a little bit frustrated by our constant painting a picture of a team that\u2019s not good enough, a league that\u2019s not good enough, players that are not good enough. Regardless of the state of the game \u2014 and it\u2019s been a lot worse than it is right now \u2014 we\u2019ve\u00a0never taken a backward step<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Underpinning this ruthless ambition is a set of key principles that define Postecoglou\u2019s philosophy. As a coach, he is not bound to a specific system or structures. Rather, Postecoglou brings his vision to life through key principles that define the actions his teams perform on the pitch. If Postecoglou does his job well, even without any knowledge of what the coaches communicate with the team, outsiders should be able to determine what the key principles are, based on the characteristics of the team with and without the ball in the game.<\/em><\/p>\n Postecoglou himself has given us an insight into the philosophy that underpins his key principles.<\/em><\/p>\n Our motto is\u00a0never take a backward step<\/strong>\u00a0and this is incorporated in everything from our preparation to even our style of play. It is also distinctive to us as a nation<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u2018Never take a backward step\u2019 translates into some of the following key principles as evidenced in any of the 40+ games of his regime.<\/em><\/p>\n Accordingly, Postecoglou\u2019s primary aim as a coach is to manifest these principles in the game. We often hear in press conferences about his emphasis on the performance of the team, which, in the context of his coaching process, is how well they brought the principles, and therefore, the philosophy, to life. That is the very heart of Postecoglou\u2019s coaching: about playing a certain way, and in a way that reveals his values and his vision.<\/em><\/p>\n However, while the key principles are constant, we have seen Postecoglou constantly adapting his tactics to get the best out of the players at his disposal. Furthermore, and crucially in the context of the current debate regarding the 3-2-4-1, we have also seen great flexibility in formation. Ultimately, Postecoglou\u2019s vision and philosophy are about the key principles, not the system.<\/em><\/p>\n The formation is simply a framework and a starting point to allow the principles to come to life. For example, in\u00a0the first nine months of this regime<\/a>\u00a0(including the 2014 World Cup), Postecoglou used a 4-2-1-3 formation.<\/em><\/p>\n The primary remit of this system was to create\u00a0penetration in wide areas\u00a0(a key principle)\u00a0by allowing the wide players moving into pockets of space between the lines, to create space for the full-backs to overlapping on the outside. This would get a player free in a wide area, where they could deliver an early cross towards the far post. This was a strategy designed to\u00a0suit the ability of Tim Cahill in the air,\u00a0who scored twice from this approach at the World Cup<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n
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