Guest Article: Outside of the Boot - Evolution of the Sweeper

A sweeper is a kind of withdrawn centre back, playing slightly behind the centre backs/defensive line. Also known as a ‘libero’, the mastery of this position is widely credited to the Italians, led by the legendary Gaetano Scirea in the 60’s and 70’s. Franz Beckenbauer is also widely considered by many as one of the greatest proponents of this position, along with others like Franco Baresi, Mathias Sammer and Lothar Mathauss.

Guest Article: Outside Of The Boot - The Emergence of the 4-2-3-1

With the announcement of the team news before the start of every game, the first reaction of a football fan is that they try and figure out the formation of the line up and indeed where in the formation each player is set to figure. The formation of the team and the opponents give a clear indication of not only the mindset of the teams but also an inkling of what to expect in the upcoming 90 minutes. For instance, often in big encounters between 2 fierce rivals, the 2 managers plump for the more conservative 4-5-1 formation and as a result the midfield gets crowded and the teams cancel each other out. Thus the formations employed by each team is integral tactically speaking to the game and is often a subject of intense debate.