UEFA Training Ground has tactics covered

The likes of Graham Taylor, Lars Lagerbäck, Roy Hodgson and David Pleat have seen a host of tactical nuances, experimental formations and specialist positions come and go over the years. The UEFA Training Ground taps into their plethora of experience to provide you with an overall tactical rundown of football today.

Formations
As tactical pioneers go, Hungary's golden generation of the 1950s were up there with the most groundbreaking. They were a side that defeated England 6-3 and reached the 1954 FIFA World Cup final, doing so courtesy of revolutionary tactics and training methods. Hungary's golden team.

Such an avant garde approach became old hat over time, with two banks of four eventually the preference of coaches the world over: Taylor on the 4-4-2. The rigidity that comes with such a lineup has gradually been eroded in recent times, however, José Mourinho bringing the packed midfield to the table, most notably while at Chelsea FC. The vagaries of a five-man midfield allow a number of variations: Lagerbäck on the 4-5-1, Hodgson on the 4-3-3 and Pleat on the 4-2-3-1.

Positions
The move from four to five-man midfields has prompted the development of very specialist positions both in front a defence and behind an attack: Lagerbäck on the holding role and on playmakers. Five across the middle used to spell three at the back but such bravado, exemplified best by the Brazil teams of Cafu and Roberto Carlos, now appears to be a dying breed. Lagerbäck on wing backs.

Indeed, coaches and managers, almost to a man, are increasingly veering towards more cautious setups. The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa was a perfect example, all but a handful of countries deploying just one man up front. Lagerbäck on target men and Lagerbäck on lone strikers.

Tactical dilemmas
Though front men are increasingly left to plough a lone furrow, they are rarely without assistance. The spare man in midfield can often be deployed in the old style No10 role, drifting between the lines à la Wesley Sneijder and Mesut Özil. Dealing with playmakers.

Despite such trends, the ability to adapt during a game remains perhaps the most important quality for a coach to have. England youth trainer Brian Eastick considers reacting tactically to goals, while new Liverpool FC manager Hodgson muses on how to reverse a deficit. For all the complexities and options open to a coach, though, tournament football can still come down to the relative pot luck of penalties. Stuart Pearce on preparing for a shoot-out.