It's often seen in European games where teams face a tough away fixture and the manager packs the midfield.

The poor old striker often has a lone battle up front!

But it can be very effective - particularly when keeping possession.

For it to work properly the striker has to be good at holding up the ball.

This gives the midfield players a chance to get forward and offer support.

What formation?

The 4-4-2

The diamond

The 4-3-3

The 5-3-2

The 4-5-1

The 4-4-1-1

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