Part V: How to beat Perak – Flank them left and right

In the last segment, I talked about Perak and their current tactical formations. Nobody can say for certain what their true soccer formation is since Perak has the tendency to use all three 3-4-1-2, 3-1-4-2 and 3-5-2 formations in a single match.

It doesn’t really matter. There is an apparent trend here that some smart local coaches have noticed. Perak is fond of using a three-man defensive lineup! What’s with their obsession with a three-man defensive lineup anyway?

We can hardly blame Perak for their obsession with a three-man defensive lineup. Perak all the while can boast of having the best stoppers and defenders in the country. Big names such as Nanthakumar, Chan Wing Hoong, Subramaniam and Azlan Zainal have been with Perak for quiet some time and they have quite a reputation each one of them. With such big names manning their defenses, Perak can afford to play with a three-man defensive lineup.

Ask any good soccer coaches and soccer pundits and they will immediately point out that teams playing with a three-man defensive lineup such as Perak can be easily manipulated and capitalized with the right tactics. Such tactics must be fast and full of the elements of surprise. I will touch on this later.

Theoretically, the best formation to tackle teams playing with a three-man defensive lineup is 4-3-3. Selangor and Kedah were once masters of the 4-3-3 soccer formation; both teams were so damn good with it that they totally dominated the local soccer scene by winning incredible trebles! Let’s not talk about the best formation to go against Perak at the moment. Perhaps I will cover that in future segments.

A good and smart team can beat teams playing with a three-man defensive lineup such as Perak any day if they know how to break apart such defenses and throw them into chaos. This is something that I have learned from so many coaches, local and foreign. Attack them fast from the flanks by surprise and split open their defenses like a tin can. It would then be quiet easy to sneak in and find an opening right there in the middle.


There is another tactic that a team can use against teams playing with a three-man defensive lineup. I will share this with the world in my next segment. Stay tuned!

Related Post:

1. Part IV: How to beat Perak - Get to know their tactical formations

Tags: perak fa, malaysian super league, football, soccer, malaysia