Football (aka soccer) is a game that's always in transition ever since it was invented and played in English schools in the late 1800's. Since then we have seen many different tactical formations rise and fall from popularity, such as the 'WM' formation, Alf Ramsey's 442, West Germany's 532 and Barcelona's 433.
At the moment the most popular formations in European club football (which is the most successful area of football currently) is the 451, which evolved from the 442 formation of the early 90's. Football journalist Jonathon Wilson has commented that he thinks that as time goes on the teams that do the best are the ones that defend the most rigidly (i.e. by sticking to their shape and working hard) but that also attack the most fluidly. Already, though, we're seeing a shift towards more fluid systems of play. Roma (the Italian football club) already play what resembles a 460 formation (with no strikers up front), giving them a fluid kind of football. In the 1970's Johann Cruyff's Ajax team played what was known as 'Total Football'; where players were essentially allowed to roam about the pitch and pop up wherever they liked. This resulted in a superbly beautiful form of football that would leave defences wondering what hit them. That Ajax team is one of the most successful o f all time, and although many have tried to copy the system used, it has never been successfully recreated.
The reason this kind of fluidity is rarely applied these days is because it requires an exceptional team of highly skilled individuals all working on the same wavelength - as one. Most teams aren't blessed with such players, so they must adopt a more practical approach. As players are become fitter and stronger, however, it does seem as though player roles are being blended, and we are now seeing players that can play in multiple positions (such as Dirk Kuyt at Liverpool FC).
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