A Guide to 4-4-2

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One of the most traditional formations in football, the classic 4-4-2, has fallen out of favor with many of the top sides around the world.
Why has it fallen out of favour? How can it be used effectively?
Written by Eric Laurie, illustrated by Philippe Fenner.
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Tifo loves football. We create In-depth tactical, historical and geopolitical breakdowns of the beautiful game.
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#TacticsExplained

[@12thMandalorian]

TIFO should do a guide for each formation as a series, maybe the Christmas Tree could be released during the holiday season

[@TheReubstar]

Amen - great suggestion!

[@tobilobaolowookere7101]

Agreed

[@pradyutsarma8021]

Agreed

[@BeachPleased]

A guide to Christmas Tree on Dec 24th... YES Please

[@fisheatsyourhead]

amazing idea, they could do tuchel's 5-2-3 or mourinho's 4231, or historical formations like the WM 3-3-4 formation

[@muhammadrifqi7308]

I'm now convinced that this football channel is partly an outlet to fullfill joe's childhood dream of being a singer.

[@airynod]

I am still waiting a TifoVEVO channel appears

[@muhammadrifqi7308]

@@airynod someone uploaded joe's music on youtube that was origonally shared on myspace. Give it a try.

[@milekiticevsin3290]

@@muhammadrifqi7308 got a link?

[@timdurgan]

Given the development of the game and the erosion of the formation, would be cool to see a JJ analysis of how Leicester won the league with the old 4-4-2

[@HarjasSingh0123]

they had Kante!

[@IncredibleMet]

@@HarjasSingh0123 they were playing 4-5-2 in reality due to Kante counting as two players.

[@HarjasSingh0123]

@@IncredibleMet exactly my point.

[@helmans]

They arealdy did it. Look at the old videos.

[@honestarsenalfan7038]

Baumgart's FC Koln. They play with 2 target man type strikers in Modeste and Andersson. Mark Uth is a good crosser from wide but isn't the quickest. Florian Kainz who is wide on the right is also good technically and a decent crosser. Benno Schmitz,the RB,is the key creative cog though with excellent delivery. The heartbeat of the team is Skhiri,a true 2 way Midfielder. They have been really good to watch and gave both Bayern and Leverkusen a game. Hoffenheim annihilated them but aside from that they keep the ball well and play on the front foot. That defence though🥶 probably the worst in the league. Czichos is a defender who doesn't know how to defend.

[@brandizzler9152]

Ljubicic is the key to success

[@honestarsenalfan7038]

@@brandizzler9152 ljubicic in the pivot is finished

[@sukhdevr3489]

Honest Koln fan.

[@shiftos7852]

Leicester 15/16 was the perfect example of how to maximise the 442 strengths and minimise the weaknesses in the modern era. Narrow laterally and vertically, flexible switching between a 4-4-1-1 (Okazaki dropping off) or Diamond/4-1-3-2 (Kante aggressively pressing the ball carrier ahead of Drinkwater) to help combat different systems, and Mahrez/Vardy providing different types of options on the counter (vardy off the ball, and Mahrez on the ball) Was an absolute joy to watch, one of my favourite sides ever in the premier league.

[@FruduBuggins]

Agree with the other comments: Please do a series where you go through the classic set-ups like 4-3-3, 5-3-2 and so on

[@enzotansingco2199]

Overlapping as a LB/RB in a 4-4-2 is fun until you realize your wingers didn’t cover behind and you suddenly have to track back all the distance

[@alohatigers1199]

Yes, and if you want your wingers to cover the FB position, you are wasting the wingers attacking ability. Basically, there’s no point of having wingers. You might as well have wingbacks in a back 3.

[@r3zaful]

Oh

[@anxiousmindmusic]

@@alohatigers1199 plenty of point, easy wide overload creation being one, destroying man-marking being another.

[@mistergray9664]

It's just a matter of discipline and communication. In 4-4-2 it's very important for the wingers to track back, but when the fullback pushes the adjustment in shape usually involves the remaining 3 defenders shifting over and one of the central midfielders staying back.

[@amakundi2792]

😂😂😂

[@petercliffe714]

For me it was Jose Mourinho's Chelsea that ended the 4-4-2 in the Premier League. Most teams were still playing it in the mid 2000's but when they saw how outnumbered they could be in midfield, even managers who'd had great success with 4-4-2, like Alex Ferguson, made the switch to a 3-man midfield.

[@iganpparamarta8813]

I remember reading an article about SAF. It says SAF copied the formation of successful teams, and with good management and right players he got better results than the others. And it also mentioned the things with Chelsea exactly like you said.

[@rafadinhoforlahm]

Is the Ragnick’s United XI coming soon?

[@bri1085]

Ronaldo about top né retired by the press

[@kevinhanandi]

Probably

[@juanestebankruhsanmguel1960]

Ronaldo out, he can't press like ragnick wants.

[@Bagster321]

I occasionally use the 4-4-2 but with a shadow striker or false 9 so more a 4-4-1-1. I remember in FIFA 2005 both Australia and England were setup as a 4-4-2. Two-man striker teams of Viduka & Kewell and Rooney & Owen respectively. Those pairings were deadly.

[@mistergray9664]

Italy under Marcello Lippi won the 2006 FIFA World Cup mostly using a 4-4-1-1 with Pirlo as a regista and Gattuso anchoring the midfield while Totti occupied a false 9 playmaker role and generally Luca Toni was the more traditional striker up top.

[@Bagster321]

@@mistergray9664 I thought they won by diving… Sorry that Aus v Ita game will forever haunt me as an Australian.😅

[@nobika6762]

I'm earlier than Ibrahim sangare, getting into a 4-4-2 lineup

[@bri1085]

At the end of the 17/18 season Klopp used to defend in a 442,with Mané tucking into a left midfield position, while Salah moved more centrally

[@super_organist]

Does he still do that?

[@DomenBremecXCVI]

@@super_organist I don't think he's doing that at the moment, but I'm pretty sure there was a period in every season when Liverpool under Klopp defended in a 4-4-2. Actually, if I remember correctly when Elliot was fit Mane often tucked into the LM and the midfield 3 shifted so that Harvey played RM.

[@super_organist]

@@DomenBremecXCVI That's right.Nowadays even the 4 3 3 on paper often morphs into 352 , and 325

[@bri1085]

@@super_organist only really set up like that for the second half of that season. With a more dedicated defensive midfielder the defensive shape changed

[@fadilsp3]

whenever i play games like FIFA or Football Manager i always use 4-4-2 but have the LB and RB in wingback positions. Went invincible one season with it

[@vineethkumar6169]

I remember when i was a kid, i used to play this formation with Man Utd... Dont ask me about how these players came to United.. im the manager .. haha Casillas Nesta. Bordon. Dani alves. Roberto carlos Gerrard. Essien Kaka. C.Ronaldo Vineeth 😛. Rooney

[@jeffreykolenchery1872]

@@vineethkumar6169 having gerrard feels illegal 😂

[@vineethkumar6169]

@@jeffreykolenchery1872 😂😂😂..

[@pyrotgr3204]

@@vineethkumar6169 I question your Gerrard

[@vineethkumar6169]

@@pyrotgr3204 im a fan of him.. great player... Evenif he played for our rivals liverpool... What a quality player he was

[@AvatarN]

Give us an insight into Marcelo Bielsa's 3-3-3-1 formation

[@uncreative5766]

Sincere question: Didn't the US use a 442 to beat Spain in 2009? If so, I'd love to see a breakdown in how Bob Bradley used it so efficiently that day.

[@DomenBremecXCVI]

442 and its variations are very popular for national teams as it's simple and can be implemented during the short time national teams have. Even Spain used a variation of 442 very often, specifically a narrow version with an attacking, defensive and two central midfielders because they had so much talent in the centre of the pitch.

[@thisIsFunnyLolz]

I do not remember how exactly the game played out in terms of possession and all but it can be effectively used when mainly counter attacking as having two strikers to working together up front to play off can be enough to score vs more common sole man up front these days when parking the bus that will likely not yield much especially against good defenders. Also as Domen Bremec mentions, it is more popular with national teams as everyone basically knows how to play it. The formation when coached correctly can be very fluid and flexible with the right discipline to mitigate the deficits (example, when I played a 442 if a side midfielder surged forward the rest of the mids would shift to create something closer to a 433, or one cm would step a bit more forward than the other to create a tandem akin to CAM and CDM to create triangles and defensive solidity depending on the situation)

[@fardilhusain]

I actually use 4-4-2 a lot in football manager and i have to say I have been fairly successful

[@rackarafsanjaya3566]

How's the tactic?

[@thegreathadoken6808]

442 and 424, when used right, and the right players are used, is the strongest shape all-round in Football Manager. Nothing else comes close. It doesn't matter if you are Man City or Macclesfield, it will work just as well. Some things should be borne in mind: Man Marking. You have to get really good at figuring out how to man-mark the other team's players, especially when your midfield is outnumbered, and you need to be able to be good enough that you know what to do no matter how the other team lines up. Going forward, pace is key. Going backwards, organization, marking and concentration is key. Your shouts from the sideline are key. 442/424 is about defending deep, getting the ball forward quickly, turning the opposition defence and getting in behind them before they can stop you. Therefore, endlessly fannying about in midfield with your Very Short Passing and your 'Work It Into The Box' is not impressing anyone, and unless you have a team full of Lionel Messis, will break down the first time you play in a British winter on a pitch that's been all cut up by the snow and ice.

[@rackarafsanjaya3566]

@@thegreathadoken6808 so if we have a midfielder with a good marking, it will work perfectly?

[@vicvinegar4540]

What player roles do you use?

[@kam67]

I used a 3-2-3-2 wing backs in my first season with Villarreal (my longtime preferred formation), and finished 3rd. Well for this season, I wanted 3 things. 1. More midfield dominance. 2. More aggression and penning in of the opponents in their own half. 3. Remain defensively solid when the opponent penetrates our first line of defence. I’ve been using a 3-5-1-1. Sweeper keeper, 3 ball-playing defenders, 2 wide midfielders, 3 ball winning midfielders, 1 shadow striker and 1 target man. We’ve been dominant for the first 9 games. 8 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses, scored 19, conceded 3. Lots of possession, high pass completion, dominating action zones and conceding very few shots. We play a fast tempo, short passing game with a high block, aggressive pressing and hard tackling. Really enjoying the stats I’m seeing. Not 4-4-2 related, of course, but I thought I’d share if someone wanted to try it to see if they get along well with it.

[@bigbearrecordingstudio7921]

The Leicester team that won the league mostly deployed as a 442 but obviously Albrighton was the "midfielder" as the opposite side Mahrez was more of a "winger" but in principal it was a 4-4-2 with Vardy + Okazaki or Ulloa

[@sagnasswe2114]

Last season Lille used the same formation in winning Ligue 1

[@r3zaful]

@@sagnasswe2114 it's great for a team that does not want to have the ball and turbo forward like vardy, he will run every long ball even if he get a heart attack.

[@sagnasswe2114]

@@r3zaful well I think from this video what can be referred is that this is a very defensive setup with focus on hitting on the counter.

[@nadeemafzal5409]

More of this please. Looking at 433, 4231, 352

[@Telsion]

This ^^

[@m.aununu.musaffa7466]

424 is count as sub 442?

[@DomenBremecXCVI]

I really want the 3331

[@benjamineckford1718]

I miss watching teams play 4-4-2, used to see it a lot in the Premier League but you rarely see it nowadays. That's one of the reasons I like watching Atletico Madrid these days, they use 4-4-2 to great effect

[@thegreathadoken6808]

It hasn't fallen out of favour with me in Football Manager, that away and 424 at home. Once you've got the right players in, there's no stronger shape, I don't care who you are, from Barrow to Barcelona, it will dominate.

[@linuslaw9648]

Our jv coach wanted us to play 4-4-2, but we didn’t have enough true strikers so we ended up playing 4-4-1-1 😅

[@jameswarner8038]

woah crazy man

[@robertryan6782]

Juvenile?

[@moajjem04]

Probably meant Junior Varsity

[@vladirackpubama6785]

Ok

[@chickenimp7103]

Did you play for Juventus?

[@adn17]

Thank you Tifo. That's amazing. Can you please do the 4-1-4-1 next? It's an underrated but flexible system.

[@Goudg]

One of my favourite FM formations is a 4-4-2 with inverted wing back and a striker who drops deeper like a false nine. You still get that width with conventional wingers (even though they are pretty rare nowadays), but pretty sturdy midfield when in possession.

[@khalidmkhan]

5:40 "DEAL OF THE YEAR!" - Lmao Great piece xD

[@23DustinM]

This is still one of the best formations to use in most levels. He mentions the weakness in the midfield with only 2 central players as opposed to 3. But you forget about the 2 outside mids. So its really a 4 mid vs 3 and you can easily exploit that 3 central mids by stretching them out with the outside mids. You can also push up the outside backs to give more offensive output. So in theory, your attacking shape looks more like a 2-4-4.

[@EkeneEgboVitalis]

5:42 Tifo is teasing us with his new music.

[@shashankadas5227]

I was surprised not to hear about the two upfront, those were an important part for many teams, with one of them being strong tall and imposing, long balls from defence or fullbacks were laid down by the target man to the other striker to dribble finish or just make play, meaning much faster transition. Also the big guy usually held the ball up when needed. For me this was one of the main reasons 4-4-2 was famous, much faster transition

[@warrenjemmanuel9165]

Enjoyed this series. @Tifo please do a video for the 4-2-3-1

[@nishanttalukdarmusic7224]

Currently doing a version of 442 with Arsenal on fm. Won the league with 433 but the team forgot to play football during the second season. Just reverted back to a simple 442 and saved the season with a top4 season.

[@alexandre526]

Your analysis of Lille 4-4-2 from last season was very good !

[@abhinavpajnoo2116]

Like always the best content from TIFO

[@jsdbhssbdbsjsj]

tifo's athletic promotion is reaching new levels every video😂😂

[@ToleratingTheLifeofElias]

tifo I love your videos keeping do your what your doing

[@LukeConnelly1]

I'm a Liverpool fan so I generally gravitate towards (and hear the most about) a 4-3-3. I was watching the video thinking, oh, getting the fullbacks up in a 4-4-2, thats cool. You'd probably have to drop a midfielder back then though for cover. If you have the fullbacks go up you probably want your left and right midfielders to tuck in leaving room for the overlap and create a passing triangle with the strikers. Cool. Then I thought oh if I'm pulling them in, I might as well push up the other centre mid to attack the box seen as he'll have cover. I realized at this point I'd basically created a 4-4-2 with a diamond in midfield. Then I realized with the way Firmino plays arriving late like the 10 I'd just gone all the way round to Liverpool's 4-4-3 again 🤦

[@ralfrudi3963]

To be fair, unless we are talking about really exotic formations then pretty much all shapes in football can be made by just shuffling around 1 or 2 players. The individual roles and tasks of each player are far more important. Many modern coaches don't like talking about formations as numbers because that rarely matters to them.

[@LukeConnelly1]

@@ralfrudi3963 Yeah exactly! I love it, tactics are like an art, it's impossible to summarize them and formations are just a shorthand to do so. It was more just my brain showing my internal bias towards the team I support amusing me.

[@SujoyChakravarthi93]

I love the natural progression of the Tifo jingle from catchy, goofy tune to borderline psychological warfare and barely subliminal messaging

[@TheMightofDab]

Tanks! I can now be a football manager in the late 90's/early 00's!

[@mateokalnay7382]

I would really like to see a video on Lionel Scaloni's transformation of Argentina's national squad and another one on River Plate's Julián Álvarez.

[@Swrdfshtrmbns]

Strengths is the longest word in English containing only one vowel.

[@lunasmokezim1718]

These songs man... Are total bangers!

[@akilsrikanth1647]

Best football channel in youtube

[@riffmeister101]

Loving the jingles!

[@marcelanoryadi9110]

In FM games, my success thanks to 4-4-1-1 with wingbacks + attack wingers

[@matys2831]

Great job guys, do you have any subscriptions for this type of analysis?

[@BlueBidyaGame]

Hey Tifo, do you mind if I use a few seconds of this for a video essay on a PS1 game called "4-4-2 Soccer" that I'm currently making? I'll be sure to credit you.

[@Mindflayer911]

Love it if you did a special on this formation like you did with Milan’s 4-2-3-1. Maybe Sweden’s 4-4-2? Worked well so far..and I’m not biased at all 😉🇸🇪

[@richardchin2633]

Great video! Would like to hear more about your thoughts why more modern systems are less used in lower leagues. If, say 343, is superior to 442 why does club use 442 instead? I have some ideas e.g. there is a greater churn among clubs lower down so they need a simplier system players can quickly adapt to, or perhaps 343 requires more technically accomplished players for it to work. But I think love to see what TIFO make of it.

[@zewelanjimutembo3659]

Still my favorite formation, in FIFA I usually use it because of it balance. It can be defensive and offensive at the same time when played right

[@zhvx9299]

i was looking forward to buying a 4-4-2 on amazon...this video changed my mind

[@salilbhat4240]

You missed Carlo Ancelotti's diamond 4-4-2 he deployed at Chelsea with Anelka and Drogba up front. He also deployed it at AC Milan (iirc)

[@knite7]

Hey, can you do a video on the odd types of formations...like 3-6-1 ...

[@nizangkerplunk]

I love this Channel!

[@dabereogbuishi7533]

I'm going to get the deal of the year.

[@mochamedic9572]

More videos like this please

[@marcusbhaiu4766]

Thnx for this video

[@wilmerholmqvist8705]

Can you do a guide to the W formation. Used by Sweden's National Team in the 1958 World Cup?

[@gm2407]

With more knowledgable players formations can be a bit more fluid as ultimately you attack and defend as a team. Got to make use of the width and length of the pitch to stretch the opposition or make them break you down. 442 will probably return over the next decade as other weaknesses get exploited in the more modern systems.

[@TitchRsou]

Could you do a 442 Diamond formation please would be very helpful to me

[@Pur3picness12]

Atletico doesn't run a 4-4-2 anymore. I know you said past seasons but to this day I fight against the Simeone park the bus stereotype

[@bri1085]

Pero és verdad.

[@kevinhanandi]

Yea, I think tifo also done a video where this season atletico madrid didn't use 442 anymore

[@juanestebankruhsanmguel1960]

It's a fact that he parked the bus against Big teams, against Bayern in 2016 he pared the bus for the 180 Minutes.

[@mustafaabdulsahib9317]

i think pressing from opposition 433 is also a problem, the attacking 3 will press the two CDs and the gk and if the wing backs are high on field and no dm to drop the gk will be forced to play long balls

[@iimrohtak8363]

This one's great. Pls to analyse the 4-5-1, and how England's "Golden Generation" could've won trophies with it.

[@pyrotgr3204]

@@marinusdejager41 it does but not many runs it because lack of connectivity between the midfield and the front (which is when 4-4-1-1 comes in)

[@pyrotgr3204]

@@marinusdejager41 a literally 5 blokes in a straight line does exist but it’s very rarely used.

[@adityaparmar6433]

United should use 442. Wan bissaka,Varane,lindelof and Shaw/telles. At cm VDB and Fred, lm rashford, RM Sancho and Bruno as second striker and cr7 as the main striker

[@shwetamathur8626]

@Rishabh Karthik what about defence?

[@atomiciky]

@@shwetamathur8626 does Fred bring strong defensive qualities

[@Daryl_sniper24]

That would be one of the greatest attacking squad if not the greatest in Europe but defensively they would get exposed. The midfielders being deployed have no sense for defending and Fred is too poor to play consistently

[@EugenesBackpack]

Thats how they played for ole tho 424 lol

[@shwetamathur8626]

@@atomiciky no but atleast he brings SOME defensive qualities as he is energetic and also makes interceptions sometimes unlike Pogba

[@bukayonosakadebanda7163]

What I find most frustrating about 4-4-2 and most teams that use it is the lack of creativity that the system allows and how difficult is to break the line of pressure of the opposition.

[@drago939393]

Maybe 3-1-4-1-1 while in possession could work to help alleviate pressure in the middle and make more of a "chain" for progress with the ball, with a more standard 4-4-2 when out of possession.

[@numba9ine288]

Can you do a video on Arsene Wengers tactics during the invincible season???

[@justiceleague5431]

Wenger's 4-4-2 wasn't really a 4-4-2. It was 4-4-1-1 hybrid where Bergkamp drops down.

[@joeltarnabene5026]

Come on, the difference is minimal. Sometimes even unintelligible.

[@callumpartridge625]

umm its actually a 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1

[@rod6722]

That's the case with most teams that play in a 4-4-2. You rarely see the two strikers on the same line. One is usually more of a classic centre forward while the other is more of a deep-lying forward who drops deeper to collect the ball. As was the case with Bergkamp at Arsenal, Griezmann at Atletico, or Rooney at Man.United. And those were all forwards, not midfielders, even if they didn't play on the same line as the other striker. Hence why it's also accurate to call it a 4-4-2.

[@markbalderstone5588]

Even Burnley tend to drop one striker deeper than the other on the defense, but they alternate. Which ever striker is on the same side as the ball tends to be further forward while the other striker drops back with the aim of supporting the striker who is furthest forwards at that time. Goal being that they can ping a long ball quickly up to the forward striker upon winning possession back and have the other striker coming in to potentially receiving a lay-off or cushioned header.

[@kjelvin4593]

@@joeltarnabene5026 there is a big difference between a 4-4-2 and the 4-4-1-1

[@kasra_mlg]

This deal is always available for TIFO and The Athletic 🧐 great advert tho 😎🎤🎶🎙

[@erwinc.9117]

My FIFA CM teams usually are 442. I'd have one side with 2 wingbacks who can take turns making runs in behind, and the other side having a FB/CB hybrid that allows for a winger to free roam (it also allows for CBs to make occasional runs forward). 2 B2B midfielders who can track back but also make forward runs. And a ST/CF partnership, with one more of a target man and the other more mobile.

[@hazardousteam2899]

You're asking to get killed on counters with 2 wingbacks in a 4-4-2, specially with how superficial and basic player roles and instructions are on fifa.

[@Panda-kw6mt]

The last time i was this early, Arsenal used to be in ucl

[@shwetamathur8626]

Oof

[@creedfinnegan3921]

Only one man has mastered the 4-4-2 and that is Mike Bassett. Doesn't get the respect he deserves

[@hassanelasri6130]

You made a video about what went wrong in la masia how about you make a video about its resurgence since we're so many talents from there

[@ADAMdinho1]

Manchester United 90's era. KINGS of the 4-4-2.

[@SignalBlock]

Mike Bassett loves this content.

[@woodylongdong6002]

Wish it was played more

[@vovo3070]

TIFO please make a video about the back to back libertadores champions palmeiras

[@ifw_Kyle]

Now I can start my own team using this channel as a guide book🤣

[@ascommau]

Lille won the Ligue 1 just last season playing 4-4-2. André and Renato Sanches bossing the midfield, Burak Yilmaz and Jonathan David complimenting eachother well up front, they're a great example.

[@kjelvin4593]

Was a 4-4-1-1

[@YjaffacakeK]

the man utd 4-4-2 with dwight york and andy cole was monstrous

[@usmanrulezzz]

I love systems with 3 at the back preferably 3 5 2! Love playing with an extra CB so my forwards, wings and midfielders can play more freely! =D

[@MagicianCamille]

Where can I download this tactic?

[@sigitprabowo363]

Tifo, please do Egil "Drillo" Olsen. He's heavily criticised for bringing primitive tactic yet effective for Norway National Football Team to rise in international competition

[@syahnurasyadi3840]

indeed... 4-4-2 formation require a very well rounded central midfielder and pacy winger... and don't forget, discipline fullback and Central defender... and also natural/competent passer Central Forward... in all my years playing fm 4-4-2 is my only formation... of course it need discipline and balanced mentality... a bit deep defence and never ever rely on offside trap... never mark the fastest forward... your central defender should be free... don't let them mark anybody... and stay back... with a bit of a witdh, bit direct ball , bit fast tempo... start from the back, and... this is a bit of a twist... focus on center... and let your winger / full back decide what they are going to do in final 3rd of opponet half... and this formation really rely on box to box midfeielder / central midfielder / mezalla ... because of their abilty to shoot outside the box... and in my experience... player in that position will always come as the most the develope player in fm (well... last i played fm is fm19) if u use that exact tactic...

[@d3m1g0d4]

Every formation has it's time to dominate and it's time to left in obscurity

[@d3m1g0d4]

With the right players any formation can be used to lethal effect

[@LMarcon11]

@@d3m1g0d4 nah, I don't think a 2-3-5 would dominate nowadays lol

[@d3m1g0d4]

@@LMarcon11 because it's time is past

[@LMarcon11]

@@d3m1g0d4 you said any formation with the right players. It's just some friendly banter. peace

[@marianchicago4002]

I feel like it is hard to play midfield 2 now at the higher end of the table and in europe, a lot of teams play midfield 3 and control possession or have high energy players that press and harass, so they either run circles around you or they shut down your midfield. I would argue that the style liverpool play with Firmino dropping deep has 4 midfielders.

[@Jeremy-fh3bk]

That Deal of the Year song is underrated

[@jualgo48]

please a 532 my favourite formation

[@arthurqampi3239]

In my opinion, I say a 4-4-2 is the easiest formation to play and if a player is not tactically disciplined for it, he is unlikely to be disciplined for any other formation. In Football Manager, I use it as a backup formation for when I play against a bus parking team or when my players are low on confidence.

[@natsudama4604]

I use 4-4-2 in my schalke 04 team Really defensive and a good counter attack Thats how i defeated bayern munich 1-0 in dfb pokal and dortmund 4-1 in the Bundesliga

[@bhadrinarayanan9660]

Sean dyche the master of 4_4_2

[@commentarytalk1446]

The key characteristics of 442 under Ferguson: 2 world-class strikers who can dominate defenses and work off each other - as threats and creators. Eg take a target man who can hold up a long-ball then feed a speedster to break the off-side trap or else both work as strikers anywhere in the box as well as foils for the other striker to then shoot for goal. WIth that said, there's a reason it's no longer optimal in general: Because all roles in football keep evolving towards taking on more active contribution across more areas. In 442, ManU had top defenders Stam, Ferdinand etc who again could bully strikers and stop goals effectively. A big moan of old-style pundits from EPL is "Defenders an pass better these days but they're not doing the basics of defense". That's a bit of bias there because more defenders are hybrids: Eg Reece James is a wing who also is a left-defender (of the attacker's pov). Liverpool's Right-Back is an assist-machine and distributor for speedsters up front (along with VVD). Equally strikers are also goal-scorers, pressers, creatives to each other merging the AM into their roles. These are all much more efficient uses of those positions for the overall team.

[@kjelvin4593]

Ferguson never really use a 4-4-2 more of a 4-4-1-1

[@gentleken7864]

In the 80s, my primary school In Cornwall played a 2-3-5. We played a right (me) and a left back (my best friend), a centre mid, left mid and right mid, and then up front, a right and left wing, an inside left and inside right and centre forward. In the 3 years I played, we won most games 8-1 or 9-1, always allowing a consolation goal (teacher orders), and we only lost one game. I think this was the team that realised that we had no centre backs, and even then they only outscored us. Any chances on making a video highlighting the benefits of such a formation?

[@user-md5fc5vk7j]

It must have been very exciting. However, most of school team follows the formation which is in fashion then. In my case, mid 2000’s our school team used 4-4-1-1, imiating that of Arsenal or Man u. In the 80s , was really English team(division 1, 2 or whatever) used 2-3-5? Or was it just an original tactic by school team?

[@NotThatJojjo]

Sweden uses the 4-4-2 really well

[@Eidenhoek]

One day, ONE DAY, they'll make Backyard Soccer again. The good, old-school one. And you, my friend, should voice "Earl Grey" in it, because my favorite part of that game was listening to his advice on the formation/aggressiveness thingies.

[@arthurlouw2579]

Sean Dyche there's my guide.

[@awesoma330]

Ahh, Sean Dyche's long ball 4-4-2 😁

[@siddharthmohite5498]

Old school 😎

[@GoWithDannyMo]

Mike Bassett used this system the best

[@arifeki4386]

Well, how about 4-4-2 diamond? With double box-to-box between DM and AM, it can covers wing back area when facing counter attack, and provides solidity and creativity in the minddle. Sorry, I commented before the video over, lol

[@littlewing62]

are you talking about the 4-1-2-1-2 like milan used during the early to mid 2000's with pirlo, gatuso, seedorf and kaka on a diamond? in the modern game this formation is easy to compress vertically due to the lack of width.. the fullbacks would get overrun in the halfspaces near the box and would have important attacking and defensive duties, that milan side had cafu on the right maldini, kaladze or jankulovski on the left (verry talented set of fullbacks and centre backs), part of the reason why it worked..

[@JacoboSnake]

@@littlewing62 he meant 4-2-2-2 4 defenders rb, lb, rcb,lcb 2 cm, one defensive and the other box to box 2 cam that act like wingers and creative midfielders And 2 strikers

[@pyrotgr3204]

@@JacoboSnake he did mean 4-1-2-1-1 according his description of 2 Box to box between DM and AM

[@littlewing62]

@@JacoboSnake 4-2-2-2 is a box in the middle of the park with two defensive midfielders and two advanced playmakers

[@mickeytawanda498]

The song at the, good

[@killercaos123]

Do a guide to 4-3-3 plz

[@Panda-kw6mt]

Make one on 4231

[@anthonyumali6576]

waiting for 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3