4-4-2 (who would play where?)

[blueblueday]

Hi all,

What if the premiership suddenly went old skool and every team went back to playing a 4-4-2 formation. What would be our strongest first 11?

Here's mine:

Pickford

Sidibe Keane Mina Digne

Walcott Davies Gomes Bernard

Richarlison DCL


As you can see above I struggled with this. I found it difficult to fit our player's skillsets into the traditional model!

Great 4-4-2 teams of the past usually had two types of winger, a crossing specialist and a dribbler cutting in. I remember the strong centre forward using their head to lay off the ball to the tricky forward. Do you remember when full-backs mostly defended? Lets not forget the defensive centre midfielder partnered with the attacking one. Does anyone else pine for these simple days again?

 

[Groucho]

Would deffo use two CF’s up top, probably four midfielders in midfield and four defenders in defence, with potentially a goalkeeper at GK.

 

[TheBigIguana]

This is a bad idea. We already force way too much of our play into wide areas and try to force crosses into flooded boxes. The last thing we need to do to fix our attack is go 4-4-2. It's more about fixing our play in the middle of the field and creating chances that aren't crosses.

 

[dublinbluenose]

 

[Walken]

we basically played 442 last night as you could tell digne had no one in front of him to hit as richarlison was too high up alongside dcl, that was changed in second half and it gave us more options. Trying to bring back 442 is like suggesting a business model based around selling VHS tapes, its dead and would get played off the park and between the lines by modern teams

 

[TheBigIguana]

we basically played 442 last night as you could tell digne had no one in front of him to hit as richarlison was too high up alongside dcl, that was changed in second half and it gave us more options. Trying to bring back 442 is like suggesting a business model based around selling VHS tapes, its dead and would get played off the park and between the lines by modern teams

The only top team that really uses it is Atletico but they often play someone like Koke as one of the wide midfielders so it is kind of a midfield three anyway. I don't really know how Simeone pulls it off but point is they're the exception to the rule.

 

[Eggs]

...ah, I remember inside forwards and half-backs. Systems don’t matter, good footballers who compliment each other matter.

 

[Eggsyblueskin]

Be revolutionary go back to the beginning and play 2-3- 5 .

 

[TheBigIguana]

Be revolutionary go back to the beginning and play 2-3- 5 .

When they have the ball Man City essentially play 2-3-5. Maybe more accurately it's 2-3-2-3 but close enough.

 

[The Trinity.]

4-3-3 would be better. Even 3-5-2. But Silva just cannot bring himself to play anything other than 4-2-3-1. No matter who we play we are stiffled by two sideways passing DMFs. And then every thing is slowed down more with Siggy as one of the three. Then the guy up top is isolated.
So if we ever go 4-4-2. My midfield would be Davies....Gomes.....Beni......Iwobi. Siggy and Walcott off the bench.
Tuson and Richardson up top. DCL and Kean off the bench.

 

[GARY_EVERTONIAN]

3-5-2 over 4-4-2 . but yeah i have long wanted a two striker system to accommodate Richarlison upfront with an actual number 9 . With Richarlison in a free role and one target man in the box . I ll feel more protected with three at the back , with the current form we are in .

 

[peskyrobot]

View attachment 69966

Wat?

 

[little elfin]

let's play total football

 

[GARY_EVERTONIAN]

thats so me in FM 19

 

[WA Toffee]

When a team is chasing a goal at the end of a game, they chuck 5 up front and just punt it forwards (also known as the liverpool way)

we should give that a try