Over the years, the 4-4-2 formation has slowly become marginalized in football. Packed midfields accompanied by a lone front man have become the norm. However, there are signs that the seemingly archaic formation is making a comeback, with the recent successes of Leicester, Atletico Madrid and Watford.
The main reason I believe this system can make an unexpected return is because most teams today play the 4-2-3-1 system, which means the idea of midfield superiority is somewhat nullified. The success of Barcelona and Spain’s 4-3-3 system in the mid 2000s is what prompted this change from many teams, realizing they had no choice but to flood the midfield in order to control the game. In today’s game, there is an argument that a 2nd striker could prove more useful than a No. 10 and I believe many teams are sub-optimally following the lone striker route as their strikers could thrive more with a partner in tow.
With the right balance in midfield, the numerical disadvantage can be annulled quite easily. For example, the way Atletico Madrid set up led them to the title in a supposed ‘two team league’ and got them to only their 2nd ever European Cup final. They have a narrow, compact midfield with their wide midfielders tucked in to leave no space in the middle of the park. So, from being seemingly short in the middle, they actually dominate because the ‘2’ quickly becomes a ‘4’. This is why you see the likes of Koke, Saul and Oliver Torres playing ‘wide’. Central midfielders by trade, they easily adapt to the role of auxiliary central midfielders when they start out wide.
Wide playmakers don’t just flood the midfield when needed, they also compensate for the lack of a No. 10, making the system multifunctional. The likes of Koke and Oliver Torres cut in and create havoc for opposition defences, while at the same time giving their team the upper hand without the ball. No.10s are often carried in games, but with this formation and the appropriate personnel, that won’t be a problem. Meanwhile, wide playmakers can easily be replaced by flying wingers, again showing the versatility of this system.
I’m not the biggest fan of No. 10s. They tend to be flaky and like to drift in and out of games, ending up as “highlight reel” players. Apart from the very best like Ozil, Silva and James, the position can be redundant with luxury players in the hole who don’t have much of an effect on the game. Look at Chelsea on Monday for example. The underwhelming Oscar looked lightweight in the game. He had little impact on proceedings, a trend that has persisted for a while, but Jose persisted with this system because it is the trend in football at the moment. They looked far more dangerous with a duo up top, with Costa playing the battering ram role and Remy making darting runs in behind. Marking a target man like Costa is food and drink for defenders like Huth and Morgan. They relish the physical battle and aggro that comes with marking Costa. With Remy playing on their shoulders, making runs in behind, it was easy to see their defensive limitations. They looked like bullies who had finally found their match. They were lost and inevitably Remy scored.
This system is a key reason for the success of unfashionable teams like Leicester and Watford. Looking again at the Chelsea vs. Leicester game on Monday, many wondered why the cumbersome Ulloa played, but along with Okazaki, he has been pivotal to Vardy’s record-breaking run. Although lightning quick, Vardy’s trademark runs into the channel would be easier to handle were he the lone man upfront. Ulloa is there simply as a distraction; a nuisance to occupy the 2nd centre back, which leaves room for the history maker to do his thing. Ighalo has been another success story this season. Skillful but not the quickest, he and captain Troy Deeney have formed an almost telepathic relationship that has put newly promoted Watford not far off the Champions League spots. In this era of false 9s and lone strikers, a duo offers something very unique in today’s game and poses a threat many teams are no longer used to dealing with. The idea of two strikers matching up to the centre backs is a throwback and it tends to put the defenders out of their comfort zone. Even when it comes to pressing, it gives the defenders less time when the two strikers are the protagonists for this strategy, defending from the front.
Historically we have witnessed a number of mesmerizing partnerships, from Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke to Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, and Ale Del Piero and David Trezeguet to name a few. Del Piero and Bergkamp especially were the Ultimate 9½s. They would drop deep into the zones of a playmaker drawing out their designated marker and acting as creators. This not only left space for their strike partners, but also for the likes of Pires and Nedved, breaking from wide-midfield, to pounce. Players that can do both roles seamlessly almost render a sole playmaker unnecessary. Wayne Rooney at his peak also played this role to devastating effect, with van Nistelrooy, Berbatov and Ronaldo being the main beneficiaries. I believe Martial could use similar support rather than having Rooney play much deeper where his inconsistent touch and passing is exposed.
I believe managers these days have tended to shy away from this system because it makes them look old fashioned. Pellegrini was brave enough to play this way and it led him to a title winning team that scored over a 100 league goals. They got a lot of criticism for their performances in Europe but I believe it was more about the personnel than the system. Playing a flat midfield four with the likes of Nasri, Silva and Toure proved to be suicidal against the very best teams. For this system to work at the highest level, you need to have players diligent in both their defensive and offensive duties which isn’t something you would attribute to the players mentioned above. The wide midfielders especially, have to combine defensive work with guile going forward, something the likes of Isco, Koke and Milner have done in recent times. A 4-4-2 system more so than any other will expose a team’s frailties as there is no place to hide. There’s no anchorman sitting to clean up messes. Everyone has to do a job for the team, and it is vital the team has a strong manager, which Pellegrini is not.
4-4-2 is perhaps the most adaptable formation in world football. There is a reason it was the go to formation for pretty much every team on the planet at one point, and although the game has changed, its benefits are not totally defunct. It can be defensive with two banks of four, the way Tony Pulis sets up, or could be more offensive with flying wingers the way Ranieri and obviously Sir Alex used to set up. So this can give a manager endless possibilities during a match and as long as they have the right personnel, they should be able to cope with the supposed ‘disadvantage’.
No system is perfect but 4-4-2 undoubtedly has its benefits. With a striking duo and cohesive, well-drilled midfield, this formation can still be used effectively in the game today.