The Return of the 4-4-2 

442 never left (as said in the video). Easiest way to organise a press. And if you stretch the meaning to also include the 442 diamond, that's incredibly popular too. A 433 with inverted wingers and a false 9 is basically a 442 diamond

Jonathan Wilson's "Inverting the Pyramid" is essential reading for anyone interested in the evolution of football tactics. There's an immense part of the book based on Valeriy Lobanovskyi's (of FC Dynamo Kyiv fame) formations and tactics. Would be a really good secret santa/stocking filler for someone 👌

When I was kid (late nineties and early 2000´s), the 4-4-2 was so prevalent that I assumed that’s how the game was supposed to be played. In our local games, We always arranged our ourselves in that way, or tried to approximate it when we weren’t playing with 11 players.

2010/2011 Villarreal played a possession-based 4-4-2. The two 'wingers' (one was Cazorla) would move inside, while the fullbacks would provide the width. Both forwards were very mobile and could either drop as a #10 or help overwhelm the wide areas. Finished third that season if memory serves.

The return of the 4-4-2 as a specifically in-possession formation seems to be part of a more general transition towards what could be called phase-specific formations. In other words, I think it's become more widely accepted to no longer see starting line-ups as having a single-set formation, but different set-ups to occupy given the state-of-play (e.g. attacking, defensive transition etc.). Something similar has happened with how common it is to see teams adopt the W-M or 2-3-5 as an in-possession set-up.

I hope the 4-3-1-2 makes a comeback. Being Brazilian I grew up watching strikers duos and attackings fullbacks, really miss those days.

The original 4-4-2 had a sweeper. So defensively it’s not quite the same.

It's interesting to see 4-4-2 being so prevalent it's nearly the perfect defensive structure

All sports tactics are cyclical I’m looking forward to the big man little man strike force and hard as nails cb making their comeback

Morocco has been using this formation out of postion extremely well in the world cup, only conceded three goals in the whole tournament and two of them came in the semifinals.

4-4-2. The formation that I first know back when I started watching football. I was still at Elementary school that time. Seeing tifo made a video about this somehow kicks some memories in my brain

It's used a lot by Ancelotti at Real Madrid with Valverde on the right Really effective and imo one of the main reasons they won the CL last season

Leicester miracle season was a 4-4-2 w Vardy and Okazaki/Ulloa up front and was, evidently, very successful!

Can you do a documentary on the San Marino national team (football's biggest underdogs) and their never-ending struggle in international football. Loving the content ❤

There is also the addition of the sweeper keeper or keeper playmaker; teams like Arsenal or Man City plays these vigorously with either Ederson playing further upfront as an additional defender or Ramsdale playing the quick over the top or a fast ball through the mid and being crucial to the transition phase. They allow their teammates to maintain a better defensive shape while having the potential for quick turnovers. In attack, Arsenal moves forward ala 2-3-4-1 shape while defending as a 4-4-2 with Xhaka as that box to box player and Odegaard as a second striker / No 10 role. And while opposing coaches can understand and even play against these teams, the sheer amount of control and possession socks the life out of the opposing team and constant threat all over the pitch highlights it.

The 4-4-2 is like Rock music. People always seem to want to claim that it's dead, so that they can bring it back to life. Yet, like Rock music always in some form being on the radio, every year we see 4-4-2 being played at all levels of the men's and women's game.

Sérgio Conceição has been using the 4-4-2 ever since he took charge of FC Porto, it's the flexibility and adaptability that matters. Having Evanilson and Taremi, he has a striker that can push deep and another striker who has more freedom on the pitch. He did this with Aboubakar and Marega. It's all about the input you try to give your team when attacking and defending,

Brazil and Portugal played their last matches with 442 out of possession.

442 always well adapted to international football since there isn’t as much time to develop true gameplan philosophy, and it forces horse shoe offense from opposition by pushing them wide, and a good strike partnership can never fail.

Leonardo Jardim's 442 at Monaco (16/17) was something else.

My favorite formation is the “Christmas tree” 4-3-2-1 and its cousin the 4-3-1-2, which is a 4-4-2 variant, as exemplified by AC Milan in the mid 2000s

England will be playing 4-4-2.

Arrigo Sacchi loved the 4-4-2 because it's the best in terms of covering the space. Wherever the opponent passes the ball, you always have at least 2 players nearby. I would add that its simplicity makes it easier to build a team, you don't need many positions.

The most popular formation in the late 80s and for most of the 90s was the 442 diamond. There usually was a central midfielder (Rijkaard, Albertini, Redondo, Guardiola...); there were two midfielders on the sides that could be more like wings or more like extra central midfielders; and an offensive midfielder that could be kind of a predecessor of the box to box (Gullit for Milan or Bakero for Barcelona) or a playmaker (Baggio, Laudrup, Schuster..). Some teams would use the 442 with two central midfielders (holding and box-to-box) and no actual playmaker and two more offensive midfielders, forming a square shape. In the late 90s and early 2000s some teams began to use only one striker, bring back the playmaker and turn the offensive midfielders almost into wings. Then the Spanish teams found success with the 433 formation and the 442 and 4231 kinda went away for a while. And now what was old is new again.

every time a big global tourney comes around, the 4-4-2 always comes into fashion again.

In Portugal, since the beginning of Sérgio Conceição's era, FC Porto has been playing in 4-4-2, sometimes looking like a 4-2-3-1 (for example, now Taremi plays as Second Forward) in a very high pressing style (usually with quick counter). Benfica, this season, with Schmidt, has been doing something similar, but with more possession style, with a formation that sits between a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-3-1 (with Rafa Silva playing as kind of a #10 or a Second Forward)

What goes around comes around. Like fashion, things come in cycles and with formations having only a limited number of combinations and the ever evolving, never ending, tactical duels between clubs, the 4-4-2 was bound to return with some twists. Love the content

Sir Alex Ferguson favourite formations even in his last season with Manchester United he used this formation to win the league with aging players and average squad plus Van Persey and Rooney partnership is one deadly duo shame we could only see it for one season tho

Viktor Maslov deserves a lot more recognition than he gets. The price for being part of the Soviet bloc I guess. One of the greatest pioneers in Football. There is something distinctly Soviet about the way he developed the game. The idea that individual skill can be nullified by teamwork, discipline and fitness.

Sergio Conceição's FC Porto is using 442 for the 6th consecutive season. One striker dropping a bit but roughly maintaining two lines of 4 players. The RM usually joins the CMs when in possession. A 622 was used a couple of times when defending against stronger teams.

USMNT switching from 4 4 2 to 4 3 3 in possession is working a charm.

These new formations were created to counter the 4-4-2 , but this also means that the 4-4-2 can counter them. As we see with how high pressing can be countered by counter attacking and sometimes counter attacking can be countered by pressing high to stop the attacks from starting in the first place. I think it comes down to which teams can execute their plan in the best way and that's why there isnt really a "right" way to play football

Four four fackin tooo

Barcelona’s 4-4-2 under Valverde when they almost went the whole season unbeaten 😢

I've not seen a 4-4-2 as a pressing system - only a mid-block. Occasionally they might initiate a press by mostly it's preventing space. A full-press where traps are set is usually a 4-3-3 with the a midfielder joining the front 3 and the full-backs joining the midfield, I never see that happen in a 4-4-2

I wish the 3-5-2 would just die already. I hate that formation

United usually played with a link man like Sheringham, Cantona or even Yorke to an extent- even Scholes occasionally played there originally

Something about 442 just makes me love it

So England's next manager should be Mike Bassett then?

I love the 4-4-2 much better than the 5-4-1.

My local side actually still plays a 4-2-4 and has done since the 70's, though with the pace of the left-back and right-winger we've got it does often become more of a 3-3-4 or a 3-2-5 on attack. Going fairly well for them now, winning most games by at least 4 goals minus the odd dodgy lino.

most high pressing teams now look like inverted 4-4-2 when off the ball - they are positioned as 2-4-4

Nagelsmann tried a 442 press with Bayern no?

Tifo u dey always burst my head...God bless keep the good work going..genuine fan

Formation are more often than not effected by the tools at hand. For example, the 4-3-3 worked in Guardiola's Barcelona because that was the most effective formation for the players he had. Many coaches who tried to copy it failed because they didn't have the same tools. Victor Maslov was intelligent and insightful enough to realise the footballers were becoming fitter, stronger, and with higher endurance, which allowed to drop some of his forwards back and control the midfield better while maintaining their attacking functions. His Torpedo Moscow was one of the best teams in Europe, and had the Soviet bureaucrats not been so dumb and allowed Soviet Teams to join the European Cup earlier, who knows? Maybe Russia would've had a finalist, or even a winner, already back then. Also, while Dynamo Kiev had won one title before his arrival, it was he who really created the "great Dynamo" and paved the way for the great Lobanovsky.

"Time is a flat circle" - Some German guy (probably Seb).

Till today, I thought Segue was spelt as Segway 😄

4-2-2 is so popular in Inazuma town, the crown champion of Football Frontier, Raimon starts using it. Although in Glodelania, the formation 4-3-3 is the most prepared one although the national team uses 3-4-1-2 instead.

the 4-4-2 by argentina is closer to a 4-3-2-1 formation messi roams into the middle making this a 4-3-2-1 with Alvarez running front

it always depends on the situation on the pitch, it's rare to see teams play a rigid 442 or 433 in the modern game

Was thinking about this since the start of this world cup cause every tactico the 442 was finished and outdated cause of the midfield inferiority but it still works on an international level a lot of teams use it. Even Bayern adopt a form of it sometimes

My favorite formation, brought me many career victories in Manager Mode on FIFA 15. The last great FIFA game. That first champions league with Sheffield United felt so sweet and brought to me all by the usage of the 4-4-2.

Even the 4-2-4 is making a small comeback with its ability to transform into a 4-4-2 off possesion

In Argentina, the 4-4-2 had a diamond in midfield (4-1-2-1-2). In Brazil, it was a square (4-2-2-2). In both countries, one would RARELY see the midfield in line. I was expecting to see those formations, but they weren’t mentioned.

I propose the 1-1-8 formation. I've never heard anything bad about that, so it must be good.

This formation was first used by England in the 1970 WC.

442th

Argentina played a 4-4-2 against Mexico recently. I can’t understand why, as it’s yet another formation that doesn’t play to Messi’s strengths. Perhaps it’s illegal to play 4-3-3 in Argentina.

These formations feels like a cycle to me . 442

What's up with Greenland? It's not that big...

That eponymous magazine will be happy to hear this, I imagine.

Poland defended in a 4-4-2 formation today and only conceded when they where out of it... I noticed this too in some games over the WC. This formation never really died..

This is really interesting as I feel like Guardiola’s 433 would which all the time to maintain his strict positional play.

I’m still in love with Johan Cruyff’s 343 Diamond tactic. Very attacking and very defensive depending on the situation.

Brazil used it against Switzerland

Argentina is also using 4 4 2 in this world cup ig

Brazil national team was pressing in a 4-4-2

Didnt they make this video for the last World Cup too?

4 4 fing 2

love 442😍

I doubt big clubs would implement 4-4-2 regularly. Maybe for certain matches, but not regularly. With the introduction of attacking fullbacks, we dont need more wide wingers.

I wonder if we'll see a resurgence of a 10 between the lines as teams move away from having a 6 in favor of two blocks of 4

carrick currently doin a 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 press for boro

I come from the year 2145. 0-8-2 is actually the best formation.

Don't forget about Australia's 4-4-2 that broke us out of the group stage :D

I used to play with 4-3-1-2, easily the best formation in playing with Milan in any game platform (FIFA, PES, & WE)

2-3-5 in possession is something of a trend as well but yeah most teams defend in a 4-4-2 shape.

442 is the most balanced formation.. you can evolve it to 424 if your on super attacking mode, 4411 if you want to hold the line upfront if you have a target man or a 451 if you want to win a midfield battle and even a 4231 is a form of 442 if you want to put 2 DM's in defending mode

Southgate out, Dyche in

Argentine just dominated Croatia's 4 3 3 with that

It’s coming back, it’s the best way to beat the 4-3-3 because of the quicker transition from defense to attack, especially when playing against a team that wants to keep possession and pushes wing backs high. But you need very strong box to box midfielders to keep up with the pace, Everton have the players for this type of midfield.

4:52 VfB Stuttgart played most of the last Season in a 4-4-2 Formation. Runners-up in the Bundesliga

*Sam Allardyce winks at the FA*

It is only partly true that Brazil used a 4-2-4 in 1958 to win the World Cup and it's completely false that Brazil used a 4-2-4 formation in 1970. Those are common and incorrect misconception of western media, that is quite frankly lazy journalism. Brazil had used a traditional 4-2-4 formation up till the 58 WC and without much success. In the run-up to Sweden 1958 Mario Zagallo was contesting the left-wing slot with Canhoteiro and Pepe. Zagallo lacked their technical ability, however he offered something they could not: the willingness to track back and defend when he was not in possession, a new development in the game at that time. As a result Vicente Feola, Brazil's coach made Zagallo the starter on that left spot for the WC. Zagallo ended up being an important player for Feola, who had him pushing forward when Brazil were in possession and then tracking back into midfield to support the left-back Nilton Santos when they weren't. That was innovative for the time. On top of that, another misconception is Pelé being a striker, he wasn't! Neither for Brazil or Santos. Brazil's centre forward/striker was Vava and for Santos it was Coutinho. Pelé was a no 10, a deep lying forward. In Brazil they call the no 10 position ponta de lança. Besides going forward to make plays with the centroavante(Centre forward Striker), the ponta de lança had a double job, because he also went back to help the meia-armador(centre midfielder) in making plays; that was the famous “8 and 10” duo in the midfield. Brazils no 8 was Didi and Brazil's then striker was Vava. So essentially Brazil played a hybrid 442/433/424 system in 1958. At the 1962 WC Zagallo was permanently stationed in left midfield so it was 433 and in 1970 Brazil played 451. They didn't use a striker, Tostao was the deep lying forward, Pelé attacking midfield, Jairzinho right, and Rivelino tucking in from the left of midfield. Everyone tracked back but Tostao. So it was a 451, which the 1970 coach Zagallo said so himself.

They use 433 because its hard to find 2 good central midfielders.....a good pass can always bypass the pressing.....just think of then great players....gerrard scholes keane etc.....nowadays they consider pogba world class :)))

That‘s literally how Real Madrid defended during their 3x Champions League run 2016-2018

Tactical formations are of course subject to fashion. The adoption of 4-4-2 by arrigo sacchi at AC Milan was influential in making it respectable and orthodox again against the trend away from it in Europe. its success in 90s serie A, the most prestigious league in the world then. The trend away from 4-4-2 to 4--3-3 had much to do with the success of Barcelona who adopted this Dutch style structure to build tiki taka. There is nothing wrong with 4-4-2 it will always make a comeback. Even mike Bassett knew this.

The issue with the 442 (flat) in the modern era has been the lack of numbers in the centre of the pitch. That can be compensated for if you have a strong defence , two extremely hardworking midfielders in the middle and enough pace to hit on the break effectively (leicester 2015, vintage Atletico under Simeone) these examples though are rare. In general games are dedided by the midfield and having 2 v 3's is just a tough ask.

Here is an example of a perfect 4-4-2 team. Premier league style Cole Terry Van Dijk Walker Keane Scholes Barnes Beckham Rooney Shearer

One can argue Bayern Munich played a sort of 442 during Müllers high times as a floating element around Lewandowski

Love the channel and content, however can you please stop depicting the Earth as a sphere. The black Swan argument by Nathan Oakley 1980 destroyed the R value, water measures level, one can't achieve gas pressure without a container etc etc...thanks

Excellent analysis as always.

Ladies and gentlemen. England will be playing Four-Four-F***ing Two.

I don't think formation is as significant as it was back in the day. for instance chelsea played the 343 with alonso and moses two players that are originally wingers but considered as full backs. barcelona in the remuntada played the 343 with iniesta and rafinha being their wingers with no defensive output whatsoever. For the same team that is Tunisia in the world cup, they played the 523 or the 343 with two defensive fullbacks on the two occasions and two offensive full backs on the third occasion occasion. relying on on one creative winger in the first game, two wingers in the second and no wingers in the second game. the 3 approaches are so different. It's not a matter of posession or counter attacking football but more of an approach of how to stop the opposing team. So, if we want to modelize the structure of player positions in modern football, we would have to select 3 formations: one for building up, one for attacking, one for defending, not just the one throughout the game

Speaking of 442 on modern day footbal and not speaking of Sergio Conceição Porto's High press in the past years is a travesty

Can you please specify that 442 was played in England, other counties played other styles, I hate this generalization

This needs to be understood with respect to the change in the offside rule in 2005. The rule change allowed players to be in an "offside" position but not interfering with play. This forced defensive lines deeper creating more space in the middle. Two men simply cannot cover that space anymore hence the need for three in midfield. And only on one striker. Look at any games from the 90s and the defences played much higher up with strikers looking to get in behind much more often.

Football formations don’t really make any sense anymore. For a start, all teams (should) have a stance with the ball and one without. Also, if a team employs a certain tactic ie the G press then it sort of negates the structure of a team (out of possession) as they are just oppressing the opposition. Lastly, the strategy of a team - ie attack,defend, park the bus, kitchen sink etc - dictates how a team move. Formations are really only starting positions, nothing more.

It's the simplest formation to play for a team with limited talent, for low divisions or beginners. It's easy for beginners to stay or get back to their position. Just keep the line with so and so who knows the game. Goalie can't really kick the ball across the field and it always end in the middle. So control the middle and you control the game.

Honest to god, formations are really kinda bs to me next to a defensive structure. Dependable on game moments, you'll play in about every formation throughout games if your squad is an intelligent pass and move squad.