successful unorthodox formations

[red_maradona]

Our recent experimentation with the 3-5-2 got me thinking about when was the last time in the UK a team won a title playing a relatively unorthodox formation? By this I mean something very different to the main style of play at the time. The closest analogy maybe Barca's deployment of no strikers which has been copied since, but not successfully.

Most team who have won the title recently have stuck to the 442. Mourinho introduced the 433 (I think) but it was really a 451, but still different to the 442 being played prior to that. Maybe he counts?

It would be amazing if someone introduced something totally different, like a 334, obvs unikely to happen.

 

[Ryan]

Roma started the strikerless 4-6-0 formation, which has been en vogue for a few years now, about 10 years ago when (I can't remember his name but he was their main number 9) was out injured. They played Totti as the most advanced midfielder, but it was effectively just 6 midfielders. I thought it was fantastic, and a heap of clubs - Barca, Man Utd, Spain - have copied it since.

 

[refugee]

Roma started the strikerless 4-6-0 formation, which has been en vogue for a few years now, about 10 years ago when (I can't remember his name but he was their main number 9) was out injured. They played Totti as the most advanced midfielder, but it was effectively just 6 midfielders. I thought it was fantastic, and a heap of clubs - Barca, Man Utd, Spain - have copied it since.

Montella?

 

[Squiggles]

Can someone more tactically astute than myself describe how it works?

I'm guessing it requires to midfield to quickly move as one up and down the pitch

 

[Ryan]

It's essentially a 4-2-4 with the advanced four playing between the lines of where your traditional midfield and strikers would be placed. Think of the Barca team that played on Saturday night; Neymar, Fabregas, Messi and Iniesta are the four advanced midfielders.

At Roma they had it slightly different with Totti at the tip of the arc but not as far forward as a striker. United did it in the CL final against Barca when they stuck Ronaldo up there. He wasn't a number 9, more a number 10 at the tip of a dimaond midfield. It didn't work for them, but that's cos they'd never really played it before.

Far easier to show this on a chalkboard or something. If anyone knows how to find one on the net that's easy to play with and demonstrate, let me know.