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October 23, 2011

The starting line-up in the 2-2 draw with Genoa
The 4-2-4 is a mythical Iormation, immediately bringing to mind the Brazil side oI 1970,
maybe the greatest international side in history.
It is seldom used in modern Iootball at the top level, and thereIore the arrival oI Antonio Conte at
Juventus this summer excited many he was set to play the system, and perhaps bring all-out-
attack Iootball to Turin.
It`s surprising that so many thought this would bring about a revolution (in pure Iormation terms),
Ior iI there was any other manager in Europe that could vaguely be described as using a 4-2-4, it
would be Juve`s manager Irom last year, Gigi Del Neri. He made his name with a similar system
at Chievo, then re-established himselI with the Iormation at Sampdoria, and last year tried to make
it work with Juve.
ThereIore, it`s hardly been complete departure Irom the way Juventus played last year. And, in
reality, Conte doesn`t use a 4-2-4, as he Ireely admits.
'Theres been too much talk on this particular way of playing. In actuality its a 4-4-2. I know of
course novelty makes sometimes a great topic of discussion. If instead of saying 4-2-4 I had said
4-4-2 from the very beginning, we wouldnt be discussing this innovation. Maybe all it is is fust
a normal idea of play. It is a normal 4-4-2. I think in England most teams that are winning are
applying this type of module, which enables you to cover the playing field in the best possible way
I think.`
His comments about covering the playing Iield` are interesting, reminiscent oI Arsene Wenger`s
comments (albeit now Iive years ago):
'I think its simply the most rational formation in most cases. In fact, its the essence of reason.
With a 4-4-2, 60 of your players are occupying 60 of the pitch. No other formation is as
efficient at covering space.`
4-4-2 / 4-2-4
As a side note, Conte`s comments on the deIinition oI the Iormation are very interesting. It has
been termed as a 4-2-4 Ior reasons oI pure branding`, rather than because oI the actual positioning
oI the side. OK, the wingers play high up the pitch, but they drop back level with the midIielders
when out oI possession. It isn`t too much more oI a 4-2-4 than Manchester United`s shape at the
start oI the season with Nani and Ashley Young playing high up although they tended to come
inside slightly more, making 4-2-2-2 more appropriate.
It`s Iunny that there can be so little diIIerence between 4-2-4, perhaps the most exciting realistic
Iormation imaginable, and the bog standard 4-4-2, arguably the least interesting shape.
In Iact, it`s probably less oI a 4-2-4 than the system Pep Guardiola brieIly used at the start oI
2010. That shape was very similar to the Brazilian shape oI 1970, in that it had the leIt-winger
(Andres Iniesta) deeper like Rivelinho, and one striker (Thierry Henry) starting highest up but
then moving towards the ball, like Tostao. However, iI we`re accepting that in all these Iormations
the wide players are level with the midIielders when out oI possession and closer to a line with the
Iorwards when the side has the ball, Barcelona`s unprecedented dominance oI possession means
that they`ll naturally look more like a 4-2-4 than any other the other sides.
Central midfield zone
It`s also interesting that Conte wants to cover the space` with his Iormation. The battle oI
Iormations in recent years has generally revolved upon ball retention rather than spatial
distribution oI players (more on this in a couple oI weeks) Jose Mourinho Iamously outlined
why his 4-3-3 always beat a natural 4-4-2 because oI the spare man in midIield to keep possession.
Playing only two central midIielders rather than three, with two natural wingers and two strikers,
indicates a more direct style oI Iootball. So, even iI it`s not a 4-2-4, the reasons Ior Conte playing
the system are intriguing.
The game against Genoa last night which Juventus dominated but twice lost the lead showed
oII their system well. The most interesting Ieature Iar more so than the Iormation is the use oI
his two midIielders in deep positions. Andrea Pirlo was superb against Genoa, and whilst Claudio
Marchisio was more quiet, he was the hero in Juve`s previous home game, a 2-0 win over Milan.
The use oI two ball players in a two-man central midIield zone is rare. Pirlo made his name at
Milan when his role was possible because he had hard-working runners around him most
obviously Rino Gattuso, but also Massimo Ambrosini and (to a certain extent) Clarence SeedorI.
Marchisio is more oI a battler, a hard working tenacious player, but he used to be a trequartista in
Juve`s youth sides beIore being converted to a midIielder, and he is Iar Irom a holding player.
A Pirlo-Marchisio central midIield is very positive. II there are two basic Iunctions oI being a
central midIielder keeping the ball and winning the ball a manager has to make a decision
about the style oI players he wants in a two-man central midIield rather than a three. A negative
manager would think immediately about his side being overrun in the 4-4-2 shape and thereIore
Iield two deIensive-minded scrappers. Conte is much more positive, and instead addresses the lack
oI a midIield triangle to play around the opposition by turning to two players comIortable in
possession.
Juve will, at times, need a third player in there. Against Milan and Chievo the energetic Arturo
Vidal was added to make a 4-1-4-1ish shape, whilst late in the Genoa game Michele Pazienza
came on Ior Marcelo Estigarribia, with Mirko Vucinic dropping to the leIt.
ther individuals
There remain question marks about the suitability oI other players Ior the system. Vucinic was
playing a relatively static role upIront alongside Alessandro Matri (who was excellent). It made
Juve one-dimensional with the ball, and didn`t suit Vucinic`s quality which is picking up the ball
beIore running at speed.
It has been rumoured that Vucinic could play as the leIt-winger, in place oI Estigarribia, but it
might be wiser to use him to the leIt oI the Iorward duo and let him driIt wide Irom there.
Estigarribia has to do a lot to cement his place in the side this was his Iirst league start, but he
was peripheral and there remains a Ieeling that his impressive displays at the Copa America,
themselves brieI moments oI skill, Ilatter a player who struggled at Le Mans in France.
LeIt-back is another area oI weakness. Paolo De Ceglie, Fabio Grosso and now Giorgio Chiellini
have all been used. Chiellini was terrible against Genoa ponderous on the ball, beaten in the air
Ior both goals and guilty oI wasting good chances at the other end.
Cohesion
These issues can be solved through selection, but Conte remains keen to Iocus upon the unit. 'As
Iar as we`re concerned, we are Iortunate enough to have players in the team that may permit us to
change and use something diIIerent. The idea how we should play remains essentially the same,
though.
The key is cohesion, and this appears to be lacking down the Ilanks. With the wingers
immediately moving Iorward when Juventus win the ball, it is diIIicult Ior the Iull-backs to make
contact with them, even more diIIicult to overlap. Gael Clichy admits he struggled when Arsenal
started playing their wingers higher up, Ior example.
But the cohesion was most obviously lacking Ior the Iirst goal Juve conceded. Simone Pepe
pressed, but Stephane Lichsteiner didn`t Genoa had a large gap to play in down the leIt, and a
clever pass resulted in Bosko Jankovic and Alexander Merkel combining, with the German
crossing Ior Marco Rossi at the Iar post.
For a manager so keen to play a speciIic system because it covers the space well`, errors like that
are a big problem, but Conte`s project remains one oI the more compelling experiments in Serie A
this season.