Is the 4-2-3-1 formation out of date？ Deep analysis of Mu Shuai’s tactics

　　After spending nearly 160 million pounds to build a lineup, Mourinho’s new season at Manchester United is not a good start. Since Manchester United has not yet found a suitable winning plan, this has also caused Mourinho to suffer many doubts. Among them, the British media and some famous celebrities have discussed more, that is, is Mourinho’s tactics really out of date? To answer this question, we might as well analyze Mourinho’s tactics first.

　　4-2-3-1 formation

　　Over the past six years, Mourinho has been using the 4-2-3-1 formation. From Inter Milan to Real Madrid, from Chelsea to Manchester United today, Mourinho’s main formation is 4-2-3-1. This is a relatively young formation, which only became popular at the beginning of this century, and Mu Shuai has become a die-hard fan of it. This formation consists of 4 defenders, 2 midfielders, 3 attacking midfielders and 1 center. The difference lies in the configuration of midfielders. If two defensive midfielders are deployed, this formation is a defensive formation, otherwise it tends to attack.

　　

　　4231 formation

　　Regarding the essence of this formation, Mourinho once famously said: "We have a large number of midfielders (5 people). First of all, start with one of the two midfielders. If he is in an unguarded state, he will have enough time to gain insight into the whole situation. If someone watches closely, it means that there is enough space for the other midfielder. If both of them are stared at to death, it means that the other winger will also retreat to participate in the defense. At this time, the two wingers will open their doors wide and our wingers or full-backs can March in. Therefore, in the face of 442, 4231 will always occupy a certain advantage, a natural advantage. "

4231′ s full-back needs to insert assists and is easy to be hit behind, so the winger has to assist in defense.

　　Specifically, the 4-2-3-1 tactic has two core advantages. First, it can form a triangular position on the field. In football match, the penetration success rate of triangle pass is more effective than that of straight pass, and triangle attack is the essence of 4-2-3-1. After the close connection between the two midfielders and the three attacking midfielders, it can not only ensure the team’s penetration ability, but also ensure the team’s midfield control. In addition, the attack of 4-2-3-1 formation is very flexible, and three attacking midfielders and one striker can form a variety of attack modes. The most important thing is that the counterattack of this formation is very sharp, and the team can quickly push the ball into the opponent’s restricted area to form a blow after breaking the ball. There are countless such cases in the team that Mu Shuai coached in the past.

Jose Mourinho’s 4231 in Real Madrid’s last season

　　Of course, there are no perfect tactics in football matches, and 4-2-3-1 tactics also have their natural weaknesses. First, the wing defense of this formation is weak, because it is a double-waist configuration, they need to focus on the middle, so when the full-back assists, the team’s wing is likely to be penetrated. Second, the three attacking midfielders have both offensive and defensive functions. Because of the single striker configuration, the three attacking midfielders need to put a lot of energy into the offense. At the same time, because the team’s wing defense is weak, the team’s winger has to return to defense. In this case, the winger will be relatively tired and easily arouse their dissatisfaction with the head coach.

4231 tactics is still one of the most widely used tactics.

　　Generally speaking, the 4-2-3-1 tactic is one of the two or three most popular formations in today’s football, and it is also one of the alternative tactics that must be considered in the coaching staff of each team. Statistics show that this formation was the most used tactic in the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and the 2016 European Cup in the past season. After Mourinho used this formation, he won important titles such as Serie A and Champions League in Inter Milan, La Liga in Real Madrid and Premier League in Chelsea for the second time. Therefore, it is obviously unscientific to say that a set of tactics that have been used so widely and achieved endless glory is outdated.

　　Is Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1 outdated?

　　As for Mourinho’s tactical problems now, it is a bit one-sided to simply say whether it is out of date or not. However, it should not be ignored that Mourinho also has some problems when using 4-2-3-1 tactics. At present, public opinion has reached a consensus on two points. One is that the personnel used by Mourinho are relatively fixed. No matter during Inter Milan, Real Madrid, or after returning to Chelsea, Mourinho prefers to use a lineup to conquer the world. In short, Mourinho’s main players are very fixed, lacking rotation, and the division of labor of each player is very clear, which can almost be regarded as a quantitative. In the 2014/2015 season, for example, 10 players from Chelsea started more than 26 games in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho Chelsea version 4231, with fixed personnel and clear division of labor.

　　In the modern football environment, the employment and division of labor are fixed, which is easy for opponents to guess. In this case, they can play well in a single season, but it is very difficult to play well in a row. After all, when the team’s weaknesses are understood, it is difficult for the team to be as overwhelming as it used to be. Here is a comparison. Guardiola is known as a tactical master. One of the reasons why many people admire him is that his tactics are flexible and changeable. During his time at Bayern, he didn’t have the same starting lineup as the last game for 99 consecutive games.

　　In addition to fixed personnel, Mourinho also lacks alternative tactics. In the past six years, Mourinho has almost always played in the 4-2-3-1 formation. He has never played in other formations for many times in a row. Lack of innovation and innovation is undoubtedly a taboo in today’s increasingly fierce and refined football competition. After all, a set of tactical designs that were originally sophisticated and advanced will be stripped of their cocoons under the unremitting research of one opponent after another, thus finding out the loopholes. At this time, if there is no innovation, then the team’s combat power will undoubtedly be seriously affected.

　　Sampaoli, former coach of Chile’s national team, said: "Ferguson has always been brilliant because he is always changing. He won the Champions League with a 4-4-2 formation in 1999, then he changed it to 4-4-1-1, and then he won the Champions League with a 4-3-3 tactic. Finally, in 2013, he won his 13th Premier League trophy with 4-4-2 tactics. " Michael Owen, the former Mr. Golden Ball, once said: "The times are developing and the football is changing. If I put it today, I may not be a top player." It can be seen that the once brilliant ones may not be able to adapt to the latest football environment.

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　　Today, the 4-2-3-1 tactic is still widely used. It is obviously unscientific to say that this tactic is outdated. However, under this tactical framework, Mourinho’s fixed selection of personnel and details (changing the defensive back to the defensive back when defending, coordinating the defensive back with the defensive back when balancing, requiring the winger to return to the defense, etc.) and the lack of tactics also limited the combat effectiveness of his team to some extent. Now, perhaps Mourinho really needs to ponder Manchester United’s alternative tactics, or inject more fresh elements into the existing tactics. Now it’s not just Manchester United that needs to change. Mourinho, like the Red Devils, has reached the crossroads of falling or re-rising. We will wait and see what kind of answer Mu Shuai will give.