I wanted to add on to my post about the 4-2-4 system I wrote a few days back - (http://www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk/2016/07/24/the-numbers-game-201516-review-tottenham/?hc_page=12#hc_comment_13601580) - & go into more detail regarding how Conte's been deploying his version of it. While also breaking down the make-up of a particular regista in his prime, with some historical teams for context. So bear with me here 😉

There's been qualms about his 4-2-4 & there seems to be a feeling that it's a Bielsa-esque kamikaze attack sort of approach & that the defense will be exposed. Yet, the 4-2-4 system Conte has implemented is very fluid & transitions with ease from offense to defense. The Conte defensive touch is very notable now that players are getting more accustomed to the formation. We've still yet to see Costa, Batshuayi, Hazard & William in the same lineup along with Kante, so the roles may change a bit, but nonetheless.

The 424 shape is excels in transition, especially in defense from what has been shown thus far. There were instances where it switched from a 532 or 541, & the 532 as was highlighted yesterday vs Milan. Traore & Costa pressing up top (less so Costa). Moses & Willian would both interchange respectively when changing into a 532, slotting in as the RB or LB, depending on which flank the attack was coming from. Azpi & Aina here would slot in as either a RB/CB or tucked in as a RCB/LCB, again as above. Matić & Fàbregas would apply the bulk of the pressure along with the remaining winger. Though in the friendly vs Liverpool last week, when Chelsea would lose possession & on the backfoot it transitioned into a 541. Here RLC was the sole man up top, applying pressure to the CB's, with a very narrow midfield press of four behind him. On the deep flanks, Aina tucked in as a RCB almost, & Willian would drop deeper covering the RB spot. Then, Traore would would push back on the right, in line with the midfield four. Meanwhile on the left-flank, Moses & Azpi both applied a high intensity press.

This formation in defense & when out of possession plays similarly to what Conte implemented with Juve by the way, there are definitely parallels here: http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2016/5/22/11739446/watch-antonio-contes-3-3-4-system-explained

Then when in possession & in attack, there was clear front four sharing the same line, with Willian playing the furthest out relieving the congested play in the box. Azpi & Aina would both give surmountable width in the flanks as well when attacking, many times showing a 2 at the back. Once again proving how much Conte needs good, dynamic FB's that compliment each other well, one more defensive-minded FB tucking in on the left & Aina on the right with more maneuverability on the right. A similar set-up to the Lichsteiner & Asamoah pairing, granted they were wing-backs & more crucial to Conte's 334 going forward as they were the main providers of width, & crosses to the two strikers.

Again, this is a fluid formation, that transition very smoothly from defense to offense & when in possession it's very clearly a four in the front with the forwards operating in the same line. Bar Willian who'll be on the diagonal run having a deeper link with the midfield (still the same line), & providing more defensive coverage. You could say it's like Iniesta's role in Pep's 4-2-4 I described in my original 4-2-4 post.

I'd like to also point out how much I'd like to see Hazard played on the left-wing as opposed to a second-striker. I think he'll benefit the most from having two strikers up top as it gives him a greater amount of space to work with. He'll be facing many more one-one-one encounters with the FB's as opposed to down the middle where both CB's will be busy marking the two strikers. More than likely having to resort to man marking across the backline leaving ample opportunity for Hazard to find open space to run in behind. Not to mention Azpi helping out by overlapping & taking the second man out of Hazard's way, etc. he won't have that luxury up top, especially when playing narrow/congested formations in the middle like a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-1-2 (or Puel's 4-1-2-1-2 diamond)

There's also the dilemma of a not so defensively-astute Fàbregas. We've yet to see him partnered up with Kante granted, but I have my doubts with how he'll fare in a two-man midfield that isn't as narrow as Mou's 4-2-3-1. Two big reasons for Conte transitioning from his 4-2-4 (which he played with Siena & Bari), to the 4-3-3 & than eventually to the 3-3-4 early on with Juve was because of & Vidal, & the legend himself. Andrea Pirlo.

(You can scroll down for a tl;dr conclusion of Pirlo's role 🙂 )

At one point Pirlo was heralded as one of the best trequartistas for the future in Italy, he was to play right behind the strikers as he had too had a good eye for goal. Though it was the groundbreaking decision from coach Carlo Mazzone at Brescia to play Pirlo in front of the back four that that we saw where Pirlo's true potential lied. It was this revolutionary re-positioning of the #10, where rather than an attacking midfielder akin to Kaka, we saw Pirlo sitting as the deep-lying playmaker where he could use his technique, extraordinary vision & incredibly accurate long-range passes to great effect. Indeed, this decision by Mazzone was one of the most innovative tactical decisions of the decade.

This would lead Pirlo to the city of Milan, where he'd play under Ancelotti in one of the greatest teams imagined. In five years from 2003-07, they had reached three CL finals, winning two. One each of a Supercoppa Italiana, Coppa Italia, FIFA Club World Cup, & UEFA Super Cup. An extraordinary achievement in spite of having won just a single Scudetto as well.. Pirlo would of course supplant his role as a full-fledged regista from thereon in. In that time we saw the same variation of a three-man midfield all throughout.

These different versions of his 4-3-1-2 base would always consist of a destroyer in Gattuso who had enough energy to light up a nuclear plant, and Seedorf who had a wealth of experience & was extremely versatile in midfield. They would act as wide mids, who would add substantial width to the very narrow & rigid, 4-3-1-2 formation. The intention was all about space for Pirlo to operate in. The width that Seedorf and Gattuso would provide opened up the middle for Pirlo all the time. The constant running up both sides of the pitch from the duo ultimately made this system work. Pirlo would have time on his side to dictate play, almost like a quarterback in American football.

This is Ancelotti's 4-3-1-2 in the 2002-03 CL winning season: http://www.zonalmarking.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/AC_Milan_2003_shevchenko_inzaghi_pirlo_rui_costa_maldini.jpg

Going into the 03/04 season, Ancelotti would sign Cafu, no further introduction needed. This would mean that Gattuso & Seedorf didn't have the responsibility of playing as wide as before. Only when necessary to stretch out narrow midfield would they retain their old wide mid role. Cafu himself saw to providing the width, as he was more than capable of controlling the attack & defense down the right himself. Gattuso could now hold the right with more ease & with less burden overall.

The 03/04 Scudetto winning side with the 4-3-2-1: http://www.zonalmarking.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/new-milan.jpg

Finally came the famed 'Christmas Tree' formation of the 06/07 season. The final form of Ancelotti's famed Milan side. Following the comeback defeats both in 2004 & 2005, Ancelotti opted to add a more defensive-minded player in Ambrosini. This being the cause of an ageing duo of Seedorf and Gattuso who couldn't fill their roles of old as efficiently & couldn't put in the same wok-rate. As well as realizing that his side was too often exposed defensively in midfield. Ambrosini's admission would push Seedorf forward into a role similar to Rui Costa's, all but securing a solid DM on the left & a versatile destroyer to the right of Pirlo. By then Jankulovski was the new LB, modernizing his backline to have proper versatile full-backs on both flanks to add the support a defensive midfield three would need. Now the midfield could just focus on controlling the game, & both Pilo & Kaka would flourish as they won the CL in 2007.

Christmas Tree 4-3-2-1 in 07: http://www.zonalmarking.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Milan_2007_kaka_inzaghi_maldini_seedorf_pirlo.jpg

On to greener pastures, Pirlo found himself in Turin, playing for Juventus. As I said before, Conte transitioned from his 4-4-2 or two-man midfield, to the now coveted 334 (or 352). Pirlo in many instances would get run over & have little room to operate & dictate the midfield. It was the 334 that got the best out of the midfield & Pirlo for that matter. With a triple CB pairing (BBC), Pirlo had way more outlets to pass to as a regista, way less pressure on the ball. Plus he had Marchisio, Vidal &/or Pogba right in front to boot & would rapidly close down on anyone when there was a dispossession in central midfield. Just like Gattuso & Seedorf would early on.

This is how Conte's formation would play out with Juve early on:
http://s1231.photobucket.com/user/zonal_marking/media/juve.jpg.html

Suddenly up against a two-striker system with a trequartista behind him who pressed high, Pirlo could navigate effortlessly & had the option to play deeper in between the three CB's, plus he wasn't as encumbered with defensive duties. As opposed to the 4atb system where it was very easy to get overrun in midfield when Pirlo was dispossessed & suddenly you're on a 2v3 in midfield on the break. Not to mention being reliant on Pirlo to break the counter & have the pace to keep up. With the switch to the 3-3-4, there was suddenly an even playing field in that situation with a 3v3 instead. Leaving more time for the wing-backs to come down, help on defense & slow the tempo of the attack.

3-3-4 vs two strikers & a trequartista: http://s1231.photobucket.com/user/zonal_marking/media/juve-napoli.jpg.html

(tl;dr version 😉 )

So as you see, the 3-3-4 facilitated Pirlo's play exponentially as opposed to the 4-4-2. Which is where I now see the similarity with Fàbregas & draw a parallel with Pirlo here. Can Conte rely on him defensively in a 4-2-4? I'm very curious to see where Fàbregas would fit here & how Conte intends on getting the best out of him assuming he sees him in his strongest XI. For one, Chelsea don't currently have the ball-playing CB's for him to comfortably play off of in a midfield two IMO, but they're decent enough on the ball to relieve pressure when needed. I do feel like Fàbregas creativity will be needed centrally at times, as the chief creators will likely be on the wings (Hazard & Willian), assuming Hazard's preferred on the wing by Conte as opposed to the recent development vs Madrid's teenagers of a 'possible' spot tucked in next to the striker. Kante doesn't specialize in a variety of passes (e.g lobbed balls, long balls, etc), that's not a pillar of his game. Nor Matić for that matter, not to say both or Kante plays those passes poorly, but Matić's more capable in that aspect in my view.

Which leads me to speculate that Fàbregas may be the option in easier home games & vs tough, narrow teams he'll deploy a more defensive-minded midfield two. Just my opinion of course, but if that match vs Real Madrid - where Matić & Oscar were paired up in the first half - the other day is an indication of how Fàbregas may fare...then it doesn't bode well. Matić & Oscar were decimated in midfield, completely. They got scored on three times in dominant fashion & Chelsea only put up a respectable score when Zidane opted to put out his teenage XI.

I hope to see a Kante & Fàbregas midfield pairing before the season begins to give this an accurate/fair assessment as their are some red-lights signalling around the midfield. Yesterday's game vs Milan made it very clear of how much Fàbregas struggles in a two-man midfield in the 4-2-4. He didn't have as much time on the ball & fell victim to the same things that hindered Pirlo before. It wasn't until Conte switched to a 4-3-3 in the second-half with Kante anchoring in front of the back four - pushing Matić & Fàbregas further forward to connect play efficiently - where we saw the midfield take control of the game at long last. Fàbregas had more outlets to pass to along with & Matić. The wingers weren't as isolated with Hazard coming on for Moses, who was stretched out defensively in the 4-2-4. The attack was more cohesive, & Aina (& Ivan) had more license to go forward now, with Kante sweeping up with ease on the backfoot as Aina tracked back. The changes led to a clear dominant Chelsea second-half where they'd up winning in spectacular fashion, with a more attacking set-up, 3-1.

Clearly, the crux of the problem was the midfield pairing. With defenders bypassing them so often & lack of time on the ball, Fàbregas couldn't pick out slicing passes. The attack hasn't been dynamic at all (until Hazard, Cuadrado Kante, or Batshuayi are subbed in), failing to create quality chances due to a failing midfield. Overall, this 4-2-4 hasn't left a good impression in attack at all. There's isolated wingers when Moses & Wiilian play, leaving gaps for a proper transition in attack. In defense, Chelsea have been as solid as a rock (bar the Madrid match) with players knowing where to position & applying consistent pressure. Now ideally we'll see a full-strength XI in a 4-2-4 vs Werder Bremen to see how the team handles the attack with more dynamic forwards & with Kante pairing up. But thus far, the three-man midfield gave concrete evidence that it brings out the best attributes of the attack & all four of Oscar, Fàbregas, Chalobah, & Matić.

Just like with Pirlo, it's the complimentary midfield, the Gattuso's & Seedorf's of this world, that makes your attack & play-makers tick.