England XI: Mourinho and Guardiola

A story on a well known British newspaper website recently claimed that Harry Redknapp was not the FA’s only choice for the England managers job. In fact, they had found out (Through the usual unnamed source) that the FA were considering approaching either Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho........................

[This pause is to allow you, the reader, the get up off the floor and stop laughing]

Outlandish and far fetched as that may be, it does pose the question: What would a Mourinho England team look like? And what about a Guardiola England team, what shape might that take?

Mourinho’s England XI

Lined up in Mourinho’s 4-3-3 - The Special One has a few favoured systems, and this one can be considered his Plan ‘A’. A fairly narrow midfield of one defensive midfielder, one box-to-box player, and one midfield man more free to join attacks. Three up front, two wingers that can interchange, and a target man.

Joe Hart is an automatic choice in goal, no questions asked – he is the best goalkeeper England have to offer.

Across the back four, old friend Ashley Cole plays at left back. He too is a fairly automatic choice, despite his advancing years. Mourinho likes his full-backs to offer attacking width, and this is why Cole is complemented on the other side of defence by Kyle Walker. Glen Johnson would’ve had a good shout at being started in the right back berth, if it were not for the fact that he was not really trusted by Mourinho at Chelsea. He preferred fellow Portuguese Paulo Ferreira, and also brought in Geremi as cover – eventually shipping Johnson out to Portsmouth. Kyle Walker would provide the required amount of attacking threat down the right wing, and is an able defender too.

John Terry was the rock at the heart of Chelsea’s defence for Mourinho, indeed he still is. Mourinho is well known for his faith in favourite players, and also known for not giving a damn what people think – just look at how he asked/allowed Pepe to play against Barcelona! Terry gets the nod, and Jose takes the flack.

Alongside Terry isMicah Richards. Terry needs a quick intelligent player next to him to cover. Rio Ferdinand has performed this role in the past for England, but his creaky knees count him out as an effective and reliable “get out of jail” man. Micah Richards has the physicality and pace required to do this job. Also, as a player who is primarily used as a right back, he’s more comfortable on the ball, and will be useful playing out from defence.

In midfield, Wayne Rooney plays in the attacking position where Lampard at Chelsea, Sneijder at Internazionale, and Mesut Ozil plays for Real Madrid. This might seem strange, to play England’s current best attacker in midfield, but here he will get involved in the play as much as he likes to – and Ferguson has experimented with him here recently too. Rooney’s all-round game is about so much more than gettingo nthe end of things, and like Sneijder and Ozil he can orchestrate things from this advanced midfield position. He is complemented by Scott Parker, who is used in a role that was Michael Essien’s at Chelsea and Sami Khedira’s at Real Madrid. Scott Parker might not have the long-range shooting ability of those players, but he is sufficiently “all-action” to make up for this – and this is where the limitations of the talent pool make themselves clear. Completing the midfield trio, and playing as the shield in front of the defence is Phil Jones. A player so versatile that not even Alex Ferguson knows his best position, his work rate and defensive qualities make him perfect here. In addition, his versatility means that he can drop back to make a five man defence when a lead needs protecting, cover for Kyle Walker when needed, and also steam up field and get involved in an attack on rare occasions.

Up front, Ashley Young and James Milner play on the flanks, and would interchange to keep opposition full backs guessing. Adam Johnson was a strong contender here, and would certainly make the bench, but Milner’s additional bulk just shades it for him, he is strong on the ball. Both wingers would be asked to drift infield and try to drag their markers in to give Cole and Walker space to exploit behind.

Andy Carroll plays as the target man. Certainly a controversial choice given his woeful recent form. However, Mourinho is one coach, if there are any, that could get the best out of the big Geordie. Drogba was transformed into a world-class striker by Mourinho, who convinced him that he was so. The same could be done for Andy Carroll, and in fine form, Carroll is the type of player to relentlessly battle a defence, and keep two centre-backs occupied all day long.

Of course, this is an imagining of Jose Mourinho’s England XI – you may have your own views, feel free to post them below, and feel free to slate this one and anyone elses! There are discussions to be had over every single position (probably barring Joe Hart in goal) Put Gerrard where Rooney is? Oxlade-Chamberlain instead of Milner? Try to use the same system though.

Guardiola’s England XI

Lined up in Guardiola’s 4-1-2-2-1 formation. A team that favours inverted wingers, a false 9, and a defensive midfielder that drops back to make a back three when both the full backs stride up the pitch.

Joe Hart. That’s it… a no brainer.

The back four – Ashley Cole is again almost an automatic choice, there has probably never been a finer player to wear the number 3 shirt for England. 90+ caps and still no realistic competition for his position. Glen Johnson gets the Dani Alves role he’s secretly always wanted. A license to bomb up the right flank almost every time England get the ball is what is required here for Guardiola’s XI. Glen Johnson has been much maligned by certain critics, but there isn’t currently an English right sided defender more adept at attacking. Much is made of Micah Richards and Kyle Walker’s claims to this position, but when they come together on the pitch, it’s often Johnson who leaves the others desperately chasing shadows (Might be a bit of an exaggeration there…). The centre-backs need to be comfortable on the ball. Ferdinand is one of the coolest customers in possession – more stylish on the ball than a lot of midfielders, and he is joined by Cahill who, whilst still a little raw, is a centre-back of the ball-playing variety.

Phil Jones is the thirds player so far along with Joe Hart and Ashley Cole, to make both coach’s XI. He is quite simply a beast – Think Barcelona with Yaya Toure rather than Busquets or Mascherano and you’ll get the picture. When Cole and Johnson disappear off into enemy territory, he will drop back between Ferdinand and Cahill to form a back three.

Now, for the part that needs a bit of imagination…. Which English players fulfil the roles of Xavi and Iniesta?

After checking and checking again whether some archaic bylaw and even more ancient bloodline could allow Xavi and Iniesta themselves could turn out for England, Guardiola goes for broke and puts names of all the English born midfielders into a hat. Luckily for him, his glamorous assistant pulls Jack Wilshere and Paul Scholes out of the depths of black felt. Paul Scholes, as is widely reported, is revered in Spain – especially by the Barcelona players themselves. Xavi in particular, when asked by English press who his favourite player was, he named Scholes as the best central midfielder of the last 15-20 years. Scholes’ range of passing, positional awareness and ball-retention ability make him perfect for Guardiola’s England. Alongside him would be Jack Wilshere. The young Gunner is still learning the game – which is no disparagement, he’s already head and shoulders above most muck and bullets midfielders in the Premier League. But his quick touch, technical ability and close control would partner the old head of Scholes rather well in midfield. Scholes gets to have fun as Iniesta, whilst Wilshere is the link player.

Guardiola’s more recent teams, since he moved Messi off the wing (Actually now he’s sometimes back out wide) have utilised converted strikers as wingers, drifting in from the flanks – much like Mourinho, you might say. Pace and directness is the key here, because with Rooney playing a withdrawn role up front – as a false 9 – they will often be the England players closest to goal. Daniel Sturridge starts on the right and Walcott on the left. Again, when they naturally drift infield, those attacking full backs can exploit any spaces created behind the opposition full backs. Rooney is the fulcrum of the team, sitting just off the defenders, difficult to pick up and looking for intricate passing patterns to cut through defences after they’ve been bored to tears with the tiki-taka.

Once again, this is an imagining of Josep Guariola’s England XI – you may have your own views, feel free to post them below, and feel free to slate this one and anyone elses! There are discussions to be had over every single position. Is Cleverley ready for central midfield? Would Kyle Walker be a better pick than Glen Johnson? Theo Walcott – are you f***ing serious? Etc etc

Kaka-Major Role-player or Space Filler?

-Adriel Chai

Kaka During His Younger Days

The return of Kaka has spread jubilation not only to madridistas, but to fans the world over. The bright start to this year’s campaign has been nothing short of momentous as the Brazilian has battled with injury since he signed for Madrid in 2009. He was away from the playing field for nearly five months last season due to a knee injury, but based on his performances thus far, that’s all in the past now. The Brazilian is having a great start to the 2011/12 campaign and has proven to be a key player for Mourinho in only six games.

Kaka’s place in the starting 11 has been questioned since his return but he is proving the point that he has every reason to be in it. In a blistering attack-minded 4-2-3-1 formation against the great Ajax Amsterdam, Kaka flourished alongside the likes of Ronaldo and Ozil; the player many thought had replaced him. The Bernabeu faithful was able to see him in action playing the game again. He scored the team's second of the evening and assisted one Karim Benzema in the third. He also pulled off impressive individual efforts in attack that few players could only dream to emulate. Direct, darting runs down the middle of the park, his trademark, had once again come into prevalence as he pulled the strings all night.

With the younger Mesut Ozil seemingly in favour by Mourinho, one may have wondered where Kaka would fit into this grand scheme once fully fit. The answer lay in Angel Di Maria getting some bench time. The squirmish Argentine was left out of the starting 11 with Ozil taking his spot on the right flank and Kaka filling Ozil’s place in the middle. This choice proved to be deadly for the opposition as Madrid quickly got off the mark with a brilliant 7 pass team display before Ronaldo slotted home the opener.


This lineup proved especially deadly from the counter attack with Kaka at the epicenter of it all. This leads one to believe that Angel Di Maria may not be needed as initially thought for his pace. Kaka has returned this season with the same pace and urgency in his game that took him to the pinnacle of club football in 2007 with A.C Milan winning the UEFA Champions League as well as many coveted individual awards including the World Player of the Year award.


Kaka has been plugged into the lineup easily in his familiar centre attacking midfield position, playing at what is viewed as his highest level since joining the whites. He has left no question unanswered thus far in the 6 games he has featured in as form seems to be on his side with fluid interchanging passing with teammates, the required darting run from deep and occasional troubling shot on target all seeming to easily ready at his arsenal’s disposal.


Not only does he bring his array of skill to the table but he also provides his invaluable experience. He is a player that has won it all from the World Cup to the Champions League to domestic titles so one would imagine in the bigger Champions League games or El Clasicos result where the likes of Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria may not necessarily be well versed in those pressure situations, the Brazilian’s undeniable quality will greatly help his side push to a result.


He is one of Mourinho’s major assests alongside one of the world’s most talented midfields in Real Madrid’s aim to dethrone rivals Barcelona from domestic and European glory. Only 6 games have gone so far this season but it is set to be Kaka’s best yet in a Madrid shirt. Will the Brazilian maestro be able to help his side to success this season? The quality is there so now only time will tell.

Nuri Sahin-How Will He Fit In Madrid?

An unknown kid from Turkey started making waves in Bundesliga around 2009. He was praised for his exquisite footwork and technical ability. He had the knack for the final pass and always wished to be at center of the pitch dictationg play. After some dazzling performances in the last couple of years for the German giants Borrusia Dortmund, Nuri Sahin has almost created a niche for himself in that league. Producing some of the best plays in chase for the Champions League spot, he dethroned Bastian Schweinsteiger as Bundesliga’s best pass-master. He successfully marshaled the midfield of Borussia and helped them to glory at last. But as is the case with young exciting players in Bundesliga,he made the move abroad to Spanish giants Real Madrid, who are almost willing to do anything for their La Decima. Mourinho in his second year will be doing everything he can to end the domination of their arch-rivals FC Barcelona. What is he all about and how will he play in his new club? All questions answered right below!

Style of play

Sahin likes to take control of the play in the midfield, giving his forwards the freedom to push up and positioning himself for swift passing from the back. He loves the ball at his feet and fancies raiding the enemy flanks. His long balls are exquisite and his technical prowess drips from his through balls. He has a great vision which Madrid are in a desperate need for. He is able to play in the air with ease and has no difficulty going forward. He likes to track back and help in the defense to recover ball and quickly initiate counter-attack just the same as Xabi Alonso does at Real Madrid. He has powerful left foot with a shot full of sting and he never hesitates in testing the keeper from long range. He is well equipped with dead-ball techniques as he is a quality free kick specialist,but of course with CR7 at Madrid his opportunities will be limited. His pace is in tune with Real Madrid so he will definitely bolster their counter attack mentality.

Position in Madrid

Nuri Sahin loves to dictate play from deep-lying positions. He is solid in defense and spot on in tackles. He welcomes body defending and all-action style but is elegant in both defending and attacking. Nuri would form a great partnership with play-mogul Xabi Alonso. Let’s looks at the positions that Mourinho would install this season:

1. Prime Pivot.

Mourinho has always been so hungry in defeating the opposition by tactical warfare that he has somewhat become an unpredictable mastermind in football.The formation with the prime pivot will be defensively vulnerable which Mourinho obviously doesn't like but who knows,he is after all the "Special One".

Formation Probability : 5%

Used when                   : Weak lower table teams, if players are injured or rested or on national call, to test bench players.

Formation quality        : Weak.

Formation nature        : Attacking.

2. Double Pivot.

Mou loves to plot and plan to capitalize on enemy’s weaknesses. His teams posses the power to choke the game yet they all were superb counter attacking units. Real Madrid was the most scoring team in La Liga previous season, so much for the defensive tactics accusations. Yet no-one knows what the Special One can come up with, this could be an option…

Formation Probability : 50%

Used when                   : Defensive teams, mid and top table teams, if Mou wants some steel in the midfield, if Mou wants more creativity.

Formation quality        : Good.

Formation nature        : Attacking.

                                           

3. Trivote.

Buzz is that this season Mou will move to his personal favorite the Trivote. If all goes well, this formation will lay down a solid midfield foundation for Real Madrid for years to come. The signings show a pattern which I have certainly taken in consideration: Backup. Real Madrid has invested in Rafael Varane, Hamit Altintop, Jose Callejon, and of course Nuri Sahin. All these players are a sort of backup for the first team players. Sahin for Alonso, Varane for Carvalho, Altintop for Khedira, and Callejon for DiMaria. This means that Mou will use all of them very efficiently the whole season playing a very stacked formation so that no mistakes are made in any match. Stacked midfield means more players in the middle and more players means solid defense. This type of formation could be used for extra creativity as well more steel, whichever the mister wants to apply. Let’s look at the options…

Creative:

Formation Probability : 65%

Used when                  : Defensive teams, mid and top table teams, if Mou wants more creativity.

Formation quality        : Good.

Formation nature        : Attacking.

Defensive:

Formation Probability : 80%

Used when                  : Attacking teams, top table teams, if Mou wants balance between steel and creativity.

Formation quality        : Excellent.

Formation nature        : Neutral.

The difference between the attacking and defensive nature of the 4-3-3 is very minute.Andre Villas Boas mad Porto more attacking by just inverting the pyramid in the 4-3-3 i.e usually there are two defensive players with one attack minded player,but AVB reversed and it worked wonders for Porto.Mourinho usually like playing with two defensive players but one advantage he has is that,at Madrid players like Alonso and Sahin who are very good defensively are also creative.So he can mix and match and deploy the 4-3-3 as he wishes.

     

How he fits in Madrid

Sahin fits perfectly in Madrid. He is young and superbly talented for the club. He has his best friend Mesut Ozil playing there who is already a fan-favorite after only one season. Sami Khedira is also a friend it is said,whereas Hamit Altintop is his national compatriot. So that means it should be easy for him to settle down. In his first season he would be expected to be the understudy of the aging Xabi Alonso,but if he plays well maybe Mourinho will pick him.

It would be exciting to watch Real Madrid this season as they roll up their sleeves for a onslaught on La Liga and of course Barcelona who are currently enjoying their best form. I hope that Nuri Sahin’s future in the capital is secure and filled with all the trophies Real Madrid conquer.

-MadristaSpy

About the author: Mysterious enthusiast and unconditional devotee of Real Madrid. Wishes not to reveal his true identity and keeps in the shadows. Always stands beside Real Madrid and would bleed white. Regularly argues about women right to play and hates racism. If you wish to talk please follow @MadridistaSpy on twitter.

The Makelele Role

Claude Makelele

This week marks the retirement of two of the greatest midfielders of our time, Paul Scholes and Claude Makelele.  In this article we are talking about the latter, completely different from the former but as important,if not more. Tributes have been pouring in continuously for the Salford-born Englishman.But another legend of the game Claude Makelele is hanging up his boots.  Both certainly didn’t play the game the same way and had totally different attributes,but both were the masters in what they did.

Very rarely are football terms named after the footballers themselves, one example is of course the famousCruyff turn,but the most famous of our generation is “The Makelele Role”.  The Cruyff turn epitomizes the skill and the footballing brain of its inventor,but total football’s most famous man has an unlikely successor.Claude Makelele’s role at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho when they won the Premier League title was named after its inventor.

Unlike Cruyff, Makelele is a player who Arsene Wenger may call an anti-footballer . He is there to break up attacks, to hold the shape of the team.  But this role is different from the traditional defensive mid-fielders, who used to be hard tacklers and generally used to scythe down opponents.The Frenchman was simple, efficient,had great positional sense and was highly disciplined. Whilst at Real Madrid,he was regarded as the most important player by his teammates, who needed a calm and disciplined influence on the pitch.They won the 2002 Champions League with a host of attacking talent like Figo, Zidane, Raul and Roberto Carlos.  Going forward Madrid were brilliant, they attacked like bees, and were a neutral’s delight.  But it was when they lost possession and the opposition countered, Makelele came into his own.  When the opposition attacked he was all alone, with none of his midfield partners doing any sort of tracking back, he kept his calm and broke down plays.His calm presence and slow passing were a key factor in Madrid’s success.He then demanded a new and a bigger contract but Florentino Perez refused to give him one and eventually he was sold to Chelsea.

Perez harshly criticised the Frenchman saying

“We will not miss Makelele. His technique is average, he lacks the speed and skill to take the ball past opponents, and ninety percent of his distribution either goes backwards or sideways. He wasn’t a header of the ball and he rarely passed the ball more than three metres.”

Of course Perez was wrong as he discovered later.  All the more Real bought Beckham as a replacement which led Zidane to say

“Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?”

But Makelele’s move to London proved a highly succesful one.Under Jose Mourinho he excelled in his role and this time the world noticed it.There was admiration all around and The Makelele Role was born.

So now let us look into his role at Chelsea which made him famous.Jose Mourinho generally played with a 4-3-3 and it was very succesful in the Premier League as still the other teams were playing with a 4-4-2.

Chelsea Under Mourinho

Mourinho in of his interviews said

‘Look, if I have a triangle in midfield – Claude Makelele behind and two others just in front – I will always have an advantage against a pure 4-4-2 where the central midfielders are side by side. That’s because I will always have an extra man. It starts with Makelele, who is between the lines. If nobody comes to him he can see the whole pitch and has time. If he gets closed down it means one of the two other central midfielders is open. If they are closed down and the other team’s wingers come inside to help, it means there is space now for us on the flank, either for our own wingers or for our full-backs. There is nothing a pure 4-4-2 can do to stop things’.

Claude first struggled to settle in the Premiership under Ranieri but after Jose’s arrival, his role in the team became more well defined and Makelele’s best years were played out under him.The following comments sums up Makelele for you.

“It’s the ultimate honour to have it (The Makelele Role) named after me, I suppose it shows that I have achieved everything I have worked for,” he says. “I really learnt how to play that role at Real Madrid where, if we were losing 1-0, we would say ‘Right, lock up shop’. The four at the back and the one in front of them – me – would concentrate only on defence and let the others go and do what they had to up front. They would take the risks, I would take care of the opposition’s attacks.

“In every team you need to know what your role is and one of the keys to my role is to keep the balance of the team right. So when Didier [Drogba] goes here, I do this. When Frank [Lampard] goes there, I go there. Same with Michael [Ballack]. When one person moves out of position, then someone else comes in and covers for them.

“When you play in my position you have to enjoy it. You can’t be thinking  I don’t get any goals’. You just enjoy it, you enjoy playing football, tackling, giving the ball. Just enjoy it. When you are small you have to tackle at the right moment. He might be tall, he might be strong but if you tackle at the right moment you’ll win it. It’s about timing.”

Sergio Busquets is a modern day version of Makelele,he can do what the Frenchman does but he can pass the ball too.  Nowadays a holding midfielder only to play the Makelele Role is not sufficient as you must be able to pass the ball and occasionally hit the long ball too.  Michael Carrick and Sami Khedira are prime examples.  Not many players who form the defensive backbone of team get credit for their work like Makelele got, but it will some time and it will take a great doing for someone to invent a role and have it named after himself.

The Fuss about the 4-2-3-1

So what’s this fuss about 4-2-3-1? Why do people think that a formation can change the fortune of a team like England.Well the most widely used formation in international football is 4-2-3-1 and the top clubs in Europe have been using variations of 4-2-3-1 over the past decade,except of course the English clubs until recently,preferred the classic 4-4-2.In a tactical sense, England is way behind Spain as the Spaniards adopted the 4-2-3-1 as early as 2000.  English pundits still regard playing 5 in midfield as defensive and is not looked upon kindly in the Premier League.

4-2-3-1(Red) Vs 4-4-2(Blue)

The Evolution

The trend of making their second striker as the play maker emerged in the 1986 world cup,the most famous example being Maradona himself. Once more and more teams started adopting this– the coming of 4-2-3-1 was inevitable.  So then teams played a holding mid player to pick up the playmaker and the striker up lone used to drift into wide areas,leaving space in the middle,so to prevent that there were two holding midfield players and there was born the Double Pivot. And slowly but surely teams realised the importance of having possession and not being over run in the midfield and many turned to the 4-2-3-1.  Of course every manager and every team had their own interpretations of this system.

The Double Pivot

The efficiency and the compactness that the double pivot provides makes it vital to have in the modern game. The double pivot actually is the usage of two holding mid-fielders in front of the defence.  One generally more creative than the other and is termed as the “Deep Lying  Playmaker“.  All the 4 semifinalists at the 2010 World Cup used the double pivot.  Spain,Holland and Germany all made their own interpretations of the 4-2-3-1 whereas Uruguay played with a classic 4-4-2 but unlike England whose Central Midfielders had to go forward and support their strikers,the Uruguayan central midfielders stayed back and acted as a double pivot.  This statistic shows the importance of the double pivot and it is here to stay in the modern game.  Actually the use of double pivot depends lot on the two players involved as in a double pivot each player doesn’t have a definite role, either of them can stay back and either of them can make a forward run depending on the situation.  But the roles may vary from team to team.

Real Madrid:

Xabi Alonso-Deep Lying Playmaker

Sami Khedira-Defensive Mid

The Netherlands:

Van Bommel & De Jong-Both Defensive Mids

Arsenal:

Song & Wilshere-Both box to box midfielders

The CAM

The most important role and generally the best player is the attacking midfielder or the advanced playmaker.He has to have great vision,creativity,the ability to see a pass and generally should have a good finish too.Wesley Sneijder(Netherlands,Inter), Xavi(Spain), Fabregas(Arsenal), Ozil(Madrid,Germany) are accomplished players who perform this role effectively.There are two important tactical points to be noted here

1. The CAM, because he plays between the lines or as one can say between the defense and the midfield, can get the opposition into a conundrum.  He drags either a center back or one of the pivots from out of his position.
2. If the CAM drops deep then it helps the team to retain posssession which is what one has to do when playing teams like Barcelona,this also prevents your midfield from getting overrun.

The False 10

We all know about the false 9(a striker who drops deep to create space for other players to exploit),but in the World Cup there emerged a new tactic-the false 10.  The false 10′s break forward from deeper parts of the pitch to exploit the gaps created in the opposition defence by the false nine’s movement. Sneijder,Ozil and Keisuke Honda perfomed this role quite admirably.  But the man who is master of this role is Lionel Messi for Argentina(By the way he is an excellent false 9 for Barcelona).

Wesley Sneijder's average position in the game against Denmark

Mesut Ozil's average position against Australia

As you can see both Ozil and Sneijder’s positions are quite same as their striker’s, so this proves the theory of the false 10.

Variations of the 4-2-3-1

There have been a number of variations of the 4-2-3-1 by manager of various clubs and international sides.  Lets look at some of them.

The Strikerless formation

The strikerless formation or the 4-6-0 was perfected by Sir Alex Ferguson in the 2007-08 season, here the front three i.e Rooney,Ronaldo and Tevez used to drop into midifield and then depending on the situation took turns to play as the striker.  The ability of all the three player to either play on the wings or up front meant that SAF could use this tactic to a great effect.  Although United used it to great effect and won the Double that season,  Roma under  were the ones who initially perfected it.

Dunga’s 4-2-3-1

Dunga’s Brazil was not very popular back home,as they were looked up as a defensive minded unit not playing the samba-style football their fans are used to seeing.  Europeans viewed Brazil’s formation as a 4-2-3-1 with Gilberto and Melo as the pivots, Ramires(or Elano),Kaka and Robinho supporting the lone forward Luis Fabiano.But the Brazilians insisted on describing their system as a diamond.  They saw Gilberto as the base,Melo on the left and Ramires on the right as carrileros (the shuttlers on both the edges of the diamond),Kaka as the tip of the diamond(Play  maker) and Robinho as the second striker.As we can see below both the views are correct.

The diamond as the South Americans see it

The 4-2-3-1 as the Europeans view it

Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1

Jose Mourinho adopts a defensive approach in his 4-2-3-1(Real Madrid,Inter) by using 2 holding midfielders and basing the attack on a disciplined counter attack.  He used it to great effect at Inter and it a work in progress at Real.

How does one play against the 4-2-3-1?

The easiest way to play against a side playing 4-2-3-1 would be to play 4-2-3-1 ourselves.  But if the opposition is of higher quality then we would stand no chance.The W-W formation is an effective way to combat the 4-2-3-1.The W-W which Barcelona have mastered recently was actually used in the 1930s, as they say history does repeat itself.

The W-W formation

Whatever the tactical system is the players who are on the pitch have to perform,but having said this the modern game is increasingly being played out in the mind especially the internationals where the difference in the quality of teams is minute.