4-2-3-1 isn’t unworkable. Bayern play that way (not sure about this season but previously) and they’ve had lots of success both domestically and in Europe.
I do wonder what if playing inverted forwards in Greenwood and Rashford/Sancho along with an attacking midfielder in Bruno is more of the problem. If you look at teams with inverted forwards like Pep’s Barca team or PSG or City they tend to play a 3-man midfield. This allows space for the forwards to come inside to the attacking midfield position and leaves room for overlapping full backs while having the 3-man midfield to cover for the attacking full backs.
If you look at Bayern playing 4-2-3-1 they play Muller similarly to Bruno’s role with us. However they have typically played Sane and Gnabry on their strong side stretching play.
We seem to be squeezing too many attacking players into central areas which makes it easy to defend by setting up narrowly. This forces us to push the full backs forward (who lack quality delivery) and then when our attacks break down we can be counter attacked down the flanks. This is compounded by playing only a 2-man midfield.
Considering the weakness in AWB and Shaw in terms of delivery we shouldn’t want them crossing too often. Instead tell them to sit back and play cautiously supporting the 2-man midfield. Then swap Greenwood and Sancho. Get them playing high and wide stretching play. This will create room for Bruno in the no10 position and also get Sancho and Greenwood to the byline to square the ball for Ronaldo in the box.
Alternatively, if we are going to rotate then play 3-man midfield then the attacking players in there need to cover for the attacking full backs. We should also then play Telles and Dalot because of their superior attacking abilities. Fred and McTominay aren’t horribly suited to play a box to box role alongside a proper defensive midfielder in the Henderson/Wijnaldum mould but we don’t really have the Fabinho/Fernandinho type to sit.
I do wonder what if playing inverted forwards in Greenwood and Rashford/Sancho along with an attacking midfielder in Bruno is more of the problem. If you look at teams with inverted forwards like Pep’s Barca team or PSG or City they tend to play a 3-man midfield. This allows space for the forwards to come inside to the attacking midfield position and leaves room for overlapping full backs while having the 3-man midfield to cover for the attacking full backs.
If you look at Bayern playing 4-2-3-1 they play Muller similarly to Bruno’s role with us. However they have typically played Sane and Gnabry on their strong side stretching play.
We seem to be squeezing too many attacking players into central areas which makes it easy to defend by setting up narrowly. This forces us to push the full backs forward (who lack quality delivery) and then when our attacks break down we can be counter attacked down the flanks. This is compounded by playing only a 2-man midfield.
Considering the weakness in AWB and Shaw in terms of delivery we shouldn’t want them crossing too often. Instead tell them to sit back and play cautiously supporting the 2-man midfield. Then swap Greenwood and Sancho. Get them playing high and wide stretching play. This will create room for Bruno in the no10 position and also get Sancho and Greenwood to the byline to square the ball for Ronaldo in the box.
Alternatively, if we are going to rotate then play 3-man midfield then the attacking players in there need to cover for the attacking full backs. We should also then play Telles and Dalot because of their superior attacking abilities. Fred and McTominay aren’t horribly suited to play a box to box role alongside a proper defensive midfielder in the Henderson/Wijnaldum mould but we don’t really have the Fabinho/Fernandinho type to sit.
