The shift to 4-2-2-2 is designed to make the full-backs the provision of width.
I agree with this, I think this is the big difference. By limiting the options for our attacking mids and forcing them to stay central the wing backs become essential for providing width.
And we have reasonably competent wing backs in Dalot and Telles so it works out.
By contrast, our 4-2-3-1 attempts to make both the LW/RW and the RB/LB the provision of width, which has led to our classic problem under Ole of cluttering the wide area of the field. Cluttering invites opposition players, which in turn makes for more traffic to play through...........in that tiny section of the field. It's so, so counterproductive.
I don't agree that cluttering by itself is a bad thing .. many teams try to create the overload on the flank - one striker (say in a 4-4-2 or #10 in the 4-2-3-1) drifts wide, the fullback and the winger are in the same zone and that creates a 3v2 if the CB doesn't go with the striker. Pretty standard stuff.
Obvious solution is to have an extra CM (say the RCM) out to help and have the LW, LCM cover McFred. That leaves a switch of play open to AwB and we used to take that option but he's not great on the ball, it wasn't a huge deal for opposing teams.
its incredibly different especially in possession. Full backs play almost like wing backs and we play with 2 number 10s basically. Bruno and Sancho continuously take up the half spaces and Ronny and Rashford play as out and out strikers
It was almost identical in a 4-2-3-1 where Pogba, Bruno play. Let's just evaluate the attacking phase instead of the transitions or the defence. Our attack is quite heavily lopsided to happen from the LW and typical positions are
------------------------ Cavani --- Greenwood ----------
----- Shaw -------- Pogba --------- Bruno --- AwB --
------------------------- Fred --- McT -------------------------
.....
Greenwood, Cavani make almost a front two with AwB providing the width. Bruno covering the center / right half space, Pogba covering center / left half space.
Of course there's a lot of minor variations and movement depending on the situation.
More I think about it, the more I feel like the really major changes are taking away the attacking freedom from some of our players. Rashford, Bruno especially don't cut wide and mess around. Bruno doesn't make his penalty box runs at all, the goalscoring is left to Ronaldo / Rashford etc.