I remember the first time I ever saw it was mid 2000's (beginning in 2004-05); the team was Liverpool- under Rafa Benitez- and they used this formation to great effect. Under him it was a fascinating set-up and I recall looking upon it- and them- with a kind of awe. They had the perfect set-up for that system with smart, solid defenders (Carragher, Mascherano, etc.) and unbelievably good CM's like Gerrard (obviously) and Xabi Alonso along with wingers like Kuyt, Benayoun, etc.- all playing behind the perfect # 9 in Fernando Torres. I know you all hate Liverpool but anyone on here who watched football at that time at least appreciated the versatility within their set up; that team was both defensive and offensive at the same time- and everyone knew their roles. What's more- it wasn't as if every player was peak Steven Gerrard; in fact, most of them were good players who played quite well within that set up. Everyone seemed to know his role, and, well, it just worked: right manager, right players, right formation at the right time.
My point is that in that case the manager- Rafa Benitez- who most on here slate but whom I think was fantastic for them and is/was an extremely good manager and a master tactician-- a guy who not only won the Champions League w/Liverpool but who also took them to another CL final (many forget that; yes, he failed to win it but once again he overachieved as Liverpool had Peter Crouch up front and were definitely not the 2nd best of the elite teams of Europe in 2007), who won the FA Cup (back when it was a big deal), won the Community Shield, got Liverpool to their highest-ever points total- and on and on (I won't even mention all the other trophies he's won elsewhere); anyway, point is, he made the team more than the sum of its parts....so yeah, back to 4-2-3-1: at the time I saw that formation as exotic-- something other teams play; we're Spurs- we play 4-4-2 of course.
Fast forward to Poch, and his insistence upon the double pivot, which for 3-4 seasons worked a treat: we had an airtight defense with super-athletic fullbacks bombing up and down the wings in Rose and Walker, rock-solid CBs in Jan and Toby, the ultimate double-pivot in Wanyama and Dembele, the classic # 10 in Eriksen, Son and Lamela (or Lucas, etc.) out on the wings in behind our perfect # 9 Harry Kane. Life was perfect. We, too, were a team that punched above our weight and despite not winning trophies like Liverpool, we were Goddamn wonderful to watch and I loved every minute of seeing my beloved Tottenham just maul the opposition.
But then, as always, things changed: Wanyama was no longer even a thing, Walker left, Dembele broke down (and eventually departed as well), Eriksen wanted- and eventually got- out...and yet there we were, week in and week out, playing 4-2-3-1-- despite clearly not even having the proper players for it. I mean it doesn't take a genius to see that when (peak) Wanyama and (peak) Dembele morph into Winks and Sissoko, maybe the whole "double-pivot"-thing oughta at least be looked at anew...or scrapped...
But nope-- no matter WHO we had playing for us, 97% of the time we played one formation and one formation only: 4-2-3-1.
Then Poch gets sacked and in comes Jose..."Ok- at least we'll see some tactical flexibility" thought I; after all, Mourinho played a 4-3-3 at Chelsea to great success- so yeah baby(!): Lo Celso ---- Hojbjerg --- Ndombele, here we come!!!!!
Finally no more "Autopilot 4-2-3-1!" Thank fucking GOD!!!
But, um, nope- 4-2-3-1 was STILL there- like that guy hanging around your house after the party's over...
Lastly- in comes Ryan Mason and for the biggest match of the season he goes (drum roll please): 4-2-3-1/Winks + Hojbjerg double pivot. My fucking jaw dropped when I saw both that lineup and that formation! Will someone enlighten me as to why now THREE managers in a row are all so stuck on this shitty (for US) formation? You know- the one in which we get overrun in midfield and Kane is starved of service?
What gives? Does Levy make every new manager sign some kind of blood contract that they will "Play 4-2-3-1 in at least 95% of Tottenham matches?"
Because as far as I can see, just about every proper good team plays 4-3-3. Are we barred from that formation?
My point is that in that case the manager- Rafa Benitez- who most on here slate but whom I think was fantastic for them and is/was an extremely good manager and a master tactician-- a guy who not only won the Champions League w/Liverpool but who also took them to another CL final (many forget that; yes, he failed to win it but once again he overachieved as Liverpool had Peter Crouch up front and were definitely not the 2nd best of the elite teams of Europe in 2007), who won the FA Cup (back when it was a big deal), won the Community Shield, got Liverpool to their highest-ever points total- and on and on (I won't even mention all the other trophies he's won elsewhere); anyway, point is, he made the team more than the sum of its parts....so yeah, back to 4-2-3-1: at the time I saw that formation as exotic-- something other teams play; we're Spurs- we play 4-4-2 of course.
Fast forward to Poch, and his insistence upon the double pivot, which for 3-4 seasons worked a treat: we had an airtight defense with super-athletic fullbacks bombing up and down the wings in Rose and Walker, rock-solid CBs in Jan and Toby, the ultimate double-pivot in Wanyama and Dembele, the classic # 10 in Eriksen, Son and Lamela (or Lucas, etc.) out on the wings in behind our perfect # 9 Harry Kane. Life was perfect. We, too, were a team that punched above our weight and despite not winning trophies like Liverpool, we were Goddamn wonderful to watch and I loved every minute of seeing my beloved Tottenham just maul the opposition.
But then, as always, things changed: Wanyama was no longer even a thing, Walker left, Dembele broke down (and eventually departed as well), Eriksen wanted- and eventually got- out...and yet there we were, week in and week out, playing 4-2-3-1-- despite clearly not even having the proper players for it. I mean it doesn't take a genius to see that when (peak) Wanyama and (peak) Dembele morph into Winks and Sissoko, maybe the whole "double-pivot"-thing oughta at least be looked at anew...or scrapped...
But nope-- no matter WHO we had playing for us, 97% of the time we played one formation and one formation only: 4-2-3-1.
Then Poch gets sacked and in comes Jose..."Ok- at least we'll see some tactical flexibility" thought I; after all, Mourinho played a 4-3-3 at Chelsea to great success- so yeah baby(!): Lo Celso ---- Hojbjerg --- Ndombele, here we come!!!!!
Finally no more "Autopilot 4-2-3-1!" Thank fucking GOD!!!
But, um, nope- 4-2-3-1 was STILL there- like that guy hanging around your house after the party's over...
Lastly- in comes Ryan Mason and for the biggest match of the season he goes (drum roll please): 4-2-3-1/Winks + Hojbjerg double pivot. My fucking jaw dropped when I saw both that lineup and that formation! Will someone enlighten me as to why now THREE managers in a row are all so stuck on this shitty (for US) formation? You know- the one in which we get overrun in midfield and Kane is starved of service?
What gives? Does Levy make every new manager sign some kind of blood contract that they will "Play 4-2-3-1 in at least 95% of Tottenham matches?"
Because as far as I can see, just about every proper good team plays 4-3-3. Are we barred from that formation?