http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/ ... laren.htmlIn our tactical chat with McClaren, Guillem asks him about United and their unusual - yet effective - "strikerless" system. McClaren credits Roma and their manager Luciano Spalletti for introducing it a few years ago. After years of stale tactics, it's nice to see a bit of a tactical innovation. If you like tactics, it's actually a fascinating discussion. McClaren also reveals how the 4-2-3-1 (or 4-5-1) formation came into being and reveals a whole series of interesting nuggets, like the fact that he believes Gerrard is really coming into his own playing in the hole behind a single striker... (funny how Benitez got slaughtered for using him there in the Champions' League final last season). Oh, and remember a few years ago when Sir Alex messed around with his formation (in the Veron days) and played a lone striker? Remember all those ex-player pundits who criticized him for not playing 4-4-2? Remember those muppet United fans at Old Trafford who chanted "Four! Four! Two!" at him? I do. And they're morons. Sir Alex told me he actually NEVER played 4-4-2. And McClaren backs me up on that. So there.
Indeed, I challenge all of you to count how many top-tier teams around Europe play 4-4-2...
Więc Muppety cisza
