Quote Originally Posted by kill_the_drum View Post
I think we?ve got the players for 4-2-3-1.
It can be effective but it?s boring to watch.
You?ve nearly always got half your team behind the ball and waiting for the opposition to over commit.
Cooper used it at Forest as did Southgate with England.
Some interesting Premier League formation stats here for 2024-25:

https://www.premierleague.com/news/4323030

Basically, 4-2-3-1 was most popular, followed by 3-4-2-1 and 4-3-3.

Another interesting stat is that teams were getting the ball forward quicker:

“This season’s passing stats also show that head coaches want to get the ball forward a little quicker and more directly than they have in the past.

“There was a 5.1 per cent reduction in the number of passes in 2024/25, which equates to 48 fewer passes per 90 minutes compared to the season before.

“It is the lowest figure we have seen in eight seasons, pointing towards a shift away from wearing opponents down with long spells of patient distribution.

“The importance of counter-attacking is also a factor. “