What is José Mourinho’s 2-2-4-2? Well it’s a unique formation and set-up built around the idea of man-marking. On paper it appeared to be a standard 4-2-3-1, and glancing at it on the pitch, United were lined up in a 3-5-2 or 4-4-2. But 2-2-4-2 needs to be defined differently, because it plays differently.
The Shape
In terms of what we recognise as orthodox team shape, that is to say a player’s positioning without the ball in a zonal defensive system, Manchester United took to the field essentially with eight outfielders in a 2-4-2 formation. This was the shell of the system, the...
