I'm sure the jokes will write themselves, but hear me out.
When we signed Mata, Moyes seemed to be at a bit of a loss about where to play him, centrally or as an inside right. What he ended up doing was allowing him almost free reign, with very minimal duties to help on the right, with the RB proving almost all the service from the right side. To balance it out, he often had the left winger playing very wide... Since then, both LvG and Mourinho have often used this system when Mata is on the pitch (and also the likes of Lingard and Mkhi).
Was this something Moyes started, or were other managers almost totally sacrificing one of the wings to get more creative players central when using a 4-4-1-1, 4-2-3-1 or similar? (I know teams have often packed the centre while sacrificed both wings)
Did Moyes invent a formation?
posted on 22/2/17
Avb did it at Porto too with hulk inside and someone outside on the left, don't remember who it was
posted on 22/2/17
Did Moyes invent a formation?
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http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/tim-and-eric-mind-blown.gif
But to answer the question,then,yes.Yes he did.Because he's a genius.
posted on 22/2/17
All hail Andre Villas Boas.
posted on 22/2/17
Inside Forward is the term
posted on 22/2/17
comment by _Viva_la Nemanja Vida (U6044)
posted 54 seconds ago
Inside Forward is the term
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Not for the way we play with Mata. He often has a completely free reign and will pop up on the left, middle, right, in the box, in the hole, in midfield...
That is not how most inside forwards play.
posted on 22/2/17
It is quite unique... I watched AvB's Porto alot, and Hulk played as an inside forward, I agree there, but i've never seen a player given so much freedom as Mata, and i've never seen a wing get totally left to the full back as we have over the last few years.
posted on 22/2/17
Wengers always done this. Pires with Ljungberg, Hleb/Nasri/Arshavin/Cazorla/Iwobi with Walcott
posted on 22/2/17
AVB did it at Chelsea with Mata on the left coming in.
posted on 22/2/17
SAF used to give Ronaldo a pretty free role cutting in from the right while playing a "defensive" winger wide left, such as Park.
He also played Ronaldo cutting in from the left with someone like Hargreaves hugging the right touchline. E.g. the CL final in 2008.
But of course I agree with every word of the article because I don't want the OP to get upset.
posted on 22/2/17
Hi rex