What is the best formation for a football team?

The football season is in full swing. Managers are starting to understand their best teams after the end if the transfer window and the shape of the season to come is upon us. The two Manchester clubs have carried the best form into the international break and sit neck and neck at the top of the league. Pep Guardiola has gone for the style that brought him unheralded success at Barcelona while Jose Mourinho across the city is straying a little from the defensive formula that has followed him throughout his career.

The formations that these two coaches have chosen is the most interesting aspect of the season so far. The signing of Nemanja Matic was the sign that Mourinho was going to cover his defence with a defensive midfielder or two. Pep spent a lot of his summer budget on fullbacks, to go back to the formation that he worked so well at Barcelona – also with a central defensive midfielder ahead of the back four.

There are so many different ways of setting out your team and the ideas of the big managers differ wildly – and not just in the Premier League. Think about how these guys set up their team –

• Antonio Conte
• Zinedine Zidane
• Jurgen Klopp
• Diego Simeone

It looks like both of these managers have a similar formation of 4-2-3-1 and this is the success of the season so far. The Chelsea surge in the league last season was built on three centre backs, wings backs and Ngolo Kante covering. Other teams followed suit. This season four-at-the-back is back in vogue.

The football fan and formations

Social442 is the perfect website to test out the formations you would use for your club and all the big teams in the leagues. Whether you agree or disagree with Pep and Jose, you can try out the different formation with the Social442 Football Formation Creator and have hours of fun in the process.

Think that you can do better than the top two? Give it a go. Have some ideas to help our crystal Palace at the bottom of the league? Well, I’m sure Roy Hodgson will appreciate your help.

But Social442 is about far more than the Formation Creator. You can keep up with all the latest news in the beautiful game. Don’t miss a beat with Social442.

Check it all out at https://www.social442.com/football-news