I’m not sure what it is about a 4-4-2 diamond formation, but
for some reason I struggle to deal with it. Whether it’s a wide diamond (DMC,
ML, MR, AMC), a narrow one (DMC, MCL, MCR, AMC), or even a non-diamond narrow
formation (2x DMC, 2x MC) it seems that my sides struggle to carve out chances
against them compared to the more familiar flat 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 type of shapes. Defensively
we don’t necessarily find it any tougher than any other match, but up front
it’s another story and we’ve been frustrated on a number of occasions.
I’m not sure why that sort of shape change should impact our
attacking, the most likely thing being that the addition of that pesky DMC
makes all the difference, but I can’t say that I’ve noticed the same issues
against a pair of DMCs in 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 variants - perhaps as those shapes then tend to leave a lot of space in the middle of the park?
Whatever the reason, with my Karlsruher SC side sitting in a very
nice spot as the season closes out, and the visit of Union Berlin and their
wide diamond, I decided that it’s probably time for me to have a go at
seriously analysing their approach and working out what to do about it.
