da bet7： Jose Mourinho rarely ventures far from the formation formula that has defined much of his Premier League career. During his first spell at Chelsea, the Portuguese became synonymous with 4-3-3 and the ‘Makelele role’, while he’s used 4-2-3-1 almost exclusively since returning to the English game after spells with Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
da doce： But the sheer variety of formations in the Premier League since Antonio Conte implemented a 3-4-3 setup at Chelsea last season shows how important it’s becoming for the top sides in the division, such as Manchester United who hope to claim this season’s title, to pick the right system for the right opponent rather than sticking with one single game-plan every week.
Tottenham visit Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday and inevitably throw up one such conundrum. Pochettino has used 4-2-3-1, 3-4-3, 5-4-1 and 5-3-2 this season, although it seems likely he’ll field his side in the latter formation this weekend after it inspired a 4-1 win over Liverpool last Sunday.
Which begs the question of whether United should stick with what they know best, 4-2-3-1, or look to cancel out the Lilywhites with a similar setup. Mourinho utilised a 3-4-3 against Swansea in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, suggesting the idea of trying to match-up with the Lilywhites to some degree has already entered his thoughts.
So, United fans, which formation would you use at Old Trafford this weekend? Let us know by voting below…