4-4-2 (1 solid system)
uneven 4-3-3, messi hybrid ( second solid system). What are you even talking about?
Sorry but these are not systems. These are formations (numerically how your team is going to be positioned on the field during the game). A system is much more complex than just numbers. A system is the way you want to face the game, how your players will try to beat the opposite players and score goals.
Letting the other team to have the ball, then as soon as our team get the ball back attack very fast using the wings. That's one example of a system based on counter attack.
Having the ball, creating multiple passing lanes, building the play from the back, playing through the middle and trying to get inside the penalty area to score. That's another example of a system, this time, based on possession and trying to get as close as possible to goal before shooting.
Now, what's Valverde's system? In first half we try to play a possession style, but a possession needs to have several passing lanes and movement off the ball, we don't have both. He always park the bus in second half, but we don't have players to run and counter attack. So, we're basically in the middle of nowhere, we have some counter attack system with possession system at the same time during a game (like WTF?).
There's some moments of the game that's normal to change some caracteristics of your system, like: stop crossing to your tallest striker and start crossing to your fastest striker. But the principle of crossing is still there. Atletico sometimes press higher on the pitch, sometimes they will press deep, sometimes will press really hard, sometimes they make a soft press. But the concept of pressing is still there.
I can only conclude that Valverde is creating something really new, that even Pep can't think, but if that's the case then 1) players are not liking it 2) it's very hard for players to understand, that's why we struggle, are slow at attacking and bad at defending; 3) Valverde has no clue of what he wants.
