“After a week where Manchester City were convincingly defeated by both Barcelona and Liverpool, with 2-1 losses flattering the English champions on both occasions, manager Manuel Pellegrini’s tactics inevitably came under fire. For both contests, his 4-4-2 formation was outplayed in midfield and exposed between the lines, leading to many questions about whether the Chilean has the tactical nous necessary to get results against the biggest sides. The 4-4-2 itself isn’t necessarily a problem, although the implementation of the system is surely flawed. Atletico Madrid’s 4-4-2 is an example of the possibilities with that system, although realistically that shape is more like 4-4-2-0, with the strikers dropping back behind the opposition midfielders and keeping the side extremely compact. There’s a huge difference between that and the 4-4-2 used by Pellegrini — and, indeed, by his predecessor Roberto Mancini.” ESPN – Michael Cox