Listening to Ralf Rangnick dissect the tactical traits of football in 2021 after Manchester United’s win at Brentford it was easy to find yourself nodding along.
“I think most of the top teams in Europe and in England play in a 4-3-3," Rangnick said after United had got a poor first-half out of their systems in the capital.
It's not exactly the most insightful moment from a Rangnick press conference so far, but for its simplicity it takes some beating. Some sides are finding success with a back three and Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte look wedded to that set-up at Chelsea and Tottenham, but the two dominant England sides in recent years have rewritten the record books in a version of a 4-3-3.
As accurate as Rangnick might be, the real conundrum is why it has taken United until January 15 to actually play a 4-3-3 this season when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was keen to pilot it in pre-season.
The change of shape certainly isn’t a panacea for all of United’s ills. They faded after a bright start at Aston Villa on Saturday and looked all at sea in an abject first-half at Brentford that wasn’t quite as one-sided as Thomas Frank would have you believe.
But there are reasons for optimism. At times at Villa Park United had the control they've lacked virtually all season and they repeated that trick after the break at Brentford when their attacking play was as Rangnick-like as it's been since he took over.
The understanding of the system should also develop through more training groundwork at Carrington and it still feels like United’s issues are mental and physical rather than technical or, now they’ve settled on a suitable system, tactical.
Villa and Brentford have identified taking a physical approach as a way to unsettle this team and they need to prove consistently they can stand up to that before the bullyboy tactics are halted. Don't expect a giant West Ham side to go easy at Old Trafford on Saturday.
This shape is easier to understand for the players, however. Many of them, such as Bruno Fernandes, Fred and the England internationals, use it on international duty and a side that want to be as dominant as United should be comfortable fielding a midfield consisting of one holding player and two No 8s.
Solskjaer identified that as the next stage of the evolution of his team but lacked the confidence in the personnel to implement it. That has been the concern for 18 months now.
The 4-2-3-1 favoured by the Norwegian was a system that dominated the Premier League 15 years ago and is still used in some quarters, but it built the team around a maverick playmaker in a No 10 role and lacked the ball-playing midfielder to operate in a formation that has two holding players. Scott McTominay and Fred were derided as a partnership but can thrive now they're no longer interlinked.
Rangnick began his interim spell with the 4-2-2-2 system he used so successively at RB Leipzig, but it didn't suit these players and held little long-term value, given whoever inherits this team in the summer was going to rip it up.
That's not the case with the 4-3-3. Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag, the current favourites for the job, would both stick with that formation, so there are reasons for sticking with it regardless of its short-term success.
Those concerns around fitting square pegs in round holes have been vanquished too. The theory has often been that United only have one player who can play as a lone holding midfielder and that is Nemanja Matic, while the success of Fernandes playing as what was basically a second striker cautioned against moving him backwards.
Matic played at the base of midfield at Villa Park but when McTominay's name was on the teamsheet at the Brentford Community Stadium there was an expectation amongst some supporters that he would be alongside Fred in a double pivot, given the questions of whether either player has the positional discipline to play as a natural defensive midfielder without support.
But as soon as the teams lined up for kick-off it was clear that McTominay was replicating the Matic role. He did so superbly, especially in the second half. His aggression in winning the ball back created the second and third goals and Rangnick singled him out for praise afterwards.
"In the second half Scott was exemplary, a real leader, he played with authority when we needed it most. That had a positively contagious effect on all the players in the centre of the pitch," he said.
If McTominay was the initial architect of the goals for Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford, it was Fernandes who registered the assist for both. Having failed to score or assist in his first five appearances under Rangnick, he now has two goals and two assists in two games.
His intelligence as a No 8 was on show at Villa Park, drifting from his left of centre position to link well with Alex Telles, and if Solskjaer was devoted to playing him as the playmaker, Rangnick believes he has actually found his perfect position.
"I think for him it’s better than being a No 10 because he makes himself available in different areas of the pitch, not only the centre," he said.
"He’s not a wing player but in this position as an eight he can sniff the moments we have to play the ball to him and make himself available. I think this position as an eight is almost perfect for him."
Fernandes was dropped to the bench for the Premier League defeat to Wolves at the start of 2022 and he looked low on form and confidence at that point. Since Rangnick's tactical shift he has rediscovered his mojo and has been influential for United in a week when 4-3-3 should have finally become their default formation.
The only question is why it took them so long.
