In the name of god Pardew let the team play football!

[Parky]

Who plays a rigid 442 in the PL?

 

Spurs play pretty much as orthodox a 4-4-2 as you will see, Man United have also returned to it in the last two seasons after a few years of playing with 1 up. 4-4-2 is not "dead" as some people will have you believe but it depends very much on the quality of the wide players, it doesn't work with players who are there to be functional and defensive, nor with full backs who can't get forward on the overlap.

 

Think Bale strays a lot from the left though. Often popping up down the middle and the right. When that happens Ski Kotto (as you infer) morphs into a wingback. When VDV starts he drifts around a lot as well (but often picking up the ball right side mf and cutting in). Think Spurs vary it and it isn't as rigid as it appears. As you say ours is very rigid (although there was a patch when Obertan was being encouraged to drift inside a bit).

[Guest neesy111]

The 442 which Spurs and Man U play is perfect when you have players with pace and movement.  We lack that currently

[powellnufc]

That is the first game in a long while where he has been able to choose a full team. Our two best cm's, who control a lot our our general play, have barely played together recently and need time to strike up a partnership together before the team starts playing more fluidly.