Hmm...
I do wonder how Pep adapts Haaland into the system in terms of in possession, rest defense and press.
Our current setup is 442 rest defense, which becomes a 2422 double false 9 in possession (with fullbacks not both always high and wide but sometimes rotating and balancing), and 244 double false 9 when pressing (with wingers making arcing runs to press as "strikers" and the fullback on that side filling the space).
Rest defense is not really an issue, easy to keep the same 442 shape to sit back in.
Pressing "might" be the next easier one, perhaps we can still retain this, wherein Haaland just drops with the other false 9 to stop passes to the midfield, and still have the wingers make wide runs. I'm not entirely sure.
Maybe we can accomodate for this by having the RW invert into midfield with the other false 9, while Haaland drifts wide right and makes the arcing runs to press from there.
This then naturally gives a clue on the in possession structure to keep this, but this is the most problematic. Because in possession means we play our possession game clearly, and as we have seen, our wide strikers are given alot of freedom in where they go and are required to use their whole skillset in linkup play, quick passes or 1-2s, dribbling, crossing etc. This is a massive problem to ask Haaland to do this.
But perhaps we can make a slight modification to our in possession struture, wherein we keep the 4 midfielders, and the wingers coming inside.
Keep Haaland central, and play him as a lone false 9, rather than 2 false 9s.
Basically shift the 4 man midfield "box" into a "diamond".
Not ideal, but maybe the "diamond" morphs into the box wherein Haaland never has to act as the midfielder on "his side" but is on the opposite side where the play hasn't happened but he can be on the end of a cross, the other midfielder shifts so we make "the correct box with the midfielder as the 10 on his side for possession".
Then this diamond shifts from side to side, having the benefit of confusing opponents, reducing Haaland's role quick interchanges or needing to drift wide, and letting him be on the opposite side of play to get on the end of chances.
Unfortunately I am too lazy to make graphics for this, but it has been on my mind on how to best get Haaland into this new system, and this has been my solution.
Curious how Pep does it.
