Tactics Zone Explainer : Is Hibs 4-4-2 too ambitious for Celtic test?

Nick Montgomery and Sergio Raimundo aim to bounce back from Rangers loss against Celtic

Bold, certainly. But a wildly expansive 4-2-4? Not quite.

There are half a dozen different ways to play a 4-4-2, the preferred formation of Hibs boss Nick Montgomery.

But this idea that Rangers somehow exposed Monty’s masterplan as simply a wildly over-ambitious 4-2-4? A crazy ploy that, if repeated, will have Celtic purring in anticipation of a walkover this weekend?

It’s an easy piece of criticism to throw at a team beaten 4-0 at Ibrox. But does it add up?

First, let’s accept that, in an era of packed midfields and inverted fullbacks, going 4-4-2 is a bold move. The danger of getting over-run in the centre of the park means a lot of gaffers won’t even consider it – unless they’re confident that, man for man, they’ve got the stronger team.

But the threat provided by two strikers and two wingers is a big plus for a lot of tacticians. As a shape, it’s also easy to coach. And breaking the team into three distinct units makes it easy to monitor distances between the lines – crucial when the opposition are in possession.

The fact that Monty’s Hibs like to throw both wide men forward when attacking is, by any criteria, hardly revolutionary. You create chances by generating brief numerical advantages in the final third – and that requires bodies in and around the box (see Photo 1, from Saturday’s game at Ibrox).

Photo 1: Hibs look to generate overloads in final third.

Yet, without the ball, the formation as deployed by Hibs is about remaining compact (see illustration 1) and forcing opponents to play around the sides of a very solid block.

Illustration 1: The 4-4-2 can be compact and difficult to break down.

Against a Celtic team who can attack from all angles, that’s going to be important.

But there’s a reason why 4-4-2, for so long the only formation in the tactics book, is enjoying a resurgence. The key to Saturday is likely to lie not in the quality of the game plan, but in its execution.

John Greechan is a UEFA-qualified coach with a Certificate in Advance Tactical Analysis from Barca Innovation Hub Universitas, among other coaching and analysis qualifications.