Roma have a Fab Four to plan with for the 2022-23 season, thanks to the presence of Tammy Abraham, Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Nicolo Zaniolo.
Expectations are building for Jose Mourinho’s second season in charge, with the addition of Dybala after his release from Juventus unlocking a new layer of anticipation and enthusiasm.
Focusing on the final third, Mourinho now has four high-calibre players to pick from. Abraham, Dybala, Pellegrini and Zaniolo have already been dubbed the ‘Fab Four’.
There have been some doubts as to whether they can all feature in the same lineup at the same time. Last season, Mourinho’s main formation – a 3-4-1-2 – only allowed three players in the attacking zones. Hence, it may have to be a choice of three out of four in their preferred roles.
Yet there are ways that Mourinho could count on all four of his main attacking talents at once, as was shown just before the season began. As it progresses, here are some methods for the manager to get as many of his best players involved simultaneously.
3-4-1-2
The setup with least adaptation would be a continuation of the 3-4-1-2 shape, whereby Pellegrini would have to drop from the attacking midfield role into a more central one. In turn, Mourinho could accommodate Dybala in behind Abraham and Zaniolo – or invert the attack as a 3-4-2-1 with the Englishman at the tip.
Roma used this method, with all four players involved, during their last match of pre-season in 2022. The only sacrifice is dropping Pellegrini into a deeper role, given that he contributed double figures of goals last season.
He would have to be paired with a more defensive midfielder, like Nemanja Matic, which may raise questions over the involvement of another new arrival, Georginio Wijnaldum. But he is capable of being functional closer to the centre circle, so the other three could thrive ahead.
4-2-3-1
Alternatively, Mourinho could revert to the formation he originally intended to use at Roma when taking charge last summer – a 4-2-3-1.
It was abandoned last season due to a lack of strength in the midfield pivot, but Matic and Wijnaldum can rectify that now. Consequently, the Roma Fab Four could all feature in front of them.
Abraham would, of course, be the focal point, although there may be some doubts about the specific roles of the three in behind. There is an argument to say they are all best in the central attacking midfield role, although Zaniolo or Dybala could lean towards the right wing.
Would Pellegrini be as effective on the left as he is centrally? It is an idea that has been toyed with before, with little continuity. If Roma were to operate this way, it would have to be narrow – and there may be some concerns about how the wider players would cover defensively.
But on the ball, giving them freedom to interchange – if Mourinho would allow it – would certainly be exciting.
4-3-2-1
One way to avoid the awkward factor of none of the Roma Fab Four being a left winger would be to use a narrow formation as a base to start with.
Roma could cut the need for a wide player by moving to a 4-3-2-1, with Dybala and Zaniolo in behind Abraham. Pellegrini would become a mezz’ala, one of the wider central midfielders, still with licence to get forward. Wijnaldum could perform a similar role on the opposite side of the sitting Matic.
And this shape may allow Roma’s attacking full-backs like Leonardo Spinazzola and Rick Karsdorp to supply more comfortable width when appropriate.
In the opposite direction, they could be overloaded, which is always a concern. But up front, there would be freedom for the front three (who again could interchange so it would be, for example, Dybala behind a pairing of Abraham and Zaniolo in more of a 4-3-1-2) to counteract that with their attacking contributions.
4-4-2
Finally, another way to drift from a pre-used plan would be to revert to one of the sport’s most traditional formations, a 4-4-2 (or 4-2-4).
In this system, it would be most likely that Dybala would play as a strike partner for Abraham, since Zaniolo can cover on the right wing. Pellegrini, meanwhile, would occupy one of the central midfield roles, likely next to Matic.
In addition, there would also be a space for a left winger. For example, this could be one of the only ways to get Nicola Zalewski in the same starting lineup as full-back Leonardo Spinazzola behind him at left-back.
It would also give the team a defensive structure, although the point of concern would be whether the midfield would be overrun in similar ways to how it was last season, what with there just being two bodies there. In truth, this seems the least likely of the four suggestions, but it would not be impossible.
Whichever way, Roma fans will be hoping to see their Fab Four in action as much as possible over the course of the 2022-23 season, without it being of detriment to other areas of the lineup. When they are in sync, though, the benefits should outweigh any opposite feelings, forming one of the most exciting elements of a Roma squad in years.
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