Based on the enduring farce that is the FA's management of the national team, Mike Bassett England Manager is a film that has dropped a catchphrase into football.

“Four-four-f***ing-two” is the eponymous anti-hero's only tactical consideration – and it is bellowed out with gusto by Ricky Tomlinson in the title role.

There have been unkind comparisons between new England boss Sam Allardyce and Bassett.

Yes they are both from the north, they both have a heft of build, and both at times sported broom brush moustaches.

But Allardyce has a fair bit more about him than the unreconstructed old school coach of the movie.

Meanwhile if you were to look for the anti-Bassett in football today, it is pretty clear you would find Antonio Conte.

Having none of those things in common with the comedy character, the Italian loves to try out different formations

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That is what we have seen in pre-season so far, bringing varied returns – which, after all, is the whole point of this calm before the storm.

Conte will have looked long and hard at the resources that were to greet him, before turning up at Cobham. But it will not have been until he saw them in action that he will have had a real idea of what will work.

Watching Conte's Italy in the Euros, we saw a very fluid formation that switched between several shapes during the course of a game.

As we have seen from the Blues since his arrival.

The first warm-up against Rapid Vienna, a 2-0 defeat, included experiments with 3-5-2, 4-4-2, and even 4-2-4.

That latter, bold attempt at taking the game to the opposition, seems to have been the favoured formation going into the US tour – though will not necessarily come out of it at the top of the list.

In itself, it is not as reckless as it sounds: less an hourglass, than a way of shifting from a flat 4-4-2 to something that throws far more pressure at the other side's defence.

Chelsea coach Antonio Conte gestures
New Chelsea coach Antonio Conte (L) watches his players during a training session

Conte has talked about the way players like Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who he has dabbled with to limited effect, need to be dynamic enough to quickly flit from midfielders to forwards.

In the first half against AC Milan, in Chelsea's last American match in Minneapolis, this 4-2-4 was pushed to its limit – and Blues really didn't seem to be able to make it work.

The second half delivered something far more successful: 4-3-3 while in possession, but more of a 4-1-4-1 while chasing the game.

That seemed to play to N'Golo Kante's strengths – and is yet another reason why, though he insists on denying it, people will liken him to Claude Makelele this campaign.

Formations have become a fascination of the modern game: whole tomes have been written about them, and it is generally the first question to which those following a match without pictures want an answer.

But, at risk of flying in the face of the entirety of modern tactical analysis – the formation a team plays in is very far from the most important aspect of chasing success.

Chelsea's 3-1 win over AC Milan in pictures:

It is that dynamism and fluidity, the adherence to the plan and the ability to 'transition', which enables sides to control games.

Jose Mourinho used to be a master at this, though he seemed to have lost some of his 'Special' in that department during his final fragmented season at Chelsea.

He was a master of drilling his sides to deliver exactly what was proscribed.

Conte, as evidenced by a Euro 2016 in which he was far and away the greatest tactician, has the same ability.

To succeed, he needs clever players who cacn follow a brief. You'd imagine he would have exactly the same frustrations with someone like firm fan favourite Joe Cole as we saw from Mourinho.

New Chelsea coach Antonio Conte speaks during a press conference
Head coach Antonio Conte of Chelsea gives an autograph to fans

Conte will hone his style as the new season approaches.

You can bet all those formations, and more, will get an airing at various points.

His aim is to have a team that is almost psychic: so practised they know exactly where they, and their teammates should be, at any given point in a play.

There will be 3-5-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-4 – and yes, even 4-4-2.

But from Conte, there will certainly be no 4-4-f***ing-2. You can be sure of that.

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